Memorial and Hirst Avenues Project Update

April 11, 2022

Work in Parksville’s historic downtown kept the project team on their toes when an abandoned dug well was discovered in the parking lot between Memorial Avenue and Hirst Avenue West (146 Memorial Avenue). After closing the area to all but essential personnel, Knappett Industries carefully excavated the water, historic bottles, and an old pump to find the extents of the dug well. Serving as the project engineer, McElhanney promptly provided professional direction to safely decommission the well, including completing a formal registration with the BC well registry, filling the well with bentonite clay, and capping the well with concrete.

Despite surprises like the abandoned well, work on the project is quickly progressing. Hirst Avenue West now has concrete sidewalks, with more landscaping finishes and the final layer of asphalt to follow. Concrete works will follow on Memorial Avenue and in the new Memorial Plaza. Soon the plaza will take shape with design details such as patterned and coloured concrete.

With spring in the air, the project team is looking forward to sharing this space with you. Please remain patient with crews and traffic control personnel on site as they work towards completion on both downtown streets.