PUSLINCH– As construction begins on Boreham Drive Park, a local resident's group is worried someone will be seriously hurt before Puslinch council addresses their concerns about the exposed stormdrain and its preceived risks to public safety.
While the Concerned Citizens of Puslinch is supportive of having a park and the idea of future renovations, they remain concerned council hasn't taken the proper safety measures to address the exposed stormwater ditches framing the green space.
The citizen's group has expressed several concerns in the past including worries about stormwater pathogens and general accessibility.
“You can't turn a blind eye to health and safety,” said Bruce Taylor, one of 60 families in the group. “It's like there's an elephant in the park and nobody sees it.”
Located 10 to 12 feet away from playground equipment with no divider, the group is concerned the depth and width of the exposed stormwater drains will lead to someone falling in.
“The whole situation however begs the question of whether a park with children’s play equipment should be built on a municipal drainage conveyance and retention area,” said Taylor. “If the open drainage ditches were filled in and culverts installed, however, that would not be an issue.”
According to the Canadian Paediatric Society, at least 29,000 children under the age of 15 are treated each year in Canada for playground-related injuries.
Falls are the number one cause of injuries seen in the emergency room, accounting for up to 75 per cent of cases.
“I don't see how (the town) can ignore this issue if they have a social conscience,” said Taylor. “The town is morally obligated to fill in the ditches for the sake of public health and safety in the park.”
Efforts to reach Mayor James Seeley weren't immediately successful.
However, in an email to the group, Seeley contrasted the group’s opinion that the township is obligated to make the entire park compliant with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
“In my opinion, this project is not in the best interest of the community as a whole,” said Seeley, in an email. “This would divert critical funds away from projects that are a priority to the municipality, especially since the ditch is functioning as intended.”
According to the email, staff will be presenting a report to the council for the 2024 budget on the functionality and necessity of the ditch, along with the cost to bury the pipe, which he expects will be “rather high.”
Confirmed by acting-CAO Courtney Hoytfox, the township recently filled in 75 feet or 15 per cent of the ditches at the west end of the playground and installed culverts for $12 000.
Taylor estimates using that math, filling in the ditches adjacent to the playground on both sides would cost approximately $60,000.
“Even if council agrees to drainage upgrades as you desire, it will not delay the (park’s) upgrades,” said Seeley. “Boreham Park will be replaced, and I will do absolutely everything possible to me to ensure that the project proceeds as approved.”
But Taylor reiterated that their issue is not with the rehabilitation of the park but with the order of improvements.
“We're all pro-park, we want a really safe park, for children, seniors and people of all abilities, and so forth,” said Taylor. “But right now the township is liable for any accidents and injuries and the chances of that are much higher when you have all these ditches.”
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
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