A Cobourg mother wants to inform others about potential hazards now that the Outdoor Rink is about to open.
The mother who asked not to be named uses transit daily through the week for her two children who are four and eight-years-old.
The family lives in the downtown area and the children use the transit each day for school.
Every morning through the week, the family heads down to the Transit Shelter and public washrooms to wait for the transit bus.
In recent days the hours of operation for the Transit Shelter and Public Washrooms located on Albert Street have changed.
In a press release about the opening of the outdoor rink on December 3 it stated the hours of the Transit Shelter are from from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m., but on December 10 a release stated the hours of operation for the Transit Shelter and public washrooms would be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. But once the outdoor rink opens the hours will be 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
The woman told Today’s Northumberland the area of the Transit Shelter is inundated with drug activity.
“Every morning we’re faced with people who appear to be on drugs. Because they see our faces daily they think it’s ok to talk to us and approach us. On one occasion we were in the shelter and two people were on a bench and got into a physical altercation over a blanket.”
Moving to Cobourg four years ago, the woman said “it’s been a downhill progression even since the summer.”
It’s not uncommon when the family goes to the shelter to wait for the bus there is no space to sit because of people laying on the benches.
“Recently a gentleman was walking out of the bathroom, with blood dripping out of his arm because he just “shot-up” in the bathroom.”
And last Tuesday a person was carried out of the Transit Shelter on a stretcher by paramedics yelling with police and parks staff present.
“I’m left to explain to my children yet again what’s going on.”
The woman said she is sympathetic to the homeless people, but it’s “the blatant drug use going on at the shelter.”
The woman wants to inform parents who are thinking of sending their children to the outdoor rink to educate them of the possible dangers that may exist inside the bathroom and in the shelter.
“It’s going to be open to the public with an influx of families and young children using the facility where there is often pill casings and powder on the sink.”
Finding a solution to the problem seems to be the difficult question.
Police are becoming very proactive at the use of illegal drugs in Cobourg, and even they have stated they are frustrated, but are doing the best they can.
The woman states she is definitely not grouping all homeless people as drug users, but having her children witness the drug culture on a daily basis is taking it’s toll on her understanding.
Police have stated to her that even though they have a warming room at the police station, some individuals won’t use it because they can’t use their drugs.
“Maybe the churches need to be opening up the doors to these people. Isn’t that what they are there for?”
“My four-year-old may not understand it, but my eight-year-old is confused.”
“The anxieties of “what are we going to be faced with today?”
Weather permitting the outdoor rink opens on December 16.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
