Achi news desk-
RIVERVIEW, NB –
Outside the Riverview Tennis Club in Riverview, NB, severed copper wires are left dangling from their poles.
“It’s left us without power, without WiFi, phone, things we need to function properly,” said club president Derek Quann.
“Normally we wouldn’t open anyway for probably a few weeks, but if the damage isn’t repaired, it’s obviously going to affect the operation.”
It has looked this way for the past week, since vandals hit the area on April 28 and cut and stole wire from the clubhouse and the nearby Harold Page Baseball Field on Biggs Drive in Riverview.
“I came on site and the town representatives were here, we were looking at the damage together and again it was like, ‘Oh not yet,'” said Quann.
The New Brunswick RCMP does not have the exact numbers regarding copper wire thefts in the province, however, they say since 2022 there has been a significant increase in reports that have resulted in multi-million dollar losses to businesses, homes. and government departments.
“Interesting, today we are strengthening the act. The, scrap yard act. And yet, making it harder for copper thieves to fence in their stolen goods,” said Riverview PC MLA and New Brunswick health minister Bruce Fitch.
“It’s a shame that people resort to that and destroy public infrastructure in order to make a little money.”
He says overall it was an “unfortunate” and “terrible” incident, adding that provincial and municipal money had been invested in the tennis courts.
The Town of Riverview says restoration work is already underway and the incident was reported to Codiac RCMP when it happened.
“Our priority is to assess the damage and secure any exposed wires,” said communications for the Town of Riverview, Ashly Barron, in an email to CTV News.
“We are putting together a plan to tackle repairs alongside our regular maintenance to get these assets ready for the season.”
Barron confirmed that the overhead lights at 55 Biggs Drive have been affected, which affects the field and courts.
However, for the non-profit club, Quann says it has a big impact.
“We bring tennis to the community, people of all ages and abilities and when something like this happens to a non-profit club, it really affects the bottom line,” he said.
“We try to keep things at a very low cost for consumers and a lot of that happens because our members contribute hundreds of volunteer hours to prepare and maintain the courts every year, so it gets very depressing, it disappointing, it’s a bit of a blow to morale.”
This is also the second time the club has been hit by theft in recent months.
“There was a previous incident, a break-in, where we lost some small items, but hundreds of dollars worth of things we need to replace,” Quann said.
Riverview Tennis Club is a non-profit organization with six clay tennis courts with over 100 members.
According to Quann, 80 percent of the club’s revenue goes towards paying young workers. When broken down, he says youth employment grants typically cover 80 percent of payroll costs and the rest comes mostly from membership and program fees.
“It may not sound like a lot, but for a club like ours, $100 means something,” he said.
“We will get better. We have some great, loyal members, but again, when you walk in the door and see wires cut or see something missing or damaged that needs fixing, it a blow to the spirit.”
Quann says a security system is unfortunately not in the club’s budget and they rely on eyes and ears in the community.
“People are living in difficult times, this is what we assume has happened here,” he said.
“There are things that can be done in terms of security cameras or patrols, things like that, but hopefully there would be a bigger solution or something would happen so that people might not live the same kind of challenge. lives cause things like this.”
Highlighting some positives, Quann says there has been no damage to the courts and he is confident that even without overhead lights, at least for the time being, the club will be able to do what they are do it best.
“Fortunately, tennis is an outdoor sport, so a lot of tennis will be played,” he said.
For more New Brunswick news visit our dedicated provincial page.
