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News Roundup for July 5, 2024
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The Future of City-Owned Golf Courses in Toronto

Personally I would like to see a focus on reallocating some of the space for wetlands if possible, provide beaver habitat and watch them transform the area. Will help with erosion, providing more space for wildlife, and hopefully even improving water quality downstream.

Anecdotally I've seen/enjoyed pitch and putt size courses in Vancouver over the years. Both Stanley Park and Queen Elizabeth park have them. They're extremely popular because it's more exciting than mini putt but not at the level of commitment that even a 9 hole course is. We were able to show up as kids and just rent a few clubs and whack the ball around. So I wouldn't be opposed to shrinking the footprint of the lesser used courses to focus on pitch and putt.

When it comes to trail movement, I do want to ensure there's priority planning and access for those who are moving through the ravine and I see it as a key part of an active transportation network.
 
crs1026 said:
I'm a little skeptical of the grow-your-own-food argument applied to land that isn't suited for it.

If one were really concerned with availability of local food, and preserving farm land (I am, very much) one would do better to combat sprawl and loss of farmland for things like, say, Highway 413. Toronto is already pretty much fully built out - trying to squeeze in one more competing use for land is a challenge. If civic land can be utilized as food gardens, I'm all for it... but I don't expect to see that much of it in the city, there just isn't that much suitable land left. And when we have a competing agenda to maximize the tree canopy.....

Now, Metrolinx rights of way....

- Paul
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Hydro Corridors imo provide fantastic space for urban food growing.
 
myself said:
Personally I would like to see a focus on reallocating some of the space for wetlands if possible, provide beaver habitat and watch them transform the area. Will help with erosion, providing more space for wildlife, and hopefully even improving water quality downstream.
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I am a big fan of beavers, but their presence would only be tolerated until they take a shine to trees on private land or flood areas they shouldn't, then they will join raccoons and coyotes. Re-wilding and urban often don't go well together.

While I have no objection to community gardens per se, the issue of non-native planting as mentioned by NL is valid. Also, the proponent returned to the point about people using a community garden to grow food for sale. Although the city probably really can't control 'black market food', it raises a whole host of other issues.
 
myself said:
Personally I would like to see a focus on reallocating some of the space for wetlands if possible, provide beaver habitat and watch them transform the area. Will help with erosion, providing more space for wildlife, and hopefully even improving water quality downstream.
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Love the idea; though, as @lenaitch notes below, the impacts of Beavers will be controlled in Toronto, particularly if it creates any accretive flooding risk due to dams.

But there is also the issue of a finite resource in terms of the preferred trees of Beavers. City staff regularly install anti-beaver measures to protect trees.

The fuzzy little engineers are great and the City will allow them; but won't allow them to re-engineer too much. (Really, its staff bias against precedent, altering Waterways requires an EA and the Beavers refuse to apply or come up with the application fee. ;) )

myself said:
Anecdotally I've seen/enjoyed pitch and putt size courses in Vancouver over the years. Both Stanley Park and Queen Elizabeth park have them. They're extremely popular because it's more exciting than mini putt but not at the level of commitment that even a 9 hole course is. We were able to show up as kids and just rent a few clubs and whack the ball around. So I wouldn't be opposed to shrinking the footprint of the lesser used courses to focus on pitch and putt.
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I actively pitched this idea to staff; and I think its one of the options being looked at for the modified Dentonia Course.

I would have liked to see it considered on a larger scale.

myself said:
When it comes to trail movement, I do want to ensure there's priority planning and access for those who are moving through the ravine and I see it as a key part of an active transportation network.
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100% Agree.

lenaitch said:
I am a big fan of beavers, but their presence would only be tolerated until they take a shine to trees on private land or flood areas they shouldn't, then they will join raccoons and coyotes. Re-wilding and urban often don't go well together.
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There are lots of Beavers in Toronto now..........at least a couple of dozen families.

Where they manage not to make Toronto Water nervous; and not to cause too much change; they are generally accepted. Relocations are rare. Tactics to discourage unwanted behavior are employed first.

But there have been a few Beavers sent packing for causing a headache...... LOL

You'll sometimes see cages like this around vulnerable species: (primarily Aspens and Poplars)

1641596507585.png

from: https://www.beaversww.org/trees-plantings/
 
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^Beaver and mink are pretty easy to find around Humber Bay, and on the Islands. Plenty of evidence of chewed trees down there.
Boaters tell me that mink are a real pest at some of the local marinas - have been known to invade boats, chew every thing in sight, and their scat is toxic (similar to raccoons).

- Paul
 
London has just closed one of it's 3 city-owned golf courses, River Road.

The course had been seeing declining patronage for years and it's continency fund is almost gone yet will require millions in repairs so the city decided to close it this year. The course will be turned into park land and to extend the Thames Valley Parkway which is the green corridor that follows the river through the city on both branches. It allows for Londoners to bike and walk all throughout the city and never encountering a street and is a truly lovely green route and goes right to the Fork of the Thames downtown.

The portion closer to River Road itself will be probably sold off for housing, most of it for low income. It is one the very eastern edge of the city and until the land is sold and redeveloped for the TVP & street front housing, the city is putting up temporary winter shelters on it. Although on the edge of the city, it is served by a regular transit bus. The money saved by not having to subsidize and repair the course will be funneled into the other 2 remaining courses.
 
Andy_in_Toronto said:
Councillor Brad Bradford is somehow convinced that the Dentonia golf course needs to be maintained as is with 18 holes and not reduced to have a continuous trail build.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1480526785322393605

Does anyone know who John F Campbell is and what roles he plays in this?

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I'm not sure how maintaining the course with 9 holes instead of 18 prevents it from being an affordable gateway into sport for locals.
 
Towered said:
I'm not sure how maintaining the course with 9 holes instead of 18 prevents it from being an affordable gateway into sport for locals.
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Turn part of the land into basketball/baseball/tennis courts, and the rest into park land and housing. Let's not pretend golf is like the only (or even the most practical and accessible) gateway to sports.

AoD
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
Turn part of the land into basketball/baseball/tennis courts, and the rest into park land and housing. Let's not pretend golf is like the only (or even the most practical and accessible) gateway to sports.

AoD
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Excellent idea - make more parks fitness oriented where space allows, with a variety of sports infrastructure on offer.
 
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