Letters to the Director of Recreation, April - May 2024

Herman Ellis, Scadding Court CC, April 29, 2024

Dear Ms. Vincelli,

I hope this message finds you in high spirits! I recently caught wind of your upcoming meeting with Jutta Mason. I couldn't be more thrilled about the potential discussions surrounding the "rink clubhouse project" in connection with the Harry Gairey Rink.

Reflecting on our meeting on March 20, it was a pleasure to discuss this exciting concept with Andrew Taylor from your recreation team, Jutta, and other passionate advocates, including a representative from Councillor Malik’s office. As the Executive Director of Scadding Court Community Centre, where our youth lounge operates from the same premises as the rink change room, I've eagerly anticipated opportunities to enhance our collaborations.

Just envision the possibilities of skate lending and food services being seamlessly integrated into the recreation program at Harry Gairey Rink, following in the footsteps of the successful Dufferin rink model. Such an initiative holds immense promise for empowering our youth through entry-level economic opportunities, and I'm genuinely enthusiastic about the positive impact it could have on our community.

I'm genuinely excited about the prospect of rekindling and strengthening our bonds between city staff and Scadding CC through tangible projects like this one.

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Helen Acraman, Sorauren Park Farmers' Market

Dear Cathy,

This email is to voice some concerns about market permits from the perspective of a passionate community builder and ED of the Sorauren Farmers' Market Association which is located in the Parkdale-High Park area.

I've been so grateful for the support of Jutta Mason over the years and appreciate she is still doing her utmost as an informed intermediary between the City and broader community. Ultimately I trust we all want the same things; services that work to support and increase the vibrancy of our communities.

We have faced challenges with permits for the past 5 years. Each year we are curious to know what surprises the City has in store for us!

The permitting process is laborious and difficult to navigate and I know I am not alone in this as I communicate with approximately 10 other Toronto Farmers Market Managers.

Having access to washrooms, losing access to washrooms, having to rent our own porta potty, being charged for a washroom permit, being told we didn't have to pay for a washroom permit, getting charged different amounts for permits, not having a Parks Supervisor come to see us in 4 years and the confusion that ensued when we abruptly lost access to an area of the park we had always permitted through PFR because we were informed it now came under the purview of Community Recreation who were going to use it at the same time as our permit are examples of challenges we think could be avoided through improved communication and collaboration with groups like ours which seek to animate public spaces.

It's wonderful to hear that the ECDC is considering a report related to community benefits of city-supported economic activities and I do hope this leads to the ECDC committee and PFR being open to talking with groups like our farmers' market and the Friends of Sorauren Park to improve relationships and the permit system.

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Karen Hughes, for Friends of Alexandra Park, April 28, 2024

Dear Cathy Vincelli:

I am writing to you today to be involved in the up coming changes that are happening in Alexandra Park, specifically to Harry Gairey Rink and DunBat skate park .

I represent a local community organization, Friends of Alexandra Park. (FoAP)

The Alexandra park community as a whole is under going much exciting changes. The Atkinson co-op and Toronto public housing is currently in the building stage of many more residential units. There will be many new families coming into our cultural diverse and low income neighborhood. Our community is also host to many first time new comers to Canada.

The upgrades expressed by Jutta and others will benefit Our community immensely.

From an economic and established employment opportunity . But on a deeper level this space proposal has the potential to be done a nice warm hub to meet neighbours, during winter months. Connect with other families and new comers. Establish bonds in our neighbourhood regardless of cultural background.

I implore you kindly keep Friends of Alexandra park in the. Loop of changes for our beloved rinks. It would also be nice have a steady contact in our city. In order to provide community programs and build stronger connections to make great things happen in our down neighbourhood

Hope to meet with you one day in the near future.

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Larry Lewis, April 28, 2014

To Cathy Vincelli,

My name is Larry Lewis. I have been very involved in Dufferin Grove Park for years as a member of Clay and Paper Theatre Company, a baker and musician. I continue to play music in the Dufferin Grove market even today.

In the early 2000’s I wrote and performed several plays, in collaboration with Clay and Paper Theatre, in Dufferin Grove Park. These plays had 6 week runs in the Park and between rehearsing and performing I spent the better part of 5 Summers working daily in the park.

