The Daybreak Rotary Club would like to throw its support behind lighting the walking paths at McGuire Lake and, later, Blackburn Park.
President Rich Smith wrote to council on March 14, outlining how the club had previously proposed assisting with development of Canoe Beach. In May 2021, the club told council it would like to install a Rotary Swimmers Dock in the main swimming area, which would coincide with the city’s 2016 Canoe Beach Park Plan.
When club members came back to council in October 2022, they learned the city had been frustrated in its attempts to move forward. Facing backlogs, the provincial ministries of environment and fisheries said it would be another year before the city’s application to work on the dock was processed.
Read more: Rotary club’s plans to fund swimming dock at Canoe Beach stalled by province
So the club is looking for an interim project while the Canoe Beach issues are resolved.
Smith said the club would like to publicize the lighting project to raise funds and goodwill, so needs council’s OK. The club would also like to collaborate on lowering costs, which would include providing club membership labour, discounted contractor labour, donated or discounted materials, and other goodwill discounts on materials and services where possible.
It also wants council to consider dedicating additional funds in the 2024-2025 budget for lighting McGuire Lake walkways.
Mayor Alan Harrison and councillors expressed appreciation and support for the Rotary club’s offer.
Harrison said the financial request for 2024 could go into specific referrals, where council makes decisions on individual requests based on available funds in the 2024-25 budget. Council voted unanimously to forward the funding request there.
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Rob Niewenhuizen, the city’s director of engineering and development, explained that $50,000 was put into the city’s 2023 budget as a start to the McGuire Lake and Blackburn Park lighting project.
He said staff are looking at the best place to start the lighting, and the city is looking at upgrading some of the pathway on the 8th Avenue or north side of the lake.
“There are a lot of walkways at McGuire so there are lots of places to start,” he said, noting staff have been in discussions with Rotary.
Coun. Tim Lavery said he is very appreciative of Rotary and the project but he would like to ensure the type of lighting used is friendly to wildlife and migrating birds. Staff said it would be similar to the wharf, LED directional lighting, which would be directed at the walkways and not spilling out into the park.
Lavery said he’d like the lighting plan forwarded to the city’s environmental advisory committee, which could take a look, with a quick turnaround, to gather information in conjunction with staff’s expertise.
Coun. Kevin Flynn said he completely trusts staff to make sure it’s the right lighting and is not sure it needs to be referred.
Coun. Debbie Cannon said lighting was looked at during the Smartcentres hearings and when the Honda building was built across from McGuire Lake. She said she doesn’t think the environment committee members are experts in lighting.
The vote to forward the plan to the environmental advisory committee for input on the type of lighting to use passed, with Couns. Flynn and Cannon opposed.
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martha.wickett@saobserver.net
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