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- Thread starter Northern Light
- Start date
AlbertC
Superstar
Location often dictates priority with the city. If this was an encampment in a more dear part of town like Ramsden Park then they'd move quicker with finding a resolution with how to proceed, instead of just dragging their feet as what's seen in Dufferin Grove.
christiesplits
Senior Member
Potentially good news for Toronto park lovers like @Northern Light and @AlexBozikovic.
Via Matt Elliott's City Hall Watcher newsletter.
Via Matt Elliott's City Hall Watcher newsletter.
Northern Light
Superstar
Agreed, I reported on this over in the Olivia Chow thread:
Mayor Olivia Chow's Toronto
One might argue that Transportation Services supports Transit priority but they clearly THINK they do. This from: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2025/cc/bgrd/backgroundfile-254795.pdf At its meeting of April 7, 2025 of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee received a number of...
Northern Light
Superstar
@Johnny Au asked me to have a look at Laughlin Park for this thread.. I did that yesterday, June 14th, 2025.
This is a relatively small local park approximately 0.6ha or 1.5 ac in size whose primary feature is a playground. Its located off Atlas Avenue which runs south off Eglinton
Ave West, near Allen Road
Let's have a look at what the City says is there:
Now we'll have a look at an aerial pic to provide an overview of the space and some context.
Before we begin our tour, a refresh on what I'm looking for............does the park deliver what the City's website (and/or stated design intent) say that it does? Is the park in state-of-good repair? Is there anything overtly wrong, from a design perspective with the way the park is laid out? Is there any obvious problem/omission requiring change or any obvious enhancement that would add value.
Ok, lets start the tour as we approached from the north via Atlas:
A prominent sign seems a good start....... the grass is green, well mowed, the pathway is aging but in passable condition here........the only thing to bug me off the bat is the absence of any obvious seating....but it must be elsewhere in the Park....right....
Checking out the next entrances to the south.
Almost identical to the first 2......blah asphalt paving, but its in ok condition .......these entrances don't have their own own signage, but for a small park, with the signage from the first entrance quite legible, I'll give that a pass....
Still no seating though....
Lets have a closer look at the playground:
There's a decent range of equipment here, including a swing set out of shot. There were 2 families making use of the equipment when I was there, mid-afternoon on a Saturday, in near perfect 20C weather,
I think the cream colour on the railings is a bit flat.......but otherwise no real complaints about the playground itself. I do question the picket fence which I don't see an obvious reason for, the playground is set in from the street, and the two adjacent roads are side street though they do see some traffic. There's nothing really wrong w/the fence, I'm just not sure its wroth the $$$, and maintenance is not Parks forte these days.
****
Next, we'll turn around and face the 'centre' of the park where the crisscrossing pathways meet.
Now this, I'm not crazy about. This is the central/focal spot in the park, next to the playground......there's a big blob of tired paving.......and a drinking fountain out of shot on the left/west, and not much else.
its a small local park, I'm not expecting an ornate fountain or grand floral feature.......but some seating.....oh yeah, that.....would be nice. as would even a small perennial feature or short flowering tree or shrub, and maybe a bit better paving too, just for this section.
****
Now we're looking at the path leading to the south-west entrance of the park along Winona:
Oh, seating.....that's nice, though only in picnic table form......which has two drawbacks, one is a lack of back support, the other is that Parks tends to remove these for the winter.
****
Now we're looking into the park from the centre point of the Winona frontage:
You can now see the earlier mentioned drinking fountain and the ping pong table as well. Is that small structure supposed to be a field house?
I think the City and I would vary on what the term means. There are no other structures............I would say a field house would contain change rooms, a washroom, and some athletic/recreation equipment, at the minimum.
I have my doubts that this is fit for said purpose. I'm frankly not sure why you would need a field house in a park like this......but if you claim there is one........yeah.
****
We'll wrap up on the Winona side, looking in from the north-west entrance.,
Looks pretty much like the other entrances.......but note the absence of any park sign on the west side of the park, not at either entrance or between the two.
Once again, no seating.
A note for keen observers, there are 2 styles of light fixtures in this park.......which seems at least one too many.
****
So let's sum up a bit.
The park checks the boxes the City laid out.....meeting its basic promises, except for a field house which probably isn't needed here anyway.
The park is mostly in good condition, excepting tired paving.
