140 replies to this topic

[Barrister]

Are those 25,000 owned by the same person?

[Mike K.]

If the homes are, they might be.

[Victoria Watcher]

Work by the District of Saanich and contractors at the PKOLS (Mount Douglas Park) summit will lead to the Nov. 25-28 closure of Churchill Drive to vehicles and pedestrians, as well as the closure of the Churchill Drive parking lot and trails that lead to the summit area.

 

The closures will allow the contractors to carry out site assessments for a telecommunications-tower replacement project.

 

 

 

https://www.timescol...project-9848731

[Mike K.]

Here’s the press release:

The District of Saanich will be undertaking planned exploratory work at the summit of PKOLS (Mt. Doug Park) from the evening of November 25, 2024 to and including November 28, 2024. To ensure the safety of the public, the parking lot at the Churchill Drive entrance and Churchill Drive will be closed to vehicles. Pedestrians will not be able to walk up Churchill Drive to the summit on these days. Trails leading to the summit will also be closed.

The area will be monitored, to ensure we can maintain a safe work space for contractors and to ensure the public’s safety while the work is in progress.

The closures are necessary so that the District’s contractor can obtain site assessments for the telecommunications tower replacement project.

[sebberry]

Part of me can't help but think this is to avoid protests, not for 'safety'.  I know the tower install has been controversial. 

[Victoria Watcher]

Part of me can't help but think this is to avoid protests, not for 'safety'.  I know the tower install has been controversial. 

 

Yup.  Closing the base parking lot is a bit much.  That's parking for about 40 cars and I bet at least half of those people never walk to the top, but they use the base trails.

 

 

 

The District of Saanich will be undertaking planned exploratory work at the summit of PKOLS (Mt. Doug Park) from the evening of November 25, 2024 to and including November 28, 2024. To ensure the safety of the public, the parking lot at the Churchill Drive entrance and Churchill Drive will be closed to vehicles. Pedestrians will not be able to walk up Churchill Drive to the summit on these days. Trails leading to the summit will also be closed.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 22 November 2024 - 09:04 AM.

[Mike K.]

Presumably there will be large equipment there. It’s not a very large parking area.

[Victoria Watcher]

Presumably there will be large equipment there. It’s not a very large parking area.

 

At the bottom the hill?   The equipment will be at the summit parking lot.

[Victoria Watcher]

The gates to close the mountain drive to car traffic are after the base parking lot.

 

 

 

 

 

[Mike K.]

Yes, why not?

It’s a narrow, winding road. It’s the size of a tight logging road. Large trucks will radio up before driving the road, and wait for trucks coming down to clear first. They need the parking to let others pass.

[Victoria Watcher]

They claim to not be installing the thing this coming week, not sure how big the equipment will be.

[Mike K.]

Part of me can't help but think this is to avoid protests, not for 'safety'. I know the tower install has been controversial.

Well that’s conspiratorial.

[Sparky]

I had the same thought as Seb. Apparently it is just "exploratory work". There is no need to shut down the entire road unless staff are going to apply the "Mann Avenue" approach.

 

I had a chat with Fred Haynes the other day and the Mann Ave topic came up.

 

It was terribly funny as we just looked at each other with puzzled looks without saying a word....I could hear us both thinking....that's no way to treat a taxpayer.

[Mike K.]

Ok, now it’s an actual conspiracy!

[Victoria Watcher]

Ok, now it’s an actual conspiracy!

 

 

from the evening of November 25, 2024 to and including November 28, 2024

 

 

Why work at NIGHT, if they have nothing to hide?  

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 22 November 2024 - 10:39 AM.

[sebberry]

Word on the street is that they're actually installing anchoring points for VHF's Mt. Doug - Mt. Tolmie zipline. 

[lanforod]

Can't wait till they add a few more connectors. Bear Mtn to Tolmie...

[Victoria Watcher]

Bear Mountain must have that gondola by now? To Mt. Finlayson. No?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 22 November 2024 - 01:23 PM.

[Mike K.]

Where’s that contractor guy? He’d tell us which government agency was “working” on the “tower.”

[Sparky]

There is no question that Mount Douglas Park (sorry wokies that's what they taught me in school) is one of Saanich's most beautiful parks. From the ocean below to the tower in the sky....it's nice.

 

Here is a wide shot taken from the entrance to the golf course on Blenkinsop.

 

 

The road to the top is as wide as Cordova Bay Road. Lots of room for a truck and a car to pass in either direction.

 

 

The view facing west from the upper viewpoint is nothing short of awesome.

 

 

The communications tower is somewhat substantial. That sucker should be a serious income source. I hope Saanich has their businees cap on when they are dealing with the service providers.