The Editor:
To all the families using Port Coquitlam city parks:
As a resident that lives near one of our fine city parks, I love the sound of your children laughing and playing in the playgrounds. I love the laughter and the muddled chatter and the parents calling out cautions.
What bothers me is this: when you come to a playground that is bordered by homes (almost EVERY park in the Tri-Cities) and you let your child scream or bang loudly on the equipment because you think “it’s OK, they are outside and on a playground,” it is not ok.
For people who live near the parks (some of them well before the playground was even planned), we hear your child and the next child and the next — ALL DAY LONG. It takes away from any quiet enjoyment of my outdoor space from February to October.
Sure I could enjoy the quiet enjoyment from October to February in the cold and rainy weather, but know this, I pay higher taxes for the privilege of listening to the children scream ALL-DAY-LONG!
Please consider asking your child to not scream or bang or throw rocks on the equipment. How would you feel if I followed you home and screamed outside on your street while you were trying to enjoy a quiet evening or trying to get your child to sleep because you’ve had a long day?
Laurel Ross, Port Coquitlam
