Championing beauty

By Doreen Marion Gee

Of all the topics that I have embraced as a Beacon writer over the years, the one closest to my heart is the preservation of the Canadian Pacific Lawn Bowling green space. My reporter's blood rushes at defending the underdog. The battle of the courageous lawn bowlers against City Hall is a classic "Little guy versus Goliath" fable. Every time, those Davids won a victory, I was dancing in sunlight. (So much for objective journalism.) Those gutsy bowlers fighting so hard to keep their little emerald sanctuary from the bulldozer is a class act. But when all is said and done, preserving a lush green jewel in the middle of an urban landscape is a cause worth championing.

It seems like those poor lawn bowlers can never get a break. First it was keeping the lawn bowling greens from a cement future. Then the bowlers had to defend themselves against a threat of eviction. At best, the city gave them a very short tenure. Finally they won some protection with a "park" designation by City Hall and their $1 lease was extended to fifteen years. You could almost hear the collective sigh of relief from all of the multiple preservation and conservation groups who were on board with the brave bowlers. Finally, there were clear skies ahead. But not for long.

In a recent bizarre cost-cutting move by City Hall, the Lawn Bowling Club is now being asked to pay heavily for their space and even their very existence is again being threatened. In a Sept.7, 2012, Times Colonist article, City Councillors Shellie Gudgeon and Ben Isitt are critical of the $1 a year lease arrangement with the Lawn Bowling Club: "Coun. Ben Isitt ...suggested that, as a compromise, the city raise the lease to $500 per year for three years while the council examined whether or not lawn bowling was an appropriate use of the space."

In an interesting response to a Times Colonist  Letter to the Editor, Bill Huot argues that this move is unreasonable: "I was shocked to read that Victoria city council is proposing to charge the Canadian Pacific Lawn Bowling Club $500 per year for the continued use of the historic green behind the Crystal Garden. Even more shocking is the logic behind this proposal - that the city should be earning revenue from recreational use of downtown park land because it is 'prime urban real estate.' What next? User fees for a stroll through Beacon Hill Park? Toll gates on the Dallas Road waterfront walkway? Even worse, the city appears to be reopening the whole debate as to whether it should de-dedicate this property as park land and sell the land for condo development. Do they not even understand the concept of a "park" - land that has been set aside in perpetuity for public recreation and enjoyment? I thought this was settled five years ago. The public will not tolerate the loss of park land."

The issue here is consistency and promises kept. The reason for the $1 a year lease was to hold on to a priceless piece of paradise in our downtown. Cridge Park, which includes the bowling greens, was given the honour of being a "park." Many people would make the case that you cannot put a price tag on a natural green space that helps make our city a million dollar destination to the world.