The only problems of note are a complete dearth of benches, and a rather underwhelming centre which should really be the park gathering place.
Cost to address noted items:
Additional Park sign on west side - $2,500
Basic benches/pads, $20,000 (4)
Improved central space - decorative pavers, higher quality seating, a single landscape feature - $75,000
Refresh Asphalt paving - $75,000
Replace lighting - $250,000 (to modernize, install uniform, LED, dark-sky friendly fixtures, likely more because each fixture would illuminate less area).
~$427,500
Deluxe version upgrades all paths to interlock or granite, add $300,000
This is a relatively small local park approximately 0.6ha or 1.5 ac in size whose primary feature is a playground. Its located off Atlas Avenue which runs south off Eglinton
Ave West, near Allen Road
Let's have a look at what the City says is there:
Now we'll have a look at an aerial pic to provide an overview of the space and some context.
Before we begin our tour, a refresh on what I'm looking for............does the park deliver what the City's website (and/or stated design intent) say that it does? Is the park in state-of-good repair? Is there anything overtly wrong, from a design perspective with the way the park is laid out? Is there any obvious problem/omission requiring change or any obvious enhancement that would add value.
Ok, lets start the tour as we approached from the north via Atlas:
A prominent sign seems a good start....... the grass is green, well mowed, the pathway is aging but in passable condition here........the only thing to bug me off the bat is the absence of any obvious seating....but it must be elsewhere in the Park....right....
Checking out the next entrances to the south.
Almost identical to the first 2......blah asphalt paving, but its in ok condition .......these entrances don't have their own own signage, but for a small park, with the signage from the first entrance quite legible, I'll give that a pass....
Still no seating though....
Lets have a closer look at the playground:
There's a decent range of equipment here, including a swing set out of shot. There were 2 families making use of the equipment when I was there, mid-afternoon on a Saturday, in near perfect 20C weather,
I think the cream colour on the railings is a bit flat.......but otherwise no real complaints about the playground itself. I do question the picket fence which I don't see an obvious reason for, the playground is set in from the street, and the two adjacent roads are side street though they do see some traffic. There's nothing really wrong w/the fence, I'm just not sure its wroth the $$$, and maintenance is not Parks forte these days.
****
Next, we'll turn around and face the 'centre' of the park where the crisscrossing pathways meet.
Now this, I'm not crazy about. This is the central/focal spot in the park, next to the playground......there's a big blob of tired paving.......and a drinking fountain out of shot on the left/west, and not much else.
its a small local park, I'm not expecting an ornate fountain or grand floral feature.......but some seating.....oh yeah, that.....would be nice. as would even a small perennial feature or short flowering tree or shrub, and maybe a bit better paving too, just for this section.
****
Now we're looking at the path leading to the south-west entrance of the park along Winona:
Oh, seating.....that's nice, though only in picnic table form......which has two drawbacks, one is a lack of back support, the other is that Parks tends to remove these for the winter.
****
Now we're looking into the park from the centre point of the Winona frontage:
You can now see the earlier mentioned drinking fountain and the ping pong table as well. Is that small structure supposed to be a field house?
I think the City and I would vary on what the term means. There are no other structures............I would say a field house would contain change rooms, a washroom, and some athletic/recreation equipment, at the minimum.
I have my doubts that this is fit for said purpose. I'm frankly not sure why you would need a field house in a park like this......but if you claim there is one........yeah.
****
We'll wrap up on the Winona side, looking in from the north-west entrance.,
Looks pretty much like the other entrances.......but note the absence of any park sign on the west side of the park, not at either entrance or between the two.
Once again, no seating.
A note for keen observers, there are 2 styles of light fixtures in this park.......which seems at least one too many.
****
So let's sum up a bit.
The park checks the boxes the City laid out.....meeting its basic promises, except for a field house which probably isn't needed here anyway.
The park is mostly in good condition, excepting tired paving.
The only problems of note are a complete dearth of benches, and a rather underwhelming centre which should really be the park gathering place.
Cost to address noted items:
Additional Park sign on west side - $2,500
Basic benches/pads, $20,000 (4)
Improved central space - decorative pavers, higher quality seating, a single landscape feature - $75,000
Refresh Asphalt paving - $75,000
Replace lighting - $250,000 (to modernize, install uniform, LED, dark-sky friendly fixtures, likely more because each fixture would illuminate less area).
