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Sports News 2015
From the May / June 2015 Newsletter:
What works: no-fee community use of the rink pad when the ice is gone
On the hockey rink pad, there’s alternating ball hockey and bike polo. On the pleasure-skating rink pad, there’s an unofficial skateboard setup, with BMX bikes sometimes joining in. Most of the equipment is built by skateboarders, who have crowd-sourced to pay for materials, as well getting donations from Converse, from local skate shops – and from funders (through CELOS). The older skateboarders build and maintain the structures (with some repair hours assigned to a city worker as well). The neighbourhood youth in their mid-teens get the free ride, and passersby get the scary thrill of watching skaters apparently breaking the laws of gravity. Injuries are surprisingly rare, far less common than in soccer, for example.
Sports News 2014
From the September 2014 Newsletter:
Dufferin Grove skateboard improvements
The informal, very popular skateboard park on the Dufferin Grove rink pad got very lucky this summer. Skateboarder and builder Rob Poyner contacted long-time skateboard volunteer Jason Kun to ask if the park might like some high-quality skateboard equipment designed by Gord Hardie and built by Gord and Rob under the sponsorship of the Converse company. Would we! And an unexpected donation from the GH Wood Foundation contributed some maintenance funds as well. So the days of splintery, slightly iffy skateboard ramps at Dufferin Grove are over for the moment.
From the July 2014 Newsletter:
Drop-in yoga (free):
Thursdays 6 to 7 p.m. in the park during the summer (June to August) and Sundays 10:30 – 11.30 a.m. (July and August).
International Women's Bike Polo Tournament
In a feature event for Bike Month 2014, 32 women & trans bike polo teams from around the world will converge to battle for the global championship! This is an international tournament, with players arriving from as far away as Japan and Australia. Spectators welcome!
Tournament schedule:
Friday, June 20: Coed bench tournament 9 am to 9 pm Saturday, June 21: Ladies Army 6 (Swiss rounds) 9 am to 9 pm Sunday, June 22: 9 am to 7 pm Double elimination Championships
From the May 2014 Newsletter:
Skateboarding and BMX riding at the Dufferin Grove rink pad:
Toronto has 13 official skateboard sites and 2 BMX facilities citywide, with a few more under construction or planned. There are also some other courses – like the one at Dufferin Grove – built by users with varying degrees of City staff help. Actually, the culture of these sports often seems to lean toward DIY courses. For example, the Dufferin Grove staff have heard from BMXers that they prefer come to Dufferin Grove rink pad to ride their BMX bikes, using whatever ramps, boxes, ledges, and grind rails are there, and adding to them. They say that although they are aware of the BMX facility up the road next to the Galleria Mall, Dufferin Grove is more appealing to the older (25+) crowds.
Okay. But over $200,000 was spent to build the BMX course at Wallace. At Dufferin Grove the City supplies some building materials for the skateboard ramps and the jump boxes. It contributes some staff hours for labour and maintenance. But the materials the city is willing to pay for are cheap, and so the ramps need to be repaired a lot. There are only a few skilled carpenter-skateboarders/ BMXers who know how to do the repairs, but large numbers of skaters and riders (from younger teens to 25+) come out to enjoy themselves. This is not a viable formula over the long term: many users + not enough resources for maintenance = a clock that’s ticking on the Dufferin Grove skateboard course (with added BMX).
To make the most of the available DIY input and youth enthusiasm, active partnerships between users and the City will have to become part of the city’s approach to these sports. That means funding an equal half of the maintenance-labour costs, and funding better-quality materials that will last longer. This year there was not a single skateable structure left at Dufferin Grove from the end of last year. The skateboarders have been trying to get the attention of City Councillor Ana Bailao to tell her that better support of this de facto skateboard facility would be a good way to use our taxes. But so far not much luck....
posted April 26, 2014
From the organizers of Yoga in the Grove
A free 60 minuite yoga class. The class is designed for all levels and abilities to participate. An opportunity for people to stretch, discover the sense of community in the park, and connect with nature. There is something so powerful when we are able to feel the earth beneath our feet, look up to the sky, feel the breeze and give ourselves permission to play.
Starting in June - June 5,12,19&26, July 3.10,17,24&31, August 7,14,21&28
posted April 23, 2014
From the organizers of bike polo -
We're having the first Rookie Night of the season on Wednesday night (apr 23rd) for anyone and everyone to come out and try their skills at bike polo.
we will have extra mallets, people just need to bring their bike. there's a facebook event page up....if you think its appropriate, it could be posted to the dufferin listserv/website...however it would be best to let people know.
starting with this Wed, rookie nights are every wednesday 7-9pm weather permitting.