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Head of Slips (Waterfront Toronto, West 8/DTAH)

Visited the Simcoe Wavedeck yesterday (Sunday) afternoon. It's a smashing success! The kids were freaking out. The grown-ups were tickled. I was impressed by how cool parents were in guiding their little tykes across the waves. Congrats WaterfronToronto. Job well done. :)
 
I was talking to some of the project team on Sunday and the one thing that has come out of the opening of the deck, we have created a unplan play ground for kids.

This was never plan during all our meetings on the slip desgin. I have been calling for some playgrounds so kids can play that live on the waterfront in the first place.

How long this slid will work is an unknown question. As long kids keep using it, it should stay slipply until winter.

Kids get hurt all the time and it up to the parents to reduce the risk. I saw a mother pull her dauther down the steep slop as she slid back down after the dauther made it to the top. Kids are over protected today.

Saw a number of skat boaders trying to use both decks this weekend with one having their picture taken by their father of person.
 
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Steep was the best part.

My 12-year old daughter and I were down on Saturday. The food and the Cirque were fun, but the wavedeck was possibly THE highlight! Not often you can say that about a goofy-looking walkway.

I'm really looking forward to the footbridges. They'll look cool, but more importantly they'll make the whole water's edge a great stroll without having to keep cutting back to the sidewalk.
 
They certainly are nice, although its a shame the beauty of cedar will be dulled over the next year.

When I was at a Waterfront meeting at Harbourfront Centre a couple of months ago, the plans had indicated that there were to be quite a few more wave decks, even one at the foot of Dan Lecki way/Bathurst, to the east of City School. But in all of the articles I have read the last couple of days, they refer to only 5. Can anyone clarify?
 
What's the deal with that fake grass stuff that was all over? Whatever it was, it was actually very impressive... at first I thought it was just the most well kept grass I've ever seen in my life. You really have to look closely to realize it isn't real.

If that's the same stuff that's lining BMO field, I really don't see what all the complaining is about.
 
fake grass is a good idea. No problems with dandelions and their puffs (some may be allergic), its environmentally friendly (save us from wasting water to water grass when we're in a drought), save maintenance fees for mowing the lawn, no problems with crawling insects (I think), and it will look nice even when tons of people walk all over them.
 
AKS said:
fake grass is a good idea. No problems with dandelions and their puffs (some may be allergic), its environmentally friendly (save us from wasting water to water grass when we're in a drought), save maintenance fees for mowing the lawn, no problems with crawling insects (I think), and it will look nice even when tons of people walk all over them.
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Now that I think about it, I've walked on the artificial grass surface in the SkyDome during the auto show. And I'm relatively certain I did it after they replaced the astroturf with the new FieldTurf (the same stuff they use in BMO field). Whatever they had down on queens quay was light years ahead of either.... it really did look and feel like real grass...
 
New Grass at Harbourfront Centre

The almost real looking but fake grass put down by Harbourfront Centre around the new bandshell was a huge success. It got an equal amount of attention and use as the new wavedeck.

These projects are nice gestures to the future potential of the waterfront, however I believe we are ready for a bold step forward with the redevelopment of Queen's Quay!

Louroz
 
rdaner said:
A practical reason for the curve of the slips.

564384173_JuivN-S.jpg
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That's what I first saw when West8/DTAH first presented their proposal. I love kayaking but there are so few places on the central waterfront (i.e. near me) to launch. The Rees slip will be perfect for this.
 
In fact, when I was there a little girl fell, scrapped her knee and cried forever. Another kid hit his head on the railing and again more crying. Wasn't that fun of an experience for me.
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Doesn't seem like you have kids. Kids fall and cry all the time. You should see the bruises my 3 year old has. It comes with the territory. And she had a great time sliding down the deck.
 
Canada Square

The last I asked about it, it was working its way through the process. It's def on the radar screen. I'm also pleased to see it formally listed as a project of Waterfront Toronto.

I'll ask once again about timeline and will report back on anything.

Louroz
 
allabottmatt:

From the minutes of the Feb 11 Waterfront Design Review Panel - p. 3:

Canada Square Feasibility Study
The Canada Square Feasibility Study has been completed and a business plan is current being crafted which could see the future development of the site and an associated underground parking facility. A pre-concept design for a cultural village has been proposed by the West 8+DTAH Team.
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http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/dbdocs//49e891f753260.pdf

AoD
 
Seen today at the Simcoe wavedeck:

Early twenties man in dreads and no shirt, sitting astride his bike up on the eastern end of the benches, looking down towards the hills at the other end as a girl on a bike dares him to ride down the benches, use it as a ramp over the rail and on to the hill. Eventually, he thought better of it. I wanted to scream, "Do you know how much that thing costs?"

Also seen, a couple younger acrobatic guys, making the five foot standing broad jump from rail to rail in between the rises.

I love the look of this entire project, all the decks and the bridges, on paper and on Waterfront Toronto postcards, but the thought of 5 million dollars for a wooden deck/ jungle gym/ skateboard park makes my stomach hurt.
 
^ Hey, a light post in this city costs as much as a bachelor condo @ CityPlace. How do prices get so inflated? Bureaucracy? Unions? I have no clue how a concrete pole could cost $150K...
 
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