Parks fiasco

April 1, was the first day of the opening of the parks whose caretakers have been removed and what a fiasco it was.  The very first day of the "new regime" without park caretakers illustrates exactly why hundreds of us in the community are asking for the reversal of this decision to remove park caretakers.
 
Most of Bertram Creek park is closed because, functioning without caretakers, there was a bad flood affecting the park facilities and beaches.  It is rumoured there is a backhoe in there doing something to the creek.  A caretaker on site could have warned the Parks of the dangerous state of the creek.  But nope.  We have this potential environmental and asset damage on the very first day of the park’s opening.
 
As for relying on the Commissionaires to open and close the gate, the only service the RDCO is replacing amongst the 11 – 15 tasks the resident caretakers did, even this wasn’t done properly.  Woodhaven Nature Conservancy was not opened until noon; Kopje also was opened hours late. 
 
And to top it all off, the parks do not seem particularly ready to be open. On a walk in Woodhaven  yesterday, there was debris all over the path and along it; there is no proper signage about when the park is supposed to be open; and there are no pamphlets in the usual box for visitors.  There is still a sign on the gate saying the park will be closed for winter (a bit out of date) and for “Wind events” (we are not sure exactly who is going to close this gate when there is a big wind event.) 
 
Perhaps it was all an April fool’s joke played on the Regional District.  Certainly it has provided a simply classic case of why the caretakers are important to our cherished parks.  We hope that the RDCO Board, when it revisits the decision to dismantle this program, has got the message.

Nancy Holmes and Dr. David Geen