Toronto Sherbourne Common, Canada's Sugar Beach, and the Water's Edge Promenade | ?m | ?s | Waterfront Toronto | Teeple Architects

My whole house is riddled with unsightly children's toys, must all our nice public spaces be cluttered with unsightly playgrounds as well? Kids can figure out how to have a good time with a box and an empty field. The modern playground at Sherbourne Common allows for a fun kid's space while (1) not ruining the appearance of the space for everyone else, and (2) limiting the City's exposure to liability because it is not a 1970s deathtrap.
 
I'll take the deathtrap any day! But seriously, I don't think it's that dangerous if accompanied by an adult if the child is too young. They those at daycare and kindergarten as well. Should schools ban them if they're so deadly? Those playgrounds are fun. I love them. They're good for children and adults. I've gone to the park and made use of the swings before and I wasn't a child. I would use the slide too if it wasn't so small. Monkey bars are too short for adults to play with too. Too bad. But great for kids. My nephew keeps using the bunk bed bars to swing...
 
I was joking with the "deathtrap" comment, and don't mean to engage in a debate about playground safety. My main point was aesthetic, and that a great old playground would make Sherbourne Common look like an old schoolyard, which is presumably not what we want. But maybe I'm wrong, as a few commenters on this thread really seem to like playgrounds.
 
Even playground could be aesthetically pleasing. Like the roundhouse playground. It hard part of a shape of a train. I thought that was so cool. I never noticed it until one of the forumers posted the photo. It could have been a bit bigger though. I noticed it got pretty crowded with all the kids when I went to check it out.

Also, if it had a good playground at Sherbourn Commons, it would make a great filming area too. In Asian dramas, I notice they frequently have film shoots at parks of adults going there whenever they're filming an sad scene. Would make a cool backdrop with all the beautiful night lights of the water and waterfall. The skating area would make another nice filming scene too. If we have things others don't have. It might attract more film industry to come over and film which brings in investments and jobs.
 
Last edited:
MafaldaBoy said:
^thats what I meant when I said playground... slides, monkey bars and the like. I guess the swings and seesaws are alright, but I kinda wanted more variety in the equipment used :/
Click to expand...
There seemed to be a shortage of swings - but my 4-year old loved it. The splash pad in particular is great.

The only complaint I've got is how dangerous it is to cross Queens Quay at around 5:30 pm from one part of the playground to the other. I'm surprised that someone hasn't been run over yet, given the number of small kids I saw with adults trying to cross a 4-lane road in rush-hour.
 
nfitz said:
There seemed to be a shortage of swings - but my 4-year old loved it. The splash pad in particular is great.

The only complaint I've got is how dangerous it is to cross Queens Quay at around 5:30 pm from one part of the playground to the other. I'm surprised that someone hasn't been run over yet, given the number of small kids I saw with adults trying to cross a 4-lane road in rush-hour.
Click to expand...

Apparently WT and the City will be addressing the obvious problem of crossing Queen`s Quay next spring (and improving the cycle and pedestrian paths on the south side). It`s odd they did not think of this when building a park on two sides of a busy road but `Better late than never`.
 
DSC said:
Apparently WT and the City will be addressing the obvious problem of crossing Queen`s Quay next spring (and improving the cycle and pedestrian paths on the south side). It`s odd they did not think of this when building a park on two sides of a busy road but `Better late than never`.
Click to expand...

Pedestrian bridge over Queens Quay? ;) :D

I would have said tunnel, but they can get kinda rapey at night.
 
nfitz said:
There seemed to be a shortage of swings - but my 4-year old loved it. The splash pad in particular is great.
Click to expand...

I second that. I think the splash pad is the best thing built for kids there. My little nephew was there and loved it so much, he didn't want to leave.
 
It's not that they didn't think of a safe crossing. There is supposed to be a traffic light and crosswalk there, along with a couple of streetcar stops. It's just that they didn't build it.
 
CapitalSeven said:
It's not that they didn't think of a safe crossing. There is supposed to be a traffic light and crosswalk there, along with a couple of streetcar stops. It's just that they didn't build it.
Click to expand...
And yet they spent years building a children's playground that requires you to cross a 4-lane road to get from one part to another.

The outcome is quite predictable. If any child is killed here before the crossing opens, I hope someone is charged with manslaughter.
 
It is pretty stupid, considering how many children live very close by, on The Esplanade. If a child wonders over and uses the playground, then has to go to the washroom, they have to cross the street, which is more like a highway, on this part of Queen's Quay. You would have to walk all the way to Church Street (and back) or all the way over to Parliament, to cross at a light. The lights should have been put in BEFORE the park was built. It's just too dangerous the way it is now. I would think it's just common sense but sometimes common sense is hard to find in city planning. (in this city, anyway)
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
Well that's what the parents are supposed to be there for? Besides, everything along QQ will have to be ripped up.

AoD
Click to expand...

Yes, and kids never go anywhere without their parents, right? Weren't you ever a child? If kids are anything like I was, they will wonder off on their own. Hell, when I was young, I was always wandering off to all kinds of fun places to play. This park is very close to the Esplanade, where a lot of children live, so it's not unreasonable that some might walk here to see all the cool things in this park. Let's say an adult is present, with 2 kids and one of those kids needing to use a washroom? It's a hard enough road to cross alone, never mind with a few kids. The traffic here is heavy and very fast moving. I frequently have problems crossing here especially near rush hour. It's just bad planning to not have a crossing light here when the park opened. It's dangerous the way it is right now.
 
Of course it is dangerous, just like all the wavedecks, Sugar Beach, etc are potentially dangerous. Are we so litigitious that we need to "suicide watch" the society? Not so say that there shouldn't be a stop light - but is that really the priority considering the wholesale redo in the area to come? Besides, like kids are going to follow stoplights if they are prone to wander off in the first place.

Hell yes you bet I did wander - and I did it worse than most, I suspect.

AoD
 
Last edited:
AlvinofDiaspar said:
Well that's what the parents are supposed to be there for? Besides, everything along QQ will have to be ripped up.
Click to expand...
For a 4-year old sure ... but what about a 10-year old. I'm sure they've been told not to cross the street. Even an adult may be at risk at rush-hour.

There's no reason they couldn't have delayed the opening of the park until the crossing was available. Or perhaps just close Queens Quay to through traffic - not great for drivers, but a better option than someone getting killed. Don't see any reason for anyone to drive very far on Queens Quay, unless they are trying to avoid the road they should be on - Lakeshore.
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top