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Northwest Corner Project (4): 2019
Community Resource Group meeting Jan.16, 2020 (notes by Jutta Mason)
Slide presentation from DTAH (design firm) here.
The trouble with concrete
From the Guardian, Feb.25 2019 (sent by Andrea Holtslander)
FOI request to Capital Projects re specifics of rink repairs needed:
submitted April 10, 2019
1. Please send me the specific list of elements that don't "meet code" for the Dufferin Grove Park rink house as it is now, and the relevant Building Code section in each case
2. Please send me the specific list of bylaws and any other regulations that are not being adhered to currently at Dufferin Rink (including the rink house, the rink slabs and surroundings), referencing the specific building element and the number of the bylaw or regulation in each case. This should include information about which of those specific elements pose a risk to occupational health and safety, or where there is a concern about a future legal claim against the city.
3. Please send all specific test/assessments carried out on the rink slabs that show they need "imminent replacement." Note: the 2014 SOGR report that says the rink slabs have exceeded their "lifespan" is a general concept. I need the evidence the city collected, directly or through consultants (for instance, the December 2018 report referenced by staff), of when and where the rink slabs showed imminent malfunction. I would like this information electronically.
City Division (optional): PFR Capital projects
Freedom of Information response 2019-00817
From Paul Farrant, TS Engineering Inc. (consultant to DTAH)
If the existing ice-skating surfaces are to be used in the future, the condition of the existing rink headers should be assessed. Any proposed changes in size or shape for the ice surfaces for the future will require demolition of the existing surfaces and headers, with new rink floor slabs and brine piping designed to suit the new layout. read more
Note: The city's 2014 "State of Good Repair" report wrongly states that the header trench was built in 1993.
CGI Group, the consultant inspectors, were not made aware that the header trench pipes were replaced in 2006. The DTAH consultant engineer, Paul Farrant, evidently did not inspect the header trench but wrote ONLY that the rink would have to be torn out IF it was enlarged or reshaped. He wrote nothing suggesting there is a current flaw in the rink slabs.
Internal email correspondence:
Katy Aminian, Capital Projects: "They are asking why we are doing this? we told them in order to meet City standards we have to change the size of the rink, but it seems they they are not convinced with our answer, so we think we should be specific."
Nadia Blackburn, Parks: "I'm just concerned that this will be a sticking point that they will cling to and find a reason to oppose this. City Standards should be enough of a reason even if they don't like it." read more
Background:
March 27, 2019, request to city staff via Lura, re the "Dufferin Grove park Northwest Corner Revitalization Project"
Could you ask Capital Projects to send me (and publish):
1. The complete list of elements that don't "meet code" for the rink house as it is now, and the relevant code number 2. The specific list of bylaws and any other regulations that are not being adhered to currently at the rink (including the rink slabs and surroundings), referencing the problematic building element and the number of the bylaw or regulation. This should include information about which of those elements pose a risk to occupational health and safety, or where there is a concern about a future legal claim against the city. 3. The specific test/assessments carried out on the rink slabs that show they need "imminent replacement."
I hope that these will not be hard to track, since they must have been referenced by Capital Projects before they made the decision to renovate the rink.
I understand that Dufferin Grove Park is the property of the Corporation of the City of Toronto, and staff can decide what will happen. But it would be a good thing to have the grounds for staff decisions be made public.
I appreciate any help you can give to get me this information.
March 28, 2019, response from Lura
Thank you for your email. We have forwarded your request to the City. We will let you know their response.
April 9, 2019, email to Lura
Tomorrow it will be two weeks that I haven't heard back from you or from the city re the questions in my March 27 email. It sounds like I need to file an FOI request. Can you let me know if that is the reason why there has been no direct response?
April 9, 2019, response from Lura
Thanks for your email. As an update, I will send the response to your questions tomorrow morning.
Have a good evening
April 10, 2019, response from Lura:
We have received the following response from the City of Toronto:
Please be advised that it is the City's responsibility to ensure its publicly accessed facilities are compliant to all current and applicable health and safety regulations, and codes including the Ontario Building Code, ASHRAE Energy Codes, Accessibility Guidelines, etc. As outlined in our first public meeting, numerous building systems (mechanical and electrical) within the Clubhouse have reached the end of their life cycle, as these systems all contribute to the safe use of the building, and they will be replaced in order to avoid system failure and disruption in use of the facility.
Most of the applicable codes and standards have been updated since the original construction, and compliance with the current code is a requirement of any renovation or replacement project. The work required for the replacement of these systems is significant, and it cannot be carried out while the building remains open.
With regard to the rink slab, the City obtained an assessment report in 2014 and an additional report in December 2018, confirming that the refrigeration equipment that operates Dufferin Grove Park's artificial ice rink is at the end of its 25-year life cycle, and identifies the risk of equipment failure.
The City's goal is to minimize the interruption of programs and rink use as a result of construction projects. Typically, we allocate budget for the replacement of both equipment and rink concrete slab at the same time to maximize efficiency and minimize disruption to the public.
Neighbourhood opinions...
....about replacing the two rink surfaces (March 27 to April 2, 2019): letters (spoiler alert: some say yes, most say no)
tree saved
Which trees will be cut down, which saved
Local comments relating to the fate of the trees when the northwest corner reno begins: read more
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