Concerns about duck hunting taking place close to a children’s play area in Trenton have been expressed by a resident of Quinte West, Ontario.
Burritt Clarke, a resident of Quinte West, frequently strolls along the waterfront at Bain Park in Trenton and was startled one day to hear gunshots.
The hunters, who Clarke claimed were close to the park, were “very close, really close,” he said.
Hunters in the province are now able to leave with their licences for a day of shooting game as the duck hunting season is well underway.
According to Clarke, it shouldn’t be permitted to fire weapons so close to areas where kids play.
The well-liked public space has a playground for kids, two ball diamonds, and a soccer field.
“The fear is, sooner or later, a child is going to get shot when they’re going down to the water’s edge to look at the ducks,” he said.
According to the Ontario Provincial Police, the City of Quinte West, and Ben Harvey, proprietor of High Falls Outfitters in Belleville, no laws are currently being broken.
No laws are being broken, but owing to the presence of children, a military facility that is conducting operations, and other factors, it might not be highly recommended to be in that area, according to Harvey.
Duncan Armstrong, the Quinte West councillor-elect, agrees with Harvey that educational signage at the park on hunting regulations could be helpful.
Since this only happens at specific periods of the year, I believe the city would welcome the suggestion of signage. We also have a website that serves as a reminder that the season is among us, added Armstrong.
The city continued to “engage with its public safety partners to examine and update current processes to ensure we continue to meet the requirements of the community,” according to a statement from the city.
For the time being, Clarke hopes his own public awareness campaign through his website Safe Play for Children will at least warn park users about what he worries might be an accident waiting to happen. Clarke is calling for park spaces to be protected by a safe buffer zone between where people can fire a gun and where people live and play.
Concerns regarding duck hunting near Bain Park are expressed by a resident of Quinte West.
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