Residents say they’re finding needles, crack pipes at busy splash pad in Dartmouth, N.S.

A popular Dartmouth, N.S., splash pad is littered with needles and other drug materials.

Shirley’s Splash pad in Dartmouth, N.S., is a popular spot for families during hot summer days, but neighbours in the area say it’s developing a reputation for dangerous drug paraphernalia.

“We are cleaning up the park area as well as all around the area for needles and garbage. We are trying to make it a safer place for people to come,” says Darleen Johnson.

Johnson is one of three women who live in a nearby shelter. She says they have been hired to pick up syringes and other hazardous items in this area.

“We do this five times a week with the safety team and two times a week with the actual shelter, Tuesdays and Fridays,” says Johnson.

The Halifax Regional Municipality said Mainline Needle Exchange does daily sweeps around the park and surrounding area.

“We have Mainline Needle Exchange doing daily sweeps for needles and other hazards at the splash pad, playground and surrounding area. We also have security on site from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.,” says Laura Wright with the municipality.

‘Broken crack pipe’

Gillian Fowlie lives in Dartmouth and she brings her children to the splash pad to play since there aren’t many beaches in the area.

On Aug. 5, her sister-in-law brought both her stepdaughter and niece to Shirley’s Splash pad. Her niece stepped on a “broken crack pipe” while running down the hill from the splash pad to the swing-set at the playground.

“She called to her mom saying, ‘My toe hurts,’ and my stepdaughter called out saying there were needles and when my sister-in-law went down with their shoes, she saw needles and a broken crack pipe,” says Fowlie.

She reached out to the municipality and the district’s councillor and says the municipality is looking into increasing security around the area.

Tim Rissesco with the Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission says complaints about needles aren’t rare and the splash pad is garnering more complaints this summer than last.

“These large encampments attract drug dealers and other kinds of criminal activities that prey upon the shelter residents who are vulnerable, and it creates criminal activities in the area and that’s what we want the municipality and Halifax Regional Police to look after,” says Rissesco.

Halifax police were at the park Tuesday afternoon, removing an empty syringe in the portable bathroom after security called them to the site. Municipal workers stopped in shortly afterwards.

“I think it needs constant supervision and park maintenance. You look at other parks in the HRM they don’t have 24-hour supervision but some like the Public Gardens and Grand Parade, they have 24 hours and this one may need this as well,” says Rissesco.

Fowlie’s niece is doing OK but was a little shaken up after the incident.

“She healed really well and is running around like normal, but it was scary for her that day in particular and we obviously don’t know the long-term effects as of yet,” says Fowlie. “It’s really important to have areas like this available to children, particularly low-income. As well, we are in a heat wave right now, kids need to go somewhere to cool down.

“Not everyone can afford to have passes to go to swimming pools and we can’t spray sprinklers in our yards because of water conservation. We need somewhere for these kids to be able to cool down safely.”

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