The new accessible washroom facility at Kin Beach Park in Chemainus, which was officially opened on March 25, signals the completion of another piece of the province’s tourism puzzle, according to Lana Popham, B.C.’s Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport.
Popham was on hand with Nanaimo-North Cowichan MLA Doug Routley, North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas and North Cowichan Coun. Chris Istace at the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the approximately $500,000 washroom facility.
The province kicked in $312,500 for the project from its Tourism Dependent Community Fund, and North Cowichan paid for the rest.
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Popham said tourism season is about to pick up as summer approaches and the new accessible washroom facility will be enjoyed by all.
“We’re keeping our eyes on promoting accessibility in the province’s tourism industry these days, and created the Tourism Dependent Community Fund to help with that,” she said.
“B.C. will be hosting lots of upcoming events and we want to make sure our facilities are as accessible as possible. Congratulations to everyone on the great work in building this facility, and I can’t wait to come back to Kin Beach Park on my bike.”
The old cinder-block washroom that was in the park was taken down to make way for the new washroom, and the new facility includes the addition of power and hot water for the first time, as well as the accessibility features.
As part of the washroom construction, several other park improvements were also completed, including an outdoor shower, the planting of new trees, a covered walkway, as well as general landscaping and improvements to the parking area.
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Kin Beach Park, which was first opened in 1955 with the Kinsman Club as the original caretakers, includes a sandy beach, boat-launch ramp, picnic area, and now a new accessible washroom.
Douglas said the park is one of the jewels of Chemainus, and the new accessible year-round washroom facility is a tremendous asset to the beloved park.
“It’s a pleasure to celebrate the opening of this new washroom and I want to thank our staff who played a critical role in making this happen,” he said.
“With these improvements that we make to the park, people can enjoy it for many years to come. We are very grateful for the funding support from the province for these significant updates in one of our most visited parks.”
Routley said the new washroom is another great asset that supports families and the community, as well as tourism.
“Investments like this helps communities in so many ways and levels,” he said.