Skip to content

Lakefront parks & the town's pandemic overreach

Lakeside Park Summer 2020 play structure | Oakville News
Lakeside Park Summer 2020 play structure | Oakville News

We are fortunate that all levels of government and all parties are singing from the same song sheet when it comes to Covid-19.  The resulting coordinated response has led to better outcomes than many countries.  A faster start might have helped, but our proximity to the US, the source of most of our early cases, was probably a bigger factor in our not doing even better.

In Oakville we have been especially fortunate. Currently, there are no patients with Coronavirus in our hospital and we have had very few new cases in the past few weeks.  Ontario has ended its state of emergency.

Lakeside Park in Old Oakville | Oakville News
Lakeside Park in Old Oakville | Oakville News

At Monday’s council meeting, the issue of overcrowding in the lakefront parks was raised by Councillor Ray Chisholm.  Soon after, Councillor Tom Adams asked our newly appointed CAO, Jane Clohecy, whether staff was considering ending the Town’s state of emergency.

Citing the parks situation, the CAO indicated that staff were not considering doing so in part because it makes it easier to institute by-laws to deal with physical distancing issues such as those posed by the increased park usage.

Neither Councillor Adams, nor any other councillor including Mayor Burton, pursued this point.

In short, our local government took on some additional powers to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic and isn’t ready to give them up.

This is certainly no time to get complacent.  Worldwide there are nearly 20 million recorded cases and close to 732,000 people have died.  All this started from one case; so as long as there are any cases at all and in the absence of a vaccine, another surge is a constant risk.

For now, we can cut Oakville Town Council some slack on this issue, in spite of the Provincial Government’s ending of its own state of emergency.  At the same time, we will be watching this issue closely.

Additional government powers and restrictions on freedom of movement are not to be accepted unless they are genuinely warranted, and then only as long as an absolute necessity.  The more discretionary controls our town staff has the easier it is for them to do their jobs, in the same way as police would love to be able to search the homes of suspects without the need for pesky warrants.

Council, not staff, is responsible for strategy and tactics

Council, not staff, is responsible for strategy and tactics.  The role of staff is to implement the desires of the public as expressed through their elected representatives and to ensure that council operates within the law. Town staff can recommend policy, but council must be vigilant with respect to the balance between freedom and safety.

In the discussion about the increased use of lakefront parks during the pandemic, Councillor Chisholm expressed concern that even once the pandemic is behind us, the growth of our population as North Oakville continues to be developed will mean much greater park usage.

A suggestion for controlling the current crowding in the parks was to significantly raise parking fines in the vicinity of lakefront parks.  This could have the effect of favouring those who live closest to the parks, essentially implying two classes of Oakville citizens.

One problem caused by increased park usage is vehicles overflowing onto neighbouring streets. Increased parking enforcement probably makes sense, but the unintended consequences of equality of access should be top of mind going forward.

Let us hope that equal access to the parks which we all share will be a strong consideration as council thinks this through.

Lakeside Park Old Oakville People Summer 2020 |  Family and friends enjoying Lakeside Park in Old Oakville; Photo Credit: Oakville News
Lakeside Park Old Oakville People Summer 2020 | Family and friends enjoying Lakeside Park in Old Oakville; Photo Credit: Oakville News

As someone who lives close to the lake I am happy to see more Oakvilleans discovering the beauty of our lakefront parks, and to see people from across the Town coming together to enjoy them, as they seek relief from the tedium of the restrictions imposed by the pandemic.

As the transit system adjusts to the new neighbourhoods and increased population, making sure there are ways for people from across Oakville to access the natural advantages our lakefront situation provides should be a priority.

In the long term, park overcrowding is likely self-regulating, as alternative activities open up that are more attractive than an overly busy lakefront park.   But in a heatwave, the cooling influence of Lake Ontario should be open to all Oakvilleans.