Dear Sir:
Having mini-parks around Terrace is a great idea. However, it concerned me that, in a recent article in the Terrace Standard, readers were left with the idea that the City was the only party responsible for the development of mini parks here and that they had done all the work to make it happen.
I want to thank the individuals who made the park at the bottom of Lanfear Hill a reality: Barbara Tetz, Ron Lambert, and Demoskoff Construction Company.
I’ve watched this process from its beginning as I live very close to that area and over the years I’ve tried to mow as much of this lot as I could.
It was a relief to see other individuals interested in getting this lot cleaned up.
Over 30 years ago a house had been there and was burnt to the ground on the lot at the bottom of Lanfear Hill. After the fire the basement was partially filled and the lot was left in the messy condition.
The lot became the property of the City of Terrace with the intention of someday expanding Lanfear Hill and has thus been left “dormant” since the fire. This meant that grass was left to grow there and young people would hide in the grass and smoke.
I confronted a number of them and found them quite cheeky.
The lot was not just messy but also a fire hazard to the neighbourhood, given the dry grass and the smoking that was going on there.
Barbara Tetz sought and received permission from the City for volunteers to clean up this lot and make it more presentable. Barbara Tetz and Ron Lambert put in many hours pruning back the trees, picking rocks and generally cleaning up the area.This took many hours and not a few loads went to the garbage dump!
I was able to arrange for fill to be brought in. Then Demoskoff Construction Company and their crew then became involved and put in quite a few hours in weed eating. They also donated their equipment and using the numerous loads of donated fill, leveled the lot. Ron Lambert and Barbara Tetz then came and took loads of rock out to assist with safely mowing the lot, hoping that the City of Terrace would eventually take it on as part of their maintenance program.
The volunteers whose hard work made this park possible need to be thanked for all their efforts. Their efforts have made it possible for the City to come in and just add a layer of top soil and grass seed.
At the time that the volunteers were working with the lot, James Demoskoff had offered to donate picnic tables as well, but at that point the crew got caught up in the red tape of City planning. We are all glad that the City has followed through in putting a picnic table in there and in maintaining the lot.
The garbage can is a wonderful addition to the original plan as well. For those of us who have been working on this lot it was great to see the City take it on as a mini-park! We’re looking forward to see what other plans the City has for finishing up this park, as well as the others on their list.
Russ Shauer
Terrace, B.C.