~$427,500
Deluxe version upgrades all paths to interlock or granite, add $300,000
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Johnny Au
Superstar
@Northern Light
There are benches inside the playground area. Even then, your point still stands regarding the lack of benches outside of the playground area.
There are benches inside the playground area. Even then, your point still stands regarding the lack of benches outside of the playground area.
Northern Light
Superstar
While I was out reviewing Laughlin Park for @Johnny Au last week, I also took a look at his other request nearby, Fairbank Memorial Park on Dufferin. Photos are mine, from June 14th, 2025, except where noted otherwise.
Now, what Johnny didn't tell me first, is that a big chunk of the park is currently under construction for trunk sewer works, so the review isn't quite a clean look at how the park functions normally. I have incorporated old aerial pics to reflect its appearance pre-construction.
As custom......let's start out by looking at what the City claims this park offers (normally)
Now, we'll have a look at an old aerial pic to reflect the pre-construction state of the park.
You'll note the park is subdivided by a street 'Key West' which divides off the Swimming facilities from the rest of the site.
With that, let's get the tour underway.
I started w/the pools, which weren't yet open for the year, but I want to begin with two City Photos, as mine through chain-link fence don't represent the facility all that fairly.
Adult Pool:
Credit: City of Toronto
Kids Pool:
Credit: City of Toronto
Ok.....so the above doesn't look too bad..........though even here, we can see some wear and tear on the pool capping, and deck areas. But I would note, a comparative lack of seating outside the pool, and no waterslide or diving board features are present.
Now my through-the-fence pics:
The chain-link here is a very un-attractive choice here, even when in pristine condition, which this fence is not. That's unfortunate. I have no idea what the badly molested black fabric wrap attached to the fence is for, but it needs to go.
Below is the fencing option at Gus Ryder - Sunnyside Pool in the western beaches, it would be far preferable: (Streetview)
Before we leave the pool, I want to take a look at the associated pavillion (change rooms/washrooms etc.) from the outside.
I don't get it......there's a mural, but its partially obstructed by somewhat overgrown/poorly maintained landscaping. I mean, I support the mural and I like landscaping, but the two should be complimentary.
Now let's look at the entrance:
With respect to the artist, the paint job does not work for me here...........nor does the de-militarized zone aesthetic of caging, all the windows. There are different ways to do this. Heavier doors, with thick, shatter-proof glass, bright lighting and cameras to deter vandalism/illegal entry. By all means, lets incorporate some art/interesting colour while we're at it............but not this. This can go.
Now we'll turn to the street that divides this park before looking south into the greenspace.
Once again from Streetview, this is the middle of Key West, looking west towards Dufferin, the pool complex is just out of view on your right, and the main park is below to your left with all the construction.
Does this look like it makes the space feel cohesive to you? Like you might expect kids (or adults) to wander back and forth from the pool to the main park? Yeah, me neither. This needs re-thinking.
The parking seems popular enough to merit retention in some form, but I would really prefer it off-street and under the nearby Community Centre, or made parallel so we could green this up a bit and create some needed space, as I'll illustrate in the next photo. I'd really like to narrow this street here, make use of decorative pavers, add speed humps, and create a raised crossing area from the pool to the main park.
Looking at this along the south edge of the parking:
We see a narrow walkway which does not meet accessibility standards (2.1M wide), which lacks any charm, and which fails to provide much, if any level space at the top of the hill where seating could be added with a nice view of the park.
By removing the parking (or making it parallel) and by shaving the road way back by about 1M...... we could, widen this to a 3M multi-use path, and set it back an additional 1-2M from the slope.
This would allow space to add benches and/or Muskoka chairs providing a nice view, and addiitional trees and perennial plantings making a more pleasant walking space, ideally with pedestrian lighting as well.
***
As I'm out of room for attachments here, we'll continue this review in the post below by walking the Dufferin frontage of the park and then wandering in.
Now, what Johnny didn't tell me first, is that a big chunk of the park is currently under construction for trunk sewer works, so the review isn't quite a clean look at how the park functions normally. I have incorporated old aerial pics to reflect its appearance pre-construction.
As custom......let's start out by looking at what the City claims this park offers (normally)
Now, we'll have a look at an old aerial pic to reflect the pre-construction state of the park.
