On Saturday, the public is invited to Selby Park at 2224 West Bench Drive, to view the newly constructed Veterans’ Tribute Project. At 11 a.m., architects Chris Allen and Cal Meiklejohn, Area ‘F’ Parks Commission and RDOS staff will be on site to celebrate the completion of construction and to answer questions about the overall project.
In 2011, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen received a grant from Veterans’ Affairs Canada to commemorate the veterans who built the West Bench neighbourhood. Saturday’s event is an informal opportunity to view the tribute project with the designers, Parks Commission members and contractors.
The project is the result of neighbourhood consultation, a comprehensive design process and countless volunteer hours. The tribute includes a new accessible ramp into the park, steel cut sculptures and a crush-rock pathway leading to a gathering table featuring a map of the original Veterans Land Act Subdivision of 1953 and 1957.
The official ribbon cutting ceremony of the completed project will take place in the spring of 2013. If you have information on West Bench veterans relating to this project you are encouraged to contact Sue Gibbons at 250-493-7257 or suegibbons9@hotmail.com.