Minto Fire Chief Chris Harrow wants town council to consider “decommissioning” a little-used park behind the fire hall here and relocating a memorial located at the park.
“The park is not very well used because nobody knows it’s there,” Harrow told council at the Sept. 2 meeting.
“The park has a few location issues and access is extremely limited. The only way to get to the park is through the back of the fire hall or through Leslie Motors’ lot, down a bank area. Neither of the access points is optimal. Lighting is also an issue, both in the park and at the access points. In order for it to become functional and useful some significant upgrades to the lighting would be needed,” Harrow said in a report.
He added maintenance at the park is also an issue.
“Approximately, five years ago, the Norwell CELP (Community Environmental Leadership) program went in and cleaned up the park, weeded the flower beds and cleared treed areas to make the park more usable. However, over the past few years, little upkeep has been completed and the flower beds are becoming overgrown,” Harrow said, adding a recent land swap between Leslie Motors and the town has caused staff to look at this park along the Maitland River behind the fire hall and “assess its benefit to town residents.”
Safety at the park is another concern, Harrow said, explaining that monitoring the park during the spring, when waters are high, is a challenge and requires that the park be closed on occasion. “They may not be overflowing the banks, but the river flows so fast that we don’t want anybody down there,” he said.
Complicating the issue is the question of what to do with a monument to local firefighters in the park. Harrow said he is investigating the origins of the monument, which bears a plaque stating, “This Cairn was erected as a memorial to the Harriston-Minto volunteer firemen by the citizens of the community.”
Harrow suggested the memorial could be moved, possibly to the area near the pavilion at the Harriston Community Centre grounds. He also said the town could consider parkland expansion in Harriston, given the pending closure of the local trailer park due to flood concerns. In 2011 residents of the trailer park were given 10 years to vacate the park, which is being closed due to ongoing flooding concerns. Staff reported that only five trailers are left at the park and only three are occupied.
“With the additional land acquired along the river in the land swap, there may be the beginnings of a linear park along the water linking the downtown with the Harriston-Minto complex grounds,” suggested Harrow.
Mayor George Bridge said the first priority should be to relocate the monument “someplace more visible.” Then, he suggested, the parks and recreation committee could deal with the park’s future.
Council accepted Harrow’s report and directed staff to provide recommendations on a new monument location.
