Dear Editor:
A couple of years ago, we moved an old park bench to the front of our yard. The old wooden seat, painted purple with black iron arms, offered a rest stop to passing neighbours. Almost every day we noticed someone sitting on the bench, alone or with a friend; a woman and a dog taking a break on their walk; a mom and child stopping for a moment on the way up the hill to school; a shopper with bags of groceries needing to catch his breath. Last July, a group of teens celebrated Canada Day there for a while, cheering and garnering honks from passing vehicles.Then yesterday, it was gone, taken overnight by someone who probably didn't know it belonged to the street. Or didn't care.
It was the only spot to sit down on the long walk up our street; there are no bus stop benches on this road. Now, when the snowdrops bloom, there will be a rectangle of empty grass around them where the bench is supposed to be, and the planter with the scented blooms will look out of place without its companion.Losing the old bench feels like more than just a simple theft; it feels like we have lost something bigger. Maybe it's the sense that we can no longer offer a seat for passersby to rest in the shade unless we chain it down. Is it worth it?
Wendy McLellan
North Vancouver
