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Williams Lake memorial bench program may discontinue due to lack of spaces

Public works manager is asking city council for other alternatives
16913476_web1_copy_190521-WLT-MemorialBenches
Williams Lake public works manager said the City is running out of feasible spots to install memorial benches and is asking city council to consider discontinuing the program. Monica Lamb-Yorski photo

Citing a lack of appropriate locations Williams Lake’s public works manager is asking the City to discontinue its memorial bench program.

Established in 1982, the program has seen 35 benches installed throughout City property on Scout Island, Kiwanis, Boitanio and Gardner Parks, as well as in the River Valley and streets downtown, Matt Sutherland noted in a report council will discuss at its May 21 committee of the whole meeting.

“With the number of benches currently in place throughout the City, there are no longer any feasible locations to continue this program,” Sutherland stated in the report.

There is an existing memorial tree program which provides another option, and Sutherland is asking council to consider memorial walls as another alternative and included some examples of what that might look like.

Currently a bench with an inlaid brass plaque can be ordered for $700 by a resident with a 10-year guarantee for replacement or repair.



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16913476_web1_190521-WLT-MemorialWall
Example of a memorial wall as provided by manager of public works in report to council.
16913476_web1_190521-MemorialWallexample
Another example of a memorial wall as provided in the report.


Monica Lamb-Yorski

About the Author: Monica Lamb-Yorski

A B.C. gal, I was born in Alert Bay, raised in Nelson, graduated from the University of Winnipeg, and wrote my first-ever article for the Prince Rupert Daily News.
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