During that time Dufferin Grove Park flourished. There were out door Theatre, Dance performances, an innovative playground was constructed, interesting food things happened; community dinners, Food Carts, community Bake ovens, the rink snack bar started serving primo locally made food, Farmer’s markets, local community members planted herb, vegetable and flower gardens. People came from far and wide to witness the minor miracle of Dufferin Grove Park. It was local, universal; the Park became ‘somewhere’ and it was all transparently positive.

The cause of this blossoming of Dufferin Grove Park was the collaboration of hands-on city staff and park friends. As Dufferin Grove plots its next chapters I urge you invite these two groups to collaborate in shaping the future of this remarkable Park.

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Maggie Anderson, April 27, 2024

Good morning, Cathy Vincelli,

I'm writing to tell you a little bit about my love for Dufferin Grove park, how much it means to my family, express what a gem it is for the neighbourhood and the city and to urge you to do everything in your power to sustain its magic and help it grow.

We moved into the neighbourhood right before my, now 10 year old daughters birth. The community in the park saved me from the isolation common among new mothers. I spent hours walking my baby, meeting neighbours and benefitted from all the advice and wisdom from parents who knew what it was like to have a new baby. As my daughter grew, we spent days in the park playing and making lifelong friends. There were so many firsts and milestones passed that I'll cherish forever that happened in that park. We played, volunteered, ate pizza and fresh bread at the pizza oven, connected with the homeschool group that met there and enjoyed many gatherings at the fire pits. All of these neighbourhood events deepened our connection to the park.

4 years later, along came baby #2 and 28 months later Covid came and everything changed. Gone was the playground, events and facilities. Yet, the community remained. Distant but still there like a little ember waiting to be reignited.

Things gradually shifted but there was a cloud of caution, fear and reluctance to claw back what had been a vibrant park and common space. In the park, staff was reduced and it seemed the city had no appetite to reignite that tiny ember. The fire pits were inaccessible due to fees, the pizza oven as well. Construction on the new rink was taking forever and people felt discouraged by the entire process.

The community chipped in and did what they could. We had champions at the city but they were few and it was a struggle. Some people gave in to the fear, got discouraged and gave up or accepted the well worn culprit, austerity.

I feel hopeful about this park. I'll never lose the memories of the best times and struggles I experienced there. It is within you power to fan the flames, think outside the box and advocate for staffing and supplies that made Dufferin grove a destination for the entire city. I implore you to prioritize this community and grow this gem of a park. It makes our community special and our city world class.

Thank you for your time. I look forward to seeing new energy around this issue and working together.

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Gail Skikevitch, April 26, 2024

Dear Cathy Vincelli,

I am writing this email to express my thoughts about Dufferin Grove Park. I am a Toronto resident who lives near the park and who has been using the park for 48 years. Apart from myself and my daughter, my grandchildren also now come to the park.

There have been many changes over the years, and I would like to share with you, some of the things that I particularly liked about Dufferin Grove Park.

• The park’s playground and wading pool has always been a draw for children, especially when the sand pit was built. That always has been the highlight for kids to create, explore, and learn to work together while having fun digging and playing with the water.
• The cob house has been a focal point for my grandchildren to play hide-and-go-seek. It is also a unique attraction that I’ve taken out-of-town visitors to see.
• The park dinners drew many neighbours and visitors, and fostered a healthy community spirit.
• Thursday’s Farmers Market brought out many people and enabled patrons not only to support local farmers, but it also provided an opportunity to enjoy a variety of entertainment, to visit neighbours, and to socialize with other families.
• The fresh bread, pizza, and buns baked in the outdoor bake oven were to die for, and the bread sold out very quickly. I happened to be skating at the park this past winter when the roof of the big bake oven burned. It would be a real shame if it can no longer be used.
• For winter sports, I’ve used the outdoor skating rink regardless of temperature. I taught my daughter how to skate at Dufferin Park and she later brought her children to learn how to skate. My grandchildren loved to sit in the old common room in the rink house. They watched the fire in the wood stove and the shinny hocky players get ready to go out on the ice. The best time though was buying a cup of hot chocolate and a cookie, or mini-pizza from kitchen. It felt just like one big family room in the basement of a home.

After the four-year lockdown and the construction, which is still on-going, I have noticed changes, both good and not so good, and I would like to share some of them with you.

It was stressful last year when, due to the delays in renovation of the rink house, the Farmer’s Market was unable to set up for the fall and winter. There even was talk about whether or not the market would have to close. Thankfully, that consequence has not come to fruition.

