Toronto Berczy Park Revitalization | ?m | ?s

[DSC]

Someone gave the doggos knitted scarves. I love this park:

Yes, the Parks guys kitted them out for the long winter! I understand the orange cones are there to protect the bases of the 'water dogs' - who went south for the winter for a touch-up.

 

[pman]

Is Parks going to do that every winter?

 

[DSC]

The DOGS ARE BACK from their winter vacation or face-lift. Now to get Parks to turn the water on......

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Maybe they should start an "adopt a dog" campaign to raise funds for upkeep.

AoD

 

[Christopher Brown]

Maybe they should start an "adopt a dog" campaign to raise funds for upkeep.

AoD

There is a campaign.

$3,000,000 in Sec. 7 to fund the Park. Concert paid, but it wasn't charity. It didn't come from the Tooth Fairy. They recouped it from the sales to 88 Scott purchasers. Another source of lucre would be Land Transfer Tax and of course, something else called Property Tax.

All of which gets vacuumed into a giant pot City Councillor considers a personal piggy bank to raid for whatever fanciful ideas they might dream up, e.g., Layton's breathtaking proposition of launching courtroom Armageddon against oil companies instead pedestrian notions like maintaining the Park in reasonable shape one year after the Grand Opening.

What are the odds this one special and immensely popular addition to downtown continues its sad slide into a field of mud and weeds?

 

[DSC]

There is a campaign.

$3,000,000 in Sec. 7 to fund the Park. Concert paid, but it wasn't charity. It didn't come from the Tooth Fairy. They recouped it from the sales to 88 Scott purchasers. Another source of lucre would be Land Transfer Tax and of course, something else called Property Tax.

All of which gets vacuumed into a giant pot City Councillor considers a personal piggy bank to raid for whatever fanciful ideas they might dream up, e.g., Layton's breathtaking proposition of launching courtroom Armageddon against oil companies instead pedestrian notions like maintaining the Park in reasonable shape one year after the Grand Opening.

What are the odds this one special and immensely popular addition to downtown continues its sad slide into a field of mud and weeds?

Funds received under Section 37 (not 7) of the Planning Act. In part this reads:
37 (1) The council of a local municipality may, in a by-law passed under section 34, authorize increases in the height and density of development otherwise permitted by the by-law that will be permitted in return for the provision of such facilities, services or matters as are set out in the by-law.

Condition
(2) A by-law shall not contain the provisions mentioned in subsection (1) unless there is an official plan in effect in the local municipality that contains provisions relating to the authorization of increases in height and density of development.

Section 37 $$ must be used to support an activity mentioned in the Official Plan and must be spent in the vicinity of the project that has led to them.

Most Councillors consult widely with the neighbourhood about where they/we want funds spent. Pam McConnell (who was our Councillor when Berczy was planned) certainly did so and allocating funds to the Park were widely supported.

Section 37 funds cannot be used for regular maintenance - this is supposed to come from taxes and, of course, we have a Mayor who seems to think taxes in Toronto can remain the lowest in our region.

 

[DSC]

The FOUNTAIN is being started up 'as we speak" and the City are replacing a couple of trees. Spring is (I hope) in the air.

 

[deerparker]

The last time I walked through, there was no 'ladder' between the two hand sculptures. It was there for a bit last year. @DSC - any idea what happened to it?

 

[DSC]

The last time I walked through, there was no 'ladder' between the two hand sculptures. It was there for a bit last year. @DSC - any idea what happened to it?

Not sure but I think it was found to be unsafe. Whether it's gone forever or undergoing artist mods I do not know. Maybe email Friends of Berczy group?

 

[smably]

Huh, a university town in Ohio is getting their own version of the dog fountain.

South Main Plaza - CCxA

www.claudecormier.com

Inspired by the dog fountain at Berczy Park in Toronto, citizens of Mount Vernon, Ohio, sought to animate Main Street in their town centre with a similar gesture. Through fundraising and a grant from a local foundation, the project was launched to create a circular basin with 21 dogs around a golden bone perched on a classic Victorian fountain pedestal. Herringbone brick paving, the plaza and fountain, as well as other site animations for public interaction (such as a life-sized cast-iron pony) embody the history of the town and the vernacular of the region.

 

[Northern Light]

Huh, a university town in Ohio is getting their own version of the dog fountain.

South Main Plaza - CCxA

www.claudecormier.com

Imitation is the sincerest form of.............

But hey, ours is nicer anyway......... LOL

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Huh, a university town in Ohio is getting their own version of the dog fountain.

South Main Plaza - CCxA

www.claudecormier.com

All the power to them, and kudos to hiring CCA for the job. It's nice to see others get inspired and imitate what we do for a change.
(and yes, ours is a lot nicer - the canines excepted, since they are all nice).

AoD

 

[Tuscani01]

No cat in theirs, so it's terrible.

 

[Amare]

Toronto should be honoured, it's been a long time since another city has chosen to imitate anything from us. Not like in the 70s and 80s where people from around the world would come here to see how we do various things.

 

[Irishmonk]

Toronto should be honoured, it's been a long time since another city has chosen to imitate anything from us. Not like in the 70s and 80s where people from around the world would come here to see how we do various things.

Yep, "The city that works", with our "tiny, perfect mayor". Good times.