In this issue:
- Water in the Park
- The Dufferin Park Farmers' Market
- Special Evebts This Month
- Summer-long Events
- Dufferin Park Youth Works
- Racial Profiling Follow-up
- Pit Bull Attack
WATER IN THE PARK
On Monday June 23, the park staff prepared to open the wading pool a week early (the temperature was 31 degrees celsius and rising). But just before noon Ron Winn, the interim district park manager, called and said he had spoken to the general manager of Parks and Recreation, Claire Tucker Reid, and that we would NOT be permitted to have the wading pool open until the regular summer opening date, at the end of the week. The policy of "harmonization" of services mandated keeping all the wading pools closed until they could all be opened at the same time, on a previously established schedule.
We were told to turn on the four-foot spurt of water at the centre of the wading pool instead, to act as a "cooling station." So for two sweltering days we were treated to the spectacle of an empty wading pool with people sitting all around this little water spurt. Six or eight kids at a time had some fun versus the 30 or 40 who can dance in and out of pool when it's filled with water.
Jutta Mason e-mailed Ms. Tucker Reid, on Monday afternoon, to seek a change of mind, but she did not reply. People contacted their friends across the city, as the temperature continued to rise, and they passed phone numbers and e-mails back and forth. Our park phone rang and rang. Jutta put City Councillor Mario Silva's number on the voice mail since people couldn't be standing there answering the phone all the time. People got all sorts of replies from the city staff they lobbied: that the wading pool couldn't be opened because of security issues (?), lack of training, lack of budget, or because of various risk factors; that we already had a lovely splash pad (the four-foot water spurt), that maybe we'd open in two hours, maybe we'd open in July, maybe they'd put you on hold or give you another number to call -- chaos.
Then on Wednesday morning we were allowed to open after all. By noon the word was out and the pool was full of kids, normal for a hot day.
Many people who use the park wrote letters and called the city about the pool openings. Isaac Meyer Odell sent us a copy of his letter:
Dear Ms. Tucker Reid
I'm writing to you in hopes that you might reconsider the decision to suppress the early opening of the Dufferin Grove Park wading pool. Today, I spent several frustrating hours at the park, petitioning councillor Silva's office to open the pool. The answer we received from the councillor's office was that if there was sufficient staff there then the pool ought to be opened. Yet the park staff were told keep it closed. This experience left us all with sour feelings about the bureaucratic mechanisms of the city that seem to have no way of responding to the immediate concerns of our community.
As a new a parent I have become keenly aware of what a precious thing it is to live close to such an incredible park with a truly generous staff. My son and I go there every day to connect with our community and seek refuge from the tedium of daily life. As the summer heat has advanced upon us I have discovered that the only cool area of my home is the basement. I do not relish having to keep my son in the basement when there seems to be such wonderful resource just around the corner. Given that weather report does not show that there will be any relief in sight, I ask to please reconsider.
In the wake of so much dismal news in this neighbourhood and city, it seems like such a small and simple thing to do to help build community spirit.
Thank your for hearing my request and I hope tomorrow will be a wonderful day to enjoy for a splash in the park.
Thank you for considering this request.
Sincerly,
Isaac Meyer Odell
Editorial: the "harmonization" policy. It seems to me that having "harmonization" as the cornerstone of park policy - meaning, that every part of the city gets the same services/ facilities - has worked out badly and will continue that way. It inevitably has the (unwanted) effect of dragging all our facilities down to the same low level. There should be fairness, there MUST be improvement, but if the city could please adopt "maximum use of existing resources" as the cornerstone instead, I think we could attain our fairness goal so much better. The folks in charge CANNOT continue to keep rinks and pools sitting idle well after the season for them has begun.
The broad hammer that gets used to apply the "one size fits all" approach (which "harmonization" seems to lead to) is such a clumsy instrument. In the matter of opening the wading pools to suit the weather, for instance, the Dufferin Park pool is in an unusual situation -- at mid-day the pool and our whole playground are almost completely in shade. For that reason, on hot days, the whole area is full of people. Park wading pools that haven't got tree cover are not much used on really hot days. So during an early heat wave the wading pools could be opened selectively, focusing on pools with shade. In the case of unshaded pools, resources could be used instead to plant (and care for) trees around their perimeter. That would be so much more sensible than opening all the pools simultaneously by applying the "harmonization" rule.
God help us, that we won't have to carry on too many more of these shake-the-bushes campaigns to get the city staff to let the citizens use the simple, cheap amenities of public space - outdoor rinks, wading pools, picnic areas. It is my impression that if city staff don't find a way to plan ahead better and to alter their policies so that they can fit logic, citizens will progressively lose confidence in their ability to carry out their stewardship responsibilities.
