friends of dufferin grove park
Fall 2002 Newsletter

In this issue:

How the summer went at the park:
This was one of the hottest, driest summers Toronto has had in a very long time. The sunny spots in the park were empty until the evening, but the shady spots were often packed. The wading pool and the playground got heavy use. On many evenings (whenever the temperature was over 30 celsius) the wading pool had extended hours until 8 p.m.. So many parents and caregivers told us that the shady, breezy wading pool area rescued them this summer. Good! That’s what parks are for!

The sandpit was the most popular spot for the kids older than toddlers. This year tipi building gave way to river construction. Our Lee Valley Company movable faucet was a waterfall, a fountain, a river source, a lake spring. And we noticed that the turf battles that used to happen when tipis were built in the sand pit ("you can’t come in here, this is MY tipi!") gave way to much more cooperative play. Children who didn’t know each other before collaborated on creating miniature water landscapes that extended far beyond the sand pit, throughout the whole Big Back Yard play area.

Our oven builder, Nigel Dean, kindly brought an old styrofoam "Sunfish" boat down from Muskoka, in his truck. Some of the time the boat was in the wading pool, full of children. The rest of the time it was in the sand pit, where the children would often dig a little lake, to float the boat. By the end of the summer the boat finally broke, but it had a good run.

The park has become ever more of a picnic / birthday party/ prenatal-class-reunion/ etc. spot. Some weekends this past summer, the Indonesian hibachi smells mingled with the Sudanese braziers, and with the park pizza oven and the KFC bags at the basketball court, in such a way that the park smelled like a street market. Other times it seemed like every third tree held a birthday pinata. All this sociability was made easier by the plentiful picnic tables we got this year from the Parks Department, so that no one had trouble finding a place to sit. Thank you to park supervisor Mike Hindle and his maintenance crew.

Prospects for a good fall and winter in the park:
Last May 30 and then again on June 18 there were meetings in the park with Parks Division Director Don Boyle and some of his staff. Don said at the conclusion of the second meeting that he had listened carefully to the many residents who came to talk to him. They asked him to send a message to his staff, to let them know that the kind of hands-on community involvement at this park is valuable and deserves city cooperation. Don and his area park manager James Dann said they would act on what was said. And the fact is, they’ve been as good as their word. In their responsiveness to the few problems in the park since then, the park staff, at all levels, have been batting 1000. Good news indeed!

And the news gets even better. Some of our young staff this past summer were previously winter staff, and now they want to stay on throughout the fall and the winter again. The work in the fall is very part-time (one staff person four hours a day plus special-event staffing), but some of the staff are university students, and the others have patched together temporary jobs so that they can return here in the winter. (Hurray for continuity!) These staff say they are particularly interested in working in this park because of our remarkable use of public space. (Hurray for commitment!)

During the fall, in addition to her day-to-day park responsibilities, Anna Bekerman, still a student at the University of Toronto, wants to do some research into the history of play activities in Toronto parks. Jenny Cook, who has an environmental degree from York University, wants to work with residents who have a special interest in garbage and composting and water issues. Caitlin Shea, who worked as a web author and came to us as a volunteer gardener in the spring, wants to help us connect to the city’s park web site, and help keep our own web site up to date. Luke Cayley, a long-time park and rink worker now in his second year at York University, is our park driver, transporting all the stuff that’s needed at the park. He’s also the best wood chopper: a skill especially needed when the rink opens again in the winter.

Park staff who know what they’re doing and have enthusiasm for what goes on here, supported by managers who respect a hands-on neighbourhood: a very good sign for the future. The next step is a meeting sometime in the fall (proposed by Don Boyle) to set out the basic guidelines for how our rink (any rink) should be run. When the date for this discussion is set, we’ll post it in the park and on the web site, for participation (by e-mail or in person) by all interested rink users. Then we’ll see how the winter runs.

