THIGH HIGH
When it comes to talking long grass, in recent weeks I've had Vision Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»park board chair Aaron Jasper on speed dial.
This latest conversation had to do with the phrase "meadow look" that has been bandied around. The phrase is being used by other media and the NPA to describe areas in parks and boulevards where the grass is being left to grow as the result of cost saving measures by the park board. But the use of "meadow look" hasn't been attributed to anyone beyond "a park board commissioner" so I called Jasper to see if it was his brainchild.
Giving credit where credit is due, Jasper explains the phrase was taken from a staff budget report from December 2010, during which it was used to describe grassy areas that would no longer see the type of manicure once enjoyed by residents.
I first spoke with Jasper about this long grass more than two weeks ago when he explained only 14 per cent of passive areas like park edges would receive less attention to save $150,000. Not cutting all of the grass in all of the city's parks was one alternative to the washroom closures suggested at the same time. This latest costsaving measure was forced by budget cuts to the park board by the Vision Vancouver-dominated city council.
Jasper says the park board's budget for maintenance to community parks and beaches, excluding Stanley and Queen Elizabeth parks, is $10 million. "That puts those passive areas into context," says Jasper.
But the NPA isn't letting Jasper off the hook. Standing in thighhigh grass in the boulevard at the corner of King Edward and MacDonald Street last Friday morning, NPA park board candidate John Coupar says he doesn't expect passive areas to look like a lawn bowling green, but argued some maintenance would be nice. "It's time to stop these cuts," he said.
NPA park board candidate Dave Pasin said letting grass grow too long leads to all sorts of biodiversity problems, including encouraging invasive species such as ivy and hogweed.
He adds once grass has been left to go to seed, it also becomes straw-like in texture and produces more allergens. He noted long grass is also a haven for rats and mice. Ick.
FIRE ONE!
On Monday night the park board was expected to award a construction contract to begin the first phase towards demolishing the historic Jericho Marginal Wharf.
The fate of the wharf has been much discussed since the subject of demolishing it first came to a park board meeting in 2008. The wharf was built more than 60 years ago as part of the former Jericho Seaplane Base. Jericho Beach was home to the Pacific Coast Station of the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1921 to 1945.
The wharf is much loved by many, both residents and visitors. One of my favourite stories about the wharf was told to me by retired developer Alan Clapp, probably most famous for his efforts to save the large Challenger Relief Map of B.C.
Clapp told me in 2008 how the railings for the wharf came to be. It was in 1976, during the United Nations Habitat Forum held largely on and around Jericho Beach, when Clapp convinced then-premier Dave Barrett to donate the railings, which had been removed during reconstruction of the Lions Gate Bridge.
Twitter @sthomas10
