Rotary Club of Bolton upset with OPP

The Rotary Club of Bolton, with nearly 30 members, works hard throughout the year to raise funds to support a variety of local and international initiatives.

In the spring of 2005, the Rotary Club was approached by Caledon OPP who asked that our club provide funding for the replacement of the roadside trailer. The officers pointed out that this sign is used to post messages encouraging motorists to slow down, buckle up or simply drive safely.

At the time, the existing road sign the OPP was using had rusted out and was no longer fit to be transported throughout the community.

After much discussion, the board of directors of the Rotary Club of Bolton, with the support of personal donations from club members, donated $2000, representing 100% funding toward the purchase of a new trailer sign and letters so that the OPP could continue to promote road safety throughout the town of Caledon.

Since the time the club presented the OPP with the new sign, we have become increasingly disappointed with the way in which the sign has not been put to good use. More often than not, the trailer sign has been parked behind either the Bolton or the Caledon East detachment. As such, it bears the brunt of the outdoor elements, while not being used to post road safety messages to the community as intended.

Having addressed this issue with Caledon OPP sergeants and having been told that there is nothing more that could be done to get the trailer out more frequently, the club has become extremely disappointed. It is very important to the Rotary Club of Bolton that the organizations we support use our donated funds appropriately. We have noticed that the donated trailer has remained tucked behind the Bolton police station without a message for nearly three months now! It is long past time that we voice our concerns.

We understand that there is only one cruiser in town with a trailer hitch which can transport the sign. We have offered to move the trailer when requested by the OPP to no avail. We ask the OPP to let us know each time we can help by moving this valuable device to sites where it can be useful.

This year, as we look for community organizations that will use Rotary Club of Bolton donations most effectively, we will now have significant concerns that the OPP may not be appropriate candidates. We invite the OPP to change this perception by putting the sign we donated to good effective use.

Scott Hurren

President Rotary Club of Bolton