High Park

[W. K. Lis]

The High Park Zoo is scheduled to close June, 2012.

This is due to the artificial budget crisis created by Rob Ford.

Please save the High Park Zoo from closing. As a kid, I went to the park and zoo. As a parent, I went to the park and zoo. The zoo is an important part of the history and environment of High Park.

During the Great Depression, when the city of Toronto was in a real financial crisis, the High Park Zoo stayed open. During those years, property owners had their properties foreclosed due to non-payment of their property taxes. The city did not have a good source of revenue coming in. However, even during those years, the High Park Zoo stayed open for parents and their children.

Today, Rob Ford created an artificial financial crisis that is not based in reality. We are not in another depression like the 1930's. Yet, he wants to close the High Park Zoo, for no good reason.

Please do not close the High Park Zoo.

It is located just west of the Jamie Bell Adventure Playground. The same one that had an arson fire.

Contact your Councillor. I would at least CC the Mayor, but...

 

[Ahsun]

Today, Rob Ford created an artificial financial crisis that is not based in reality. We are not in another depression like the 1930's. Yet, he wants to close the High Park Zoo, for no good reason.

Food?

 

[Urban Shocker]

Why not? Whitehouse Meats at the St. Lawrence sells ostrich, which is rather nice, and emu, kangaroo and camel. During the Franco Prussian war, Parisians ate Castor and Pollux, their zoo elephants.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Pheasants for the Mayor's table?

 

[Torontovibe]

It would be a shame to lose the High Park Zoo. (or any of the small farms/zoos) It's the little things like that which make a city charming and interesting to explore, especially with children. Are we really that petty of a city to close down these nice surprises, just to save a tiny amount of money? I find that sad.

 

[W. K. Lis]

From the Toronto Archives: Item 11879 - High Park - people watching animals at pen - April 25, 1915, which could disappear from the Toronto scene, unless reversed.

 

[PinkLucy]

Looks like the zoo could be around til December at least: http://www.thestar.com/news/article...ld-be-saved-by-last-minute-cash-donation?bn=1

 

[themarc]

Looks like the zoo could be around til December at least: http://www.thestar.com/news/article...ld-be-saved-by-last-minute-cash-donation?bn=1

That's not a long term and sustainable plan... They need to potential sponsors in up front or they are just playing roulette with good resources.

 

[PinkLucy]

True, but it gives them some more time to get those sponsors.

 

[W. K. Lis]

There still is the Riverdale Farm and Far Enough Farm to worry about.

 

[TrickyRicky]

As was mentioned the zoo is far from saved although it buys it some time. What really makes me mad about this is not the closing of the zoo itself. What makes me mad is that for over a hundred years generations of Torontonians kept up this facility and we are the one's to close it to save a few pennies for our own selfish ends. Shame. But not shame on the Mayor shame on us.

 

[Hipster Duck]

I hate to sound like a Neocon, but sometimes we do expect the government to do too much. If this zoo were in, say, New York or Chicago, it would be managed by a professional non-profit with some very wealthy friends and a very serious fundraising mandate. It would be cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing. It would be free of ads and free to enter. Everybody would be better off, from the taxpayer to the user.

I don't advocate these solutions all the time, but the two little zoos (Riverdale and High Park) are ripe for this kind of setup: they're located in affluent neighbourhoods and many of the patrons are liberal, educated, upper middle class parents who want to expose their children to education and culture and care about their property values. They surely would benefit from having a nice, well-maintained zoo right in their neighbourhood. I'm sure that the right organization can convince enough people to dig into their pockets to not only make this little zoo survive, but shine.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Agreed. I don't think it is Neocon to solicit private support when it is well within the capacity of the community to do so. In fact it might prove to be a healthy development, increasing the sense of community ownership and stewardship.

AoD

 

[gabe]

Chicago has the only free zoo in America. ( Lincoln Park Zoo ) I must say the Lincoln Park Zoo offered so much more than I had expected! I was really impressed. The entire Lincoln Park area is so well maintained. I prefer it over Millennium Park.

 

[Urban Shocker]

The old Riverdale zoo, which closed in the early '70s, was a sad, squalid affair, with a few large moth-eaten animals on display. As an adult, I've never understood the attraction of these places, even the big fancy one they opened to replace Riverdale.