Rainproofing the Marine Peace Park gazebo has become a priority for city council after a brief rain storm created an electrical hazard at Wednesday on the Wharf.
Salmon Arm council agreed to make upgrades to the gazebo a budget item after receiving a letter by resident Miki Mann regarding the Aug. 1 Wednesday on the Wharf concert that was cancelled on account of a “brief but intense rain storm.”
“We were so disappointed to be told that the concert was cancelled due to water on the stage and possibly water in the electrical outlets,” writes Mann, explaining the rain had come pouring off the roof of the gazebo and onto the posts with the electrical outlets and began pooling on the stage.
“Far too dangerous for performers with electrical equipment,” says Mann, who asks why gutters weren’t installed on the gazebo – a prominent feature at Marine Peace Park and the centre of the popular summer concert series.
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Flynn explained he didn’t prompt the letter from Mann, but he certainly appreciated it.
“For the first time ever my company decided to sponsor Wednesday on the Wharf, and it happened to be Wednesday, Aug. 1, and we had a 10-minute rain storm followed by beautiful sunshine…,” said Flynn. “As a sponsor who spent big dollars trying to support this event, to have it have to be cancelled because of a 10-minute shower…, it was truly disappointing as a sponsor and it was truly disappointing for the people who were there.”
Flynn asked that rainproofing upgrades for the gazebo be forwarded to the city’s budget process in the fall and that it be made a priority.
Flynn’s fellow councillors voiced their support, with Coun. Chad Eliason noting the Shuswap District Arts Council has been pursuing improvements for the gazebo for a while now.
Arts Council director/curator Tracey Kutschker said she worked with Shuswap Rotary Club’s Doug Leatherdale on a past grant application to retrofit the gazebo – to protect it from rain and enclose the rear for better sound projection. The application, however, was unsuccessful.
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Coun. Louise Wallace Richmond said the Shuswap Rotary Club is looking at another application to upgrade the gazebo.