Council defeats motion to explore fencing around Galt Gardens
By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on July 26, 2023.
Herald file photo
Personal belongings are seen at Galt Gardens. On Tuesday city council rejected a proposal to look into the feasibility of installing a wrought iron fence around the downtown park.LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com
City council has closed the gate on a proposal to look into the feasibility of installing a wrought iron fence around Galt Gardens.
Council on Tuesday by a 5-4 vote rejected an official business motion presented by mayor Blaine Hyggen and co-sponsored by Deputy Mayor John Middleton-Hope, which
called upon administration to examine various factors including cost, availability, implementation and other considerations of erecting the fence as a permanent park boundary and to report back to the Economic Standing Policy Committee by Nov. 15 for council’s consideration.
The OBM was the focus of a protest outside City Hall at 1 p.m. before the meeting started.
The motion stated that by erecting a fence, the city “would be demonstrating its commitment to maintaining and improving public spaces which in turn fosters community pride and engagement. The enhanced safety and aesthetics would encourage more people to utilize the park, promoting a healthier and more active lifestyle,” read the motion in part.
It said that fences act as a park boundary that is inviting, visually pleasing and provides a sense of security for visitors, “especially families and children and can build on other environmental design features such as the pergola, Rotary Spray Park and new play space that encourage positive behaviours in this public space.”
Both the mayor and Deputy Mayor told council the motion was not a debate about putting up a fence but rather putting the idea to community engagement.
Hyggen said he’s looked into a community of a similar size that’s built a fence and the results from there have shown “extreme success.”
Middleton-Hope told council “by erecting a wrought iron fence around the park, we are able to better control the use of the park and reduce the risk of vandalism, loitering, and other criminal activities that have become so prevalent. The fence will act as a physical barrier, providing a sense of security of park visitors especially families with children….
“Furthermore, it will discourage encampments, drug use and bio-hazardous debris, returning the park to the citizens of Lethbridge that perhaps more accurately reflect the original intent of the Galt family who over 100 years ago donated more than nine acres of parkland in the heart of the city.
“The park is a vital community space where residents can engage in recreational activities, socialize, and connect with nature and each other. By erecting a wrought iron fence, we are demonstrating our commitment to maintaining and improving public space which in turns fosters community pride and engagement.”
Hyggen said in his closing statement the motion came about from discussions with people who reached out with their concerns.
“This doesn’t come from one or two people,” said the mayor, adding that many other communities are considering similar safety strategies.
He said the information gathered would be put to the public to speak about.
But the public won’t get that chance with five councillors voting against the motion. They were Jenn Schmidt-Rempel, Belinda Crowson, Mark Campbell, Jeff Carlson and Ryan Parker.
Parker, who chaired the discussion, said the resolution was not just about numbers, but principles.
He said when a fence was put around the old YMCA that was to address a problem that was occurring and he didn’t want the public to have the vision that the Galt Gardens fence would be chain-link like that one.
He said he had concerns about the putting the resolution forward because no matter how beautiful a fence is “you’re going to get displacement” with people being pushed into alleys and backyards of other residents.
“I was a huge proponent of the fencing which we put at the YMCA and it did good but there were consequences to that…no longer was it contained, it was spread all over the place. So we may think it got better, I think we just diluted the problem,” said Parker.
The Acting Mayor said Galt Gardens was intended for people to access a community park and that it should be accessed from all angles and it should be transparent. He said if the appropriate security is in place, that would address the issues, noting he has often supported his two colleagues.
“But I don’t think a fence is the solution to the problem,” Parker added.
He said the issue is about just housing as well as addictions, mental disorders and other things.
Carlson said the idea “doesn’t make sense to me,” adding administration’s time would better be spent trying to find ways to fix the root causes of the issues at the park.
“Yes there are issues and negative behaviours” in Galt Gardens, he said, but those issues and behaviours exist in his own neighbourhood.
“If we start fencing off Galt Gardens, is next the green strip, is next Henderson Lake?”
Crowson told council on principle she couldn’t vote for the resolution.
“We know the answers, it is housing, it is social services, it is addictions programs, it’s recovery programs, it’s activities for daily living. Those are the services we need and both for us and for administration, I think we need to spend the time on the advocacy to get that, we need to spend our time on ensuring that we have housing, we need to ensure we’re working on this,” Crowson said.
She added that a fence creates a psychological barrier.
“It’s a division within our community when you put fences up and fences are incredibly powerful imagery, they’re incredibly powerful symbols.”
Schmidt-Rempel noted “I would prefer to direct our administration and community to find ways to program in the park, to keep the park busy and get people into the park and find ways to take care of this space.”
She added “once this fence goes up, even this discussion that we’re having today, is metaphorically a fence that’s going to divide this community and it will be incredibly difficult to take down if we support this.
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Solve the problem itself and you will see the best results! Start enforcing the laws we already have in place. Wrought iron fences, wood fences, chain link fences all get breached downtown on a regular basis. Who are your advisors? Fire them!