Editor:
The Parkland Recreation Commission is a volunteer body of community members, appointed by CRD Area B representative Roberta Faust, who are dedicated to preserving an area at the north end of 10 Mile Lake along Bjornson Road, now known as Kosta’s Cove Park.
This property is legally identified as District Lot 6199 within the Cariboo Regional District and is owned by the Province of British Columbia, or the Crown. The Cariboo Regional District holds a long term recreational lease on this land with the crown and the care, development and management of this prime piece of community property is the direct responsibility of the Parkland Recreation Commission.
Funding for these efforts comes directly from your recreational tax dollars.
The history of this property as we understand it is as follows: the land at one time was owned by Aaron Kosta and it appears to have a long and inglorious history of contentious behavior beginning with this owner.
Mr. Kosta landed himself in jail for allegedly shooting and killing his neighbor over a dispute involving his neighbor’s cows foraging on his garden patch. After this unfortunate altercation he was transferred and held in a psychiatric facility. Some time after Mr. Kosta’s death the land was returned to the crown and eventually became part of the lands managed by the CRD and now the Parkland Recreation Commission.
Over the years the Cove has had a number of ‘unofficial’ monikers, but after polling the community, they decided in 2010 to pay tribute to the legacy of Aaron Kosta by naming it after him. Which brings us to the present day and the issues now being faced by the Parkland Recreation Commission.
Last year, a very well designed and beautifully built sign was created by a past volunteer commission member with donations of materials, shop and machine time by a local business to build it and a local excavation company to dig the holes for its installation at the entrance to Kosta’s Cove.
Several community volunteers answered our call for help and installed this piece of art (see picture 1).
Everyone stood proudly for the photo but silently we all crossed our fingers in hope that the efforts and donations of all would be respected and appreciated. Almost a year went by before the ‘vandalism’ goons reared their ugly heads.
Only a few short weeks ago commission member Neil MacDougall found the sign damaged and had spent the time to repair and reinstall it but all good deeds in this case do not go unpunished (see picture 2).
It wasn’t long before whoever started the ‘”gotta tear down the sign” caper finished the job.
Subsequent frustration on the part of Mr. MacDougall prompted a letter to the editor of the Cariboo Observer, July 13. In his opinion and his experience at the Cove over the years there are no apparent suspects, just the ‘usual’ suspects.
It is not the Parkland Recreation Commission’s position or mandate to find and identify culprits in this case, that is better left to the RCMP but to help them we are once again calling out to the community for help.
The donated sign is gone and the approximately $3,000 replacement, paid by your tax dollars, is on the way. Your information and watchful eye will help us and the RCMP, (along with our installation of video surveillance equipment paid for by your tax dollars), protect our great community asset.
The mandate of the commission is to create a lasting legacy for the community. “A place for all to enjoy!” We have secured grants totaling $47,000 to improve the cove’s roads, parking and area trails to accommodate enjoyable access for everyone, including those with limited mobility.
This also includes allocation for outhouses, picnic tables and bear proof garbage containers which will be installed at the cove and park benches along the shoreline trail.
The entrance hill is being contoured right now to accommodate all vehicles including small vans or buses for groups and also for those with extra limited mobility equipment mounted on there vehicle (see pic 3.)
We are also installing a new riding arena at the old rodeo ground site across the road from Kosta’s Cove and expect that work to commence this fall. Along with all of this, we are currently deep in negotiations to obtain a portion of Parkland Elementary for a community hall and we are also working with the Bouchie Lake Recreation Commission and the Quesnel Agricultural and Exhibition Association with putting on a benefit dinner, dance and auction in September to help those who have suffered losses from the Cottonwood River flooding this spring.
We are excited and again we are calling out to the community for help, input and support. Everyone is invited to a lakeside BBQ at Kosta’s Cove, sponsored by the Ten Mile Lake Fire Department, July 27, 5 – 7 p.m. You can provide valuable input into the development of the Kosta’s Cove Park, and see a presentation of the Wheelchair Accessible Trails Project.
Please come out and support this community endeavor.
On behalf of the several Commission members who contributed to this letter, thanks for helping us along the way.
Andrew McGibbon
Chairman,
Parkland Recreation
Commission