It was a day of celebration for those working towards a new $1.5 million track for the Oceanside area on Wednesday.
Funding partners, including the City of Parksville, the Town of Qualicum Beach, the Regional District of Nanaimo and the Qualicum School District officially marked the start of construction with a sod-turning.
Named the Oceanside Community Track, the rubberized track will have six lanes.
Construction started four days ago on the École Ballenas Secondary School property in Parksville.
It will replace a 400-meter track that hasn’t seen any marked improvements since 1977.
The Qualicum School District says all the money has been raised but it’s continuing to seek funds for unanticipated expenses and costs.
The track will have an accessibility ramp but washrooms and lighting were not in the budget.
A GoFundMe has raised more than $18,000 and a CanadaHelps fundraiser has raised a further $14,000.
It’s expected the new Oceanside track will be finished by November.
Kendall Hanson
