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Thieves have made off with two 12-foot steel gates, worth several thousand dollars, from the Cypher Systems Group Greenway in Essex.
“As crews were undertaking maintenance along the Greenway trail systems in preparation for spring, it was discovered that the two 12-ft. gates at the Pinkerton intersection of the greenway trail had been completely removed,” said Kevin Money, Essex Region Conservation Authority director of conservation service.
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“Removing these steel gates would have required a significant amount of co-ordination by the perpetrators, including removal with tools and loading the heavy gates into a large trailer.”
Money said it will cost the conservation authority several thousand dollars to replace the gates, which are installed to prevent motorized vehicles from entering the greenway.
Officials are asking anyone who notices unlawful or suspicious activities at conservation areas or along trails to report them to police.
Money pointed to an incident earlier this month at the Tremblay Beach Conservation Area where fire “ravaged” the area.
Almost 40 acres of wetland were burned, keeping Lakeshore fire crews on scene for several hours.
It is believed the fire started from an unauthorized open burn inside the conservation areas.
“These types of incidents impact the use of conservation areas by the public and can result in many thousands of dollars in repairs and replacement costs,” Money said, in a news release.
“If someone sees activities that seem amiss or could lead to damages, we encourage them to contact local authorities.”
ERCA officials are also asking anyone with further information about the missing gates to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or report it anonymously through Windsor & Essex County Crime Stoppers at www.catchcrooks.com or by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
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