Toronto's new multi milion-dollar award-winning wave decks on Queen's Quay shouldn't be altered because of safety concerns, some city councillors say.
Over the past year, the first three of four curvy, wavy, wooden-deck structures at the foot of Spadina Ave., Simcoe, and Rees Sts. have been opened to much acclaim and criticism, but mostly for aesthetic reasons.
This week, though, a local resident who fell on the Simcoe wave deck -- severing a tendon and breaking his kneecap in July -- said he is planning to sue the city because he thinks they are unsafe.
Even the Canadian Safety League warned of "significant" injury risk and potential lawsuits against the city back in July, before Paul Thomas' mishap was reported.
Safety advocates told the Sun Thursday the 650-square-metre wooden boardwalk at the foot of Simcoe St., which has a 42-degree slope at the steepest part, should be closed until engineers make it safer.
But that is not likely going to happen, according to the political masters at City Hall, many of whom stressed yesterday the wave decks were built according to the province's building codes and are safe to use.
Councillor Adam Vaughan, whose ward encompasses all of the wave decks built so far, said "nothing is risk-free" and individuals need to use their own judgement when it comes to using city infrastructure, whether it's the wave decks or playground structures in city parks, all of which he said are built to code.
"The reality is, you put a bike ring on the sidewalk, you can put 10 signs up but somebody might still walk into it," he said, adding he is sympathetic towards Thomas and his injuries. "(But) the city can't sign and make safe every piece of infrastructure, it's just impossible."
The wave decks are the first step in a complete revitalization of Queen's Quay, he said.
"We're pushing the envelope on design here a little bit, but we're pushing the envelope on aesthetics, not on safety."
Councillor Peter Milczyn agreed there is some risk everywhere and individuals needs to exercise caution when using certain structures. There are signs at the wave decks warning users of uneven surfaces and asking people to use caution.
"The risk assessment people, whether at the city or anywhere else, would create a very boring world if it were one completely devoid of anything that might remotely pose a hazard to anybody," Milczyn said.
He said the only reason the city should revisit the wave decks is if some safety code was inadvertently missed by the city's risk assessment team.
"But I've seen the wave decks, and they don't seem to me that they are inherently unsafe, and I don't think somebody takes a risk walking on it," he said.
Councillor Rob Ford, though, thinks the city should look into the safety of the wave decks, now that someone has come forward with a complaint about them.
"If it (an injury) happened to one person, how many other people has it happened to and they haven't reported it?" he asked. "At the end of the day, if it is unsafe, then we have to make it safe."
The wave decks are part of Waterfront Toronto's revitalization of Queen's Quay, and are costing all three levels of government $16 million combined, with the federal government paying for most of the construction.
They were designed by Rotterdam firm West 8, and have won several architecture awards since first opening last September.
BRYN.WEESE@SUNMEDIA.CA