The Dufferin Grove Park web site:
In early August, Emily Visser, Caitlin Shea, and Jutta Mason had some discussions about how Caitlin could ease some of the load of web site work for Emily and for Bernard King, who manages the list serve. They also discussed putting a few new topics on the site, some of broader interest to people interested in parks, some of broader interest to this neighbourhood. So the web site is currently "under construction," or rather, renovation. Long-time friend of the park John Culbert recently scanned in many new pictures for the web site. So watch for the expansions. Some of the new web site areas are "park safety," "park finances" and "public square" (for wider neighbourhood issues, like garbage or elections, that may be discussed by list serve members or people sitting on park benches). We might also like to get a link to the city park web site, which (as a recent Toronto Life article pointed out) seems to take no notice of our park’s existence so far. (On the other hand, sometimes the park seems so busy that we don’t want more people to come: better to concentrate on passing along what works here, so people can adapt it to their own parks.)

Events in the fall:
Performance: ACT WITHOUT WORDS.
A half-hour mime play by Samual Beckett. The cast includes a balalaika-player and a real dog named Yas. Location: on the playground climber. Times: Wednesday September 11, Friday September 13, and Saturday September 14, 6.30 p.m.

Fourteenth annual NEIGHBOURHOOD STREET FAIR:
Saturday September 14. Events: 10 a.m.: Lawn sale (along Havelock Street on the park grass, no charge). 12 noon: Hot dog lunch and release of two-year-anniversary park newsletter: 24th issue! Location: near lawn sale. 4 p.m.: Games (sack races etc.) in park. 6.30 p.m.: Neighbourhood potluck at park bake oven: also make-your-own-pizza (cost of materials covered by left-over strike dumpster money). 8 p.m.: square dancing on Havelock Street. (David Craig decided to get a street-closing permit and a square dance caller for his birthday, and he invites ANYONE AND EVERYONE who enjoys square dancing - bring your friends.)

This neighbourhood event is for everyone on all the surrounding streets, not only Havelock. Bring a delicious dish of food and meet your neighbours. There will be introducers for those who are new to the area, or who are a bit shy.

CHILDREN’S POW WOW, by Native Child and Family Services. Sunday September 15, 12 noon to 5 p.m. (also sunrise ceremony at fire pit). Location: on soccer field. Tipis, dancing, drumming, souvenir booths, children’s crafts, free food and also food for sale (bannock, Indian tacos, buffalo burgers), potlatch give-away at the end of the day. Also 12-2 make-your-own-pizza at bake-oven.

First annual CAR-FREE DAY ON GLADSTONE:
Sunday September 22, 12 noon to 6 p.m. great bikes on display, trike parade, Song Cycles Choir, front yard and street sales, kids’ games and crafts, chess tournament, park pizza and bread cart. ALL NEIGHBOURHOOD RESIDENTS WELCOME, not just those who live on Gladstone. Also 12-2: make-your-own-pizza at the park oven.

ART EXHIBITION: Lyla Rye,
Sunday Sept.29. Local artist (and art teacher at our park) Lyla Rye had a video installation in Halifax this year, which included a scene of her playing a kissing game with her one-year-old baby. The vice squad of the Halifax police shut down the exhibit and seized the tapes as pornographic material, leading to country-wide publicity about the police and their powers. A documentary version of the exhibit will be on display at the park rink house. Also: make-your-own- pizza at the bake-oven, 12 noon to 2 p.m.

COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS FOR NIGHT OF DREAD PARADE:
Every Saturday and Sunday afternoon in the park, by the field house, 1 to 5 p.m. Learn to make papier mache masks, create costumes, walk on stilts, make music. For information, call Clay and Paper Theatre at 416 4537-9108 or look on their web site: clayandpapertheatre.org.

THIRD ANNUAL NIGHT OF DREAD PARADE:
Saturday Oct. 26. Paraders assemble at the park from 3 p.m. for costuming and instructions, parade leaves the park at 6 sharp. Parade route: along Bloor, along College, then back to Dufferin Grove Park, for the bonfire to burn the fears. This year for the first time: dancing around the fire with "death," a pageant of many masks (including political figures). Afterwards: live music by the Hokey Jeremiahs, wonderful food by Friends of the Park with help from the summer park chef Dan DeMatteis, plus Portuguese roast pig on a spit. Bring your friends.

Note: ANYONE can be in this popular parade: there will be costumes available for all.

Please note: David Windle’s raku pottery sessions (originally scheduled Sept.12-15), have been postponed (new date to be announced).

COOKING WITH FIRE:
Sundays in September (except if it rains), 12-2:
make-your-own pizza at the bake-oven.