Jutta Mason
THE DUFFERIN PARK FARMERS' MARKET:
The Dufferin Park farmers' market, which started last November, is now well established outside, along the asphalt path just west of the rink house and the bake oven, every Thursday from 3.30 to 7 p.m. Now that the Ontario growing season has arrived, Ted Thorpe has joined the market and Plan B Organics are back from last fall. Zalia Conde, whose pies and tortieres and cookies got many people through the winter, has decided to leave off organic growing and baking and resume her career as a personal trainer. On her last day at the market she had to bring an extra freezer on a trailer to haul all the special orders of lasagne, quiches, and strawberry pies - to ease her many loyal customers into a world with no organic baking by Zalia. Mike Schreiner and Jim Whetmore, from Guelph, have expressed an interest in selling organic baked goods, including bread, made at the kitchen of the Ignatius Jesuit Centre of Guelph. Also, Lindsay Karabanow is going to sell rotis, made in our new park kitchen. Her business is called "Fire Stoker Foods." Colette Murphy's friend Nadine ("Living Libations") will sell raw food snacks once a month (July 10 is her first time). Colette is the organic seeds and plants and soil amendments vendor at the market. Larry Lewis will resume baking his cinnamon buns (also made in the park kitchen), famous from past winters.
We have turned down a number of requests from folks who want to sell ointments, do reflexology, etc. We're primarily a farmers' market. However since it was decided at the last market board meeting that local craftspersons could be invited once a month, Sudha Naimpally will soon be coming to the market with her line of kids' clothes.
At the June 19 Farmers' market, Roberta Harrison came with an excellent present for the park: a new wooden peel (some people call it a paddle) for putting bread and pizza into the ovens. Right after, when Roberta was buying her groceries, there was an alarm: her wallet had disappeared. It seemed that there was a thief at the market, and everyone was worried, especially after Roberta's generous gift to the park - that she should have this trouble as her reward. But there was good news: When Roberta got home, she found the wallet wedged underneath her baby in the stroller. Sometimes the news is better than one expects.
SPECIAL JULY EVENTS:
Dusk Dances: Tuesday July 8 through Sunday July 13. Once again the park will be alive with dances, every night that week from 7.30 p.m. until dark. Original dances, original scores, live music, humour, virtuosity, beauty - what a thing to look forward to. Park rehearsals began in June already: a company of little "sheep," for instance, in a sheepfold complete with sheep turds, with a ram, and a shepherd carrying the traditional shepherd's curved staff. One day during rehearsal the little "sheep" even came out of their enclosure and their deadpan shepherd herded them through the farmers' market, to sample organic parsley and lettuce. These are the same folks (CORPUS) who had the audience in stitches last year with their comic dance about the Canadian Air Force squadron which had lost their planes due to cutbacks, but whose officers had retained all their goofy flying drills.
Last year there were upwards of 400 people at each dusk dance, moving around the park from dance to dance. This year it promises to be at least as good. There are dancers from the National Ballet, a break dance group called Rubberbandance, a dance that takes place in the air with the dancer suspended from a crane, and more. Pay-what-you-can. Dan DeMatteis will be making food at the oven daily, if you come to the dances hungry.
The Sylliad, Clay and Paper Theatre, July 25 to August 17. Wednesdays through Sundays, 7.30 p.m. David Anderson put together this show with poet Michael Boughn and tall-stilt performer Mark Keetch. The show is sub-headed "My Big Fat Greek War Story," and this is what Clay and Paper say about it: "Is it a story about war? Yes. Is it a story about violence, betrayal, more violence, greed, jealousy, world conquest, (sex?), eating , more eating, tragic pride, laughter, and everything in between? Yes. Does it parallel the epic brouhaha of Homer's tragically farcical story of wear with the painful brutalities and wild absurdities of our current circumstance? Well, that's for you to decide; we wouldn't want to draw any unpleasant conclusions."
This show is also pay-what-you-can, the suggested donation being $10. The company has been rehearsing on stilts - in Mark's case, giant six-and-a-half foot high stilts. The ships are being constructed, the Trojan Horse is being painted, the various masks are being shaped in clay before the papier mache is applied. Rehearsals are every day, and they always have an audience. If you want to know more, call 416 537-9105 or visit their web site; www.clayandpapertheatre.org.
