The City of North Vancouver Council voted unanimously to move ahead with the development and improvement of Kings Mill Walk Park master plan.
The plans include a new plaza at the foot of Fell Avenue, a children’s play area, shoreline habitat improvement and protection from sea level rise, as well as an off-leash dog area, with construction to start next year.
The endorsement of the plan also sees council direct staff to invite Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) to work with the city, recognizing that the park is adjacent to Eslha7an (Mission 1), and that staff bring forward naming options to “better reflect the area.”
Coun. Don Bell said he was very pleased to see the development move ahead, noting that it has become an extremely popular park in the city.
Bell noted that after initial concerns were raised about the size of the dog park, the off-leash area has now been increased from 750 square metres to 1500 square metres, “Which I think is extremely popular for people with their dogs,” he said.
“I think also the concerns that were raised originally by the those individuals with physical disabilities and particularly wheelchair access, this is particularly one of the best dog parks that we have that allows people with wheelchairs, in particular, to have a solid surface and to be able to be there with their care animals, and so it's really important,” Bell said.
Coun. Tony Valente said he shared the enthusiasm of his colleagues regarding the plan moving forward.
“I'm really keen and excited about the Indigenous name for this area. I think that it recognizes the ecological history there. This was an estuary, it was a place of intertidal where you had salt hitting freshwater,” he said. “And I think it's amazing to realize what happened in the 70s, I don't think we would allow that to happen today, but this is going to be a great way that we can actually bring back some of the habitat that was there. So I'm very excited about this moving.”
Mayor Linda Buchanan and Coun. Holly Back noted the impressive view from the park, with Buchanan also mentioning the diverse crowd of people that use the area.
“I'm looking forward to the work that's going to be done on the foreshore that's going to allow much more interplay and just the build out of the park for the very variety of users,” she said.
