Dear Editor,
I work at a daycare centre with 37 wonderful young children. Our daycare is located beside a forest and nature trail in Richmond, and the children spend hours on the trail every day. Now, there is a large yellow barrier and a clear “Trail Closed” sign. It was heartbreaking to us all when, several weeks ago, the city closed the trail and we had to alter our daily program. The children have learned a lot about drought and fire safety. Unfortunately, the children have also been learning, by observing the dozens of adults who daily ignore the “Trail closed” sign — even going as far as to throw the sign off of the trail — believing that it is socially acceptable to trespass and ignore safety decisions that affect the community asw a whole.
Every day, dozens of adults decide to ignore the city’s decision — a safety decision, made to help prevent tragic and devastating fires from occurring.
We remind many of these adults that the trail is closed. The responses have been “it doesn’t mean closed to me,” “it really isn’t that dry out,” “this is where I run every day and I don’t like running on the dyke,” “my dog likes this trail” and “everybody else is doing it.”
Perhaps these people don’t understand that, every day, we also watch people walking on the trail who are smoking, and discarding their cigarette butts in the forest. Perhaps people aren’t aware that the fire department is constantly putting out small fires that are being started because of sheer stupidity like this.
When you say “Everybody else is doing it,” realize that the people who are unwittingly starting small fires are also saying “Everybody else is doing it.” And that by “everybody,” they are referring to you — the person just out for a walk, or a bike ride. They believe, just as you do, that they are not causing harm, and that they are above consequences.
I am disappointed and ashamed in what so many adults and seniors feel is an appropriate and responsible message to portray to a community of 37 young children.
Pamela Wallberg
Richmond