You'll note the park is subdivided by a street 'Key West' which divides off the Swimming facilities from the rest of the site.
With that, let's get the tour underway.
I started w/the pools, which weren't yet open for the year, but I want to begin with two City Photos, as mine through chain-link fence don't represent the facility all that fairly.
Adult Pool:
Credit: City of Toronto
Kids Pool:
Credit: City of Toronto
Ok.....so the above doesn't look too bad..........though even here, we can see some wear and tear on the pool capping, and deck areas. But I would note, a comparative lack of seating outside the pool, and no waterslide or diving board features are present.
Now my through-the-fence pics:
The chain-link here is a very un-attractive choice here, even when in pristine condition, which this fence is not. That's unfortunate. I have no idea what the badly molested black fabric wrap attached to the fence is for, but it needs to go.
Below is the fencing option at Gus Ryder - Sunnyside Pool in the western beaches, it would be far preferable: (Streetview)
Before we leave the pool, I want to take a look at the associated pavillion (change rooms/washrooms etc.) from the outside.
I don't get it......there's a mural, but its partially obstructed by somewhat overgrown/poorly maintained landscaping. I mean, I support the mural and I like landscaping, but the two should be complimentary.
Now let's look at the entrance:
With respect to the artist, the paint job does not work for me here...........nor does the de-militarized zone aesthetic of caging, all the windows. There are different ways to do this. Heavier doors, with thick, shatter-proof glass, bright lighting and cameras to deter vandalism/illegal entry. By all means, lets incorporate some art/interesting colour while we're at it............but not this. This can go.
Now we'll turn to the street that divides this park before looking south into the greenspace.
Once again from Streetview, this is the middle of Key West, looking west towards Dufferin, the pool complex is just out of view on your right, and the main park is below to your left with all the construction.
Does this look like it makes the space feel cohesive to you? Like you might expect kids (or adults) to wander back and forth from the pool to the main park? Yeah, me neither. This needs re-thinking.
The parking seems popular enough to merit retention in some form, but I would really prefer it off-street and under the nearby Community Centre, or made parallel so we could green this up a bit and create some needed space, as I'll illustrate in the next photo. I'd really like to narrow this street here, make use of decorative pavers, add speed humps, and create a raised crossing area from the pool to the main park.
Looking at this along the south edge of the parking:
We see a narrow walkway which does not meet accessibility standards (2.1M wide), which lacks any charm, and which fails to provide much, if any level space at the top of the hill where seating could be added with a nice view of the park.
By removing the parking (or making it parallel) and by shaving the road way back by about 1M...... we could, widen this to a 3M multi-use path, and set it back an additional 1-2M from the slope.
This would allow space to add benches and/or Muskoka chairs providing a nice view, and addiitional trees and perennial plantings making a more pleasant walking space, ideally with pedestrian lighting as well.
***
As I'm out of room for attachments here, we'll continue this review in the post below by walking the Dufferin frontage of the park and then wandering in.
Last edited:
Northern Light
Superstar
Continuing along....this is the Park's main entrance on Dufferin:
From Streetview:
The flower display is a bit underwhelming here (as is this year's version), The path is oddly misaligned to the curb cut, narrow, and in poor condition, the prominence of the parking, the traffic signage, and the waste receptacles don't really leave a good impression. Note the absence of seating near the actually entrance, which could allow this to be a gathering/meeting spot for the community.
In the current year, that entrance goes straight into the construction site, so I walked along Dufferin instead, and entered the park from the south. But the Dufferin frontage is worth showing...
Here's what I see......... a very large strip of green space..........that just runs into a chain link fence the park being at the bottom of a slope. So this space is segregated from the main park.
But its achieving nothing. There's no attractive view of the park...........minimal seating, which isn't not well considered, as I'll show below............and there's a sidewalk fronting Dufferin which has no buffer from heavy traffic. Uhh........ No.
Here's what needs to happen here, the sidewalk needs to move to the middle of this green space or at least 2-3M in from the curb. That would allow a generous tree-lined boulevard that would make walking here much more pleasant. The fence should be replaced with something more attractive, and ideally one view into the park created. If not feasible, then just landscape along the fence. Seating should either create a conversation space, or face out towards Dufferin, albeit it well back from the road.
Lets have a look at the seating here:
An old, tired bench, turns its back on Dufferin, for this fabulous view of a chain link fence...........sigh.
