villagevibe Photos: Pete Rockwell
Photo: Véronique da Silva
February 2008 : News and views from the heart of Fernwood
Fernwood NRG breaks New fun ground at Park Place at Franklin Green Park >> by Aaron Ellingsen
One day, a vacant lot. The next, a hole and a new beginning.
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ffordable housing is on the rise in Fernwood. On January 2nd, Fernwood NRG broke ground at 1222 Yukon Street, commencing construction of Park Place, the Society’s six-unit market-based affordable rental housing project overlooking Haegert Park. Fernwood NRG Executive Director Roberta Martell, explained how the groundbreaking played a role in determining the process to follow. “We didn’t know what to expect when we dug down,” she said. “They said we might hit bedrock and have to blast. They said we might hit loose sand and have to do a bunch of tamping or trucking material in. No blasting was required, and the removed fill was so clean that other area building projects took what we would otherwise have had to pay to landfill … Only in Fernwood,” Martell pointed out, “would we find a way to recycle fill.” Contractor Garde Collins says what they did find was compact and well-drained glacial sand. He’s pleased, adding that they might also
have encountered clay, which could have made for beginning the project in slurry of collected rainwater. NRG Board of Directors Vice-Chair Trish Richards, described her feelings as she watched the excavator break ground. “We’ve been talking and planning for so long – to actually see the excavator made it so real. And the operator was an artist!” Richards compared this beginning to that of Fernwood NRG’s Cornerstone project during the summer of 2005. “The speed of activity with Park Place is amazing,” she noted. “By the end of the day you could see where the building was going in. The Cornerstone reconstruction was an incredible experience, working every Saturday for months as a team of neighbours. And at the same time, of necessity, change came relatively slowly. To be able to watch the transformation in one day this time, it was mind-boggling.” She adds with a twinkle in her eye, “You should have seen Roberta dance!” At press time, with a little help from a Vic High trades student, the framing crew from the Queen Charlotte Islands was putting the finishing touches on forms for footings and foundation walls. If all goes well, the entire foundation should be poured on Friday, January 18th and the walls will be going up by the beginning of February. Collins says things are looking good for project completion on schedule toward the end of June. Park Place’s six three-bedroom marketbased affordable housing units will be available for families with children. Prospective tenants for the building’s six suites, including one wheelchair-accessible unit, should check at the Fernwood Community Centre or online at www. fernwoodneighbourhood.ca for information on the application process and submission deadlines.
>> by Tania Wegwitz
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hanks to the work of North Park Neighbourhood Association (NPNA) volunteers and folks at the City, Fernwood kids now have another rejuvenated space to play. The new Franklin Green playground opened in midDecember. Since then it has been attracting an increasing stream of young fans despite the unpredictable winter weather. The park (also known as Mason Street Park) is located on Mason Street near the corner of Cook Street. Most Fernwoodians know it as the green space behind Wellburn’s Market. NPNA Chair Kristin Atwood says that it’s understandable if some people didn’t realize that this space is a park. “It almost felt more like an urban space or empty lot. Now it’s more recognizable as a park, as a place that’s part of a community where families live and where people are growing memories.”
– continued on page 6
in this issue Fire hits Fernwood home Page 3 Feature: Collective Creativity: Fernwood artists Page 4 Fernwood’s zigloo domestique Page 7