SUMMER-LONG EVENTS:
Friday Night Supper. in the June newsletter we mistakenly wrote that calling to reserve supper spots on Friday morning was early enough. In reality, these community suppers having been selling out by Thursday noon. It may be that the cooks will add a Saturday night supper as well, to reduce the pressure on Fridays. Call the park for more information: 416 392-0913. Or e-mail the park: dufferinpark@dufferinpark.ca.
Wading pool hours: the wading pool is open from 11 a.m. to 5.30p.m. except if the temperature is above 30 degrees: then it stays open until 7.30 p.m.
Pizza oven days: on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 12 to 2p.m., and on Sundays 1 to 3 p.m., anyone who would like to, can make their own pizza at the larger bake oven. For $2 you can buy a lump of dough, some tomato sauce, and some cheese, and we provide the materials and instruction for pizza-making. You can pick herbs in the park gardens or bring other toppings from home. Sundays are less crowded than the weekdays and that's the day when we can handle small birthday parties as well, if we get advance notice: 416-392-0913. N.B. On days when there is a smog alert this event is cancelled.
Sports: Monday through to Saturday afternoon the soccer area is permitted for children's soccer. Saturday afternoon through Sunday afternoon are open for community games. Volleyball is always open for community games at the net beside the playground. Ball hockey is permitted to community teams on Monday and Wednesday nights. The rest of the time anyone can use the rink. If you want the lights on, leave a message at 416-392-0913.
DUFFERIN PARK YOUTH WORKS: LOCAL FIX-IT, CLEAN-IT, DIG-IT HELP
A group of young people (collaborating with Friends of Dufferin Grove Park) are ready to clean your garage, do simple gardening and carpentry projects, and generally help you fix up your place this summer. Since the last newsletter, these young people have done: garage and house (interior) painting, window washing, tree root removal, path building and retaining wall building, helping with moving (packing, cleaning), stair-building, and wall demolition. They're ready to work for you: contact them by e-mailing dufferinpark@dufferinpark.ca or calling the park at 416 392-0913.
RACIAL PROFILING FOLLOW-UP:
The event reported in the June newsletter, when three police officers stopped a person on the street beside the park and questioned him - apparently because he was black and was using a cell phone and was walking along the sidewalk several days after some cars had been stolen at the mall - these actions had a sequel. A letter describing this event, to Police Chief Julian Fantino, led to an invitation to the witness to come and make a statement at Fourteen Division. It is possible that one of the three officers (who told the witness to "go hug a tree" when she questioned him that night) will face some sort of internal discipline. However there has been no further word yet.
PIT BULL ATTACK:
Early in the rainy evening on Sunday June 29, a man drinking beside the field house with his friends, and his two pit bulls, sat by while his dogs attacked an old arthritic dog that was just entering the park. Some dog walkers pulled the pit bulls off their victim, and their owner secured them on their leashes, but he seemed to be in an altered state, shouting and threatening. Police were called, but they were busy with the Pride parade and didn't come for a long time. More dog walkers arrived and stood at the far end of the soccer field hoping the police would come. Finally the pit bull owner got really angry. He denounced all white people and then he let go of his dogs. They ran toward one of the more recently arrived dog walkers and attacked his dog, Lloyd. Although Lloyd was normally a rather meek dog, when he saw the pit bulls coming toward him, he reared up on his hind legs and shielded his master. Lloyd got most of his ear bitten off, and his master, trying to ward off the dogs, got cut and scratched up badly.
By that point all the porches adjacent to the park were full of people and they were all calling 911. One of the other dog walkers had to repeatedly hit the pit bulls on the head with a shovel to get them to let go of their victim. The police did come then, four cruisers strong, and the pit bulls' owner was arrested. Lloyd the dog, meantime, was taken to a night-time emergency dog clinic where his ear was re-attached. By morning, his owners had racked up a crippling veterinary bill of over $1000.
>The police, when they took a statement from Lloyd's owner at the hospital as he was getting his own injuries looked after, said they had arrested the pit bull owner and charged him with assault with a weapon. So the pit bull owner will certainly be prohibited from going to the park as a condition of bail and again as a condition of sentencing. His dogs, meantime, are in quarantine, as a precaution.
By all accounts, the pit bull owner and his friends seem to be strangers to the park. It may be that they are the same group of occasional visitors who got into difficulty about a month ago when one of the group drank himself into unconsciousness near the field house, and an ambulance was called. In both cases the "friends" all vanished before police/ ambulance arrived. Young park regulars regard these visitors badly, and avoid them. It may be that it's time to make sure these folks don't come around here any more. If anyone sees a group behaving badly by the side of the field house, please alert the park staff (they're often in the park late now that it's summer). They will take steps to encourage any drinking group to find another place for their foolish business.
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