The fire at the Iroquois beach did extensive damage to the concession area, but also spread into the attic, causing damage to the washrooms as well. The facility will be closed for the remainder of the summer, but portable toilets have been put in place for visitors to the beach and park. Tinkess Photo

SOUTH DUNDAS – Vandalism has once again reared its ugly head in South Dundas.

Three South Dundas parks were targeted in a series of incidents overnight and into the early morning hours of Fri., Aug. 28, leaving two facilities damaged by fire and another vandalized.

South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services responded to two separate fire calls approximately 30 minutes apart.

At Matilda Memorial Park, firefighters found a 10-by-15-foot storage shed fully engulfed in flames.

The second fire was reported at Iroquois Beach, where a shed had been set on fire. Flames spread to the attic of the adjacent canteen and washroom building.

Both fires are being treated as suspicious.

The Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal has been notified and is assisting South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services and the Ontario Provincial Police with the investigation into the cause and origin of the fires.

The municipality also reported vandalism to the washroom facility at Earl Baker Park around the same time.

No injuries were reported in any of the incidents.

The incidents have resulted in closures at all three parks.

The Iroquois Beach canteen and washrooms will remain closed for the remainder of the season because of the extent of the damage. Portable toilets will be placed at the beach to provide washroom access for park users. A substantial loss was experienced by the Iroquois Beach Volunteer Group, who had been raising funds through the canteen in support of the Iroquois-Matilda Lions Club project to build a new children’s play structure at the beach.

The shed that was burned at the Matilda Memorial Park was used to hold equipment which volunteers used to help maintain the rink and other park facilities.

The Earl Baker Park washrooms have been temporarily closed because of the vandalism. Washrooms at Matilda Memorial Park have also been temporarily closed because of their proximity to the fire.

The incidents are the latest in a series of vandalism problems affecting South Dundas parks.

Earlier this year, the washrooms at the waterfront park were closed for an extended period after significant vandalism. Repairs were estimated at approximately $7,000, leaving the facility unavailable for most of the summer.

Newly planted young and memorial trees at the same park were also extensively damaged in an earlier incident the weekend of June 7-8, 2024. Damage at that time was estimated at more than $19,000. Three juveniles were identified as responsible for the damage. One was charged, one was referred to a youth diversion program, while the third received an official warning.

Adding an unusual element to Friday’s events was a separate fire reported later that morning at Twin Elm Rugby Park in Richmond, west of Ottawa.

Ottawa Fire Services responded to the rugby park shortly before 9:40 a.m. after reports of heavy smoke. Firefighters found the fire contained to a mechanical room. No injuries were reported and the cause was under investigation.

There is no indication that the Twin Elm fire is connected to the South Dundas incidents, and it remains at the present time as just a coincidence.

For now, the South Dundas fires and the Earl Baker Park vandalism remain separate investigations.

Anyone who witnessed suspicious activity around the parks overnight or has information about the incidents is asked to contact the OPP.

The OPP non-emergency line is 1-888-310-1122. Crime Stoppers can be reached at 1-800-222-TIPS.

The investigations are continuing.