Victoria seniors call for unused school field to be turned into elder-friendly park
Dozens of seniors rallied on the corner of Blanshard Street and Hillside Avenue in Victoria on Tuesday calling for the field of S.J. Willis School to be turned into an elder-friendly park.
The seniors hope to make their plea an issue in the upcoming municipal election. They say thousands of seniors live in the Quadra Village neighbourhood, which is surrounded by busy roads, and that they have nowhere to enjoy the outdoors.
Dozens of seniors rallied at the field advocating for it to be turned into a park. (CTV News)
The group said Tuesday it targeted the school field as an ideal location as it has sat vacant for more than a decade and is in close proximity to several senior living facilities.
Calling on the Greater Victoria School District to work with the City of Victoria, the seniors group would like to see wide paved pathways for walkers and wheelchairs, shaded and covered seating areas for gathering, and exercise equipment set up at the field.
"Something for people to do when they can get out of their care homes and residences," said Anne Duggan, one of the organizers, as passing cars honked in support of the call for a park.
"[Not] just a play area for us, but also for the whole community of all ages," she said.
Dozens of seniors rallied at the field advocating for it to be turned into a park. (CTV News)
Although Topaz Park is nearby, the organizers said the incline of the hill it sits atop of creates a barrier for many seniors to manage, especially those in wheelchairs and those relying on walkers.
S.J. Willis School is currently being used by staff and students from Victoria High School while it undergoes a massive renovation to house more students and to be seismically upgraded.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
DEVELOPING Live updates from the Trump hush money trial: Stormy Daniels, bookkeeper testify
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Boeing 737 catches fire and skids off the runway at a Senegal airport, injuring 10 people
A Boeing 737-300 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal's capital, injuring 10 people, according to the transport minister, an airline safety group and footage from a passenger that showed the aircraft on fire.
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
Man accused of killing two children at Quebec daycare to stand trial in April 2025
The man accused of murdering two children and injuring six others after a city bus crashed into a Montreal-area daycare is scheduled to stand trial over five weeks beginning in April 2025.