FALL RIVER: A stockpile of misunderstandings between the local councillor, HRM Parks and Rec, and the Riverlake community group led to the floating dock project at the Snow Centre not exactly meeting the vision of the community group.
Councillor Steve Streatch, who was not an elected member of council when the motion was made by former councillor Barry Dalrymple to see floating docks, and a beach area installed behind the Snow Centre, said everyone involved seemed to have a misunderstanding.
“Now we do know,” said Streatch, who along with Margaret Soley with HRM Parks and Rec met with members of the group on Lake Thomas. “It’s a work in progress.”
The group’s vision had asked for a beach plus landscaping done that would allow canoe and kayak users to have a route down from the main road to the lake.
Streatch said what HRM did a couple of months go with the installation of a floating dock into Lake Thomas was “a good start.”
“We met with the local organizing committee and came to a better understanding as it relates to a vision and participation locally,” he said. “I’m pleased that the local committee will be working with our HRM staff to do further enhancements such as clearing, landscaping and the potential extension of the dock to provide greater opportunities.”
He said he will be contributing financial assistance from his councillors capital fund to the project to see the complete vision of the group be brought forward sometime in 2018.
Streatch said the trouble all boiled down to misunderstandings from all sides.
“I think there was a bit of misunderstanding, and I share in that,” he said. “We all have to share in it. Some times its easy to assume one party is aware of everything the other party is thinking.
“In this case the communication was not where it should have been. What we’re doing now is going back and pressing the reset button , and we’re going to bring a good project forward that is consistent with the vision of the local committee.”
phealey@enfieldweeklypress.com
