Cochrane Pond occupants organize clean up day to save their park

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Cochrane Pond Park residents are doing what they tin to support the campground open. The parkland received an eviction announcement from the City of St. John's connected April 16, and the park's proprietor is facing charges. But residents don't privation to spot the parkland go, and present are taking matters into their ain hands.

Park proprietor Clifford Petten to beryllium seen successful tribunal connected June 4

Abby Cole · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 28, 2025 6:30 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Man offloading garbage from motortruck and throwing it into ample dumpster

Cochrane Pond Park occupants don't privation to spot the campy crushed adjacent up shop. So, they're taking matters into their ain hands to cleanable things up.

"We're trying to get the parkland cleaned up truthful we tin get it opened up truthful we tin proceed camping," said Bill Lush, who has been going to the parkland each play for 4 years. "We emotion this place."

Since the bid to vacate was issued by the metropolis connected April 16 campground residents person go divided. Some are frustrated and privation to leave, others privation to support their assemblage together.

On April 26, campers organized their ain parkland cleanable up. They brought successful ample dumpsters to wide retired discarded from abandoned campsites.

Campers worked each time to amended the park, including widening and flattening the bumpy dirt roads.

"Our extremity is to get this arsenic cleanable arsenic we tin perchance get it," said Lush, adding that the roads to beryllium amended to let exigency vehicles in.

Lush said the eventual extremity is to get the parkland to a constituent wherever it tin reopen.

WATCH | Cochrane Pond occupants cleanable up campsites to debar eviction

In a statement, metropolis of St. John's communications manager Jackie O'Brien said the metropolis is alert that immoderate users are not complying with the bid to vacate, but they won't beryllium forcing radical to leave.

But, nonaccomplishment to comply with council's manager oregon deficiency notices "may effect successful further charges being laid against the licensee oregon occupants," wrote O'Brien.

The parkland is leased by a backstage institution owned by Clifford Petten. His lad Jeff Petten represented the institution successful tribunal past week, facing charges of information breaches. They volition beryllium backmost successful tribunal June 4.

CBC called parkland relation Jeff Petten, but helium declined an interview.

Despite the eviction announcement and charges against parkland owners, Lush is hopeful it volition stay open. He said the metropolis conscionable needs to springiness them clip to bash the enactment needed.

"Give the campers time. We're not the owners, we're the campers. We're the ones that really emotion this park," helium said.

Man utilizing chainsaw to chopped down histrion branches

While they weren't the radical who caused problems successful the park, Lush says helium and his neighbours privation to beryllium the ones to hole it.

He said determination are astir 15 sites that are the problem, a batch of them abandoned and overgrown.

Lush said helium knows the campground has a estimation for having issues, but that helium inactive loves the park regardless.

In the meantime, helium says a batch much enactment needs to beryllium done to cleanable everything up.

"We're gonna request a batch much dumpsters," helium said.

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