I am very disappointed in the city's decision to close Twin Rivers Park completely. While I understand that there are safety and liability concerns, closing the park outright is an unwarranted overreaction that is reflecting poorly on the city. Tourists are being turned away, not even allowed to have a look and leaving in anger. Locals are being treated like criminals for simply wanting to carry on with their daily routines.
There is one particular security guard who is taking her position far too seriously. She is chasing after people in the park and screaming at them. I have even witnessed her get in her car, roar across the parking lot and blare her horn at people – far more dangerous than any hazards in the park in my opinion. At this point I am afraid to go pick saskatoons along the bush for fear of this woman, usually I just have to watch for bears.
Furthermore, by closing off the main areas of the park, people (mostly kids) are being forced to swim in more marginal areas closer to the main river flow.
Ease up the closure, inform people of the risks and have the security people patrol down by the gazebo. Educate and people will cooperate, discipline and you are creating forbidden fruit and asking for trouble. On a ski hill, out of bounds does not mean off limits? The same standards need to apply here.
Most annoying is that people are not even allowed to use the sports fields; this is ridiculous. People rely on this area to exercise their dogs and play games. There is no risk there, open it up. There are still walking paths away from the river that pose no safety risk, there is no reason for them to be closed. There are seniors who walk there everyday and have lived their entire lives in Castlegar. They are capable of assessing there own risk tolerance. Leave them alone.
-Steve Sanders,
Castlegar