Hello, Parksville!
I’d like to start this email by thanking all of you who stopped by and spoke with my HDR coworkers a couple Wednesdays ago. They had so many great conversations about life in Parksville, what your community values and needs, and the part the proposed Parksville Multiplex could play. The point of our consultation efforts is to really determine what you want to see in your community, and the interactions on August 18 are the perfect foundation for our upcoming work. We’ve received over 120 comments through email and postcard so far, and I’ve read every one of them -- but more on that in a bit.
But first, I’m excited to give you more details about the next steps in our public consultation plan.
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Virtual Public Listening Session: 9/29
On Wednesday, September 29 from 6 to 7 pm, we will host a virtual listening session via Zoom. During this event, we’ll get you up to speed with a brief history of the project, an overview of studies conducted to date, and an update on where the proposed multiplex currently stands. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, provide feedback, and share their ideas about the facility. If you would like to participate, please send an RSVP to HDR@parksville.ca. We will confirm your space a few days before the meeting and email the Zoom instructions to you.
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In-person Workshops: 10/27
As of now, we are planning to hold two in-person workshops on Wednesday, October 27. In these workshops, we’ll expand on the feedback we heard in earlier consultation efforts and a do a deeper dive on some of the multiplex’s details, such as amenities, programs, its location, and more. We’ll hold one workshop in the afternoon and the other in the evening to help work around your busy schedules. More details to come in October.
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What We’ve Heard So Far
As mentioned earlier, we’ve already received so much great input from the community through email, in-person, and postcard submissions. Here’s a quick summary of what we’ve heard so far:
- There’s been a lot of enthusiasm for the multiplex. Though you may all have different (and creative!) ideas for what it should include, most of you agree that adding an aquatic and/or recreation centre would be a big boon for the City.
- That said, there’s a notable and understandable apprehension about the idea of raising taxes to support the construction and maintenance of the facility. A lot of you would like more details about the cost of the project and future operational fees and that’s very reasonable. Those details will be available in time, but we aren’t there yet -- we’re still in a largely conceptual stage of the project.
- Likewise, some of you had concerns about funding a multi-purpose facility at all, given the small size and population of Parksville. Going further, several people felt the funds would be better allocated to other City projects such as sustainable energy and environmental initiatives.
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We’ve seen so many great suggestions for the multiplex’s location, and equally as many justifiable reasonings for each. Ultimately, of course, there could only be one location, and for now, we are focusing our efforts on the type of location that would be suitable for the facility. As mentioned above, those efforts will lead us to a greater discussion about potential sites during our October workshops.
- Accessibility is a key topic of interest in the community -- both personal and infrastructural accessibility. For example, we’ve received a lot of requests to ensure the multiplex is along or near the bus route.
- The youth in the community are excited about a potential pool/ rec centre in Parksville. This isn’t a surprise, but it was great for our team to speak with so many who had an interest in the project during our popup event.
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We’ll send regular newsletters as our public consultation efforts move forward over the next few months. We’re always listening, so please continue to send your comments to HDR@parksville.ca. The more you send us now, the better we can refine our workshops in the fall. And if you haven’t already, you can also sign up for our mailing list by sending a message to HDR@parksville.ca.
It was great to get to know the community a little bit more on August 18, and we’re excited to continue working with you.
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More soon!
Pierce Sprague
HDR Corporation
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