'Absolutely disgusted': Waterdown Memorial Park washrooms closed due to vandalism

The washroom facilities at Memorial Park in Waterdown will be closed until further notice due to vandalism.

Ward 15 Coun. Judi Partridge said the vandalism in early October - which follows similar incidents last year - will necessitate closing the facility until city staff are on-site full time when the skating loop opens.

It's really a shame," she said. It's taxpayers' money that is used to build these beautiful facilities and taxpayers' money that is used to fix the vandalism when it happens - it's really unfortunate.

Quite frankly, I'm absolutely disgusted."

Partridge said the vandalism included a group of youth pushing a shopping cart around the roof of the building before pushing it off the edge, in addition to a great deal of damage inside. She said the incident was so very dangerous," as there were many families with young children in the park at the time.

Who takes a shopping cart onto the roof of a building?" she said. If they had hit a younger person or a parent trying to access the washroom, it would be a serious incident.

Just totally, totally irresponsible - we've never had anything like that happen before."

In addition to the shopping cart situation, Partridge said that when staff went inside the building, there was also quite a bit of damage to the washrooms, including flooded toilets and attempts to pull paper towel dispensers and the drinking fountain off the walls.

About $5,000 worth of damage is my understanding," she said. Although Partridge said a police report was filed about the incident, Hamilton Police could not provide any information about the situation.

Partridge said her office received numerous photos and videos of the youth on the roof, which were forwarded to Waterdown District High School, who reportedly identified the students. She said three students contacted her and apologized to her by email, but noted the city has no proof that the same youth who were on the roof caused the damage inside the building.

While the washrooms were open during the final Waterdown Farmers' Market of the year on Oct. 16, she said her understanding is it will be closed until the ice loop is opened.

It is really unfortunate that the rest of the community suffers," she said of the vandalism. And quite frankly, it sends the wrong message about youth in our community, because 99 per cent of the youth in our community are just standup people and really engaged in the community and what they're doing.

Then you have a small group that decides to pull this crap."