Charred remains and lonely chains – that’s all that’s left of the swing set at Riverside Park in Cambridge.
It’s the second of three accessible parks in the city that’s been vandalized. Churchill Park was torched last fall, leaving only one park that’s fully open for children with special needs.
“It’s just kind of disgusting,” says Jennifer Bynkoski, who brings her kids to the park a few times a week.
“We can’t even bring our kids to any park. Either they’re burned or they’re graffitied,” she says.
Coun. Donna Reid says the city is trying to fix the parks as quickly as they possibly can, but there’s a backlog.
Canada 150 grants are available for cities to improve their parks. Reid says many communities have applied, creating a waiting list.
“We just can’t find a company that can do it for us in our timeline,” she says.
Riverside Park won’t be fixed until late summer and the city is still waiting for a contractor to get to Churchill Park, leaving parents and children frustrated.
“It’s an inconvenience,” says Kaylene Heimbechner.
“The kids want to go over there and play and they can’t.”
Emma Willmot says the torched area was a great space for her two kids to play.
“It’s a shame,” she says. “It should be repaired as soon as possible so that kids can play and the wheelchair accessible areas can be used.”
Reid says the city is taking every step to try and prevent any further vandalism from occurring and hopes people will remain vigilant.
With reporting by Abigail Bimman
