A mother is blaming city hall red tape for an apparent delay in getting her wheelchair-bound daughter’s name associated with a $230,000 playpark she helped create and fund.
Amanda Bostik is beside herself with frustration after claiming the City of Richmond’s parks department has reneged on a promise in the spring to name the new, all-access park at McNeely elementary after her daughter Gemma, 5, who has a life-limiting condition.
“I hoped to honour her by placing her little mark on this world,” said Bostik, who is hoping at the very least a boulder at the Cambie neighbourhood park will have “Gemma’s Place” etched on it.
“This playground exists because of her.”
Standing in the way of naming the park after Gemma is an official city naming policy, which discourages the naming of civic facilities for living persons, with a very few exceptions for “extraordinary circumstances,” according to city spokesperson Ted Townsend.
“Historically, it’s very rare that we name public facilities for individuals. When we have, it’s usually been for people who have a lengthy history of contributions/service to the city and is usually done in memoriam…”
Townsend said the city appreciates Bostik’s efforts in fundraising for the playground, adding that the family’s contributions will be acknowledged in a “prominent way in permanent signage” at the playpark, along with others who made significant contributions.
That signage may be on a boulder, which has not yet been purchased, but no final decision has been made, he said.
In a bid to light a fire under city bureaucrats and council, Bostik last week launched an online petition to have Gemma’s name recognized at the park. The petition, on ipetitions.com, has garnered 587 signatures and provoked 159 comments supporting Bostik.
“This playground would never have existed without the hard work and urging from Gemma’s mom,” wrote Jeanette Dyck, of Richmond, on the ipetition page.
“It was through community effort for Gemma that raised funding. This really is a no brainer Richmond council.”
While Richmond’s Patto Colton penned, “I, too, have a disabled son and can understand the importance of this park and so appreciate “Gemma’s Park”…she should be recognized for making sure so many children can have access now to this special park...thank you Gemma.”
Bostik said she appreciates the work the city’s parks department has done but laments the “long, tedious process that we just assumed would be an automatic gesture by the city.
“I just hope they do the right thing, I don’t want our family name recognized, I just want my little girl honoured. I don’t know why the city is making this so complicated. Name the boulder, not the playground.”
Several years ago, after discovering a lack of accessibility at Richmond parks, Bostik decided to change it up, with the sentiment that no child should sit on the sidelines and watch play.
Gemma was her driving force in spending four years working towards building an accessible playground in order to provide inclusive play for children of all abilities. Bostik raised $31,000 and another $27,000 came from the BC Tire Stewardship Foundation. The City of Richmond contributed $160,000.