My understanding is that the outdoor bake oven is not functional, and this is a big disappointment, although there is still the smaller oven near the wading pool.

Now that the common room in the rink house is open, it is quite small compared to the previous space, and doesn’t have the same atmosphere. A good thing is that once the outside construction is completed, the cemented area around the rink house will be additional space, and access to the rink house should be easier.

The pleasure skating ice pad is smaller than the previous one, and learners have fewer supports (i.e. like the old fence), except for the boards on the east side of the hockey rink.

It is just taking too long to complete the work on this project. The year is almost half over already, and work is still on-going.

I would like to see Dufferin Grove Park re-offer programs and services that the community and visitors enjoyed prior to the lockdown and park’s construction, like the park dinners, the sand pit, the cob house (which needs repair work), and both outdoor ovens.

To develop successful park recreation programs, I realize that it is critical to have a good city staff team who is interested and committed in promoting these programs. I hope that such a team will be put together, and that they will be able to foster a rewarding working relationship with both the city and the community.

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Jane Wells, April 26, 2024

Dear Cathy Vincelli,

My name is Jane Wells and I am writing to you regarding Dufferin Grove Park and the unfortunate decline of the city’s presence in operations there. I have spent many years visiting Dufferin Grove, both as a childcare worker accompanying children to the playground and sand pit, and as a parent with my own son. As you probably know having been to the park, the physical environment there is one of the best in the city: shady and welcoming for families to sit together for hours, while the design of both the playground and the sand pit promote independent exploratory play as well as any good kindergarten classroom does.

I’m told that there is a group in Etobicoke that has approached PFR to help start such a playground there. However the physical environment is only part of what makes Dufferin Grove Park such an extraordinary city resource. The real investment in and attention to the diverse community that gathers there came from the recreation staff who worked at the park, who once elevated it into one of the best communal, creative environments I have ever been in. But this only happened with a mix of experienced and younger staff, committed to seeing every part of the work as their own. Regrettably, it seems now that the playground experience there has deteriorated considerably.

I worked for 20 years at the Art in the Park program in Trinity Bellwoods park and saw time and again, through the large sand pit and water supply we had there (which was the inspiration for the Dufferin Grove adventure play area), the unique and remarkable value of such play for children: it develops engineering and creativity; fosters cooperation, sharing and independence; provides sensory experiences critical to many stages of child development. At Art in the Park we received group visits every summer from City day camps across the west end - yet we still struggled over the years to convince Parks, Forestry and Recreation that the sand play area was worth maintaining and replenishing.

Given the rich results generated by that amazing setting, where children can move easily from the playground to the sand pit, where they can build castles and dig trenches and construct bridges, collaborate and consult with others: this is a play environment that should be a goal for every neighbourhood in the city. I hope Dufferin Grove can become the template.

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Johanne Pulker, Apr 25, 2024

I am a longtime friend, and sometimes participant, in the grove of ancient trees that is now, and has been for several decades, Dufferin Grove Park. It is just under 10 km from where I live in Riverdale. Now in my 80th year, I used to bicycle those 10km to this, the closest place where I felt instantly welcome, immediately assumed to be part of the community whenever I went there. Community- the assumption is that 'strangers' are friendly. Friday Suppers!-standing in a long line of hungry people, meeting new friends at the same table taking grandchildren to the sand pit where all they had to do was start digging and someone else with a shovel was a new friend. Great Events- Clay and Paper, The Market, the Snack Shop, a cob structure built by park people, skating, theatre, the brick oven, freshly baked bread, bike path, rehearsing with Darbazi in the rink house, all on a glorious piece of Earth! Please do whatever you can to help this place thrive, and potentially inspire others to appear.

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Andrea Holtslander, April 25, 2024

Dear Cathy Vincelli,

I spent a great deal time with my children at Dufferin Grove between the years of 2011 and 2019. I was a stay-at-home mom for much of that time. My eldest was born in 2010 and my youngest born in 2014, so I experienced the park with my kids as toddlers growing into further independence through their later childhood.

The sandpit, with a functioning constant flow of water, a good supply of quality wooden-handled child-sized shovels so there was no scarcity, and a fresh top-up of sand was a fantastic play area. Babies could sit in the sand and play, and children of all ages loved making rivers, hills, and dams, in projects together with other children or adults. In addition, pieces of wood were used to make a variety of structures. The creative, cooperative play meant there was always something new to do, and children in the neighbourhood made enduring friendships.

