The City of Courtenay is preparing to transform an 11.8-acre parcel of riverside property near downtown into a nature park.
Public access to the new park is expected to begin later this year at the corner of 3rd Street and Harmston Avenue.
The property was donated to the City of Courtenay and The Nature Trust of British Columbia in 2011 through Canada鈥檚 Ecological Gifts Program by the late Robert McPhee, who wished to see the site maintained as a public wetland park.
鈥淭his project honours Mr. McPhee鈥檚 generous gift and his vision for the land, preserving its natural and historical features while creating a safe, welcoming space,鈥� said Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells. 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking forward to adding McPhee Meadows to our city鈥檚 diverse park system.鈥�
Phase one of the project has been awarded to Hazelwood Construction.
Work is expected to start by the end of July and be finished by the end of October. This includes resurfacing the existing path, installing a fence along the slope, building a gravel looped trail, replacing fencing around a historic orchard, removing invasive plants and planting native species.
A temporary road closure at the park entrance (top of 3rd Street) is expected. Drivers and pedestrians will see an increase in traffic in the 3rd Street and Harmston Avenue area for the duration of the project.
