Lakeshore Council has approved spending over $37,000 to add surveillance equipment at three parks as the municipality deals with on-going vandalism.
The municipality will spend $37,500 on surveillance equipment outside the washroom facility locations in Lakeview Park, Stoney Point Park and Centennial Park.
Lakeshore typically opens all public washroom facilities within its parks at the beginning of May. Within one week of washrooms being opened this year, vandalism was reported at some of the facilities and by the end of May, the majority of parks had reported vandalism.
As a result of the vandalism, there was a reduction in the hours that park washrooms were open, followed by the closure of park washrooms to manage, repair and control further vandalism.
Lakeshore Mayor Tom Bain says it's a very frustrating situation.
"You can't believe the damage. Smashed the walls with sledge hammers, find the water pipes inside the walls, break them and then leave," he says.
The municipality has already recorded $21,407 in damage in 2022 alone which includes smashed mirrors, broken stall doors, broken toilets, exhaust fan ripped out of the ceiling and broken plumbing pipes.
Bain says if they don't take some steps, the cost of the damage will be over $40,000 in no time.
"There seems to be a pattern of hitting one or two a night and in hitting different areas. There's cars seen in the area and then they're gone. They'll go to another washrooms fix or six kilometers away at another park. Very difficult to catch these people," he says.
Photo courtesy of: the Municipality of Lakeshore
Bain says with the warmer weather, there are so many people out walking now.
"It's unbelievable those out with their dogs, just out for a walk, and out with the children and grandchildren. You can't take them on a long walk if there isn't a washroom nearby, it's just so unfortunate," he adds.
Lakeshore OPP have been patrolling area parks and monitoring activities after closure at 10 p.m.
The municipality currently only has surveillance equipment at West Beach but River Ridge Park will be completed shortly with surveillance equipment.
Council will be looking to fund and install surveillance equipment at the remaining facilities through the budget process in 2023.
In October 2021, the municipality closed nine washrooms at parks in Lakeshore following a rash of damage and vandalism within a one month span.