The authorities who run Oxford Park, clearly not content that they haven't festooned junk recreational stuff on every last square inch of the once-glorious green space, have now randomly placed much-unneeded bike racks throughout where the kids ride their bikes. (See near the end of the wall in the photo above).
This will surely end badly, as these kids habitually whip around that building at top speeds on their little bicyles and it's only a matter of time until someone smashes into that sucker and takes a wicked faceplant header onto the cement.
The same NDG park authorities has shown some very poor park management on repeated occasions, most notably when they failed to anchor a soccer net on Sherbrooke in September 2001, killing 14-year-old Shane Diabo who was swinging from the structure. I don't know why they're trying to tempt another such incident.
I have mentioned elsewhere in this blog that I suspect long-disgruntled City of Montreal workers of having a devil-may-care attitude when it comes to so-called park "upgrading and improvements".
ReplyDeleteCity of Montreal trucks driving across the grass and leaving ruts, employees goofing off inside the park shacks, rest-room doorways not clearly marked male or female. How irresponsible is that? Unsightly tree stumps not removed, broken booze bottle glass left over from overnighting deadbeats, broken or poorly-placed benches, stolen picnic tables, frivolous painting of fixtures, etc. It's easy for the city to blame vandalism for their apathy, but effective countermeasures are seldom implemented.
It may be hard to believe, but those heavy picnic tables (which are often bolted down into a concrete base, no less!) are actually targetted by thieves determined to make of with them, presumably then delivered to their country cottages! Why doesn't the city smarten up and use those special-type nuts like those used in prison cells which require a unique wrench to remove them?
Evidently these low-life thieves are determined enough to spend enough time and planning to appear in the early morning hours presumably with a pickup truck or flatbed with at least four big, strong guys to do the heavy lifting and dragging! It's unbelievable! Are these people actually "proud" of themselves? Do they sit in the tavern the next day laughing their heads off about how "cool" they were? Or, maybe these are "dress rehearsals" for upcoming "serious heists" like stealing hotel lobby furniture or ATMs? Who knows?!
It certainly seems like there are way too many people with way too much time on their hands these days. I'd love to see these creeps caught on camera and busted for the world to see.
For those who many be unaware, the photo is of a typical city park "chalet" (that we kids usually referred to "park shacks") built in the mid-50s during Mayor Drapeau's first administration when one of his priorities was to upgrade the parks department.
ReplyDeleteIn those days, neighbourhood baby-boomer kids were in dire need of such facilities! There are amazing photos of kids lining up by the hundreds at bus stops headed for the St. Helen's Island swimming pool on hot, summer days--one of the very few actual pools available at the time.
Amazingly, in the early days, chosen teenagers were assigned to run these neighbourhood chalets, where they would hand out playground equipment such as croquet mallets and balls, shuffleboard gear, etc., to kids and adults alike wanting to use the related facilities.
Less than a decade later, the teenagers were replaced by retirees who performed the same function--complete with their own internal office and telephone, however around the 70s, all such on-site staff was terminated and the decline began.
More often than not, the chalet doors were then locked, totally preventing access to the restrooms, sinks, drinking fountains, and shelter from rainstorms. Most of those wooden, foldable walls on the side of each chalet became jammed over time and few of them still function today. Their purpose was to make it easier for hockey teams and wading-pool kids to come and go, as there were lockers and changing-rooms inside as well.
Once these chalets became less accessible (if at all!), the vandalism began in earnest by those frustrated and presumably angry enough to take "revenge" on the city for closing such a basic need as a toilet. Such is the "logic" of the vandal and to a degree it is understandable if reprehensible. Some of the windows do have wire gratings on the outside as a protection against rock-throwers.
While it is true that in some districts the city has upgraded and reopened some of these chalets, the remainder are still a sorry sight. Restrooms without male or female markings on the door (if it hasn't already been removed entirely!) can be problematic to say the least!
In some districts, recent immigrants, who are either ignorant of or inconsiderate of park rules, routinely show up with their barbecue gear and squat wherever it suits them for hours on end--the smoke billowing over anyone else who may be in their way. The leftover trash, burned charcoal, and broken branches are a sorry sight.
A total revamping of the city parks department and facilities is most definitely overdue. Taxpayers who certainly deserve better than this should phone their borough office and make their concerns known.
Addendum:
ReplyDeleteCoincidental with the articles about our city parks and push-button pedestrian traffic lights, I came across a short, yet fascinating and very-prophetic Gazette article of July 13, 1956, page 3, entitled, "City Parks Provide "Cure" For Adult Button-Pushers".
See link:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Fr8DH2VBP9sC&dat=19560713&printsec=frontpage&hl=en
Not sure I agree. I doubt the kids take such tight turns around the corner to make this a legimitate hazard. I guess they could have put it at the midsection of the wall, but that would 'break' the wall, potentially ruining good games of suicide or revenge, if kids even play that any more.
ReplyDeleteOne thing's for sure, putting it in the middle of that paved area would be bad, a true obstacle.
I forgot to mention the fact that the city has in recent years inexplicably removed most of the skateboard ramps and other relevant apparatus from certain parks where they previously existed in abundance. I think the one near the Verdun swimming pool is still there, but maybe not.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if this is due to a lack of interest on the part of today's youth which seems more inclined to sit in front of a videogame screen than exert themselves unnecessarily, or perhaps--dread the thought--was it that someone's kid got injured on one of those ramps and the parent's sued the city, sending a chilling effect forevermore on such presumably "dangerous"
activity. After all, haven't most of our parks' formerly-popular baseball diamonds been replaced by the generally-underused soccer nets? Hey, at least a soccer ball won't fracture your skull, right (or will it)?
I would regularly see hordes of fifteen-year-olds (going on eleven) zipping and clattering around on their skateboards in Old
Montreal and elsewhere but not as many recently (maybe they finally grew up and discovered girls?) although the other day I did notice two teen skateboarders at the Westmount Lookout disturbing the tourists.
I recall interviewing a woman who didn't like the skateboard thing that had been recently implanted near her house on Cavendish near Monkland, I think she didn't like the noise and the general shadiness of the goings on. The spot looks pretty much empty whenever I pass it now. The Olympic Stadium apparently has an old pipe that is very much appreciated by the skateboarding community, it was set to be demolished but the Saputos saved it and moved it over a bit.
ReplyDeleteI can tell you that today's kids are definitely becoming lazier.
ReplyDeleteA nearby school has their young teenage boys running around the park, but too many of them slow to a crawl and end up walking, looking ridiculously winded from such "strenuous" activity!
On the other hand, another private girls' school runs their young ladies around some Westmount streets and most of them look pretty enthusiastic.
Shame on you guys! Push away from that video game and at least walk a couple of miles per day. Before long, you won't even realize how easy it is.