Some families in Waterloo are angry with their local councillor’s comments – that she wouldn’t let her own children skate on a storm water pond.
Dozens were at a rink in the East Bridge neighbourhood on Sunday, in protest against the comments.
“Our kids have grown up here. I’ve been living here for 20 years, this is what we do on a Sunday afternoon,” said Pete Oliver, a parent.
“This particular pond is a storm water management pond. It’s not a farm pond, it contains salt and a bunch of things that would melt ice and make it unsafe,” said Diane Freeman, a city councillor for Waterloo.
Some residents were upset, calling the pond a neighbourhood staple.
“The city is just asking for voluntary compliance with the bylaw, there is no intention to enforce anything,” said Freeman.
Police were called to the area earlier this week and asked people to leave.
Parents at the skating protest said that they are always checking the conditions, drilling down to see the thickness of the ice.
“Safety is our number one priority as parents and when Diane Freeman made the comment she wouldn’t let her kids skate on this pond, that really hit home to a lot of residents of this community,” said Oliver.
“That was just me, my own personal feeling of safety. I’m sorry that they thought it reflected on their choices. It didn’t,” said Freeman.
The city is looking at compromises says Freeman.
“We're working really hard to try to get infrastructure in place as fast as we can to build another rink. Some parents have asked for a safe place,” she said.
