The Ste. Anne splash pad will remain open despite recent vandalism throughout the park.

Within the past year, security cameras have been destroyed, picnic tables have been defaced, washroom walls have been spray-painted, and, most notably, a $7,000 feature on the splash pad was ripped apart.

s late last week, there has been some confusion over whether or not the splash pad would be closing for the season. She assures ratepayers that it will remain open for their enjoyment. The broken part, however, will not be replaced.

“If we replaced it with the exact same piece, we are not fixing the problem, we are just giving them the opportunity to do the exact same thing again.”

For the time being, the bell-shaped piece that was forced off of its stand by the vandals will be replaced by a simple cap that turns the feature into a “sprinkler-style fountain”. Meanwhile, Normandeau asks for the public’s sustained help in identifying suspicious activity near local parks.

“Keep your eyes open and report things that don’t look right,” she says, “until these kids are held accountable and caught they’re just going to keep doing what they’re doing.”

Ste. Anne Police Chief Marc Robichaud says he is aware of the town’s concerns and does have members monitoring the area to deter similar acts of mischief in the future.