The park’s last day of operation brought Simone Lavalle to tears as she thought about her 30 years of Splashdown memories, stretching back to when she was just five or six years old.
Now a mother of three herself, Lavalle said it’s “heartbreaking” to see the park close. She and her family have bought season passes for the last few years, sometimes going four or five times in a week.
“It’s sad because now I have nothing to take them to,” she told CTV News. “We’ve been bringing them for the past six years and just creating all those memories.”
Opened in 1984, Splashdown has hosted 80,000 to 100,000 visitors annually for the last 33 summers.
Manager Harold Fredericks said the park’s lease is expiring at the end of the month, and the owners decided “it was time” to close.
“The family who originally built Splashdown park is still around, but they’re happy to move on to their next project or retirement.”
The park celebrated its last day with a retro theme, harkening back to its early days in the 1980s. Music from the era was playing all day, and giveaways were on offer, but for Lavalle, none of that matched the importance of just being present for the end of an era.
“It’s the last day,” she said. “We’ve got to take it out with them. We got here at 10:30 just so that we could get our spot and we could just enjoy the whole day.”
Fredericks said he’s not sure what the future of the site on which Splashdown sits. All he knows is that his 16-year tenure at the park is coming to an end, and that he’s grateful for the memories he helped create in that time.
“It’s going to be missed by a lot of people,” Fredericks said. “It’s just been an honour to be a part of something that creates so much joy and fun for families.”
After nine years of living on $906 a month, the 35-year-old Victoria woman will see her monthly disability cheque increase by $77.
The same day, however, the B.C. government will start charging her $52 a month for a bus pass that used to cost $45 a year.
Once the government finishes adding and subtracting, Morrison, who has a developmental disability, will be left with an extra $25 a month — her first increase since 2007.
“I’m very upset that they’re doing that,” she said. “They could be giving us a raise that we haven’t had in 10 years and kept the bus pass the way it was at $45 a year — instead of deducting money.”
Morrison isn’t alone. For months, people with disabilities and their advocates have criticized the “mean-spirited” changes first announced in the February budget.
They accuse government of “clawing back” bus passes from the disabled instead of raising rates across the board.
Social Development Minister Michelle Stilwell continues to defend the policy.
In a recent statement, she said the previous system was unfair because 45,000 people with disabilities were living on $906 a month with no additional transportation support. Meanwhile, 55,000 people received their monthly assistance plus a $52 bus pass or a $66-a-month transportation allowance.
Now, she says, everyone will get the same amount and can “choose” to buy a bus pass or keep their full $77-a-month increase. The $45 annual bus pass fee has been waived.
“These changes create fairness,” Stilwell said.
“While I understand that people hoped to see a larger increase in rates, these changes ensure everyone receiving disability assistance will benefit, and build on the progressive changes the ministry has made to disability assistance in the past year.”
But Morrison says she has no real choice in the matter, despite the government’s claim to the contrary.
“The bus is my only way I get around town,” she said. “It’s not a choice. I need it to see my friends and family in the community. I need it to get to swim practices; I swim for Special Olympics.”
Once she pays for the pass, she will be left with $931 to pay for food and rent. Fortunately, she has a job at Thrifty Foods that allows her to eke out a living, she said.
A single person with a disability can earn up to $9,600 a year before the government begins deducting money from their monthly assistance cheque.
“So because I have a job, I have that little bit of extra income for everything I need like food and rent,” she said.
But she’s still frustrated that after a nine-year freeze, the government decided to give her just $25 more a month to cover rising costs. “Have they ever lived off $906 a month?” she said.
Advocates for people with disabilities intend to protest the changes at rallies across B.C. Thursday.
“We have now provided or offered housing to all those who needed it. We were able to bring this situation to a peaceful resolution, and now we can go in and start to clean up the site,” Rich Coleman, Minister Responsible for Housing said in a statement.
Homes have been provided or offered to everyone at the Victoria’s courthouse site who requested housing, and the encampment has been shut down, in accordance with Chief Justice Christopher Hinkson’s ruling on July 5.
Hinkson ruled that the encampment on the Victoria courthouse lawn was unsafe for those living there and for the neighbouring residents and businesses, so the encampment must be closed.
He ordered that as housing became available, and by not later than Aug. 8, the defendants should remove all structures, tents, etc. from the site.
The provincial government has provided housing to more than 300 people from the encampment, including more than 100 who recently moved into the former Central Care Home.
