In this issue:
- Rink opening Nov.27
- Playground business
- Buy a City secret
- Rink schedule
- Neighbourhood web pages
- Skating lessons
- Dover Square Development
RINK OPENING: SATURDAY NOVEMBER 27, 9 A.M.
The city is doing staggered rink openings this year, and we're among the first to open (Ramsden Rink, Rennie Rink, and City Hall Rink open on November 27 as well). All the other double rinks in the city open on December 4, and the single pad rinks open December 11. If you want information on any city rink in the central area, go to our City Rinks pages. You'll find the actual phone number for each rink (unavailable in the blue pages of the phone book), a map for the location, a description, and even a rating (number of stars, between 1-4).
Dufferin Rink is mostly a shinny hockey rink, on the hockey side. There are a few seasonal permits, but only after the rink house closes at 9 p.m.. There are also one-off permits available (for $67, or free for youth) on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 to 11, on Fridays from 9 to 10, and 10 to 11, and on Saturdays after 9. Call the park at 416 392-0913 to get your name in. In addition, on Tuesdays from 9 to 10 there is open women's shinny (free) and on Sundays from 7 to 8.30, Lawrence Barichello will once again offer his "learn to play shinny hockey" program for adults. Registration for this is the Sunday before the rink opens, Nov.21, from 7 to 8.30 p.m.. You'll find more information about this on the "sports" page of the park web site, or call the rink at 416 392-0913.
The pleasure skating side, as in other years, has no hockey on it, ever, until the rink house closes at 9 p.m.. After that, it's like skating on the pond - it never closes (but the lights go off after 11 and then you have to skate by moonlight). If you bring a puck and a stick, play quietly! The people in the apartment building next to the rink house are trying to sleep. No yelling and no shots against the boards, PLEASE.
MAKING THE PARK PLAYGROUND SAFE
One of the things the park's research arm, CELOS, received through a freedom of information request, after a long delay, is the 1999 playground inspection records for all city parks, including our own. These inspections followed former Mayor Mel Lastman's 1998 motion that all city playgrounds should be "upgraded" to meet new 1998 standards (backed, not by the government, but by an association of mainly manufacturers, almost half of them not located Canada). The verdicts of the whirlwind inspections led to the removal of 48 entire playgrounds and the disappearance of additional playground pieces from almost every playground in the city, at the cost, so far, of just over $6 million. A bit over one million seems to have gone to buying replacement playground sets, and almost seventy per cent of that went to two manufacturers, Henderson and Belair. Both of these companies have generously supported the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association's annual conference and trade shows. The association's 2004 gathering in Halifax had a banner headline on its web site "sponsorship prospectus," to attract more support from companies: "Buying Power: Municipalities in Canada spend over 2 billion dollars on products and services in the parks and recreation sector alone!" Much of this money is spent on playgrounds. (Claire Tucker Reid, the general manager of Toronto Parks and Recreation until last December, is the association's new Ontario Division director.)
It's not only in Canada that playground equipment has become a "highly competitive and fast-growing global business" [Montreal Gazette, Business section, July 2004]. In the U.S. and in many European countries, the fear of increased insurance premiums has led to the "dumbing down" of many playgrounds with new equipment advertised as being safer.
One of the interesting things about this international panic is that it seems to be based mainly on very questionable injury data. Canadian playground-related-injury statistics are one example. Maya Litman - together with some friends - has closely documented Toronto playground alterations since 2001 (you can see some of them in great detail on their web site www.playtoronto.com). Maya contacted Health Canada to find out how playground injuries could have jumped in one year from 10,000 children being hurt to 28,000. A "senior analyst" responded that the numbers were only estimates: i.e. guesses. But these guesses were quoted everywhere as fact, and they led to the removal of a whole lot more of what Maya calls "much-loved" playground pieces.
It seems that many kids have voted with their feet, and playground use is down. And here's the kicker: playground injuries requiring at least one night in hospital actually increased in Toronto playgrounds after the wave of park and schoolyard equipment removals (we're waiting for the latest hospital numbers, due to be released this month, to see if that pattern has continued).
