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Friday, May 16, 2008 |
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25°C
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24°C
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26%
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A worthy addition |
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Written by Citizen Staff
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Monday, 05 May 2008 |
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FORT GEORGE PARKCIVIC CENTREEDITOR DAVE PAULSONTWO RIVERS GALLERY
It is one of the few residential areas of town possessing old-time charm, rich with character homes and with streets lined with old, leafy trees, all of it only minutes from downtown.
But its residents feel a growing disconnect with the city around them.
Problems associated with crime, drugs and prostitution along Queensway have robbed much of the Millar Addition and nearby Connaught of the sense of safety and serenity.
To make matters worse for residents, Queensway was recently touted as a heavy truck route to service CN Rail's intermodal facility on First Avenue, which followed the approval of a 30-unit apartment for the homeless at 17th and Queensway.
Then came a city hall proposal to build a bioenergy plant under their noses, which Millar Addition residents recently beat back.
As reported in Saturday's Citizen, they have now come forward with an idea to clean up the area below Millar Addition by transforming it into a "green corridor," including a vehicular-traffic-free zone of trails for pedestrians linking the area to the Fraser River, Fort George Park, and downtown buildings including the Civic Centre, Two Rivers Gallery, the public library and city hall.
Operating under the Millar Addition Citizens Coalition, the group envisions possible developments for lower Patricia Boulevard such as an arts and cultural centre and farmer's market.
It's refreshing to see a group of citizens take the initiative to formulate a long-range view that would benefit not only their neighbourhood, but the city in general.
On a much smaller scale, their proposal is similar in spirit to the reclamation of Granville Island, which was a motley collection of derelict warehouses before becoming one of Vancouver's most popular attractions for residents and tourists alike.
Why not here?
The green corridor concept is loaded with possibilities that, if taken up by the city and marketed appropriately, might qualify for partnerships with the provincial or federal governments as an environmental initiative.
Breathing new life into underutilized or decaying areas by giving them back to the people: It's what urban renewal is all about.
-- Editor Dave Paulson
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Last Updated ( Monday, 05 May 2008 )
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I would like to see the green belt extended to the Nechako River which is all industrial. To reclaim that area would be urban renewal at its' best. The area along the Nechako used to be parkland and it was where Major General Ganong chose to live during the war years. It is such a jewel and now it just plain ugly.
It would boost downtown and provide a unifying
extension to the Millar proposal.
It would take vision and tenacity but would enhance our great location next to two rivers. It could enhance our city as a tourist attraction as well as give our citizens the joy of both the rivers.