Shirley Gremyachev is the driving force behind a new small park in a south Nanaimo neighbourhood. (Spencer Sterritt/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Spencer Sterritt

green space

New park brings smiles to small south Nanaimo neighbourhood

Dec 9, 2020 | 12:20 PM

NANAIMO — A small but growing south Nanaimo neighbourhood now has a safe place for children to play.

Cambie Park, on the corner of Cambie Rd. and Park Ave., is officially open with a playground and small multi-purpose sports court.

It sat as an unused lot for years until Shirley Gremyachev, who’d moved into the neighbourhood four years ago, rallied and fundraised to make the park a reality.

“Every neighbourhood needs one of these,” she told NanaimoNewsNOW. “I think it’s important the government or whoever does it makes sure there’s a piece of land dedicated for a community. A lot of people are coming here because they don’t have it in their new communities.”

Most homes in the immediate area barely have much of a backyard or green space.

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“You can almost reach your arm out and touch your neighbours’ house,” Gremyachev said. “This gives children a place to play in safety.”

She said the park is well-used by families in the quickly growing area and kids of all ages play there.

It took nearly four years to turn the lot of land into the park.

The lot sat vacant from 2011 when the subdivision was being planned and work only began in 2017.

Numerous organizations, such as area Rotary Clubs, the Kinsmen Club of Nanaimo and Island West Coast Development, were involved in transforming the land into a usable playground.

The City of Nanaimo granted $25,000 through its Partners in Parks program.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @SpencerSterritt