The Ladner Business Association (LBA) wants to light up the downtown core, but it needs some help to flip on the switch.
The LBA recently launched a Let's Light up Ladner Village gofundme campaign with the goal of raising $30,000 for the project.
"Imagine our Ladner Village, in conjunction with the beautification of Delta Street, lit up all winter long? Imagine the streets alive with musicians entertaining as you walk our village with your family. Imagine artists creating in the plazas year round. Imagine historical reference points throughout the village, with placards commemorating different time periods in our wonderful history," said the lead in on the page.
It can be found at: www.gofundme.com /LadnerVillage.
"The whole idea started when I was down in Florida with my wife walking around a small town called Maples at night," said LBA president Andrea Frustaci. "It was just so vibrant - everything was lit up, there was music playing - it was just such an inviting place to be and I wondered whether we could pull off this same type of thing in Ladner.
"Funding is always an issue. The Corporation (of Delta) has put in a lot of money to beautify the streets and it's going to take a lot of money, so why don't we reach out to the citizens and businesses of Ladner to take ownership of its streets to create a vibrant city core."
The goal is to raise the funds for the lighting and three-year maintenance for the trees on 48th Avenue, Delta Street and Haviland Street with clear LED lights to be installed by mid-fall.
These lights would remain up for a minimum of five months of the year and would be timed to light the village from dusk to 11 p.m.
Additionally, historic placards would be installed next spring to highlight some of the extensive history of the village. These placards would coincide with the walking map that is currently in development by the LBA.
"Everyone likes the idea. The corporation is on board. They love the idea that people are taking ownership of their streets," Frustaci said. "When you break this down, if 1,000 people donate say $20, that's $20,000, so it takes a little bit of money to be donated from a lot of people and we can get this done. I think we'll get there."
