Children stage protest to convince gov't to reverse decision to remove playground

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By Aloma Jardine
Times & Transcript Staff

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The children of Ackman Court could teach adults a thing or two about perseverance and social consciousness.

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VIKTOR PIVOVAROV/TIMES & TRANSCR

Kids hold signs yesterday during a protest against plans to turn Ackman Court's park into a parking lot.

For the past several days, at least two dozen of them have faithfully gathered to circle their playground waving placards and chanting "Save our park!"

"This was their idea," says parent Rachelle Williams. "I had 10 kids come asking for money to buy Bristol board and markers and this and that. I couldn't say no."

On Tuesday, contractors came by to tear out the park, known as the Winnie Reiker Playground, but the kids put up such a fuss the workers agreed to give them a week to appeal the decision to remove the play area.

Residents say they were told the playground was being removed so work could be carried out on the sewer system, but that it would not be replaced and the space would be turned into a parking lot.

"We really don't need another parking lot, we need a park," Rachelle says. "Every other NB Housing in Moncton has a good park. We have nothing, but what we do have, the kids want to save."

Yesterday, the children were out so early to protest that they woke up the neighbourhood and were still at it hours later, the youngest sitting in strollers pushed by the older children.

The park isn't much to look at -- only a couple of swings and a slide, not in the best of repair -- but it is the only place the children have to play.

"Why do we need another parking lot?" says Erica Robichaud, 12, one of the children who got the ball rolling on the protest. "Where are the kids going to play? ... This is a really small community and we need a park."

Her friend Caitlen Vautour, 10, is of the same mind.

"Me and Erica started to think, where are the kids going to play?" she says. "So we thought maybe we should fight for it."

Although the playground equipment is mainly used by the younger children, Caitlen and Erica say the 10-to-13-year-old set meet there almost every evening to hang out and chat and as the protest wound down, a couple of teenaged boys came by to shoot hoops on the basketball court.

Residents say there are about 100 children of all ages in the neighbourhood.

"It's so nice to watch the kids play on there," says Karen Doucette. "It's a shame they want to tear it down. Kids look forward to that playground. Even the teenagers use it. It gives them somewhere to hang out. If we take it out, what are they going to do? They'll be out doing crime."

Karen says she's very impressed with the action the children have taken.

"It shows they want to save the park. I was here when the workers were here (to dismantle the park) and they were in their way. They're learning how to fight for something they really want and it is a lesson they will treasure for the rest of their life."

The park belongs to the province to serve the NB Housing units which surround it.

Department of Social Development spokesman Robert Duguay confirms the park has to be removed to allow work on sewage and drainage systems, but says even if that wasn't the case the playground would still have to go.

"The facility was absolutely not up to the standards for the safety of children," he says. "The park represented some serious safety issues and it needed to be addressed and at this point the idea was to remove it."

Duguay says it was not possible to fix the play structures to bring them up to code.

"When we are talking about installations for children, we can't take risks and have facilities available to children where we know it doesn't respect basic standards, so we had to take that decision," he says.

Parents in the neighbourhood know the park isn't up to standards.

"It is not very safe right now, but it is all we have," says Jolene Vautour. "We'd like to get a new park for the kids. It would be great and I think the kids would appreciate it."

When Jolene, Rachelle, and other parents found out the park wouldn't be replaced, they called Moncton East MLA Chris Collins.

He says he had a lengthy conversation with Social Development Minister Mary Schryer on Wednesday to find out more about the situation and says it is his understanding the province is working with the City of Moncton to ensure the park is replaced as soon as possible, either this fall or in the spring.

"I know how important it is to those children," he says. "I just randomly stopped by the park and there were 24 children playing there with limited facilities and infrastructure. There is a need for that park ... If it isn't in the best of shape, it is because it has been used."

But Duguay says the province's first priority has to be housing.

"We understand the needs and we'll try to take that into consideration," he says. "Our main objective is to provide housing to as many people as we can, to provide a roof first and we have to put our resources (into that).

"We understand there is a still a waiting list, we understand living is not only having a roof, but we have to put our resources there first. But we understand also that children are living there and they should be taken into account and we will continue to work with the community to consider options for the future."

Collins is of the mind that is not so much a question of if, but when, the park will be replaced, saying there will no doubt be a delay between the time the sewer and drainage work is carried out and a playground is re-installed.

"How long that delay is at this point in time I don't know. We have two governments working very closely and I assume we should be able to get it done sooner rather than later," he says. "I think that park is incredibly important to that neighbourhood and I'm going to work very hard for those people to ensure that they not only have the park replaced, but they have the proper equipment that they deserve. These children have shown a lot of social consciousness and social activeness and I think it is important that be rewarded."

The next nearest playgrounds are at Arnold H. McLeod and Champlain schools, but they're too far away for the children to go to alone.

Their playground, on the other hand, lies between the backyards of two rows of housing, so parents can keep an eye on them while they play.

Jean-Norbert Datro, who has 11 children ranging in age from four to 22, says he never worries about his children playing outside because everyone knows everyone and keeps an eye out for each other's children. With the park in view of his doorway, his children are always near enough that calling their names brings them running.

"They're safe here," he says. "Children blossom when they have space. If they remove (the playground) where will they go? They will be prisoners in the house . . .

"We'd like to see something better rather than removing the little they have."

Jean-Norbert says when the children come home from school now, they go outside to play.

"Where are they going to go now? They will sit in front of the TV," he says.

As far as residents understand, the park is supposed to be removed on Monday and Caitlen and Erica say the kids will be there with their signs if they don't get an answer from government by then.