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Chris and Cheryl Parsons want the pond gone, And so does their
eight-year-old son Dustin (photo on teft); He's afraid to go qutside
alone. But for their six-year-old Joey (photo on right), it’s too iate.

by Tod Strachan

About four years ago, Chris and
Cheryl Parsons bought their first
home. It was in an idyllic rural
location and they believed it to the
be perfect spot for two-year-old
Joey and four-year-old Dustin to
grow up. It was close to town yet
far enough away from the rush of
traffic to provide a little peace. It
was surrounded by bush, a perfect
place to explore and learn about
nature. So moving day was a
happy event full of expectations
for a future full of promise.

But there was something about
their neighborhood they didn’t
know. Chris Parsons says they
weren’t aware of a large pond
across the street. It was hidden by
bush. "You could see a bit of
water around,” he says, but these
were only puddles by comparison.
They were only a few feet in dia-
meter and perhaps only about a

foot deep... and they dried up in
the summer.

And these small puddies pro-
vided some of the rural experience

the Parsons wanted for their

children. In early summer months,
they would occasionally give Joey
and Dustin permission to collect
tadpoles there. It was an experi-
ence in itself just to watch their
children’s blank stares as they tried
to comprehend the nature of their
curious catch.

A short time later though, they
learned of what was described as a
serious hazard only a few feet
beyond these tiny resevoirs of
nature. A neighbor, Ben Webber,
complained to city hall that a dam
in Heek Creek on Samson’s Poul-
try farm that "could be a danger to
children playing in the woods,
particularly in the winter if they
fell through the ice". Webber
wrote this letter on Jan. 22, 1986,
and the Parsons were much more

ATTENTION

All Members of the Terrace Local:
Nisga’a Tribal Council

General Meeting

There will be a meeting of the Nisga’a Tribal
Council (Terrace Local) on April 29, 1990
commencing at 6 P.M. at the
Terrace Public Library.

Thereafter all regular Nisga’a Tribal Council
meetings will be held every second Sunday of
every month at 6 P.M. at the Terrace Public —
Library. For further information:
PHONE 635-5546

careful after that.

On Friday, March 23, 1990, Joey
and Dustin, aged six and eight,
went into the bush near Samson’s
pond with a 12-year-old friend. As
always, though, Cheryl was
keeping an eye on her brood and
called them back with a slight
scolding. They weren’t allowed to
go near the pond and they weren’t
allowed to leave the yard without
permission.

Then, to take their minds off
their exploratory intentions, Cheryl
set out a “picnic” on the back deck
to keep them entertained. Boys
being boys, though, they weren't
to be deterred from their intended
adventure, A short time later,
without the permission or knowl-
edge of their mother, the three-
some wandered off... back to the
lure of the pond,and a few minutes
after three o’clock the boys were
out on the ice.

But it was too late in the season.
The ice gave way, and Joey and
Dustin were in the water. Joey was
immediately in trouble but his
older brother was with him to
help. Dustin looped one arm
around a branch of a fallen tree
and the other around Joey. But he
couldn’t rescue his brother, he
could only hold on while their
older friend ran for help.

While he waited, Dustin held on.
But the icy water soon took its
toll. And as Joey began to slip into
unconcisousness ‘the weight
-became too-much for. Dustin,:who
was rapidly: losing his own
strength. Dustin loved his brother,
says Cheryl, and he hung on
longer than anyone could expect.
But he eventually lost his grip and
Joey sank from sight.

When his mother arrived, Dustin
began screaming. Joey bad gone
under and he didn’t know where
he was, Chery! knew Dustin was
in serious danger himself, and after
a frantic search rushed him to the
house where she wrapped his icy
body in blankets before calling an
ambulance and Chris. She then ran
back to the pond and searched
frantically for her lost son.

Rescue teams atrived; the search
concentrated on the spot where
Joey was last seen and gradually
spread out. But they couldn’t find
Joey. He was lost in a tangle of

Terrace Review — Wednesday, April 25, 1990 A5

s setting for tragedy

fallen trees and mud. Chris refused
to leave the spot where his son
was last seen, though, and about
45 minutes after Joey had slipped
beneath the surface he was found
by his father in that very spot.

Chris raced to shore with Joey’s
limp body where ambulance crews
took over. Mouth-to-mouth resuci-
tation was begun immediately and
Joey was wrapped in blankets and
rushed to hospital. But it was too
late for Joey. He was dead.

