Echo Heights will be mostly parkland
Most of Chemainus’ Echo Heights forest officially became parkland June 4.
North Cowichan Mayor Jon Lefebure says council ended some eight years of tense debate by passing fourth and final readings of a bylaw to preserve 90 per cent of the 52-acre publicly-owned forest as parkland.
“The remaining property is zoned residential (R2), and was logged two decades ago,” his release reads. “It will be subdivided into an estimated 17 single-family residential lots, and will be sold to fund community-amenity projects.”
Council abandoned an earlier bylaw which would have seen 20 per cent of Echo Heights developed for a variety of single- and multi-family residential uses.
“In addition to dedicating the land as park, the adopted bylaw goes further and specifically requires any development or improvement of the park must be directed toward the preservation of the atmosphere, environment, and ecology of the park for public enjoyment,” notes Lefebure.
— Peter Rusland
Co-op collects
In June, change from the coin boxes at Mid Island Co-op’s Gas Stations are giving a boost to United Way’s efforts to help vulnerable children, youth, adults and seniors in Ladysmith and Chemainus.
The money from coin boxes at Mid Island Co-op locations will be donated to United Way Central and Northern Vancouver Island to be invested back into effective programs in our community.