SUNDRE – The recently reinstalled pathway lights were once again targeted by vandals.
But this time, their efforts were largely thwarted.
The vast majority of the new lights that were recently installed remain standing, courtesy of protective steel cages that seem to have served their purpose.
The metal casings were added to shield the lights after they were nearly all destroyed last summer when the project was originally completed.
Most of the lights run through Lions Park on the north side of town in a residential area along the three-metre wide asphalt pathway just south of the Bearberry Creek pedestrian bridge.
But a few more were also added to illuminate another pathway along Third Avenue SW behind the Sundre Post Office.
The pathway lighting had years ago been identified as required not only as part of the municipality’s ongoing efforts to beautify the community, but especially to serve a functional as well as safety purpose to ensure pedestrians and other users – whether students strolling on their way to school or residents who enjoy walking to work when it’s still dark out early in the morning or evening – can enjoy a well-lit path.
Jim Hall, the municipality’s operations manager, went out on the morning of Thursday, June 22 to survey the scene at Lions Park, where all of the lights remained standing upright.
“They did,” said Hall in response to being asked if the cages served their intended purpose.
“They’re in good shape,” he said about the lights.
However, there were tell tale signs the vandals nevertheless attempted to damage or destroy those lights and that their inability to do so certainly was not from lack of effort.
“You can tell they were kicking at them,” said Hall, adding some of the protective steel cages sustained some dents but that the lights themselves did not seem worse for wear.
With so many neighbouring residential properties nearby, Hall presumed the culprits weren’t particularly keen on dallying around for too long.
“There’s too many eyeballs (potentially) watching,” he said.
Yet two of the lights along the pathway behind the post office in a slightly more isolated and out-of-sight area were less fortunate and were discovered pulled from the ground.
“The concrete is so fresh it hasn’t even set yet, so they were kind of able to muscle them out; it took a lot of work for them to do this,” said Hall.
Upon initial assessment of the scene, he said, “One has the light damaged; they kind of managed to pull the light fixture down. The other one looks like it could be put back in.”
Hall expressed optimism about the possibility of repairing and reinstalling those units, but added, “If we want to keep these things, we’re going to have to be really vigilant and start watching (out) for them.”
During a brief follow-up on Friday, Hall said there did not appear to be further attempts to destroy the lights, and added that he hoped to have the two downed lights repaired this week.
Sgt. Randy Poon, the Sundre RCMP detachment’s interim commander, said the incident had been reported to police but added there were no witnesses and encouraged anybody with information, including footage possibly captured on nearby residential surveillance cameras, to contact the department at 403-638-3675.
