Does Maffeo Sutton Park need any improvements? That is the question The City of Nanaimo is currently asking.
The City is looking for the your input. From 11 am to 7 pm on Monday, September 14 and Thursday, September 17, the public is invited to drop by Maffeo Sutton Park to give suggestions for the future amenities of the park.
If you can’t attend the open house you can fill out the Maffeo Sutton Park Improvement survey online, or write your suggestions on the flags displayed at the park bridges or email your comments to askpre@nanaimo.ca.
Maffeo Sutton Park is a busy park in downtown Nanaimo. Spirit Square opened in 2009 and was the first phase of park improvements. The blue triangle in the picture above is a covered area for public use that was added at the time along with the basketball courts.
City Council has since requested new plans to reflect the changes planned for the downtown.
Some upgrades to Maffeo Sutton Park that have been suggested are:
- Enhanced trail connections up the Millstone River to Bowen Park
- Terracing Georgia Park for event/harbour viewing
- More public art in Maffeo Sutton and along the Harbourfront Walkway
- Improve Swy-A-Lana Lagoon beach (improve sandy area)
- More street entertainers and buskers
Over the last 100 years the land has gone from a pristine estuary full of birds and fish to an industrial site and now to a waterfront park.
Notice the old Foundry building originally built in 1881. The large white building is the Civic Arena, which was built in the 1930’s by Nanaimo residents.
What will Nanaimo’s waterfont park look like in the future? Will Nanaimo’s Mayor go to China to find new investors for the Nanaimo Hilton Hotel and will the new hotel owners have other ideas for the park?
Who knows? Everyone will have to wait and see.
