Petition to Halt the Banishment of the Public from Rutherford Park

Whereas Rutherford Park of Montreal has been a public green space for more than 100 years:

Whereas Rutherford Park is intensively used by local residents and student groups for structured and unstructured recreational sports activities;

Whereas Rutherford Park is the only public recreational surface available in the neighborhood;

Whereas the promotion of physical activity is paramount to public health and control of the obesity epidemic;

Whereas the City of Montreal already has a severe shortage of recreational green space;

Whereas Rutherford Park is a significant pedestrian route that has been used by citizens for many decades;

Whereas the City of Montreal is committed to sustainability and the promotion of alternative modes of transportation to reduce dependency on motor vehicles;

Whereas the global environment is in crisis due the excessive release of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere;

Whereas there has been no evidence that Rutherford Park or any other waterworks is vulnerable to or under any threat by terrorists;

Whereas the City of Montreal has decided to banish the public from Rutherford Park without public consultation or notification;

We the undersigned demand that all plans to close Rutherford Park be halted and that permanent measures be implemented to maintain the park in a safe condition to allow continued and unrestricted access by the public for recreational activities and as a pedestrian route.