Lakewood Park north boardwalk closed after vandalism

Lakewood Park north boardwalk is closed in Tecumseh, Ont., on Friday, June 9, 2023. (Sijia Liu/CTV News Windsor)

Vandalism has forced the town of Tecumseh, Ont. to close its waterfront boardwalk at Lakewood Park North.

Town officials said on early Sunday morning someone set the wooden planks on the boardwalk on fire. They are thanking the resident who quickly reported the crime after witnessing it.

“Tecumseh fire was able to get there quickly and douse the fire. If the resident had not been up and awake to see the fire on the wooden boardwalk, the situation could have been a lot worse,” said Beth Gignac, Tecumseh’s director of community and recreation services.

The boardwalk has been fenced off and is expected to be closed for the next few weeks. The town is using this opportunity to replace the wooden planks with a cement walkway.

“We took measures to immediately fence off the area to prevent further vandalism in that space. We made a quick decision to replace that wooden boardwalk with a nice concrete pad that will also be accessible compliant,” said Gignac.

In the meantime, the vandalism has forced the Optimist Club to cancel their fishing derby until further notice. As many as 300 youth were expected to attend.

“It’s unfortunate, but we need a large space with access to the water for the kids to drop their lines,” said Robert Drake, secretary of the Optimist Club of St. Clair Beach.

Anyone with information on acts of vandalism should contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or online anonymously via Crime Stoppers or by calling 1-800-222-8477.