By Derek Cornet

Safety a major concern by Patterson Park survey respondents

Oct 17, 2018 | 2:00 PM

Much of the discussion at the Town of La Ronge public meeting Tuesday revolved around the results of the Patterson Park usage survey released earlier this year.

Community Planner Abby Besharah took the lead in presenting the findings to about 100 attendees as to what was learned by the survey. She said, in total, 479 surveys were completed mostly by women between the ages of 30 and 39. Also, 46 per cent of respondents had children and the majority reported having at least two under the age of six. Of those who answered, Besharah said it was discovered most used Patterson Park at least three times per year and mainly during the summer months.

“We were also interested in finding out the community’s feelings and perception of the park,” she said. “From those who use the park, they were asked what concerns they have that prevent them from using the park more. There’s a perception by many the park does not feel safe and they desire a greater security presence.”

Some of the reasons people included in the survey as to why they feel unsafe were negative social behaviour, as well as a concern for drugs and needles. While those are valid reasons to be weary of using the park, Besharah noted the perception of it isn’t necessarily the reality on the ground.

“Changing perception will be one hill to climb as we go through this planning process,” she said.

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In order to change the situation in Patterson Park, Deputy-Mayor Hugh Watt said council has been discussing hiring three additional RCMP officers to work in La Ronge. They would be tasked with monitoring the park and doing foot patrols downtown to deter illegal behaviour. Coun. Dallas Everest noted those officers would work in more of a supportive role to find those on the street help, rather than simply arresting them.

“It’s more about meeting and getting to know the people and how they operate,” Everest said. “It’s about creating a relationship there, so they don’t have to do apprehensions all the time.”

After the meeting, Mayor Ron Woytowich believed it went well and he was happy to see so many people show up. He noted it was a chance for residents to find out what was happening in the community and what future plans are. In regard to how long it will take for residents to see changes in Patterson Park, Woytowich said it could be some time.

“Patterson Park has been a concern for a long time and just the idea of having people use the park for activities has been an issue as long as I’ve been in La Ronge,” he said. “I don’t know how to clean it up, but it’s such a beautiful spot and we really do have to figure out something. What were going to do with the park has to be a long-term plan.”

derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno