A resident is raising concerns about a pit near her home that plays host to parties, garbage dumping and some wild driving.
A resident is raising concerns about a pit near her home that plays host to parties, garbage dumping and some wild driving.
Chris Heyligers took the Gazette on a tour of the pit that borders the east side of Range Road 260 and south of Villeneuve Road. She said when she first moved to the area about a decade ago the pit was mostly fenced – though it was accessible by a road – but since then some spots along the fences have fallen into disrepair.
“It should not be accessible,” she said, noting she's seen young people jumping off the steep hills and some four-by-fouring.
That's in addition to the garbage that's been abandoned there. Junked household appliances including a refrigerator, chairs, filing cabinets, a computer and an elliptical exercise machine could be spotted on an initial glance around. There was a wire rack that had been burned as well.
Heyligers said it's also a frequent hangout spot, including some pretty big parties. There have been some raucous ones.
“Every weekend in the summer,” she said of the party frequency at the pit.
With some of the smaller groups she's had chats with them, but for the large gatherings she doesn't approach them.
“Sometimes they get carried away,” Heyligers said, noting a recent party saw the police called, though she's not sure by whom.
RCMP Cpl. Laurel Kading confirmed by email that on Sept. 13 the RCMP went to the pit because the school resource officers had heard rumours about a large party being planned there for that evening.
Kading said six RCMP officers went and found more than 250 youth and young adults there drinking.
“One young adult had brought wooden pallets to the pit for a fire,” Kading said in her email.
Parents were called, as was the fire department who came to put out the fire.
“Many, many warnings were issued to youth as they were turned over to their parents,” Kading said. She said there have been no calls since about the pit, but the RCMP has been doing random patrols in the area.
“As the officers attended this area in the dark, a full survey of the area or safety assessment has not been done by the RCMP,” Kading said.
The pit is part of privately held land.
