Community book boxes are becoming a unique feature of Chemainus neighbourhoods and another colourful one has gone up at the corner of the unnamed park at Cook and Humbird Streets.
Doug Fitzpatrick built it and Diana Durrand added her artistic touch. They were there along with a few neighbours to celebrate its completion last Thursday afternoon.
“It’s been a neighbourhood project with one person designing and building a fabulous library, another adding art and the Municipal Parks and Rec staff lending support,” noted Bernie Jones, who lives in the neighbourhood and also happens to be president of the Chemainus Residents Association.
“Certainly is a COVID lift for our neighbourhood,” added Durrand.
There are now about five of the boxes around Chemainus, “but none of them are quite as fancy as this,” confessed Durrand, whose hummingbird design lends itself perfectly to the Humbird Street location.
“It started with just neighbours exchanging books, Diana and I mostly,” explained Kristi Hagen.
Jones called the municipality to get the lowdown on it and staff put up the stand before the box to house the books was added.
“It was a fun project,” said Fitzpatrick.
“I had no idea Doug was such an established carpenter,” Durrand laughed.
A variety of materials were utilized to make it, including some unperforated soffits to decorate one of the sides.
“We kind of plowed through it pretty quick because there wasn’t a lot going on,” noted Fitzpatrick.
“I worked on woodworking for a number of years. It’s great to have a project and with COVID happening, there’s a lot of time for projects.”