This next picture is further along Dufferin, outside the entrance to the Community Centre. A heritage facade was preserved here...........but..but...:
We have weird, 1/2 walls in a conflicting style, and glass block, that I assume was saved from the windows here, which were replaced with a very unsympathetic, clashing design, and the glass block now sits in modern framing, for no particular reason in the entrance way. Who thought of this? Really? Its not good heritage preservation, its not a good landscaping job or entranceway either.
***
Moving along, this is the way the south entrance to the park looks from intersection:
Note again the prominent parking.....(busy though), and vehicle entrance. You can't even see a place to enter the park on foot from the corner, there's no park signage either, and the sidewalks on both Dufferin and the cross street here are narrow and uninviting.
There is a way in from Dufferin though. just a bit to the north:
That's right, that tiny patch of interlock, that leads right into a parking space, that has no entry signage or wayfinding is your entrance. Not kidding, that's it. Does not pass safety/accessibility standards at all, and is about inviting as that pool building entrance.
Wow, parking/no parking we have to do better than this. We need a 3M wide path, with lighting, with park entry signage and way finding and ideally a bit of landscape flair too.
Ok.....enough droning on my part, lets get into the park now.
Once you get past the parking, you encounter the baseball diamond. Its not the most charming variation I've seen. Its not terrible......but it feels neglected..........the adjacent path/road provides access to the community center behind the facade we saw on Dufferin.............again, this feels auto-centric though only park vehicle access is allowed here. Zero charm
Alongside the Diamond on the south side is the Greenhouse the City mentioned, which is rendered in accessible by fast fencing even though it appears not to be the subject of any ongoing construction:
Above the Greenhouse is a slope where one can site/lay down that runs up to the higher-ground side street above.
That's nice, seriously......ummmm, except............careful where you walk:
In addition to a protruding valve, the slope also features an improperly ground tree stump as a further trip hazard, why have one when two will do!
Above this slope is the Park entrance from the south, which leads to a pathway running along the top of the slope on the eastern frontage of the park, below several back yards and runs back to Key West.
What a glorious statement this makes about how much the City cares about Parks......(insert eye roll here). Poor condition path, with no delineation from the adjacent private property, no signage, no seating, no landscaping.
This is the path once you get over to the east side of the park:
Its not horrific.............but it could be something nicer...........lets start with a uniform fence separating the adjacent yards, a nice one preferably. There's certainly room to improve the visual here, but also the quality and quantity of seating, new lighting that actually illuminates the path properly, not the adjacent yards.....
This is the view from the path:
That grey, largely windowless cladding on the Community Centre is particularly unfortunate. Otherwise, if the diamond were touched up a bit, I could see this as a nice place to watch a ball game or a sunset.
I'll include just the one pic of the current park construction, this site occupies the former Children's playground which I presume will be restored on completion.
Finally, an odd photo, taken along the sidewalk that front the south end of the park:
I have no idea what these cut-off wood posts are for, except maybe it was a primitive attempt to prevent cars from accidentally intruding and going down the slope?
It looks goofy, and adds no value. If a fence or bollards are required, so be it, just aim for attractive and maintainable.
I don't really like that there's more parking adjacent to the park here, which obstructs sight lines and creates the risk of kids running out into the road w/o warning.
A portion of this space could also allow for some seating.
****
All in all............this park needs a lot of TLC, and ideally some major funding to re-think big things.
Too much space devoted to cars, too little to seating and aesthetics.
I'm not sure how the greenhouse is used, but if its not for the public, its small for Parks purposes, I'd oust it.
I'll add a post later costing out the fixes here............its a lot of $$$.
From Streetview:
The flower display is a bit underwhelming here (as is this year's version), The path is oddly misaligned to the curb cut, narrow, and in poor condition, the prominence of the parking, the traffic signage, and the waste receptacles don't really leave a good impression. Note the absence of seating near the actually entrance, which could allow this to be a gathering/meeting spot for the community.
In the current year, that entrance goes straight into the construction site, so I walked along Dufferin instead, and entered the park from the south. But the Dufferin frontage is worth showing...
Here's what I see......... a very large strip of green space..........that just runs into a chain link fence the park being at the bottom of a slope. So this space is segregated from the main park.
