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
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.