Members of the Chemainus Rotary Club have been hard at it, power washing, scraping and re-staining the log and wood trim exterior of the bandshell in Waterwheel Park. Rotarians Tom Andrews, Bob Smith and Richard Johnson were wielding brushes and rollers Wednesday afternoon, giving the main stage of the Chemainus Valley Cultural Arts Society a makeover. Others in the crew are Mike Beggs, Doc the Barber, Mark Staples and David McCormick.
By the time they’ve applied the finishing touches, the club will have put in an estimated week-and-a-half on the project, just one of the many contributions it’s membership makes for the community. “There was tons of mold, and lichen, you name it, so we’ve power washed the building, now we’re painting and staining,” Smith said.
They will also be refurbishing the benches in the amphitheatre area, a job that will require lots of elbow grease.
The bandshell is just one of the structures and programs the Chemainus Rotary Club has supported over the years, and with their emblem on top of the stage, they want to make sure it stays in good shape, ready to use for years to come. The CVCAS manages the bandshell, and holds its Music in the Park series – and many other events – on its stage.
Other Chemainus projects Rotary is engaged include a picnic shelter being constructed at Kin Beach Park and an outdoor shower, and the highly successful drive-in bottle collection fund-raiser, Saturdays from 10 AM to 2 PM on Chemainus Drive at Mill Street. They are also supporting the Nourish Cowichan project, which provides weekend packages for school children in the Cowichan Valley.
That’s a shortlist, and with a membership of about 20, the Rotary is “spread kind of thin” with its long list of activities right now, Andrews said. You can find out more about what Rotary does and how to join on their website.
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