2022 has been quite the interesting year. Although it’s been filled with continuously changing things, as have the last few years thanks to COVID-19, one thing has remained consistent — vandalism.
Here are a few examples of what has crossed my desk this year.
The traffic circle lights, which took city staff several hours to install (in the cold, I might add) have been enjoyed by several residents. What you might not know, is that just a few days after installing them, the area was vandalized not once, but twice. Lights were ripped down from trees and damaged.
Parks and Landscape staff quickly fixed up the damage and the lights have been on ever since.
The incident was the cherry on the top of a year that has been marred by several instances of vandalism throughout our city. You might yourself have noticed it — hateful words or symbols on bike paths or sidewalks, damaged facilities and even cut fences.
Our local parks weren’t immune to vandalism either. Bathrooms in Lamoureux Park were severely damaged by vandals. Fixtures were quite literally ripped off the walls, toilets were clogged and sinks damaged.
Similar incidents also took place in facilities at King George, Kinsmen and Reg Campbell Parks.
Later in the summer, the fencing at a local pool was cut twice. Although it might seem like harmless act, it meant that anyone — including young kids — could venture in the pool area.
There were also reports of individuals climbing on top of some facilities in Riverdale Park and St. Theresa Park to rip shingles off the roof and throw them on the ground.
Broken glass was thrown into the children’s wading pool in Mattice Park, on the deck of the Reg Campbell Pool and at the Riverdale splashpad — the latter resulted in a cut on a child’s foot.
Vandalism has a real negative impact on our city. It forces us to close bathrooms for weeks while they get repaired and makes it so children can’t enjoy pools at the height of summer.
Not only that, but funds that would otherwise be spent on certain initiatives must be diverted to fixing the damage created.
If you happen to witness any sort of vandalism on city property, please call the Cornwall Police Service.
