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To students: `If you make a mess, clean it up' by Dominik Kurek Oakville Beaver Staff 3 | Thursday, April 25, 2013 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com An Oakville man is disgusted with the cigarette butt dumping ground that a woodlot near his home has become and is asking those who litter there to stop. "It's not just one or two butts. It's like `Oh my God. I can't believe it.' It's insane how many butts and packs there are. It's as if somebody picked up a can and dumped stuff there," said Dirk Soeterik. The west-end resident is referring to a woodlot on the east side of the T.A. Blakelock High School property where students can often be seen smoking. Students are not allowed to smoke on school property so they do so at the woodlot, which is Town of Oakville land. Soeterik lives on Willowridge Court, which is connected to Spring Garden Park by a pathway through the woodlot and a pedestrian bridge that crosses 14 Mile Creek. "It's disgusting. I walk there with my two kids who are eight and 10, and they see all these cigarette butts everywhere. First of all, it's just gross pollution and I don't know if it's hazardous to our health to see it but it's hazardous to our mental health to just see the overt polluting in the park," Soeterik said. "It's not something you want to see when you go on a nice walk... 300, 400 cigarette butts on the ground." Chris Mark, the Town's director of Parks and Open Space, said the municipality is aware of Dirk Soeterik, seen here with his daughters Ainsley, left, and Shae, lives near a woodlot between homes and Blakelock High School. Youths smoke in the park and leave their cigarette butts and trash behind. photo by Eric Riehl ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog) the problem. "This is an ongoing issue at Spring Garden Park by Blakelock school. We've had problems in the past with the kids hanging out in the park, smoking and leaving their cigarette butts behind and things like that," he said. Town staff is out doing spring clean ups and efforts will be increased as seasonal staffing lev- els increase in the next few weeks, Mark said. He said part of the problem is that after the snow melts, much of what had been dropped during the winter suddenly becomes visible. Town staff are frequently in the park to do clean up and the Town has worked with school administrators to organize cleanup efforts. The school's liaison police officer has also worked with students to clean up areas in need. "Between ourselves and the Halton Regional Police liaison officer and the principal and the school, we've all been trying to at least stay on top of it and keep the kids respectful of the neighbours especially and respectful of the environment," Mark said. However, he said the Town doesn't have the staffing to have clean-up crews and bylaw officers in the area every day, so much of the responsibility ultimately falls on the students, who need to be respectful of their community. "If you make a mess, clean it up. There are garbage cans there and we empty the garbage cans on a frequent basis," he said. Mark said these issues exist at other parks adjacent to high schools. Blakelock has its hands tied, as it can't discipline students for actions off school property. "If it's off of school property, there's not much we can do," said Lesley Davidson, the principal's secretary. "Occasionally, we have what they call the smoking police come in. If they catch students smoking, then they give them a ticket." Soeterik is asking the students to be respectful of their community and their neighbours. "We have to live together. I live there. They go to school there. We have to co-exist, so if they could be more respectful by using an ashtray or taking their cigarette butts to the garbage and not throwing their empty cigarette butts, I think we'd all get along better." Mother's Day is Coming... Treat Her to a New Chair Oakville's State-of-the-Art Hearing Clinic from from May is HEARING MONTH! FREE hearing screening** $979 (Blendown seat cushion) $549 Free iPad mini with every purc hase of 2 hearing a ids * Offer valid thru May 31st only from $479 from $599 Lots of Styles & Fabrics | In-Stock and Custom Order Furniture & Home Decor 2387 Trafalgar Rd, Oakville ON (In the Winners' Plaza) www.pureaudiology.ca *iPad mini will be awarded at the end of the trial period **18 years and older 289.837.1137 217 Lakeshore Rd. E., Downtown Oakville www.swissinteriors.com | 905-844-3530 Mon.- Thurs. 9:30-6 Fridays 9:30-8 Sat 9:30-5