Residents and visitors travelling through St. Stephen will notice a newly installed gate surrounding the Royal Canadian Legion St. Croix Branch #9.
The legion released a statement Wednesday addressing why the local veterans’ organization put fencing up around its Queen Street West parking lot.
However, there has been a mixed response from the public regarding the new addition.
Branch Treasurer Charleen Bodley said the legion bought the parking lot from the Municipal District of St. Stephen in 2016, which makes it private property.
“We’ve been trying to be good neighbours for the last eight years, and it’s not working,” said Bodley.
“The intent was not to hurt anybody or anything but to protect what was ours without any further damage occurring.”
Bodley said the RCMP has been called three times to the parking lot, including once for a drug dealer.
Since the legion is next to Rotary Field, two errant parents were asked to leave since two legion members needed a place to park, she said.
The legion branch said the new fencing is also meant to discourage drivers from doing donuts in the parking lot and campers from setting up there.
Bodley added that the municipality didn’t make a good enough forward-thinking plan when they sold the property to the legion.
“We can do what we want with what we own, and unfortunately people are not happy with it, but the town is working on a solution on their side,” she added.
