Crash victim's Assiniboine Park memorial bench to get repairs after complaint
It looks like Lorrell Onosson's memorial park bench for her son is going to get the repairs it needs after all — and at no cost to her.
Onosson said the bench in Assiniboine Park, which honours the memory of her son, has been poorly maintained over the years and is deteriorating.
She was initially told by the Assiniboine Park Conservancy that if she wanted the bench refurbished, she was responsible for the cost. But after CBC News inquired about Onosson's story Thursday, the Conservancy has had a change of heart.
Spokesperson Laura Curtis said the park will refurbish the bench by next week free of charge.
"It's been weathered so in this particular case we are going to replace the wood panels on the bench," said Curtis, adding Onosson's case is an exception to the rule. "Part of it is because of the paint that was put on there by the donors family."
Park officials said they are doing their best to notify any other families who have benches in need of repairs right now.
"And if there are other families that come forward, we will deal with them on a case by case basis," said Curtis.
Motocross accident
Onosson said she often takes walks at Assiniboine Park to remember her son Robin William Onosson, who died in a motocross crash May 22, 2004. He was 29 years old when he crashed his bike at Seddons Corner near Beausejour, Man.
"He came here a lot as a youngster, so I decided to do the bench thing." Onosson said.
Onosson said her son loved the outdoors. She had a memorial bench installed in the park in Robin's name. It was put up in front of an elm tree that Robin used to climb as a teenager.
She said the memorial bench has helped her deal with the loss of her son.
"During the first year I came here frequently, like probably three, four, five times a week," she said.
Bench worn out
But the memorial bench has deteriorated over the past few years. The planks need to be replaced, and the elm tree that used to stand behind the bench was cut down this past winter, because of Dutch elm disease.
Ground squirrels have also been a problem in the park, digging up holes around the bench.
"I was very disturbed in the spring when I came after I realized the tree had been cut down," Onosson said.
Her initial calls to officials at the Assinibone Park Conservancy office last month to report the condition of the bench elicited a surprising response, she said. Onosson said she was shocked when the Conservancy told her the bench couldn't be refurbished — that is, unless Onosson paid to fix the bench herself. That would cost her about $2,400, Onosson said.
"They are going to deteriorate, there's no doubt about that, but the park has never done anything themselves to maintain it."
Told costs covered by park
Onosson made a donation toward the bench for the park in 2004 for $600. Onosson said she was told by the city that money would be used to cover maintenance and other park needs. But the park was taken over by the Assiniboine Park Conservancy in 2008, and since then policies have changed.
"I was angry, I was upset and not just for myself and my family, but I started thinking about other families," Onosson said.
Laura Curtis said plaques and memorial benches are maintained for a minimum of 10 years, "or the life span of the bench if [it is] longer than 10 years." If the bench is damaged within the initial 10 year period, the park replaces it, with no cost to the donor. Once the bench has reached its life span, donors are notified, and then given the option to renew their bench donation for $2,400, or 30 per cent off the cost to install a plaque and a bench for $3,500. Curtis said these rules still apply.
But Onosson said the bench has never been maintained since 2004. She said a relative had to repaint the bench a couple of years ago, but it has since been rotting.
"I think they should honour what people were told by the park when they initially made donations," said Onosson. "That cost should be factored in in running the park, the maintenance of the park as a whole
