Midland to spend $50K on increased security at Little Lake Park

Picnic tables were thrown down stairs at Little Lake Park in Midland. Tue., June 23, 2026. PHOTO: COURTESY OF BILL GORDON

Midland town council is taking action after vandalism at a popular park on Sunday night.

Photos shared of the incident showed eight picnic tables that appear to have been thrown down a set of stairs at Little Lake Park, just south of Midland’s downtown.

RELATED: Little Lake Park in Midland vandalized

At a council meeting on Thursday, a motion was passed to direct staff to “engage in overnight private security patrols in Little Lake Park to address escalated criminal activity.”

The town has allocated $50,000 to cover the cost of security, with the money being sourced from Midland’s tax rate stabilization reserve.

From the earliest “reasonable” starting date, security will be present at Little Lake Park during overnight hours.

The security is on a trial basis, meaning security will only be present until Sept. 30, at which point town staff will report back to council on the effectiveness of the trial.

The discussion at council lasted more than an hour before council came around to a vote.

During the discussion, a handful councillors raised concerns about the value for money and the necessity for security, arguing it may not be neccessary.

In response Mayor Bill Gordon voiced his reasoning for bringing the motion forward.

“I would argue for 30 to 40 grand, for the rest of the summer, to protect our assets against an on-going assault, is money well spent, considering money we’ve lost already in damage and money we’ll continue to lose,” he said.

The motion passed with a vote of eight to one.