Often in the summertime various day camps would completely overrun the sandpit. The unique play value of the sandpit over a standalone playground is evident when summer day camps put it in their programming.

Having a relationship with consistent, involved staff made a huge difference to my sense of community and security. Park staff made and served affordable healthy food at the nearby cob kitchen, hosted various craft projects with kids nearby on picnic tables, or set up a ‘tea party’ in the sandpit. My kids always knew they could call on the staff if they needed to, and the staff knew them well. One time, my child aged six or seven went off with friends. I couldn’t find him anywhere and asked the staff if they had seen him. They found the group off in some corner of the park I’d overlooked. Another time a little girl of two or three went wandering through the playground crying, obviously lost. I pointed her out to a staff person who took her hand and helped her find her parent who hadn’t noticed she had wandered away.

The sandpit should be supplied again with shovels and fresh sand. There should be regular involved staff who can get to know the kids and families in the community. The pizza ovens were wonderful for children to make their own pizzas, with herbs they picked from the park gardens, and it would be wonderful to revive pizza days, both for the community and school outings.

Since the pandemic, these engaging outdoor play facilities are all the more important as parents are beside themselves with the take-over of their children’s imaginations by devices.

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Jan Mackie, April 25, 2024

Dear Cathy Vincelli,

I have learned that there are some changes coming for the management and supervision of Toronto Parks programs. I would like to speak to the beauty of the community that is Dufferin Grove Park, in hopes that the management will take into consideration what may be needed to enhance this incredible space.

Having been a resident of Toronto from 1969 to 2007, involved in community gardens, schools and children’s play spaces**, I took great interest in the development of Dufferin Grove Park. It was transformed from a very ordinary space to a vibrant community hub that provided spaces for activities for a wide range of local folks, from teenagers to older immigrant men to families. These changes and innovations were brought about by a core of inspired and dedicated local people. The outdoor bread ovens were a first in the city and gave honour & respect to the older Portuguese and Italian residents who had the knowledge and the memories. I was involved in bringing a traditional Uzbekistan yurt to the site one summer, giving the local folks, especially the children, a unique opportunity to learn of and, in a small way, experience a different culture, plus the structure was used for puppetry performances.

A truly unique feature of the park has been the sandpit with the large logs and a very natural feel – this type of space is so important for urban children, some of whom rarely experience natural settings However this type of feature needs careful attention and maintenance to ensure safety. That extra attention is well worth it for the value of experience that the children gain.

The farmer’s market, the Friday night family dinners, the special performances, the bread ovens, - so much has happened at Dufferin Grove Park and could continue but it needs people who are inspired and dedicated to building community and who are paid to remain inspired and connected to the community.

I sincerely hope that the changes that are coming will honour and address the need to retain the vitality that has built Dufferin Grove Park. One way to ensure this is to listen carefully to those who have been instrumental in building a fabulous and well-known space.

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Peter Thillaye, April 24, 2024

Dear Cathy Vincelli, Jutta Mason let me know that you have made time for a briefing from CELOS on Monday. This seems like a good time to let you know what we hope for Dufferin Grove Park.

One of the most tangible and constructive elements that made Dufferin Grove so useful and friendly was that there was always some member of staff or park friend that could advise, suggest or enable something that a family needed or was interested in. This meant that the rink clubhouse, the rinks, the market, the dog area, the playgrounds with its special feature of a sandpit where children were building, the wading pool, the washrooms, the soccer field, the basketball courts, were always in play, always humming. The skate rentals, the learn-to-play-shinny equipment, the bread ovens, the campfires, were all enabled and thrived.

This range of people-activities is crucial, beyond the park maintenance, water for the trees and plants (also essential).

Thank you for your attention to this park. It is apparent to us in the west end that the City of Toronto is strongly intensifying housing density along the transit routes, and a much greater number of people will need green space but also things to do in those spaces. Our city neigbours are economically confined by rents, mortgages, steep food and transportation costs and low employment wages. They need and deserve public spaces that tell them in a visceral, holding-your-daughter’s-hand way, that we are part of the city, the city cares for us and therefore we will return that care for it.

