City examines restrictions for using metal detectors
Metal detecting club fears end to digging up goodies in city parks
City administration is looking for a way to regulate local treasure hunters who wander through Windsor parks with metal detectors and trowels.
In approving several changes to the parks bylaw Monday, council instructed administration to meet with metal detecting enthusiasts to develop a new permit process. Jan Wilson, the city’s corporate leader for parks, recreation and culture and facilities, said there have been instances where hunters have left gaping holes in sports fields after a dig.
“Our own staff have found them,” Wilson said. “Workers doing field maintenance have found some in the middle of our sports fields and that could present a challenge or an injury risk.”
Jack Lewis, president of the Sunparlour Treasure Seekers, said members of his club follow a universal code of etiquette that calls for “minimally invasive” retrieval of buried objects.
“There is a proper way to retrieve targets,” said Lewis who appeared before council Monday, fearing the city might impose an outright ban on his favourite hobby. Sunparlour Treasure Seekers have been around since 1983 and presently the group has approximately 24 members.
“We are completely willing to work with the city to come to an agreement,” said Lewis, who suspects the damage found by maintenance staff was done by “someone who went to a hardware store and bought a detector and a garden shovel.”
In previous years, those wishing to hunt for treasure in city parks applied for a generic letter of permission.
Lewis said he knew change was afoot when last year’s letter came out late and with amendments. Normally, Sunparlour Treasure Seekers will head to city hall in February to obtain permission from March through November. Last year’s letter wasn’t available until May and had added heritage parks such as Willistead, Jackson, Reaume and Tall Grass Prairie to the list of off-limit areas. Sports fields, public areas of archaeological significance and certain premiere parks are also listed as off limits.
No letter of permission was issued for 2018 and after repeated calls to the parks department, Lewis was told staff were recommending changes to the bylaw and that a ban on all metal detecting in public parks was a possibility. Wilson said Tuesday “we are going to meet with them to develop a new permit process for this activity. I don’t have any preconceived plan for what exactly it will look like. I’m open to discussion with the group.”
Lewis told council how members help police and the public at large by finding dangerous objects, items of crime or valuable pieces. Part of the universal code for hunters is to make every effort to return found property to its rightful owner.
Two years ago, Lewis found a set of police-issued handcuffs that had been cut off and discarded in a park. He turned them in to authorities.
He and other hunters often find and remove discarded needles. With no letter of permission for this season, members have been travelling to parks and public areas in the county to search for treasure but for some of the club’s older hunters, a long commute is not ideal.
“They want to go to a park that’s close to home,” Lewis said. “Windsor has some fascinating parks, I know it’s been a bummer for me and a lot of members.”
He said hunting with a metal detector is “a great way to unwind, get outside and get some exercise.” He loves finding an item and pondering its history.
“It’s really fascinating,” he said. “You name it and people have been losing it for years, pocket change, junk, jewellery. You pull it up and wonder what the story is.”
Workers doing field maintenance have found some (holes) in the middle of our sports fields and that could present a challenge or an injury risk.