A local conservation group believes it is time for an old tradition to whittle away like, say, an old pumpkin after Halloween.
Ed Wiebe, a spokesperson for the Friends of Mount Douglas Park Society, said his organization does not support members of the public dumping their old pumpkins in Mount Douglas Park.
B次元官网网址淪ome pumpkins are painted, or contain batteries, lights, candles, plastic or aluminum from tea candles, and so on,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淩egardless of the cleanliness of the pumpkins, itB次元官网网址檚 not appropriate to dump them in the park no matter what the intentions, as say, a tradition, may be.B次元官网网址�
The pumpkins should instead go to an appropriate composting facility if they are suitable, he said. Wiebe said the tradition also taxes municipal resources, because crews have to clean up the area.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 sure some people will believe we are being grumpy about a long-standing tradition,B次元官网网址� said Wiebe, adding that people eager to continue the tradition can continue it on private property. B次元官网网址淗owever, traditions can start for a lot of reasons and in this case itB次元官网网址檚 inappropriate for the park.B次元官网网址�
To make this point, the society actually sent out a tweet in questioning the tradition.
Put pumpkins in your green bin, not in .
B次元官网网址� Friends of Mount Douglas Park (@MountDougPark)
But not painted pumpkins, nor the batteries, lights, candles, aluminum, plastic, that you used to light them. Those don't belong in the park either.
Notably, the society was more open to the tradition last year.
B次元官网网址淎s long as they get picked up, it doesnB次元官网网址檛 hurt the park,B次元官网网址� said Darrell Wick, society president. This said, the practice can pose a danger for the people, who are dropping off pumpkins, because traffic along the road can be heavy, he said. People could also unintentionally be spreading pumpkins throughout the park.
It is not clear when and why the main entrance to Mount Douglas Park turned into ghoulish grave for hundreds of pumpkins.
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Chris Poirier-Skelton, president of the Gordon Head ResidentsB次元官网网址� Association, whose area includes the park, said the tradition dates back 15 to 20 years and the question of whether this tradition should continue has not come up. B次元官网网址淎ctually, I like it,B次元官网网址� Poirier-Skelton said.
Countless locals and visitors stop outside the entrance following Halloween to take pictures of the pumpkins, and the District of Saanich appears to take a relaxed attitude towards the practice.
Eva Riccius, SaanichB次元官网网址檚 senior manager of parks, said residents should place their pumpkins in decomposing bins. This said, staff wonB次元官网网址檛 stop people from dropping off their pumpkins near the park entrance.
B次元官网网址淲e are not going to have anybody there, saying, B次元官网网址榶ou canB次元官网网址檛 do this,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� she said.
Depending on their state of decay, staff will pick up the pumpkins within a week, she said, adding they will take them to a composting facility.
Riccius said in an interview last year that it takes crews a couple of hours to clean up the pumpkins. B次元官网网址淭ypically they remove 200-300 pumpkins. They are placed in a bin which is hauled up the Peninsula for composting. Costs are typically in the order of $600 to $800,B次元官网网址� she said.
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