Vandalism at Winter Village
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Vandalism during Winter Village preparations is resulting in delays, increased costs, and frustration for Town staff.
The Parks team has been preparing the beachfront and pier for the annual winter village since September. The past couple of weeks have seen a lot of unfortunate vandalism in the area.
“Over the past few weeks, we’ve had over 11 tree lights cut or dismantled,” Communications Officer Jared Waldo says. “These repairs are funded and supported by taxpayers and replacing these lights creates a heavy strain on an already tight budget.”
Waldo says there are additional costs, aside from the lights.
“To fix or replace these strings, we also need to rent lift equipment which is another unplanned cost. We also need to schedule staff to handle these repairs. These costs continue to add up.”
Organizers invested $20,000 at the start of the season for necessary repairs and upgrades before any vandalism. Waldo says the plan is to replace the lights and repair everything before the Winter Village is scheduled to kick off for the season.
“It’s going to be a long, expensive winter if we continue replacing the lights on the pier. We want to ensure that Lakers enjoy this annual experience with their families and friends and they can’t do that if we constantly have to make repairs to the Winter Village.”
The Town reminds all Lakers not to vandalize anything in the area.
QUESTIONS?
communications@sylvanlake.ca