Stanstead splash pad and community toy chest vandalised
Just two months after the splash pad in Beebe Memorial Park was inaugurated, a project in the works since 2009 and valued over $120,000, one of the water features was destroyed by vandals and needed to be removed. The community toy chest in the same park, which had been stocked with balls and sports equipment, also fell victim to abuse over the summer, according to Recreation Coordinator Marise Trépanier.
On Wednesday morning, Trépanier removed what was left of the equipment from the broken chest.
“I had close to nothing good left,” she said.
The municipality had received a grant from the Memphremagog MRC in collaboration with Conseil Sport Estrie to make toys and equipment accessible to youth in parks across the MRC.
According to Trépanier, close to $500 worth of toys was in the chest.
The total damage done to the splash pad and the chest amounts to well over $1000, she said. “There’s no excuse for that,” Trépanier said. “I’m way past mad; I’m sad.” After posting a message on the Stanstead Facebook page describing the recent vandalism and asking locals to report any misuse of equipment to the SQ, Trépanier said parents expressed their disappointment regarding what had happened.
“People were seen kicking it, and driving their bikes on the pad,” Trépanier said. “Nobody is making reports with the SQ,” “We are installing a camera,” asserted Trépanier. “It will be there within the next few days.”
“I really had faith they would take care of it,” the recreation coordinator went on, adding she is not sure whether the town will try to restock the toy chest again next summer.
Over the next few months, Trépanier said she will look into what other municipalities have done to curb vandalism, whether it be forming a neighbourhood watch program, or instilling a reflex in people to call the police if they see vandals at work.
Rather than giving a slap on the wrist, Trépanier said she would prefer preventing destructive behaviour from happening in the first place.
Trépanier said the park is at a disadvantage because it is behind the CAB Rediker building, hidden from the street without neighbours close-by.
Just the other day, she was there and saw some local kids climbing in the framework of the gazebo in the park.
“When I said get off, they swore at me, called me names,” Trépanier said. “You’re not my mother,” one said.
“Now that’s language to be proud of,” Trépanier replied, shocked by the lack of respect.
While a camera will be a step in the right direction to protect equipment in the park, Trépanier said she will continue working on a holistic approach so that everyone in the community is respectful of the park and works together to prevent any further acts of vandalism.