In accordance with the chief justice’s order, the Province collected the names of all those at the site who were in need of housing and gave them opportunity to move into housing at the former Central Care Home.
All those occupying the encampment have now left, and the site has been fenced off.
A/Chief Constable Watson’s statement on the closure of Tent City:
“Our Department had been working towards this peaceful resolution with those on site, our partners and those impacted in the surrounding community since early November 2015. Our officers have been there from the very beginning. We listened to everyone involved and we helped bring partners together. When the risk to public safety grew, we worked with Victoria City Council to secure additional funding to increase our presence on and around the site. This increased presence helped keep things as peaceful as possible and helped to address the concerns of the surround community.
Our work was not without risk to our members. Several of our officers were injured in the course of their duties. Many of our officers took on extra work, taking time away from their families to focus on helping resolve this issue. There have been many in our organization, from civilian members to sworn officers, who have worked countless hours towards today’s peaceful resolution. Our Senior Command Team and I are proud of their work.
Today, I would like to recognize all of our partners who helped make today possible. I would also like to acknowledge the patience and professionalism that our officers have consistently demonstrated over the last 10 months. Their work in fostering and maintaining partnerships with a range of community groups and individuals was a key factor in today’s peaceful resolution.“
Can anyone tell me if she lived in Overland Park, KS? Is there an Obituary? Surviving Relatives?
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n 3/16/07, JBL wrote: > > > IN LOVING MEMORY > > > ---{----@ ---{----@ Susan R.Strom @----}--- @----}--- > 1946-2007 > > > Her unconditional love and caring will live in our hearts and > minds forever. May she be blessed with peace, love, and > heartful energy. Thank you Susan for all the wonderful > memories that we will continue to cherish now and in the > eternal future.
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Rich Coleman said eviction notices issued Friday require people living behind the courthouse to vacate the property by Feb. 25, with the option to apply for one of 88 new temporary shelter and rental units.
Mr. Coleman said it’s “stunning” that some campers are angry and have vowed to remain at the site, while taking legal action against the government over a claim they are occupying First Nations land.
“They said they had no place to live and they wanted somebody to pay attention. Somebody’s paid attention, they now have a place to go. So why are you complaining? You should actually be celebrating today.”
Mr. Coleman said some of the campers at the illegal site actually need housing but others are merely protesting and should “move on because they’re not there for the right reasons.”
Fifty of the 88 units will be available for about six months at a former youth jail in the community of View Royal where those residents will be given three meals a day. They will also have the option to camp in the courtyard, which can accommodate at least 20 tents.
David Screech, mayor of View Royal, said homelessness is a regional issue that requires all jurisdictions to be part of the solution.
“With that philosophy, we are prepared to support Victoria and B.C. Housing’s initiative to use the youth custody centre as a facility for the homeless on a temporary basis.”
The Housing Ministry said 38 rental spaces will be available for about a year at a cost of $375 a month at a building the province has bought for $3.65-million.
Mr. Coleman said two non-profit groups will operate both housing facilities at a cost of about $2.5-million and residents will be offered health services and a chance to find permanent housing and “turn their lives around.”
Campers began pitching tents behind the courthouse last spring, and in December the government offered 40 shelter spots.
About 100 people remained at the so-called Super InTent City, with some holding a news conference last month to say they wanted to retain a sense of community and put a public face on homelessness.
Mr. Coleman said the government issued the eviction notice Friday over safety concerns including the use of heaters, wooden structures that are a fire hazard and health concerns over lack of washrooms.
In December, a man died at the camp of a suspected drug overdose and another man was taken to hospital after being stabbed.
Police said neither the stabbing victim nor any of the campers co-operated with investigators.
The paper and pulp company, based in Richmond, says it denies the allegations contained in two separate civil suits and plans to defend itself vigorously.
Among other things, it says the trespassing suit is seeking $2 billion and a permanent order to prevent Catalyst from conducting operations at the Crofton mill near Duncan.
Catalyst says the Halalt First Nation claims the Crofton mill — operating since 1957 — interferes with its water and land rights and has caused damage to fisheries and land within the Halalt's territory.
A second suit filed by the Halalt, Sunvault Energy Inc. and Aboriginal Power Corp. seeks $100 million from Catalyst and an order from court to permanently stop Catalyst from building, owning or operating an anaerobic digester facility.
Will the person who left their boat off Gyro Park In Cadboro Bay this past summer please come and pick up your boat. Your vessel is now leaking fuel and debris onto the surrounding shorelines. Thank You.
Thank you for all your condolences and support so far.
-Mary Todd