Bearspaw Lions Club members are asking the public for help after recent vandalism at the Bearspaw Lions Farmers' Market will cost the organization thousands of dollars.
Bearspaw Lions Club members are asking the public for help after recent vandalism at the Bearspaw Lions Farmers' Market will cost the organization thousands of dollars.
“We are a non-profit and when we have to spend money fixing up our property, we can't spend money giving people help - it's diverting money away from what we are there for when we have to fix senseless vandalism, it's silly, ” said Gerry Karran, Bearspaw Lions Club member.
Club members released a set of photos of approximately half a dozen vehicles “stunting ” on the Bearspaw Lions Farmers' Market property on Dec. 24 and 25, ripping up the frozen grass and roadways. The vehicles drove in circles in the east parking lot that is partially paved and the west parking lot that is all gravel.
Club members explained that doing “doughnuts ” in the parking lots displaces the gravel and grass leaving deep ruts and uneven surfaces. The resulting damage is estimated to cost approximately $2,000 to $3,000 to repair.
“Basically, it's an ongoing thing. This has been happening a number of years … unless we block off our whole parking lot, young people go in there because it is fun. If they stay on the pavement they don't do any damage but they don't stay on it, ” Karran explained.
The incident has been reported to the Cochrane RCMP and photos of the vehicles can be found on the Bearspaw Lions Farmers Market and Bearspaw Lions Community Hall Facebook pages.
If anyone has any information about any of the incident, contact the Cochrane RCMP at 403-851-8000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477(TIPS).