At Dufferin Grove playground the jiggly bridge and the fireman's pole and the curved slide were removed, and the much-loved yellow climber is under threat. The entire wooden playground structure is slated for removal next year. It's hard to see, from the inspection report for our playground, what the causes for removal would be. We want to find out, so about four weeks ago we asked technical services manager Bob Crump to send a city playground inspector meet us at the playground and go over the report. We also asked for the inspector to check the softness of the ground (softer ground cushions falls, under the monkey bars in particular, so the rink staff recently added a lot of sand under there). Since our request has still not led to the arrival of an inspector, we'll try asking Parks and Recreation director Don Boyle. We'll also set up a phone list and an e-mail list of people who want to be kept informed: call the park at 416 392-0913 to get on the list or email playground@dufferinpark,ca.
Shhh! CITY SECRETS, FOR A PRICE.
Even though Mayor David Miller made an open city hall one of his election promises, that has not happened where we are. Our search for the reasons why so many parks playgrounds were torn out -and replaced with equipment that was often much less than before - has been very frustrating. So have our other fact-finding efforts: for instance, trying to persuade the city to publish a yearly list of consultants' contracts - amount, company, and what the contract was for. Why such a list? An example: not only did city council recently approve a consulting contract for $800,000 to do a "state-of-good-repair" inventory of parks and recreation facilities - at the same time as there's very little money to actually fix things -- but only three years earlier, they had hired a different consulting company to do an inventory of the same buildings for almost $400,000.
When there is only a finite amount of money to do good things - as there is for most of us, and it's true for tax money too - it's important to make sure it's spent well. Otherwise - in parks - the benches and the rinks and the parks staffing all fall apart. It's time for some "transparency."
The park friends have a research arm called CELOS: CEntre for LOcal research into public Space. For the past 6 months, this group has been trying to find out how money was spent. Parks and Recreation, and the Policy and Planning section that has control of the capital funds for building new facilities and parks, refused to answer most of CELOS' "transparency" questions directly, so we had to go through the city's freedom of information office. But even that step often got either a very slow response (much slower than the information law's 30 days), or no response at all. After eight out of ten such frustrating requests, one begins to suspect something more than bad record-keeping. Finally, CELOS sent a letter to the province's Information and Privacy Commissioner, Ann Cavoukian, asking to meet with her to discuss what seemed a pretty big problem of non-compliance with the freedom of information laws by the city.
No luck, though. Robert Binstock, the Registrar of the Information and Privacy Commission's Tribunal Services Department, called to say that the Commissioner was already working on the problem (she had cited the City of Toronto as being too slow in her last annual report), and that she didn't have time to talk to just anybody (i.e. the park friends' research group). He said we'd have to file a separate complaint for each request that the city had not answered within 30 days. That comes with a fee: $25 per request. The park friends don't have that much money to spend outside of the park. So we may have to ask people to sponsor requests. Want to give the park a Christmas present? Sponsor a Freedom of Information complaint about the city's secrecy.
Pick your topic from our list: how did the city spend the Ontario Works money that the province took out of the welfare checks and poured into the municipal wish-list instead? (You're not going to be comfortable with some of the answers). How much do the city's insurers charge the city, and for what? How many playground-related claims were there, against the city - enough to justify $6.3 million in demolishing equipment and buying less-fun replacement structures? Why did so little of the park levy money - that almost every developer has to pay - show up in nearby parks improvements, as it was meant to?(for instance, in our case, in paving Dufferin Grove Park's rutted thoroughfare). Where was all that money used instead?
It's a shame that it has to come to this. But in case you have someone on your Christmas list who has everything, buy them a Freedom of Information complaint, for $25. It's a highly original present, and it's a gift that keeps on giving - sooner or later, if we can afford to buy enough complaints, the city will begin to answer the citizens' questions. (The gift complaint comes with a gilt card featuring one of Jane LowBeer's original park illustrations, and as we get the answers, the sponsors get a loaf of fresh park bread and a framed record of the answer put up on the rink house wall.) For more information, e-mail citysecrets@dufferinpark.ca.
