A Stony Plain greenhouse owner donated a new fountain worth $10,000 to replace the one that was vandalized in the St. Albert Botanic Park earlier this year.
Justin Bidewell of The Big Greenhouse installed the new fountain this week. He was on site Friday adding steel rods through the centre of the granite fountain in the hope that it would make the new fountain stronger and more resistant to vandals.
“We’re going to add a steel tube down the middle to reinforce it and hopefully make it harder for the hoodlums,” Bidewell said.
Bidewell, who sells fountains in his greenhouse, said he offered to donate the fountain soon after he heard about the vandalism. He was especially disheartened because he understood that volunteers care for the botanic park.
“I was disappointed that someone destroyed the fountain. I know people like running water in a garden and the fact that it was lost in a park that is maintained by people who dedicate their time to it, means a lot. I was floored by the nuisance and the grief that the vandalism caused and was glad I was able to counter that with something that helps,” he said.
Margaret Plain, past president of the society that overseas the park, said that those familiar with the rose garden and the fountain will scarcely notice the difference.
“The last fountain was made of concrete. The new one is slightly taller and the water falls into a pool where the old one had a water base and a tank. Passersby won’t notice a difference. This one has a lion’s head on it but it still has the pineapple finial that was on the old one,” she said.
In March the fountain was pushed over and damaged beyond repair. It was the third time the fountain had been broken and that means it is difficult to insure.
“We have an insurance conundrum because this is the third time it’s been damaged so because of its history, it’s hard to insure. We have been talking to the RCMP and to the city’s parks and recreation department to find methods to manage security,” Plain said, adding that the volunteers at the park are thankful the fountain has been restored but they weren’t the only ones who missed the structure.
“People phoned us because they missed it. They phoned because they planned to get their wedding photos there. They phoned because they previously had their photos taken there. It was the focal point of the park,” she said.