Tuesdays and Fridays in September, 6.00-8.00: open oven.
Cook your dinner in the park oven and have a picnic or take it home to eat. Also (by appointment) dry tomatoes or other foods in residual oven heat - it works like a charm. To find out at what other times the oven will be hot, call the park at 416/392-0913 and leave a message and your number.

Campfire permits:
if you want to gather at the park campfire circle with your family or friends, and grill some corn or hot dogs or marshmallows, call the park and book a time. The cost is $10 per fire permit (and bring some wood if possible).

Future mayoral candidate David Miller comes to a party: two park friends, Britt Oldenburg and Patrick Thoburn, recently invited some people from the neighbourhood to meet City Councillor David Miller at their house. They said they had seen a TV interview with Miller in which he said he wished he could go and talk to more people about the election issues coming up next year. Although they had never met Miller, they decided that they would invite him over, and he agreed to come. The meet-and-greet was really very interesting (and Councillor Miller got a chance to talk to the whole group too). Patrick Thoburn (whose mother Ann used to be the head librarian at the Bloor-Gladstone library) suggested that it might be good to invite all the different candidates to the rink this winter, one at a time. He said we could invite rink users to "have a skate with the mayoral candidate." Sounds like a great idea, yes?

Police and teenagers:
It was a dark and windy night…..when Jutta Mason went to the park to put away the sandpit play-shovels on Thursday September 12, at about 10.30 p.m. The wind was rather warm, but there were only a few people in the park - Carol Kidd walking her dog Oscar, and two young guys and one girl sitting at a picnic table, quietly talking. And there was a police car with search lights mounted on top, driving all over the park grass in slow loops and circles. When their lights picked out the three teenagers, the police drove over and pulled out their note pads. Jutta cycled over. During the years she’s been involved in the park, Jutta has often seen the police asking teenagers for their i.d., when they’re just sitting at a table and talking. Canadian law does not permit police to stop persons who are not engaged in any illegal activity, and ask them to identify themselves, unless a person fits a description for a police manhunt. Sitting on a bench at the park in a group is not an illegal activity. But if you’re a teenager, you may be questioned.

People who came to Canada as immigrants from police states are often a bit sensitive about civil rights. Jutta, whose family left Germany ten years after a time when civil rights were cancelled (that is, during the period between 1933 and 1945), gets worried about police stretching the law by asking for names when there has been no offense. And so whenever she sees this happening, she cycles over and just watches, as a citizen.

The two officers took down all the teenagers’ names and addresses and consulted their mobile i.d. computer for possible criminal links. Jutta said that she felt it was not proper for police to take names when there was no offense. One officer told her to go to law school and then come and talk to them again. He then asked whether Jutta might have stolen the bike she was riding.

The other officer, with less temper, explained that they were merely following the orders of their staff sergeant from Fourteen Division. He said that the order to question young or suspicious-looking people had come because of residents’ complaints about how dangerous our park is.

This sounds like a generic excuse. Our park seems remarkably safe. But if the officers are being ordered to drive around the park and take names by the staff sergeant, what are they to do? They have follow those orders.

But here’s an idea: could these officers be diverted to a more pressing neighbourhood problem? Last year, two residents went door to door and collected a large number of signatures asking for action on dangerous driving. Some St. Mary’s students and their friends, during lunch and after school, were racing and doing car stunts on Gladstone and Havelock streets and around the park. There was a meeting with the school and police, but no follow-up. St. Mary’s principal Tony DeSousa submitted license numbers of the dangerous drivers and pledged to go to court if necessary, but the police took no action on these numbers. A promised poster from police, outlining the possible civil and criminal penalties for the drivers, never materialized. After four follow-up requests, we stopped asking. The problem has not improved this fall (and the people who circulated the petition finally gave up, put their house up for sale, and moved away). Could the police divert some of their considerable manpower to this pressing neighbourhood issue, and away from tracking down teenagers sitting in the park?

Residents who would like to recommend this alternative course of action to our police force, can call Fourteen Division Superintendent Paul Gottschalk at 416/808-1414. And residents who would like to reassure Staff Sgt. Glenn Holt of the Community Response Division about safety concerns at our park, and remind him about civil rights concerns, can reach him at 416/808-1500. It’s good for the police to get community responses from citizens; it keeps them in touch.

