If you take a picnic to Garry Point Park or grab some fish ‘n’ chips at the nearby Pajo’s, there’s a good chance you’ve sat at or close by a very special table.
About half a dozen or so picnic benches west from the park’s concession and washrooms sits something very dear to the heart of Louise Demorest and her family.
To us, it’s a safe place to park our backsides and tuck into a two-piece cod and fries.
To the Demorests, it means so much more.
“It has become a very important place for our family in Richmond; it has become a de facto memorial,” Demorest told the Richmond News.
Memorial plaques on either side of the table pay homage to Demorest’s brother, Pierre - a City of Richmond gardener, who died in 1999 - and her dad, Harvey, a Second World War vet, who passed away in 1989.
“Not long after Pierre died, we became aware of the opportunity with the table,” explained Demorest, indicating the plaques have been there since 2001, after her family paid about $2,000 for the table and $400 for the plaques.
“We thought it would be nice to have it in the park, as we used to spend a lot of time here as adults and as kids.
“We didn’t know what to do with their ashes, so we rented a boat and took them out to the sandbar there off Garry Point, near the lighthouse and sprinkled them there. So now we can sit at the picnic table, knowing they are out there.
“We go for a picnic there all the time, and I think my (late) brother’s friends go also.”
All was well with the Demorests until a recent letter from the City of Richmond, asking for $3,500 for the plaques to remain on the table for the next 10 years.
“96 cents a day seemed a bit excessive and, as far as I know, they’re not replacing the table or anything?” questioned Demorest.
“But I do get that, over the last 17 or 18 years, there has been wear and tear. However, I don’t recall there ever being an end point in the original agreement.
“Everywhere you go in Richmond, and in other cities, you see these dedicated plaques on benches and tables. Families and loved ones, understandably, get attached to them.
“I know the city tells us they are not memorials, but they do kind of become that over time. They kind of have you over a barrel when it comes to paying these fees down the line.
“I guess it’s not the city’s fault, but it does get very emotional. I have until May to pay and I guess we will. It’s a bit of a cash grab, though.”
City spokesperson Ted Townsend told the News, via email, that the city does understand the “value of the memorial benches to the donor individuals and families.”
However, Townsend said the costs associated with maintaining such benches are “significant and we can’t expect it to be fully subsidized by taxpayers, hence the need to charge a fee and renew it over time.”
According to Townsend, the city’s Tree, Bench, and Picnic Table Dedication program was introduced in February 1991 to facilitate the dedication or memorialization of individuals through plaques placed on park benches and picnic tables or through the planting of trees in select parks and trails.
Following a program review in March 2003, city council approved a new policy, which included an updated fee structure for the program to account for maintenance and replacement costs and established a 10-year term associated with each bench and picnic table dedication.
The fee is based on the city’s maintenance costs over the lifespan of the benches, which are cleaned annually and have slats replaced regularly, due to graffiti, wood carving and fires.
The Demorest family is one of many the city is contacting with regard to the dedication renewal.
However, according to Townsend, many of the original dedicators failed to update their contact information over the years with the city, even though it was in their original contracts to do so.
“Many letters that were sent out have been returned to us,” he added.
As such, the city is asking dedicators - who signed up for the program prior to 2008 and have not received a renewal letter from the city - are encouraged to contact the parks department by email at [email protected] or by calling 604-247-4488.
