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Cob Courtyard
West of the wading pool is the cob courtyard, where park staff sell hot food, snacks, and drinks In the late 1990s, staff began serving food at the playground out of a food cart. However, in 2004 Toronto Public Health required that a fridge and sinks for food preparation had to be installed for playground snacks to continue.
Park friend Georgie Donais suggested a counter for sinks and food backed by a long cob wall. “Cob” is a form of adobe made of a mix of sand, clay and straw. A $2500 grant from Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation was obtained, and Georgie worked with many volunteers of all ages build the cob wall and a prep counter.
Parks and Recreation supported the project, with city plumbers installing the plumbing for the four sinks, and city electricians installing the electric water heater and electricity for the snack bar cooking facilities. The wall is curved at both ends, decorated with mosaics, with a green roof on one section, and cedar shakes tiling the top.
Raspberry and other shrubs hug the side of the cob not used as a kitchen, with a garden west of the cob. The cob courtyard cafe opened in 2005 and has continued to operate to the present. Food is prepared in the rink house and transported to the cob. Hot food like macaroni and cheese and hot dogs is kept warm in crock pots. Snacks typically sold include cookies, muffins, salads, wraps, juice boxes, coffee, and tea.
The fourth sink is available for anyone to wash their hands or fill a water bottle. The courtyard serves food every day through school summer holidays, and on weekends during warm months when school is on. Movable round tables with metal stands are left in the courtyard, and staff put out stools for seating when the cob kitchen is open. The cob, like all public buildings, needs periodic maintenance and graffiti removal. Over the past 6 years, a diminishing number of staff have been trained in how to maintain the cob, with a corresponding irregularity in cob maintenance.