Editorial:
After the police left the park on that dark and windy night, and I had cleared the toys out of the sand pit, I cycled back up to where the three teenagers were. I asked them if they had any idea why the police had approached them. They said, no. One of them told me that once he had been sitting in our park with his friends when the undercover police suddenly arrived and put on a raid. "They were coming toward us swinging their batons," he said. "They didn’t hit any of us, and they didn’t end up charging anybody. But it was a really violent feeling." I asked him when this happened, and he said, without having to stop and calculate, six years ago.

Then the three of them got in their car and drove away.

Quite a few new families have moved into the neighbourhood recently, many with young children. Those toddlers will grow up and become teenagers too. Their parents may be wise to lay the groundwork now, to encourage our local police to stay within the bounds of legality. Skin colour makes a difference, of course, and in our park the teenagers of colour are often the first to be questioned. But these teenagers where white. So, parents, you have a stake in seeking police responsiveness to our community - all of it. For more background, and to post your helpful ideas, you might like to look at the "park safety" section of our park web site.

Jutta Mason

The newsletter:
The first issue of this monthly newsletter was published in September 2000. Now, 24 months later, here comes a different timing: this twenty-second newsletter is called the "Fall 2002" issue. The next one will come out in the middle of November, and will be called the "Winter 2002" issue. We’ll see if we can squeeze in all the news, four to six times a year. There may be bulletins posted in the park in between, and also on the web site. For those who have e-mail and want to keep up-to-date, you may want to consider joining the list serve.
The web site address: http://dufferinpark.ca/
To join the list serve: dufferingrovefriends-subcribe@yahoogroups.com

Printing costs for the newsletter:
After the Parks Department stopped printing the newsletter last April, people have been very generous in helping with the newsletter printing costs. We got help from The G.H. Wood Foundation, Bill Wright, Mary Wigle, Allan Gasser, Councillor Mario Silva, the Echo Choir, and Ted England’s dumpster fund. Even though we had to print larger numbers of the newsletter than we planned, we’ve managed fine so far. (On the other hand, there are many park friends who still believe that printing a neighbourhood newsletter is a valid use of taxpayers’ money. The city has a print shop. How about it, Don Boyle?)

Wood donations:
We’ve been lucky with the generosity of park friends this summer. Whenever the wood supply went down, more wood turned up. Brian Cranley deposited a skid and some carpentry left-overs by the rink house garage door, more than once. Kyla Dixon-Muir and George Moore came with George’s van and brought barrels of scrap wood from The Wood Studio. A few weeks later, they hauled over almost a whole cord of wood donated by new residents Paul and Wayne on Havelock Street. Then Annie Hurwitz called to report a big house renovation on Rusholme St. with all kinds of excellent scrap wood going into the dumpster there. It turned out it was City Councillor Mario Silva’s new house. We asked the Parks Department to help us transport the wood with their truck but that was not possible. So Annie’s husband Ron Paley brought a van home from work and now the wood bin is full again. Keep it coming, park friends, and thank you!

S O S for Arie Kamp:
This is a test. Our long-time flower gardener Arie has just heard he will lose his rented room at the end of October, because the house is being sold. So here is a very important notice:

Wanted: a furnished room in the neighbourhood of Dufferin Grove Park. No kitchen necessary. Non-smoking gardener who wishes to live in a quiet place close to the park so he can continue to spend many hours every day looking after the park gardens.

Anyone who knows of such a place PLEASE leave a message at the park at 416/392-0913. Arie says: this is a test. You people say you’re very community-minded. Can you come up with an inexpensive room for me?


FOR PARK INFORMATION: 416/392-0913


For ongoing updates on Dufferin Grove Park, and to share your views on community issues, join our Friends of Dufferin Grove email listserve. Just click here to join.

Newsletter prepared by: Jutta Mason; Illustrations: Jane LowBeer

Technical support: John Culbert

Web site: Joe Adelaars, Henrik Bechmann, Caitlin Shea

Park phone: 416 392-0913; street address: 875 Dufferin Street

E-mail: dufferinpark@dufferinpark.ca

List Serve: Emily Visser, Bernard King