Re: Public has opportunity to voice opinion on controversial park plan
Sooke Mayor Maja Tait has stated the Lions club proposal is not a done deal, and many questions about how a service club will operate in a public park are still unanswered.
The issue for me with the Lions club building their facility in John Phillips Memorial Park is not the Lions club. It is the District of Sooke’s abdication of responsibility to protect this town centre park as a green space for families and future generations.
The population of Sooke will be more than 24,000 by 2038. We will exceed this number if the current trend continues. Most growth in Sooke will be directed toward the town core.
The park was once a golf course and needs attention and a plan. To allow this area to be made mainly into a Coney Island entertainment complex with an outdoor stage is challenging to comprehend in a residential neighbourhood.
More than 1,000 residents came out during the height of the pandemic under those difficult conditions and voted to save this park with little notice on the vote provided by the district.
John Phillips Park can be much more, but what kind of more is the fundamental question that needs addressing. Keep it Green
Please come on Sept. 25 to the Sooke Community Hall from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., even just for a minute, to voice your opinion on our park’s future, or email the mayor at info@sooke.ca.
William Wallace
Sooke
editor@sookenewsmirror.com
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