The B.C. government is preparing to announce potential changes to Vancouver Island's popular Cathedral Grove park.
MacMillan Provincial Park, also known as Cathedral Grove, is in need of safety and access improvements due to the volume of traffic the park attracts and the lack of on-site parking and pedestrian crossings in the forested area near Port Alberni.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure says more than 500 people have submitted ideas for improvements to the site, including improved signage, traffic calming and enforcement, a pedestrian overpass, and additional parking and bypass options.
The government will present the most feasible suggestions for further public discussion at two public meetings.
The first will be held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on June 19 at the Parksville Community and Conference Centre. The second discussion is scheduled for 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on June 20 at the Port Alberni Friendship Centre.
Information presented at the open houses will also be available online beginning June 19.
The province says input gathered at the discussions will be used to refine and evaluate safety improvement options and will help identify those which the ministry should investigate in further detail.
Cathedral Grove draws approximately 500,000 visitors annually who come to view the park's old-growth Douglas fir trees. Currently, most visitors park along Highway 4 and cross the highway to visit both sides of the park.
