Bell Park is often called one the gems of our city. Located in the centre of the city, it is used often by residents and visited by many people from out of town. The rebuilding of the amphitheatre notwithstanding, it would seem that we have been taking this jewel for granted lately.

It is very disheartening to see that it is not being maintained as well as it should be.

The walking path is crumbling in places, many of the benches are in need of serious repair or replacement, light poles are damaged, wood planks have been covered with damaged plywood, garbage is left strewn about and many of the steel structures have been left to rust.

This park is truly something that is unique, given its lakeside location and proximity to so many people.

While this is far from the only issue that needs to be addressed, it is a symbol of so much that has gone wrong. It is more a symptom of a larger problem than the problem itself.

With about $100,000.00 in the Community Improvement Projects funds available for this ward (Ward 10), it is unfortunate to see such neglect of a most important part of our social infrastructure.

What I think of most when I see the need here is what visitors must think about the city as a whole. It is easy for those of us who live here to get used to this lack of upkeep, but I wonder what visitors must think when they see this.

We claim that this area is one of our gems and something we like to show off to those who visit. What must they think about the rest of the city if we can’t even be bothered to paint rusty light poles and keep the park clean?

Showing pride in our neighborhoods and maintaining city property adequately is a small but very important part of building a city we can be proud of.

Fern Cormier
Ward 10 municipal election
candidate
Greater Sudbury