Wednesday, April 17, 2019 ~ VIEW ROYAL
~ by Mary P Brooke, West Shore Voice News
The next phase of honouring the late Cst Sarah Beckett is emerging. While immediately following the West Shore RCMP officer’s tragic death in a vehicle crash in April 2016 and for a few years after that there have been a range of memorials, now the approach is turning to celebration of her life.
Development of the Sarah Beckett Memorial Playground in City Centre Park in Langford is fast underway, toward completion ahead of a big concert event at the adjacent Westhills Stadium on August 24.
A total of $250,000 for the playground equipment is being sought by the Rotary Club of West Shore. The City of Langford is paying for redevelopment and expansion of City Centre Park location, at a cost of about $1 million.
A presentation about the playground fundraising effort was made to View Royal Council at their regular council meeting on Tuesday evening, April 16, by Dianna Seaton on behalf of the West Shore Rotary.
View Royal Mayor David Screech said his council had already decided to donate $5,000 to the playground project and was glad for the presentation to hear more details.
“It will be a safe and environmentally-friendly playground,” said Seaton. There will be two sections of the playground, one area with equipment suitable for preschoolers age 2 to 5 years, and one area for children age 5 to 12 years.
“Families need spaces with various degrees of mobility. Equipment has been selected to meet those criteria,” she told View Royal Mayor and Council in a short presentation next to a projected image of the late Sarah Beckett with her two young sons enjoying use of a playground.
“Sarah’s husband is strongly supportive and involved in the process,” said Seaton.
Bricks with engraved messaging are also available as a way for the public to make a donation.
Seaton will be making similar presentations to three more west shore region councils: Colwood, Metchosin and Highlands.
Other fundraisers have included the Rotary’s Annual Lobsterfest and the Sarah Beckett Memorial Run last weekend, and coming up is their booth at Easter Event at Millstream Village.
Dianna Seaton is the Vice-Chair of the Sooke School District 62 board of education and a lifelong resident of Sooke and the west shore.