Christine Kay
Northern News Services

Cambridge Bay (Aug 05/02) - Playgrounds in Iqaluit are not the only ones to be hit by vandals this summer.

Grant Corey, a member of the board of directors for the Cambridge Bay Child Care Society, said they are facing the same problem.

"A couple of weeks ago, we purchased a climber. It was out for one day and the next morning when we came in it was destroyed. When it shattered, plastic shards flew everywhere and we had to clean it up," explained Corey.

He said that every morning before the kids arrive, the day care workers have to go in and clean everything from cigarette butts to urine stains around the playground.

The fence surrounding the Cambridge Bay day care has been broken down several times and it has become costly to replace it.

"We're pleading with the public to provide us with information or to provide the RCMP with information so that this can stop. The safety of the children is really being brought to question," said Corey.

For now, a motion detector has been installed inside the day care and surveillance cameras monitor the playground.

Corey said he hopes this will help stop the vandals, but it still won't answer the question that's plagued him since the vandalism started.

Why would anyone target a playground?