A public information session in Lakeshore meant to outline long-term planning work was shut down Thursday evening after repeated disruptions from residents opposed to potential redevelopment of Oakwood Park.
The session, led by the Lakeshore Horizons team, was intended to walk residents through infrastructure pressures, housing needs and future growth planning.
But early into the presentation, shouting from several attendees brought the meeting to a stop.
“Not one person in this room wants to hear your garbage!” one man yelled toward the presenters after repeated outbursts from him and other residents.
Lakeshore Horizons facilitator Anika Smit responded: “Then that is everyone’s individual choice and they are welcome to leave.”
Moments later, she ended the presentation altogether.
The tension centred on Oakwood Park, a neighbourhood green space that became the subject of an Expression of Interest earlier this fall.
Earlier this week – as neighbourhood backlash ramped up -- Mayor Tracey Bailey announced the process had been paused, saying it did not align with the town’s goals around housing and protecting greenspace.
Residents at Thursday’s meeting said the pause does not go far enough.
Joanne Rondeau, whose backyard borders the park, said the Expression of Interest came as a shock.
“That park was there for 20 years plus when I purchased my land… it was with the assumption and knowledge… that [it] was always in the plans,” she said.
She disputes any suggestion the park is underused.
“That park is utilized every single day… there were kids playing in the park today,” she said.
Rondeau said residents do not see meaning in the mayor’s temporary pause.
“Pause is not a cease. A pause really means nothing to the residents,” she said.
“We don’t want that park gone… we’re going to continue to fight on to preserve parkland greenspace.”
She said her biggest question is how a long-established neighbourhood park ended up being considered at all.
“I want to see how and why they chose this site. Why parks are on the radar at all… Greenspace should be preserved,” she said.
Kendra Fry, transformation lead for Lakeshore Horizons, said the series of public consultations is meant to help residents understand larger infrastructure and planning issues.
“It’s really about understanding what the Horizons project is and how Lakeshore is going to transform over the next little while, and what that might mean for citizens,” she said.
“We need to create opportunities for people to transfer from one house type to another… but to do so we have to build different kinds of housing.”
Fry said she welcomes engagement.
“Engaged citizens are citizens who are invested in their community,” she said.
Lakeshore Council meets Tuesday at 6 p.m., when direction on the Oakwood Park file is expected to be discussed.