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Metro to Build New Beach Concession

Artist Depictions of Proposed Facility

By Debbie McBride - There's been quite a lot in the news about "improvements" being done to Metro parks all over the Lower Mainland lately. From huge industrial looking sculptures in Deep Cove to our very own neck of the woods, Boundary Bay Regional Park.

Deep Cove's residents are fuming at the location and expense of placing a massive sculpture in front of what had been a natural view of trees, mountains and ocean. They question the need to place this piece, which has been described by some as a huge lighted muffler by the more polite, in a spot that mars the view of an exceptionally beautiful part of the world.

Of course, art's beauty is usually in the eye of the beholder, especially where modern art is concerned. However, where it is placed and who puts it there can create an altogether different story. And let's not forget the cost to the poor taxpayer who probably never was asked about it in the first place. That should be, especially today, a most important consideration.

Don't get me wrong, I love art in public places, especially if the artwork has been donated by a private benefactor and of course there has been a conversation with those who must see it every day.

We're facing much the same problem here at Boundary Bay Regional Park and most taxpaying members of the public don't even know about it. No, it's not a piece of artwork, it's a lot bigger and a whole lot more expensive.

Yes, the staff at Metro Parks have decided that Tsawwassen's Centennial Beach needs the benefit of it's largess and will be pouring a whack of your tax dollars into a project that isn't needed or even wanted.

I'm talking about the new washroom and so called concession stand that is slated to be built at the park to replace the old one. Don't get me wrong, the existing building is old and in need of upgrading or replacing but why we need to change it's location and turn it into a Taj Mahal of buildings is beyond me.

Here's what's proposed. Metro Vancouver wants to put in a change facility/washroom building at a different location north of the expanded playground. It will also build what Metro has admitted is more of a large cafe than a concession stand. And despite after 2 years of trying to get a private partner to operate a restaurant there, Metro still plans to build with the idea of putting one in there. Quite clearly, private industry has a far better handle on the economics of such a venture and declined, so why go ahead with the increased expense of doing so?

It's location is also in an area that is prone to flooding and will require fill to be brought in. There was a wonderful picture in the Delta Optimist the other day that showed the exact proposed area in the winter and it was covered in water. How does bringing in fill make any possible ecological sense when Boundary Bay Regional Park is supposed to be a natural and protected park and was part of the mitigation used for the displacement of wildlife by Vancouver Airport expansion? It doesn't.

I get that we need a new facility but why are we throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The current location is convenient for those who use Centennial Beach as a place to go for a day enjoying the picnic grounds, the beach and the water. The concession stand is close by and in a great location if you feel like a nosh, which is what it is very successful at providing. The current operator has great food and provides well for the market that's always been there and will continue to be.

The new location will require people to walk past a sensitive, protected area to get to the new facilities from the most used part of the park and it's highly unlikely a youngster who's gotta go is going to pay much attention to the pathways that have been established to protect the fragile areas of Boundary Bay.

There's an old saying that Metro really needs to take into consideration in all this. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

The current location for change and washrooms has served people extremely well and would continue to do so. It is clear that the need for a cafe/restaurant is just not there. Otherwise private industry would have been all over it. They weren't. What's next? A paved dyke so the ladies can enjoy their walks in heels?

Tsawwassen has a lot of privately owned, wonderful cafes already and they provide for takeout if it's needed. I see folks everyday, rain or shine, down at the beach, walking the dyke, drink in hand as they take in the beauty of the natural surroundings provided by the Big Guy(okay, person)upstairs for us.

If Metro really thinks it's important for people to have a place to sit down and enjoy that beauty, more benches would suffice and be much cheaper. From what I've seen, folks will even provide their own umbrellas,at no additional cost to the taxpayer.