Well, 3rd times a charm: This group was recently brought to my attention due to the controversy surrounding a certain fire pit in Portland Estates pictured here. In browsing through previous posts it would appear that a certain individual had taken it upon himself to ensure the removal of the seating in this area. To the 4 people who walk their dogs in this area on a regular basis, I’m sure you’ve noticed that the benches have been removed. To the other 336 of you, now you know. Upon discovering this myself first hand, I returned to the group expecting a post; an update on the triumphant victory after a long arduous battle against the evil that is: pressure treated lumber. However there was no such post so I figured I would shed some light on the situation. Growing up in Portland Estates has been more than any child could ever ask for. A perfect mix of urban amenities, with the suburban escape of forests and wooded areas. It is these areas that shape youth, offer a place to grow, explore, and create lifelong memories with friends. For myself and my close friends, this is what that fire pit represented. I’ve since grown up, graduated with degrees in architecture, and urban planning, and have grown to appreciate that space even more. With condominiums and apartments sprawling around our lakes faster than you can count them, It’s nice to have natural areas where you can sit, reflect, and catch up with old friends. If you’re going to try to tell me that a dozen wolmanized 2x4’s is more damaging to the lake than the dozens of condo complexes that have popped up in the last ten years, then we have bigger issues at hand. But I’ll take your word for it, I don’t know much about building and community planning anyways... There has been seating for a fire pit at this particular location for at least 25 years – as long as I can remember, and probably longer. So why is it that no one said a peep for the better part of 3 decades, but as soon as someone fixes it up and makes it safer, people lose their minds. I’ll give everyone the benefit of the doubt in assuming that you knew what was there before, since everyone was so concerned. I’m sure the group of individuals who took it upon themselves to revive the site are sincerely apologetic. I mean, removing railway ties ripe with creosote that were half rotten, and littered with 12 inch rusty spikes… what were they thinking?! The nerve of some people. And to then replace it with something sturdy and safe, exponentially more environmentally friendly, and presumably out of their own pocket for everyone to enjoy? They must be criminals, grab your torches and pitch forks. I’ve been looking through a lot of the posts in this group: tree planting, focusing on trails and nature, preserving the area for future generations. All of that is wonderful but it seems to me like attacking the area in question is dripping with contradictions. In a world where your children’s lives are increasingly dictated by electronics and video games, why are we destroying areas that promote outdoor activities, and involvement around our trails and lakes? I have yet to talk to a parent who would rather keep their kid in a dark basement drooling on an xbox controller, than be outside swimming, skating, or running around with their friends. Unfortunately, this is just one more place in the woods around the lake that will now be more difficult to enjoy. I can only hope the younger generation will persevere and find a way. Although we should be sure to warn them that if they want to dig 8 little holes in the ground in the woods, someone might call the city to fill them back in. I really do feel sorry for the poor blokes who were called to remove the seating; lugging the lumber and concrete piece by piece out of there. However we can all take some comfort in the fact that they were compensated handsomely by their tax payer funded wages. Phew, didn’t want to lose any sleep over that one. So thank you sir, for destroying my favorite spot on this planet, and ruining a place that I can only imagine you visited for the first time a few weeks ago while consulting HRM. Your constant vigil and watchful eye has surely saved Morris Lake from complete annihilation. With the pit gone I undoubtedly will never find another piece of trash in the trails I grew up on. Amazing what a few keyboard warriors can accomplish from behind a computer monitor these days; god bless social media. Next time I visit the fire pit maybe I can pile up a mound of dirt to sit on, although that would require digging a hole; please don’t tell anyone.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 22:24:33 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015