Trash cans set on fire, hazardous liquids dumped by vandals at Mississauga park

Setting the contents of trash cans on fire, dumping hazardous liquids and other acts of vandalism that plagued a north Mississauga park early last month have stopped, but the City councillor for the area wants to find out who was responsible for the dangerous and illegal behaviour.

In her most-recent newsletter to residents, Ward 10 Councillor Sue McFadden urges anyone with information about the vandalism at Lisgar Fields Community Park that damaged and destroyed public property to contact police.

According to McFadden, the acts of vandalism at the Derry Road West/Ninth Line area park were first reported one day after the Civic Holiday, which fell on Aug. 7.

The illegal acts then continued for two more consecutive nights, the councillor noted.

“For several nights in a row in August, vandals damaged and destroyed public property at Lisgar Fields Community Park,” McFadden wrote in her newsletter. “…the criminal activity at the park included the spilling of hazardous liquids, tipping a (portable washroom) over, damaging outdoor fitness equipment and setting waste receptacles on fire.”

Baseball diamond at Lisgar Fields Community Park. 

Upon learning of the vandalism after the Civic Holiday, McFadden said she informed City of Mississauga park security staff and requested additional patrols of the area.

Most concerning, she noted, was the setting ablaze of the public trash cans.

“When the vandalism continued for a second and third consecutive night, it became clear that sporadic monitoring was not sufficient to deter the behaviour, so I hired a security guard to remain on site full-time between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. on the weekend,” the councillor continued, adding the vandalism then stopped.

McFadden said she wants to get to the bottom of the incidents in hopes of both penalizing those responsible and deterring any similar acts in the future.

Anyone with information is urged to call Peel Regional Police at 905-453-3311 or Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

McFadden added that if anyone spots suspicious activity or people in the park after its 11 p.m. daily closing, they can also call the City of Mississauga’s 24-hour parks hotline at 905-615-4060.

Map shows location of Lisgar Fields Community Park.