Hub Staff

A group of concerned citizens called the Friends of North Shore Park want to “Save North Shore Park” from a Splash Pad that was approved in principle with a 7-2 vote by Saugeen Shores Council in June. At the time of publishing there were over 400 online signatures to petition the Town of Saugeen Shores Council and their decision on the location.

See: Splash Pad at North Shore Park receives council's endorsement

On the online petition, Friends of North Shore Park member and outdoor enthusiast Paul Knechtel of Southampton applauded the hard work of the Splash Pad Committee but firmly believes that the decision on the location is wrong and hopes a decision on a new location can be made.

“North Shore Park is an accessible shoreline park for everyone living in Saugeen Shores and for our urban visitors who flee the concrete of urban jungles,” Knechtel said August 7.

“It’s a treasure that we need to protect and preserve. This is why I started the petition with the Friends of North Shore Park. This is why we must protect North Shore Park once and for all.”

During its approval process at council the 226 square meter (2,435 square foot) Splash Pad involves the removal of four trees from a spacious area of the park near the park’s washroom facilities. The online petition questioned the validity of the plan which the Friends believe will “cause destruction” and “irreversible damage to the ecosystem" within the Park. They cited the construction footprint as follows: required excavations; installation of impervious surface treatment materials; plumbing and electrical infrastructure; security/safety fencing; walkway improvements; a mechanical building; and, proposed renovations to washrooms and parking areas. They list an old land agreement found in the Bruce County Archives and made mention of the importance of a municipal cedar forest.

The petition also said, “the fragile stability of the cedar trees growing in soil conditions such as exist in North Shore Park should be a source of civic pride and we should be very concerned when their place in our community is threatened”.

Knechtel said that there will also be paper petition circulation within the community. Save North Shore Park signs have already been spotted around the park.

"The petition is just getting started,” Knechtal said, adding that “this is only the beginning."

To read the entire petition visit the petition on change.org.