But its achieving nothing. There's no attractive view of the park...........minimal seating, which isn't not well considered, as I'll show below............and there's a sidewalk fronting Dufferin which has no buffer from heavy traffic. Uhh........ No.
Here's what needs to happen here, the sidewalk needs to move to the middle of this green space or at least 2-3M in from the curb. That would allow a generous tree-lined boulevard that would make walking here much more pleasant. The fence should be replaced with something more attractive, and ideally one view into the park created. If not feasible, then just landscape along the fence. Seating should either create a conversation space, or face out towards Dufferin, albeit it well back from the road.
Lets have a look at the seating here:
An old, tired bench, turns its back on Dufferin, for this fabulous view of a chain link fence...........sigh.
This next picture is further along Dufferin, outside the entrance to the Community Centre. A heritage facade was preserved here...........but..but...:
We have weird, 1/2 walls in a conflicting style, and glass block, that I assume was saved from the windows here, which were replaced with a very unsympathetic, clashing design, and the glass block now sits in modern framing, for no particular reason in the entrance way. Who thought of this? Really? Its not good heritage preservation, its not a good landscaping job or entranceway either.
***
Moving along, this is the way the south entrance to the park looks from intersection:
Note again the prominent parking.....(busy though), and vehicle entrance. You can't even see a place to enter the park on foot from the corner, there's no park signage either, and the sidewalks on both Dufferin and the cross street here are narrow and uninviting.
There is a way in from Dufferin though. just a bit to the north:
That's right, that tiny patch of interlock, that leads right into a parking space, that has no entry signage or wayfinding is your entrance. Not kidding, that's it. Does not pass safety/accessibility standards at all, and is about inviting as that pool building entrance.
Wow, parking/no parking we have to do better than this. We need a 3M wide path, with lighting, with park entry signage and way finding and ideally a bit of landscape flair too.
Ok.....enough droning on my part, lets get into the park now.
Once you get past the parking, you encounter the baseball diamond. Its not the most charming variation I've seen. Its not terrible......but it feels neglected..........the adjacent path/road provides access to the community center behind the facade we saw on Dufferin.............again, this feels auto-centric though only park vehicle access is allowed here. Zero charm
Alongside the Diamond on the south side is the Greenhouse the City mentioned, which is rendered in accessible by fast fencing even though it appears not to be the subject of any ongoing construction:
Above the Greenhouse is a slope where one can site/lay down that runs up to the higher-ground side street above.
That's nice, seriously......ummmm, except............careful where you walk:
In addition to a protruding valve, the slope also features an improperly ground tree stump as a further trip hazard, why have one when two will do!
Above this slope is the Park entrance from the south, which leads to a pathway running along the top of the slope on the eastern frontage of the park, below several back yards and runs back to Key West.
What a glorious statement this makes about how much the City cares about Parks......(insert eye roll here). Poor condition path, with no delineation from the adjacent private property, no signage, no seating, no landscaping.
This is the path once you get over to the east side of the park:
Its not horrific.............but it could be something nicer...........lets start with a uniform fence separating the adjacent yards, a nice one preferably. There's certainly room to improve the visual here, but also the quality and quantity of seating, new lighting that actually illuminates the path properly, not the adjacent yards.....
This is the view from the path:
That grey, largely windowless cladding on the Community Centre is particularly unfortunate. Otherwise, if the diamond were touched up a bit, I could see this as a nice place to watch a ball game or a sunset.
I'll include just the one pic of the current park construction, this site occupies the former Children's playground which I presume will be restored on completion.
Finally, an odd photo, taken along the sidewalk that front the south end of the park:
I have no idea what these cut-off wood posts are for, except maybe it was a primitive attempt to prevent cars from accidentally intruding and going down the slope?
It looks goofy, and adds no value. If a fence or bollards are required, so be it, just aim for attractive and maintainable.
I don't really like that there's more parking adjacent to the park here, which obstructs sight lines and creates the risk of kids running out into the road w/o warning.
A portion of this space could also allow for some seating.
****
All in all............this park needs a lot of TLC, and ideally some major funding to re-think big things.
Too much space devoted to cars, too little to seating and aesthetics.
I'm not sure how the greenhouse is used, but if its not for the public, its small for Parks purposes, I'd oust it.
I'll add a post later costing out the fixes here............its a lot of $$$.
