With the onset of summer and the tourist season nearing, both visitors and locals alike are set to get a boost from the Sunshine Coast's new visitor information park.
Set on Stewart Road just west of the Langdale ferry terminal, the park, currently under construction, will assist visitors in gaining helpful information on what to do and see on the Coast, including Powell River, while acting as a resource for residents.
The park will contain various maps with valuable information such as accommodations, recreational facilities, visitor centres, businesses and services.
A community board will list festivals and events taking place Coast-wide, so when visitors stop to peruse the information, they can make a note of when to return for a specific event.
In addition to being an information centre, the park will also act as a rest stop for cyclists and people travelling with pets. Portable washroom facilities will be on site for public use.
"With the improved look of the site, we hope it provides a warmer welcome to the Sunshine Coast for visitors," said Rinette Lagace, treasurer of the Gibsons and District Chamber of Commerce (GDCC), which is spearheading the project.
The park has been in the works for over a year. After map signage located at the top of the bypass came down during a storm in early 2010, the GDCC agreed not only to replace the sign, but to make it more user friendly and interactive while improving the overall site.
"Basically, the GDCC board has been discussing the options since the sign came down in the storm," she said. "The discussions at the meetings for the visitor information park got exciting as the plan actually bridges all the communities of the Sunshine Coast from Langdale to Lund to support all the great aspects of the Sunshine Coast."
In addition to the aesthetic improvement the park will create at its location, Lagace feels it will serve the local economy as well.
"It will help boost spending by visitors who come here to enjoy what the Sunshine Coast has to offer, thus increasing the economic viability of the Sunshine Coast," she said.
With donations from in-kind contributors, the current plan sees the park being completed by the end of July.