It’s difficult for Chris and chery!
to tell this story. And they can’t do
it without a lot of tears and anger.
The anger is based on the fact that
the pond was supposed to have
been drained. On Apr. 28, 1986,
Terrace city council adopted Resol-
ution #449 that said the east end of
the pond "will be eliminated by the
end of August, 1986", and, "erec-
tion of the protection fence will be

completed by August 31, 1987".

There were several other condi-
tions outlined in that Resolution
concerning the pond. But for the
Parsons, the draining of a part of
the pond and the fencing off the
rest are the only ones that matter.
And, for reasons we don’t yet
know, these two things were never
done. "It’s really unfair," says
Chris Parsons. “If it had been done
four years ago our son would still
be alive.” And now, "Someone is
accountable for what happened."

Why was nothing done? Parsons
wonders if the city is afraid of
Samson’s Poultry Farm and its
owner, Stan Kinkead. But that’s
not how things are supposed to
work. "People on council are sup-
posed to be running the city," he
says, "Not catering to business.”

There doesn’t seem to be an

answer, though. At least if there is,

the city’s not talking. Parsons says
that even with the public outcry
over Joey's death, neither they or
their Jawyer have heard anything
from the city, despite their lawyers
detailed request for information
and documents forwarded on April
4, Not an expression of sorrow,
Not a hint that something was
going to be done to get rid of the
pond forever. "Not even a hello,"
he says.

"I’m upset that they’re sitting on
their fannies, supposedly talking,

r

Custom Video
Photoworks Studio
Images by Karlene
Ashbury’s

Rose Nason

Central Gifts

Steve Little Music

Grace Fell Florists
Terrace Carpet Centre
Frank Donahue Insurance

Terrace Welcome Wagon would like to
THANK the following business and services
for making our Bridal Party and Baby Shower

Such successes:

Sure Exposure Photographics
We © appreciate your continuing support.

Your Hostesses: Vi Middleton,

Glass Slipper

Elan Travel

inn of the Wes?

Creations by Lynn Foote
Spee Dee Printers

Skeena Broadcasters

Alma Joakim

Breastfeeding Support Group
Building Healthier Babies
Skeena Heaith Unit

Brenda-Lee Olson
Erlinda Okana
Karen Farrell

but have no idea of the magnitude |

of this. Nobody gives a damn," he
says angrily. "People don’t care

until something bad happens and -

then they won’t admit they were
wrong." He then challenges city
aldermen, “What if it had been -

their kid?" Would anything } have, .

been done?

Dustin suffered from severe
hypothermia. It took four hours for
hospital staff to bring his body
temperature back to normal using
warm water, heated blankets, elec-

tric blankets and hot water bottles, .

Chris Parsons says he nearly lost
two sons. His wife also suffered
from hypothermia and it took two

to three hours to raise her body |

temperature to normal. ae

Both are fine now, but they
haven’t —- and may never —
recover from the tragedy of March
23. Dustin was told of Joey’s death

the next morning. He wrote in ~

crayon on the glass covering
Jocy’s framed portrait "I love you
Joey." That picture sits in the
living room of their home,

There’s fear. Dustin is afraid to
leave the house by himself now.
Even in the house, he won’t go to
bed by himself. He sleeps with
mom and dad, and when it’s bed
time he wants them to come to bed
with them. He’s afraid to be alone.
"They were so close," says Cheryl
Parsons.

And there’s guilt. Dustin still
aské if he had 6 letgo of Joey.
He still wonders if he couldn’t
have held on longer. Even their
neighbor, Ben Webber, feels guilt
says Parsons. "Because he stopped
fighting city hall," says Chris
Parson. "But he tried... all the
neighbors tried."

Now, “We want it gone," says
Parsons with conviction. “It’s not
good enough to just talk about it
anymore." And Dustin feels the
Same way. "He wants the pond
gone," says his father. "He's
scared to be outside alone."

f | )

THE SIGN OF A
GOOD BUSINESS
NEIGHBOR ...

ry

THE SIGN OF
A MERCHANT
WHO CARES
ABOUT PEOPLE ...

This emblem identifies
the clvic-minded
businessmen who sponsor

Wetame Wig.

in the community.

Karen — 638-0707
Erlinda — 635-6526

Brenda-Lee — 635-2605 |

Pe ee eae