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DSCToronto
Superstar
@NorthernLight: Though you have certainly looked at and commented on the refurbishment (of 5? years ago) to St James Park, you might want to do an in-depth look again. Much has worked well, some aspects not so much. The Park is actually in two parts, the 'real" City Park to the east and the Cathedral property to the west. The City looks after some aspects of the Cathedral part (lawn mowing and the flower beds on the Church St Side but does not do much more unless the Cathedral or the Friends group manage to get a new bench or two 'donated' by the City or someone calls 311 about dead/dying trees. IMO, there should be better 'integration' of the two sections - though I realise the different ownership makes that difficult to achieve. and at least part of the Cathedral section is on a former graveyard so excavation is virtually impossible.
While you are in the area you might also look at the Metropolitan United Church Property (Queen/Church). This green space is all Church property but, as far as I know, it is treated like the Cathedral section of St James Park and the City also does some of the upkeep - it could certainly do with a refresh and probably suffers from not being physically connected to a real City park. (The redevelopment of the parking lot area has a thread here, but that project seems to have stalled. https://urbantoronto.ca/forum/threa...n-113-99m-37s-lancer-developments.714/page-17 )
While you are in the area you might also look at the Metropolitan United Church Property (Queen/Church). This green space is all Church property but, as far as I know, it is treated like the Cathedral section of St James Park and the City also does some of the upkeep - it could certainly do with a refresh and probably suffers from not being physically connected to a real City park. (The redevelopment of the parking lot area has a thread here, but that project seems to have stalled. https://urbantoronto.ca/forum/threa...n-113-99m-37s-lancer-developments.714/page-17 )
Northern Light
Superstar
I can have a look for sure.
On the Metropolitan site, I can confirm there are graves present under the current parking area, and possibly elsewhere on the property, which does indeed complicate matters.
DSCToronto
Superstar
I did not know of graves @ The Met site, the Cathedral certainly has some to the east of the building up to about the main north/south path.
Northern Light
Superstar
@DSCToronto I did a bit of digging and turned up an interesting project for the grounds here that I take it has not been implemented to date:
www.metunited.org
McGILL SQUARE PARK | OUR THIRD CENTURY | Metropolitan United Church
www.metunited.org
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DSCToronto
Superstar
It has not and the (interesting) renderings you unearthed are not too bad! Last year they 'un-fenced' the area to east of the church (west of Church St) but nothing more I think. It is interesting, to me anyway, that the area the Church is on used to be McGill Square. This from their website:@DSCToronto did a bit of digging and turned up an interesting project for the grounds here that I take it has not been implemented to date:
McGILL SQUARE PARK | OUR THIRD CENTURY | Metropolitan United Church
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
Speaking of parks - from the Fixer:
www.thestar.com
AoD
Toronto's Arena Gardens: A parkette's transformation into a bathroom for dogs
There’s not much left of Arena Gardens except dirt, due to its popularity as a place for pooches to take care of business.
www.thestar.com
AoD
Northern Light
Superstar
Speaking of parks - from the Fixer:
Toronto's Arena Gardens: A parkette's transformation into a bathroom for dogs
There’s not much left of Arena Gardens except dirt, due to its popularity as a place for pooches to take care of business.
AoD
Not a new problem here, the City lacks imagination/competence...........
Look at the grass in 2021:
They actually 'fixed' it that year.. The above is May '21
This (below) is Sept '21
This is the way the City thinks too often, repair damage w/o addressing the underlying cause of the damage in the first place.
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Its a small park to set aside a dog relief area, but its do-able.
Ornamental fencing is an option here, but since this isn't a desire line issue, you would need to fully enclose the grass, I don't recommend that.
What I would suggest is three-fold.
A small dog relief area (with intense by-law enforcement for stoop and scoop for a short period to reset bad habits).
Irrigation. Its not merely that it would water the lawn, it would wash out/moderate, some of the issue.
Finally, I would put a couple of Muskoka chairs right in that sunny spot in the middle. They'll be popular, and people will not likely let their dogs create issues right next to in-use chairs. A picnic table would also likely suffice, though that's less comfortable and just as costly.
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Edit to add: Cost of resodding here is probably $75,000 (should normally be a bit less, but I'm assuming removing the top layer of soil where feasible or amending it to address quality issues.)
Cost for irrigation for a space this size......~$50,000
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