I went for a drive Friday, visit with my nephew and niece in his shop, was a really good visit, he's got the car he's been working on on the hoist, getting the body ready for the summer, "just get it on the road" is his mission, so can find out the bugs I wanna get rid of, or at least find.
After I went towards McLean's mill, thought be a nice day to take a walk around this extremely beautiful place. So much history here, so much beauty.
Part of my checking it out is I heard when I went to a City of Port Alberni meeting they had at Echo Center that this place was on the chopping block, that the city thinks of it as a cost, a cost that we "Port Alberni" can't afford. I listened really well you could tell the people putting this on were not invested in our town, they have an agenda, and McLean's mill has an expiration date. The city I believe is going to sell the property!
How could they? It was gifted I thought to be kept as a part of our history of our valley. A part of a time when things were much different, when we lived where we worked, in close with friends and neighbors, and worked with them too. I was shocked to learn this, but the way the presenter mentioned the mill site, and the historical society building, our old arena, all were considered a drag on our city.
What to do? Well I went to the historical society, and got some info from the head guys there, they are fighting for their lives to keep their building, and that alone will be hard to do. I joined the historical society, that was easy $20.00 and I'm a member. But McLean's mill, I'm not sure that anyone is fighting for it, the city I believe has complete control of the whole place, and if ya take a look, nothing is being done to keep it up.
Will it be another piece of our history that'll be pushed away piece by piece? A building here, a loader there, oops two loaders cut up for scrap. I walked around the mill site, past the small homes, the kitchen, the mill itself, past a couple families that came on this day to look. Then after I got to the mill pond I turned to take a few more photos, and I see this old guy walking towards me, he was doing similar, looking around, of course I say "Hi" then after a minute I realized I knew him, Doug McLellan a guy I've known for along time, met him at my brother in-law's years ago.
Well we walked and talked, he was there just to check on this motor that was in a part of the logging display, in the loading machine that would load the truck to bring the logs to the mill pond. He used to work on the motor, volunteer here. We had a good chinwag, Doug and I, told him what I thought was going on with the mill site, and he was not surprised, we both thought was a shame, and said what do you do?
I'm not sure what I'll do, but I believe just talking about can help, but what really needs to happen is people have to get pissed about it and go to the council meeting that's happening this month. Tell the city that destroying our history here in Port Alberni isn't allowed, to let it be plowed into the ground is not an option, we need to somehow develop this place, as people not only in Port Alberni, but all of Canada need to see what our history here on Vancouver Island was, how we came to be where we are, what it was like in the "Old Day's".
I know, I'm only one person, but I believe there are many more like me, young and old that would like to have that Mill site preserved and possibly working. I feel fortunate to have seen the mill running, watching the logging display, then the trucking and dumping in the pond, then hauling the logs up to the mill, then loading onto the carriage to be sawn, the saws running, two one above the other for the bigger logs. I can't say enough about how that process shows us about our early history.
Will it just be gone? Will this city council just plow it into the ground? What do you think? I believe the city has run it's course with over spending, and is trying to catch-up. Everything that they can dump they are about to, and our history is looking to be the first to Go.
Well I'm going to go to the first council meeting, and ask the questions, what are your plans for our history in Port Alberni?
Just looked it up 2pm council meeting January 12th, I remember now, who that's working can attend a council meeting at 2pm? Another on the 26th, 2pm. Hmm, I wonder if there is one in the Evening? When some working people could attend? I'll be asking that too. Guess I found something to do. Retirement is good, now I'm a home owner in Port Alberni, is it my responsibility to get after council? Well somebody has to, I guess I'm one of the someone.
See what comes, for the time being I've got a bone to pick with the people that are trying to shore up our city on the ground of our past. Selling the mill site I believe be a dam shame, but I believe after the meeting I attended, that that what this council is up to.
Sunday morning thoughts, LoL 🤣 well now I'm getting ready to help preserve our history here. Hope I can make a difference.
My walk around the mill site was great, I'll go again and again, as is a real beauty.
Love our life ❤️ anchored in Port Alberni
No comments:
Post a Comment