The World’s Largest Burl is on the move.
After the accidental burning last summer, Port McNeill council has changed its mind on the burl’s future several times. Originally it was to be turned into a chainsaw carving, but that plan changed and eventually it was decided the burl will stay intact and stay put at the edge of the Community Hall parking lot.
A local three-person team is volunteering and taking the lead on the project, putting a roof over the burl to protect it from the elements, at no cost to the town.
Plans changed once grant money got involved after the project was submitted for a chance at $50,000 of grant money from Island Coastal Economic Trust’s Community Placemaking Program.
Back at the July 25 council meeting, Mayor James Furney had summed up the plan at that point, noting it came “without a lot of pain to the municipality,” and instead of “putting the burl in a better area” he was in favor of using the $50K to “make the burl area better.”
The grant application moved ahead, jointly submitted with the Port McNeill Chamber of Commerce and Vancouver Island North Tourism both on board with the town’s application.
But the grant funder, ICE-T wasn’t a fan of the current location of the burl as it “may not be the ideal space for placemaking,” as stated in the staff report.
The report went on to ask council to “provide direction to staff to locate the burl in a new downtown location and update the funding application or leave the burl where it currently stands” (and not receive the $50K of funding).
Council chose to go for the funding and quickly agreed at the table that the best spot was below the town office, on the old recycling shed cement foundation, opposite the rear of the IGA Grocery Store.
Furney quipped that it seems the burl is in good enough shape to move, “with my limited knowledge of burl movements.”
— Derek Koel
