Loudon Park: Our Voices Made a Difference… but Our Work is Not Done!
That’s right — activism does work!
We are excited and relieved to report that on Monday, May 5, Plan A for Loudon Park was voted out at the Nanaimo City Council meeting, 6-3. It was a very long night for everyone and we are grateful to Councillor Brown who brought the matter forward for reconsideration. We applaud Mayor and Council for their willingness to hear the community and take a second look. The matter is on the agenda for their next meeting May 26 - and the work of finding a balanced plan that works for all is still ahead of us. For more details, check out the media coverage:
We appreciate the efforts of everyone who has participated in this process and those who attended the council meeting to show support! It just demonstrates how quickly we can come together and how powerful we are when it comes to protecting this planet we love so much.
Since then, outreach to the paddling groups has helped shape a new vision—one that grows the park without removing trees, that meets community needs without expanding concrete footprints, and that honours all forms of life who call this place home.
However, there is now a motion on the floor to proceed with the boat storage building from Option B and prepare a concept plan for a washroom, multi-purpose and fitness building on the general area of the existing washroom building. Unfortunately, this would remove up to 18 mature trees. Save Loudon Park is calling on council to vote against this motion and instead expand the park by incorporating neighbouring properties, and build the facility there.
Save Loudon Park will present a delegation at the May 26 city council meeting. Your presence in the gallery (7pm, 101 Gordon Street) would be a powerful show of support for a plan that sustains both people and place. Please share the FB event to help get the word out!