Tilton resident accuses council of “playing with fire”

By Craig Westcott

A Tilton resident has had it out with members of the Spaniard’s Bay town council over its plans to monitor a recreational area that has had a problem with youths hanging out and reportedly starting fires on some occasions.

Council agreed earlier this summer that it would clear a path to the former basketball court to see if residents started using the area for recreational purposes, and if so figure out eventually how best to use it.

However, resident Perry Clarke, who attended last month’s public council meeting on August 13, told the members they are literally playing with fire by not closing it off altogether from youth activity.

Clarke, a Victoria native, who said he has been living in the area for about a year, after having spent the past four decades living on the mainland and working first as a firefighter in the armed forces and for 35 years as the manager of a security company, is concerned because the former basketball court is adjacent to his property.

Clarke said he has witnessed young people lighting fires on the court and has personally gone out twice to extinguish them. More recently, Clarke said, he saw two young people on dirt bikes in the area. His present complaint, however, was that he had witnessed two individuals there on dirt bikes. Clarke said he is afraid that sparks from the bikes’ exhaust or other means, might inadvertently start a fire there. He cited the large trees in the area as a hazard to the nearby houses if they were to catch fire.

“You’re going to have another Jasper or Fort Mac on your hands,” Clarke warned council.

Clarke said the court is not being used for basketball and the number of young people in the area who might play ball is low.

Clarke had two requests for council. First that it place more rocks around the perimeter of the area to prevent motorbikes from accessing it and erect a No Trespassing sign; and secondly that rather than fix up the place as a basketball court, council convert it to a community garden, like the one it already has in Spaniard’s Bay.

Councillor Sherry Lundrigan said the Spaniard’s Bay garden has only recently started to garner interest. She is hoping interest will increase next year.
Clarke said while he would prefer the Tilton court be shut down entirely, a community garden might attract a different “clientele.”

Councillor Darlene Stamp pointed out council has not yet resolved to build a new basketball court in the location. The plan was to make it more accessible and monitor its use for now. She asked Clarke how the Town was expected to gauge interest in the area if residents don’t have access to it.

Clarke wasn’t persuaded. He showed the councillors a photo of the court with a pile of dried boughs and wood piled in the centre. “You’re playing with fire, for lack of a better term,” he added.

Clarke said he almost fell off his chair when council decided earlier this summer to open up the court and see if anyone started fires.

Councillor Paul Ryan allowed Clarke was misconstruing what was said. “We can’t stop the kids from going everywhere,” he added.

Councillor Lundrigan advised Clarke to call the fire department or RCMP if he sees a fire so that there will be a record of them.

Clarke said he went to the RCMP about it, but nothing could be done as fires are not a high priority for them.

Councillor Ryan expressed skepticism at that, arguing fires would be a high priority for the police.

Clarke said the idea of making the court more accessible defies common sense, and threatened to raise a petition from other residents of Chipman Road, whom he claimed also want the area shut down.

The discussion, which had been expected to take up 10 minutes of the meeting, ended up taking approximately half an hour. Eventually, Mayor Paul Brazil had to insist the council move on to the next item, but he acknowledged Clarke’s safety concerns.

A motion was made to cut off access for off-road vehicles to the area by adding more rocks. Council also agreed to revisit the topic at its next meeting. Following this, Stamp asked Clarke to let council know if he sees anyone in that area.

“Well when I call 911 because the fire’s coming up the side of my house then you’ll know, I guess, there’s people up there, right?” Clarke said. “I hope nothing happens because you’re playing a part in a dangerous role playing with fire. If something does happen, I hope somebody is held accountable.”

Clarke accused council of condoning criminal behaviour if it continues to let the area be used. “I’m not telling you to shut down every playground in the town,” said Clarke.

“Oh, just the ones around you? Okay,” councillor Ryan countered.

“Just the ones that are high risk,” Clarke replied.

Mayor Brazil eventually interjected, telling Clarke that he recognized it was far from an ideal place to have children playing, and that it is not a recreational area.
The topic concluded with plans to revisit it at a future meeting, and council carried on with the evening’s agenda. Clarke departed shortly thereafter.