Vandalism at the Adopt-A-Rink – Flavelle Park

Recently, a container of used oil was deliberately dumped onto the Adopt-A-Rink at Flavelle Park, making the rink unsafe and unusable.

This rink exists only because of volunteers. It is already difficult to recruit and keep people willing to give their time to shovel, flood, and maintain the ice. When incidents like this happen, volunteer time is wasted on cleanup instead of rink care — and those who do help are discouraged and less likely to continue.

The spill required Fire Department resources to safely clean up hazardous waste, pulling them away from real emergencies.

There were also serious environmental risks. Coyotes regularly pass through and drink from the ice surface, and geese frequently fly overhead and could have landed on the contaminated area. Used oil is toxic and dangerous to both people and wildlife.

We are also asking residents to properly dispose of hazardous materials and not leave containers of used oil, chemicals, or waste unsecured. When these items are left out, they can be picked up and misused by individuals intent on causing damage.

This type of behaviour is deliberate, destructive, and unacceptable. It harms volunteers, wastes emergency resources, and puts our community and environment at risk. It must be taken seriously and stopped.

If you witness dumping or vandalism, please report it immediately.