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David Rothberg, Apr 21, 2024

Ms. Vincelli,

Jutta Mason has told me that the city is contemplating ways to make our parks better and has asked me to share thoughts I have about Dufferin Grove during what I, and I think many others, consider its heyday.

I'm happy to comply. Never have I enjoyed being in a park like Dufferin was in the early 2000s.

To me the salient property of the park was being recognized. People who worked in the park knew who you were. They said hi to you. They knew your name. Likewise you recognized them, and knew their names and talked to them and got to know them as they did you.

I think that personable vibe originated in the relationship the staff had with the community volunteers. They worked together so seemlessly I could never figure out who worked for the city and who was a volunteer.

That relationship was salient. The community was invested in the place. The staff was invested in doing a good job. That job was making the people who used the park happy. Biases being aligned as they were, park users were happy. Nobody who worked at Dufferin seemed bored. They seemed engaged ro me.

If I can editorialize: Parks and Rec (or whatever it's called now), we hope, is an institution whose intentions are good. But no matter what its intentions, ultimately it is a public institution, and like all public institutions it tends to prize regulatory efficiency above all else. Your success will depend on how you address that bias.

To present to the community an agenda, or a set of options, cooked up by young people with degrees in planning, may protect against anyone working overtime, or some kid skinning their knee, or petty theft... but ultimately that won't do the trick.

If you want to restore the vibe that lived in Dufferin Grove, if you want a park where people feel at home, where people who work in the park look fulfilled, then the community must be an equal partner right from the initiation stage.

Good luck

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Simon Evans, April 19, 2024

My Name is Simon Evans and have been living in the area of Dufferin park for about 20 years. When we arrived in the area we quickly realized that the park had many things to offer, with a new child the park with the sand area and playground became the place to go meet nieghbours and spend many hours with my young one.

One of the things that struck me was the engagement between park users and the staff, building ideas and allowing the staff the freedom to help start various activities. The cob wall was a perfect example of that, seeing the staff getting empowered and park users learning how to navigate city rules and regulations was a team building exercise that had a ripple effect that was felt for many years.

I hope going forward that the Park can start to recover some of that feeling now the construction is coming to an end and people start to return after the shut downs etc.

With the population growing in the area growing I know things will change as the needs of the people change but I hope that the collaborative nature between city and the public will continue and grow.

Thanks for taking the time to read this

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Andrea Thompson, April 18, 2024

Dear Cathy Vincelli,

Jutta Mason and I had been chatting and she mentioned she was meeting with you on the 29th. I figured this may be a good time to reach out about Etobicoke parks and the work our community is doing to encourage park improvements that create enrichment and connection for our families. As a mom of two young kids, and an avid volunteer in our schools, this is an area I am very passionate about.

Before I get into it fully I want to mention one park that I feel is getting it as close to perfection as we can get in our community, that park is Marie Curtis. It has shaded seating, water features, sand features, bathrooms and fountains. My 8yr old can be occupied in the wading pool and my youngest is happy playing in the sand. It isn’t perfect, it could improve on accessibility, but it is pretty near to it. A solid park!

In contract east mall park, which is relatively new, has quickly deteriorated and not been designed well to ensure comfort of users. The sandbox doesn’t get refilled, the water features become slick with algae build up, and there is very little comfortable and shaded seating. I am hoping this will change this summer season.

I don’t mean to be negative but I think we have many struggling parks here. I regularly have issues finding one that has something which engages my 4yr old and my 9yr old. One is always complaining while the other is entertained. Many lack shaded seating or places to fill our water bottles, making it difficult to stay long. Accessibility is a major issue. Wood chips and features with stairs leave kids in wheelchairs and braces unwelcome.

Jutta and I first connected because I frequently bring my kids to Dufferin Grove and lament that there are no parks like it closer to me, in Etobicoke. It is a park which inspires connection and collaboration. I regularly trek my kids down there and we can stay for an entire day with no complaints. Something to celebrate! I decided to do what I can to create a park like it, near to me. In starting this work I have struggled to learn who to speak to and how to advocate for this park feature. My hope is that in meeting Jutta, and in receiving emails like this one, we can move towards more collaborative efforts between the Parks and Rec departments and community members. I would love to be involved in creating better parks for the entire city.

I hope it is a fruitful meeting.

Content last modified on April 29, 2024, at 02:17 PM EST