Greenfield Park used to have a well-groomed flower beds welcoming people as they drove into the borough. Now instead of flowers, there’s a bed of bushes.
City Councillor Wade Wilson says this is just one example where the city of Longueuil dismisses the needs of the borough.
“It’s a second standard service compared to what the big city is getting. We have been putting up with this for three and a half years,
citizens are tired and fed with being treated like this,” Wilson said.
Take a walk through greenfield park and there are few flowers to be seen. At the Town Hall there are weeds growing alongside patches of dying grass.
In contrast the City Hall of Longueuil which has a green space with flowers and green grass.
This is the latest of battles between the borough and the city. Residents say they just want to see their taxes being put towards services where they live.
The City of Longueuil insists they are not ignoring Greenfield Park. They claim the lack of service and grounds keeping is a result of a contractor not fulfilling his duties.
“As far as this year is concerned, in the borough of Greenfield Park there was a maintenance problem, and we have taken action,” Longueuil city spokesperson Louis-Pascal Cyr said.
Two years ago, residents took matters into their own hands. The Community came together spending an entire Saturday planting flowers to give the park a face lift. But the city of Longueuil removed the planted flowers.
READ MORE: Greenfield Park ‘plant-in’ draws scores
Councilor Wilson does not believe the city’s explanation, and blames political differences.
Wilson says Longueuil Mayor Caroline St-Hilaire has created an atmosphere of “them vs. us.”
“She created a divisiveness between Anglophones and Francophones in both communities and people are just tired of it.”
READ MORE: Longueuil mayor a no-show for Greenfield Park Canada Day celebrations
Residents of Greenfield Park agree with Councillor Wilson.
“It seems right now under Longueuil rule were losing out a little, and paying an awful lot more,” Eric Prince said.
Residents will get to voice their frustration in the upcoming November municipal election.