On Your Doorstep Issue 2 | Page 56

TERESA ASMAN INNER CITY GREEN SPACES Continuing our theme of celebrating inner city green spaces, Teresa Asman shares the remarkable beauty on her doorstep in Port Alberti, British Columbia, Canada. You can see more of Teresa’s writing and images in her blog at https://ladybuggz.wordpress.com. Gaiga Square: A new downtown green space that was just recently opened, what used to be there was an old Hotel, it burnt down many years ago and the lot sat vacant covered with ruble and dirt. Now it’s been turned into a private park open to everyone in downtown Port Alberni, situated on the corner of 3rd Ave and Angus St. opened Friday July 1st 2016 ( Canada Day). It is named after Stacey & Franco Gaiga who spent their life savings to transform an empty lot into a public green space. It’s main feature is an 11 ft. tall native carving done native Artist Gordon Dick, it represents the importance of the West Coast Salmon (as seen below) to the lives of the many tribes from the area. It is full of wonderful plants and a fountain with lots of seating, a great addition to our little city! I can’t wait to see it a few years from now when the plants and tree’s have grown in and it will have more shade. During the day it’s a bustling little spot where people from surrounding business’s and all the tourist’s go and sit at the picnic tables w/umbrella’s (that are out during the day) to have their coffee or eat their lunch’s or just to photograph the impressive native carving that graces the front of the park. 56 57