‘Improving what we’ve got:’ future upgrades to Nanaimo park discussed at open house

Once playing on the beach as a child in diapers, Champion said he now returns to Loudon Park a few times a week to collect garbage from the beach and dock area.

Conceptual bird’s-eye illustration of pending enhancements at Loudon Park on display during the July 23 open house. (Image Credit: Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

A few dozen people were at Thursday’s open house right at 10 a.m., eager to see the plans.

Oleg, who lives in White Rock but is living in Nanaimo temporarily, said in his younger days, he was a professional rower for six years in his home country of Ukraine, and is getting back into the sport again.

Oleg also said more parking will be needed, especially if the park sees an increase in activity following the upgrades, but he’s personally excited to be able to store his boat indoors.

“Very good idea, because rowing shell, when I keep outside, it’s not good. Rowing shell, very very expensive, need to keep it always clean, always out of rain, always in boathouse.”

Oleg carrying his boat from Long Lake back into the storage area. (Image Credit: Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Ron Burchett has lived on the mid-Island for almost 40 years, and used to run a model boat club on Long Lake years ago.

He said having adequate parking spaces is an issue for all groups who want to use the park or lake.

“To utilize it properly, like the model boat club and the sailing club, it really only requires like five per cent of the property, but it requires doing it with some input, and that’s what was missing before.”

Burchett said he wants the current trees maintained and to “think carefully” if the City is considering removing any vegetation, used as a habitat by local birds and other animals.

General manager of community services Lisa Bhopalsingh told NanaimoNewsNOW they wanted to hear residents’ comments on planned accessible pathways, additional trail and beach access, upgraded washrooms, and a new equipment and boat storage area.

“We’ve already been working with the different user groups: the Canoe and Kayak Club, the Wellington Action Committee, the Friends of Loudon (Park). They have been part of informing the concepts that you’ll see today, and we’re hoping that people will give us some feedback, confirm things that we’ve already heard, maybe share some other information.”

Information on the Loudon Park improvements was provided during the open house. (Image Credit: Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

She said they’ll examine the feedback from the open house to help create the final Loudon Park upgrades plan, with construction expected to start in the fall, and be completed in 2028.

Overhauling Loudon Park is aimed at improving amenities for canoe/kayak and rowing user groups, including the addition of indoor training space, modernized washroom facilities and showers, while also creating a bookable community activity centre with a kitchen.

Bhopalsingh said the current washroom building would be torn down, and the boat storage area would be moved to the other side of the park inside the community building, on the site of two residential properties adjacent to the Park, bought by the City last year for nearly $2.2M.

She said they’re working to balance the needs of user groups with the general public, with community access, parking concerns, and maintaining local vegetation and trees were some of the big concerns heard up to this point.

“The improvement to the washrooms will be a big, big asset for the park users on a daily basis, much like the Westwood Lake washrooms have been a big improvement. That’s a similar calibre that we’re looking at here. So I’d say accessibility has probably been one of the more key features of the comments.”

Background

An original plan featuring a larger building was endorsed by Council, then reconsidered following considerable backlash, which included concerns about the loss of trees.

The existing plan was approved late last year, with concerns around its small footprint alleviated by the addition of the two purchased properties.

Some critics felt the significant financial investment was a ‘want’ as opposed to a ‘need’.

More information about overhauling Loudon Park is available here on the City’s website.

Local news. Delivered. Free. Subscribe to our daily news wrap and get our top local stories delivered to your email inbox every evening.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

Follow us on: Twitter (X) | Bluesky | Facebook

by Jordan Davidson

‘Improving what we’ve got:’ future upgrades to Nanaimo park discussed at open house

More Local News