Residents demand changes to Chilliwack pond where girl drowned

Chilliwack residents are calling for changes to a decorative local pond where a four-year-old girl drowned on Monday.

Twenty-four hours after she launched it, over 950 people have signed the online petition from local parent Jessica MacGillivray, who lives near the Chilliwack Landing Leisure Centre where Monday's tragedy unfolded.

Mounties have released few details of the drowning incident itself but did confirm the child drowned in a landscaping pond outside the leisure centre that is not a designated swimming pool. They say criminality is not suspected in the girl's death.

MacGillivray says the pond where it happened is too hidden by foliage for parents to adequately monitor very young children, who might be running around playing in a nearby waterpark. 

She say she has taken her own kids to that park over the years.

"And almost every single time have seen children run directly to the very hidden pond," MacGillivray said in a phone interview. "Why is this not fenced?"

MacGillivray takes issue with the pond having fencing around some areas and not others. She says it could cause parents to think the entire pond is fenced in and if their kids were to run out of sight, parents might not think to look in the pond, which she says is too deep for a young child to pull themselves out of.

"I have nieces and nephews that are between the ages of two and five … and they have all taken a run for that pond," MacGillivray said. "And we have all said as mothers … why is this here, and how can this be so unsafe in a popular area for children?"

CBC News requested an interview with Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove on Wednesday, but a city spokesperson said he was unavailable.

"We have received some resident inquiries about the petition and are letting people know that the City is currently securing the site with temporary fencing and evaluating our current approach to ponds in the city," a spokesperson wrote in an email.

MacGillivray wants the pond to be fully fenced in or, if that's not possible, drained.

She also feels an apology should be issued for the girl's death on Monday.

"Not one person should make a plan at five o'clock at night to take their child to the water park and return home knowing that their baby's never coming back," she said.

Popove issued a statement Tuesday saying the girl's death was "absolutely devastating, and our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends affected by this tragic accident."