Sea-Can Safety
On September 20, an eight-year-old girl broke her spine in two places after jumping off a shipping container (Sea-can) at the Deer Run Community Centre. Luckily the child was not paralyzed. This incident has saddened us. We would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the family.
The Community Association uses the two Sea-cans to store extra equipment. The containers have large stickers that read “Danger – Do Not Climb”. Board members and centre staff have on many occasions asked children not to climb and to get down from the containers. There are no other ‘safe’ safety measures we can take to prevent their misuse.
Injuries arising from the Sea-cans are preventable. Please talk to your children about the possible hazards from climbing the containers and the dangers of jumping from heights. We don’t want anyone else to get hurt.
Skatepark Misconduct and Vandalism
There has been an excessive amount of poor conduct, trash, and vandalism at the Deer Run Skate Spot in the last few months. The Community Association and staff at the Community Centre are not responsible for the skatepark and do not supervise anyone using it. It’s a city facility.
The issues include littering, bad language, vaping, and lack of concern for others. Littering is rampant – packaging, food, clothes, and garbage are left lying around. Children have been heard swearing and calling each other names. Explicit music is being played and people are vaping in front of young children. There is a general disregard for others. Witnesses have reported the following misconduct: rudeness, shouting, not helping others, not stopping destructive behavior, pressuring others to misbehave, and arguing with adults who attempt to intervene.
Vandalism is also on the rise. Sports equipment and items left behind have been smashed. Rocks and pipes have been used to damage the landscaping at the skatepark. The vandalism has also been directed at the Community Centre. Office windows facing the park have been broken, which cost $5,500 to replace. The toys in the pre-school enclosure have been damaged. A hockey net was cut. Trash bins have been upended. Many wooden fence plaques have been torn down and gone missing. Because no one has been reported yet, there have been no signs of improvement.
It’s bad and this is unacceptable.
The skatepark is an important facility in our community. It provides recreation activities that are affordable, accessible, and encourage free play and physical activity.
The skate community and youth visiting the park need to be responsible for their conduct. Parents and guardians need to speak to their children, increase their supervision, and act to address the poor conduct. This approach is better than involving the authorities. Please ask yourself and your children: What can you do to help make the skatepark a safe and welcoming place to be?
Annual Community Clean-Up and Waste Disposal Summary
Thank you to all the folks who brought in their refuse and junk. The lineup was never longer than 30 minutes and we were pleased to have been able to provide a valuable community service. For a full summary, please visit our website.
AGM on November 24
Please join us at the virtual Deer Run Community Association Annual General Meeting (AGM) starting at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, November 24. You can meet the current Board, hear from the president, find out how we spent our funds, review old and new business, make nominations, and vote (members only). There may also be other opportunities to volunteer. We look forward to hearing your voice!
Ice, Ice Baby
Winter is coming and we need volunteers to help with our outdoor rinks. The rinks are located behind the community centre. If you’ve got a free slot in your week or could even come out to help once in a while, please consider signing up for the Rink Ratz. It’s a great way to give back to the community. Contact the rink coordinator Marc Blais at 403-689-3374.
Ann-Cay Zurbriggen
Director Communications, DRCA
