Vegreville Lion’s Community Spray Park Damaged by Vandalism

Vegreville Lion’s Community Spray Park Damaged by Vandalism

Michelle Pinon News Advertiser

Why?

That was the first question Frances Sawiak asked after learning about the recent vandalism to the Lion’s Community Spray Park in Vegreville.

Sawiak, Treasurer of the Vegreville Lions Club, said she received a phone call from Mike van der Torre, Facilities Manager for the Town of Vegreville, Friday morning. Multiple areas of the playground’s rubberized surface had been punctured and ripped out.

“We’ve had vandalism before, but nothing as bad as this,” stated Sawiak, who was extremely disheartened by the senseless and deliberate act.

“It has to stop,” added Sawiak, who said the outdoor recreational facility was developed for the entire community to enjoy. She said thousands of hours and more than $2 million was invested by community members, organizations, volunteers, and corporate sponsors to make the park project a success.

Sawiak was very upset to think someone had deliberately destroyed some of the park, and she is asking everyone to keep their eyes open for any suspicious activity, and if they have any information at all about the incident to call RCMP.

She estimates it could cost up to $60,000 to repair the damage to the rubberized surface, and those damages are not covered by insurance.

The Lion’s Community Spray Park opened in the summer of 2010. Two years later the gazebo, themed playground and benches were installed in the park. A tots and adult exercise area with specialized equipment was added in 2016.