Give me firepit smoke over a dumpster-style picnic anytime
By David Rose, Hamilton
(Sep 16, 2005)
I have been a resident of Beach Blvd. for about 10 years and until recently it was a common scene to see families having bonfires on the beach.
I have had three or four fires with family, friends and neighbours to celebrate birthdays, Victoria Day, etc. Most of the people who had bonfires back then did so in a responsible fashion.
But prior to the beach trail being installed, nearly every summer weekend saw groups of teenagers having wild parties and huge bonfires with flames that could easily have gone out of control.
They used driftwood, fallen trees, picnic tables, lawn furniture, pieces of fences and yard structures stolen from residents' properties to fuel these fires.
We would hear them screaming and laughing into the wee hours of the morning, not to mention the sound of beer and liquor bottles being smashed and left in the sand. On many occasions when the fire department arrived, the teens would scatter. The firefighters would douse the flames only to have the teens start it again after the firefighters left.
Now that the trail is in place, the city has a beach groomer comb the sand and deposit the debris into large dumpsters parked in vacant lots next to homes.
This debris includes stones, driftwood, algae, dead fish and birds. As you can imagine, when these dumpsters sit full in the hot sun for weeks at a time with rotting trash that other people discard nearby, it makes for an unpleasant atmosphere.
Trying to enjoy your yard in the summer, day or night, or even keeping your windows open is not an option. It would be akin to having a picnic at the local dump. You may think smoke from a firepit is bothersome. But I'd take the smell of a bonfire over the stink of a dumpster anytime.
By David Rose, Hamilton
(Sep 16, 2005)
I have been a resident of Beach Blvd. for about 10 years and until recently it was a common scene to see families having bonfires on the beach.
I have had three or four fires with family, friends and neighbours to celebrate birthdays, Victoria Day, etc. Most of the people who had bonfires back then did so in a responsible fashion.
But prior to the beach trail being installed, nearly every summer weekend saw groups of teenagers having wild parties and huge bonfires with flames that could easily have gone out of control.
They used driftwood, fallen trees, picnic tables, lawn furniture, pieces of fences and yard structures stolen from residents' properties to fuel these fires.
We would hear them screaming and laughing into the wee hours of the morning, not to mention the sound of beer and liquor bottles being smashed and left in the sand. On many occasions when the fire department arrived, the teens would scatter. The firefighters would douse the flames only to have the teens start it again after the firefighters left.
Now that the trail is in place, the city has a beach groomer comb the sand and deposit the debris into large dumpsters parked in vacant lots next to homes.
This debris includes stones, driftwood, algae, dead fish and birds. As you can imagine, when these dumpsters sit full in the hot sun for weeks at a time with rotting trash that other people discard nearby, it makes for an unpleasant atmosphere.
Trying to enjoy your yard in the summer, day or night, or even keeping your windows open is not an option. It would be akin to having a picnic at the local dump. You may think smoke from a firepit is bothersome. But I'd take the smell of a bonfire over the stink of a dumpster anytime.