LEARNING TO SKATE WITH MAYSSAN
From our new skating teacher, Mayssan Shuja:
I've been skating for almost 15 years and have been teaching skating for about seven. I came to Canada eight years ago from Oman, a beautiful place with the most fantastic sunny, warm weather all year round...and one ice rink! As it turned out, the rink was across from where I lived. So, my parents quickly decided I was to become a figure skater.
Mayssan recently moved to this neighbourhood and offered to teach skating. She describes what she does:
The focus of the sessions is primarily to make your kids comfortable on the ice. We will teach at the pre-beginner, beginner and intermediate skill levels which include walking - stopping - gliding - backwards skating - crossovers, and, of course, how to fall gracefully!!
Mayssan will be joined by two assistants, Jonathan and Erinne. There are classes on Friday afternoons from 3.15 to 6 p.m. and all Saturday mornings from 9.15 a.m.to 1 p.m. The skating sessions will last 45 minutes and will consist of three 15 minute segments: warm up, instructional, and practice and games. Classes are small - 6 children and two instructors for pre-beginners, and 8 children and 3 instructors for beginners/intermediate. There is one class specifically for adult learners on Friday, and Mayssan is willing to add other times. The classes begin on Dec. 3 and 4, and run for 12 weeks, to the end of February. Cost is $85. On Fridays, there will be Friday night supper available, and on Saturday and Sunday mornings year we'll have organic pancakes and fresh-milled hot cereal. In other words, this winter don't huddle at home and stare out the window - the rink will be much more fun. To find out more, and to register, call Mayssan at 416-535-0214 - then press 2. Or email mayssan@ducttapedesigns.com
Dufferin Grove Park Outdoor Artificial Ice Rink — Hours of Operation:
Rink clubhouse: open Monday to Saturday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. , Sundays: 10 a.m. to 8.30 p.m.
Shinny hockey: same hours as the rink clubhouse except Sundays. There is a (strictly enforced) age schedule. If you ever see the wrong age group on the shinny ice, do us a favour and notify the rink staff right away.
Pleasure-skating: always freely available. The gate never closes except during bad weather. After 9 p.m., skating is unsupervised.
Parking: the best place to park is east of the rink on Dufferin Park Avenue (at the north boundary of the park). You have to walk west a short distance along the pedestrian walkway at the north side of the rink. Or you can park at the Dufferin Mall across the street.
Rink shinny hockey schedule:
Monday - Friday:9:00am - 3:30pm all ages
3:30pm - 5:30pm Level 2 (about 13 to 17, medium pace)
5:30pm - 6:30pm Level 1 (12 and under and parent or caregiver, or novice adult)
6:30pm - 7:45pm all ages
7:45pm - 8:55pm Level 3 (usually 18 and over, fast-paced)PERMITS FOLLOW
Saturday
9:00am - 12:00pm all ages
12:00pm - 1:30pm Level 1 (12 and under and parent or caregiver, or novice adult)
1:30pm - 3:45pm all ages
3:45pm - 5:15pm Level 2 (about 13 to 17, medium pace)
5:15pm - 7:00pm all ages
7:00pm - 8:45pm Level 3 (usually 18 and over, fast paced)WEEKLY PERMIT FOLLOWS — CONTACT STAFF
Sunday
10:00am - 6:00pm No shinny hockey. Pleasure skating both sides. (9.45 - 1.30 learn-to-skate program on part of the ice)
6:00p.m. - 7:00pm FAMILY SHINNY SEASONAL PERMIT
7:00 - 8.30pm LEARNERS' SHINNY SEASONAL PERMIT
PERMIT FOLLOWS
For adults the permits cost $67.51. For children and youth, there is no charge. To book a permit, call the rink at 416/392–0913 and leave a message.
IN THE EVENT OF SNOW, IF RINK USERS HELP STAFF IN CLEARING THE ICE, THE RINK OPENS FASTER. WE HAVE LOTS OF SHOVELS, OR BRING YOURS FROM HOME.
