Dear Editor,
I am contacting you to let you know about an issue that in my view is becoming worse every month.
As a regular tennis player, I use the public tennis courts this beautiful city has everywhere. I will particularly refer to the ones at Minoru Park and Thompson community centre.
These two formidable facilities have many courts in excellent condition with appropriate lighting to play even at nights.
The problem has to do with cigarette butts. They are everywhere. Inside the courts and mostly just outside the court’s surrounding fences.
Literally thousands of them!
I have picked many of them up to keep the area clean but obviously this is not a viable solution. They are everywhere!
As far as I know, there is a bylaw that prohibits smoking at least 50 metres from sports arenas in Richmond.
This bylaw is not followed or enforced. The same applies to littering.
I have been a resident of this gorgeous city for well over 20 years and I believe we should all do our civic duty to keep it clean and also care for its maintenance.
What I can’t understand is that garbage cans are usually inside the courts or just outside nearby yet some people simply throw their butts on the grass or on the ground carelessly without regards for their community.
I sincerely hope we can solve this problem that is also a health and safety issue.
Gino Suarez
RICHMOND
