Neighbour concerned Connaught Park becoming a dump site

Frances Clark is concerned that a portion of Connaught Park, Kincardine, is becoming a dump site.

A neighbour of the park, she said that this past weekend, while sitting in her yard, she heard a municipal employee tell a group of children not to play in several large piles of mulch, dirt, sand, etc.

“The employee was not at fault, and was right to tell the kids not to play in the piles for their safety,” says Clark. “However, when and by whom was the decision made to turn Connaught Park into a construction yard, garden supply storage, and a repository for items that are old, broken or not currently in use by the municipality?

“It is very disturbing that a park surrounded by homes, is a place where children cannot safely do what children do best - play, explore, and discover - without being told not to play there."

Kincardine recreation director Karen Kieffer says the parks and horticulture home base is the shed at Connaught Park which is municipal property, and this has been the home base for several years. 

“The area being referred to, currently has materials, supplies and equipment used by the parks and horticulture departments,” she says. “For example, there are piles of mulch in this location that are distributed to the various flower beds and gardens throughout the municipality. There are also piles of topsoil there used by parks staff for filling in holes in parks, etc.

“As well, currently AECON (helping to install the natural gas lines) is storing topsoil, gravel and sand there to make it easier than trucking all the way from the 5th Concession. This area is being kept neat and tidy by the company, and it is only temporary.”

Kieffer says that every fall, staff does its best to tidy up the area, and get rid of equipment that no longer serves a purpose.

“We will ensure that this area receives the same attention again this fall as well. Staff will also consider whether we need to put some fencing up to discourage unauthorized access to this area as it is certainly not a playground.”

She says Connaught Park is a huge park with many other areas to play, and pre-COVID-19, children could be seen playing on the ball diamonds when not in use, the playground equipment, the open space for Frisbee, soccer, etc. 

“As provincial restrictions are lifted, the municipality will respond accordingly to open up these areas so that children have options for playing and being kids.”