RINK PHONE NUMBER: 416 392–0913
RINK PHONE MESSAGE WILL TELL YOU CURRENT ICE SKATING CONDITIONS
AN AUTHOR IN THE PARK:
Amy Gordon, a children's writer from Amherst, Massachusetts, came to the park recently. It turns out that she's written children's books about parks (she loves parks). She heard that there's a park with a bake oven, and she read what's on the web site. So she came up to see for herself. After she got back home, she mailed us a few copies of her last book, as a present for the rink house bookshelf.
Amy is writing the sequel now, in which Gill Park gets a rink and a bake oven. (Really!) She e-mailed us recently to find out if a bake oven could cook a really big Thanksgiving turkey - she doesn't want to make factual errors in the story. We wrote back - turkeys in bake ovens, no problem. Delicious, in fact.
Three copies of Amy Gordon's first Gill Park book will be on the shelf at the rink house; pull up a chair by the wood stove when the rink opens, and see if you can stop reading once you begin.
Web Site Information Pages, and the Neighbourhood List Serve
The park web site has expanded its neighbourhood pages recently. That's because the dufferingrovefriends list serve is so full of interesting comments and advice about good plumbers, handypersons, shoemakers, and lots of other things, that we thought we should have permanently accessible postings of all neighbourly recommendations. Also, this neighbourhood has many artists living here, and we wanted to let people know when they perform in neighbourhood locations. So you can click on neighbourhood and then on marketplace or artists and performances or notices (like the Dover Square meeting) and find out various useful things about the neighborhood around the park. If you have good advice for your neighbours, you can share it through any of the web site e-mail addresses, or by joining the dufferingrovefriends list serve, too (Just click here and send a blank email to the list server to get instructions by return email, or go to the web page groups.yahoo.com/group/dufferingrovefriends and sign up). Emily Visser and Bernard King set up this list serve some years ago. Under their supervision it has recently become very lively, in a practical, useful way.
Laura Repo at the Gladstone, November 24.
Laura Repo, a singer/songwriter friend of the park, tells us that she and her band, the Blue Healers, will be playing at the Gladstone Hotel, at their CD release later in November. Laura writes:
starting to get the hang of things/like how to put a new battery in my guitar/ they run out after a year or so/like remembering how the songs go, kinda/ and what the band looks like/and how to leave the house and call a babysitter/ but i'll sing sami a lullabye/from the stage of the gladstone hotel.
Laura is planning an open air concert featuring women's bands at Dufferin Grove park when the weather warms up, in late spring. It will be in the daytime so the park kids, including the newest crop like Sami, can run and dance around. Before that, Laura has agreed to perform a few songs at the December 3 rink celebration (see "Friday Night Supper" in this newsletter). Wonderful. But even before then, park friends can listen to Laura's truly fine band at the Gladstone Hotel: Wednesday November 24 at 8 p.m.: $10. There will be other musicians too: Chris Coole, Erynn Marshall, and Joanne Mackell with her band the Paradise Rangers. And lots of other friends of the park, no doubt.
DOVER SQUARE RE-DEVELOPMENT:
CITY PLANNERS' NOV.23 INFORMATION MEETING
From Andrew Munger, president of the Dufferin Grove Residents' Association:
Many Dufferin Grove community members are concerned about a major high rise re-development planned for our neighbourhood. Toronto City Planning will hold a Community Information Meeting on the Dover Square re-development (Dovercourt & Hepbourne) on the evening of November 23. Location to be announced. More information will be available on the park web site and on the "dufferingrovefriends" list serve.
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 by email.
THIS MONTH'S NEWSLETTER SPONSORED BY JIM DAVIS AND ANNA KORTEWEG
Newsletter prepared by: Jutta Mason; Illustrations: Jane LowBeer
Web Site:Henrik Bechmann, Joe Adelaars
Park phone: 416 392-0913; street address: 875 Dufferin Street
E-mail: dufferinpark@dufferinpark.ca
List Serve: Emily Visser, Bernard King
Parks photographer: Wallie Seto