In the fifties Langdon Park was a picnic area for the Langdon Clan and I was told that there could be as many as 100 people there at one time, all related, and I’m presuming, all had a great time. I was also told by long-time residents that what is now a wonderful wet land was once the neighbourhood-swimming hole complete with diving boards and a rope for playing Tarzan on. In later years, Mr. Langdon wanted to develop the area as a park and had built a gazebo and installed picnic tables and had an ambitious plan drawn up for a formal garden and a ball diamond. These plans were eventually scrapped because what picnic table were not burned, were thrown into the Whitson River, or stolen. The gazebo was also burned down and the area became a dumping ground for old tires, appliances, cars, and a host of other things. It eventually became closed off somewhat but not completely, unauthorised access was still possible. No more of anybody’s family picnics or a place for children to wade in the river and build sand castles on the small beach area. In 2008, it was decided to refurbish Langdon Park now a shared green space by the CGS and the Conservation Authority. Hoops had to be jumped through, permission had to be granted, and money needed to be found before work could start. A new gate and a new culvert was installed and the parking lot was re-gravelled. From the very beginning there was a campaign of vandalism that continues to this very day. The photos below show one such example but there have been many more recorded and reported with some response from the city but not a lot. Fences were broken, stolen, thrown into the bush, and thrown into the Whitson River. These devices were installed to prevent access to these non-motorised trails by snow machines, quads, and motor bikes and have been somewhat, but not completely, successful in keeping these devices off the trail and out of the park. Their ability to go anywhere means that small trees and bushes get damaged, our animal and bird population is terrorised, and those small trees near the trail get broken and one year someone even took a chain saw to a number of trees and even left one hanging dangerously. It took the city about 6 months and numerous emails to get it brought safely down. It took two years to get the heavy work done, lots of volunteer hours, plus a good chunk of tax payers money to get to a reasonable stage of completion. A further number of years were spent just trying to keep up with the damage done by vandals only by this time there was no more funding and any money spent and tools bought came out of my pocket. Eventually it became impossible for one person working alone to keep up with the damage and the volunteer labour was withdrawn. In writing this note I’m just trying to get some sort of message out to folks that enjoy visiting any park or trail regardless of where it is, to treat it the same way as you expect people to act when they are in your home. I doubt if you like people to drop candy wrappers, coffee cups, or cigarette buts on your floor and you certainly would take a dim view if their dog took a dump in your living room or even on your side walk. Respect other users. Most, if not all of trail users that I come across on my daily walks, are there for the exact reason I am, to walk their dog and to enjoy our fresh northern air. We should not have to jump out of the way of some form of motorised menace driven by someone who cannot seem to get the idea that not only are they not wanted on the trail, they should not be on the trail, that not only are they are trespassing, they are breaking the law. https://picasaweb.google/118230563696659581911/TheQuestionIsWHYDOESTHISKEEPHAPPENING?authuser=0&feat=directlink
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 21:48:08 +0000