News   Oct 07, 2024
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Yonge-Dundas Square/Sankofa Square (Brown + Storey Architects)

What do you mean by that?
Do you want Toronto to become like US cities where crime is so rampant that stores are closing? This is not the city I want to live in. We need to stop with this craziness and start doing something about it before it's too late.
...do you really want me to go there? Because none of you are going to like what I have to say about that. And I really don't feel like getting tarred and feathered first thing this morning.

That said, a police detective that was looking into an unrelated matter for me told me that the lack of police presence is due to shortage of staff because of a lack of interest in people joining the forces on recruitment side. Which suggests no matter how pro-police or law and order our municipal government will be, this will always going be a problem here. And for what that's worth.

...and that's all I am going to say on the matter. Thnkx for your time!
 
...do you really want me to go there? Because none of you are going to like what I have to say about that. And I really don't feel like getting tarred and feathered first thing this morning.

That said, a police detective that was looking into an unrelated matter for me told me that the lack of police presence is due to shortage of staff because of a lack of interest in people joining the forces on recruitment side. Which suggests no matter how pro-police or law and order our municipal government will be, this will always going be a problem here. And for what that's worth.

...and that's all I am going to say on the matter. Thnkx for your time!

Just for the record, you were the one that left your comment at "/ugh", so I'm not sure what kind of responses you were expecting.
 
Just for the record, you were the one that left your comment at "/ugh", so I'm not sure what kind of responses you were expecting.
....

You have my answer. Now please drop it. Thnkx!
 
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The granite is a nice material but like everything modern in this dreary city, it's grey and barely stands out from the surrounding concrete. It's probably a big waste to trash all that stone but using a warmer colour would be an instant improvement; add some seating and you're getting close.

Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland and Fed Square in Melbourne come to mind as a couple of ideas to emulate. Warm, red tones used for the paving materials and the use of elevation creating an amphitheatre effect, as well as large stairs that serve as seating.

From there I'd ring the square with hardy, fast growing trees and look at creating a more intentional, grander water feature that really impresses. The Crown Fountain in Chicago comes to mind, although probably a bit too large/ambitious for this location. Surely we can find some middle ground though.
I hear you on the grey and concrete vibe – it can feel a bit monotonous. Bringing in some warmer tones would definitely add a welcoming touch. I love the idea of taking inspiration from places like Pioneer Courthouse Square and Fed Square; those warm, red tones and the amphitheater-style layout sound like they’d bring a whole new vibe to the area.
 
I hear you on the grey and concrete vibe – it can feel a bit monotonous. Bringing in some warmer tones would definitely add a welcoming touch. I love the idea of taking inspiration from places like Pioneer Courthouse Square and Fed Square; those warm, red tones and the amphitheater-style layout sound like they’d bring a whole new vibe to the area.
With that all said...a curious question has made me wonder about the plight of this Square most of us here seem to loath. That is, Is there any chance that The City will ever look to restructuring/redeveloping this into something more desirable? Or this place pretty much a done deal for the ages here?
 
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Link here https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/yo...cle_6855de9e-9a8a-11ee-95ed-8348aef070b4.html
 
Funny little zinger at the end:
Since council's 2021 vote to proceed with renaming, the city has plunged into financial ruin due to costs that skyrocketed during the pandemic and a dramatic plunge in TTC revenues. Premier Doug Ford's government has agreed to a new financial deal that will give the city a large measure of budget relief, but much of it is contingent on federal financial help that has not yet materialized.

Also, what kind of connection does Sankofa have with Toronto besides being some concept which is not necessarily Ghana-exclusive?
 
Erm, Ghana? Alright...but I don't see what this has to do with Canada exactly. If one wants to call up the numbers, the Ghanese make up about 0.2% of the population in Ontario (wikipedia).
The term's fine, but on the face of it has almost nothing to do with Canada. I mean, the sentiment's nice but any number of sentiments could do. Ones of Canadian historical figures, indigenous peoples, geography, etc are plentiful and would make more sense. I think the name should help set the square's sense of place, or context. It's not like there's a shortage of meaningful or poetic things in this country to name it after.
On first blush, the term sounds Russian to me.
Maybe City Hall felt like they would avoid all controversy by going with a deliberately obscure, small thing to pull the name from. Odd and counterproductive, IMO.
 
Even if they rename the square, it'll remain Yonge-Dundas in general vernacular for a long time. Most people stick with what they know and honestly, I don't see Sanfoka Square catching on anytime soon.

Ultimately it's all a performative waste of money to go through with any renaming. Spend that money on actual solutions for issues with inequality, homelessness, etc. Maybe earmark a portion of it for some interpretive pieces that can be installed at the square outlining the controversy with Dundas.
 
The subway stop should reflect the main attraction in the area. TMU isn't it. Might as well rename it Eaton Centre at this point.
 
What a waste of money when homeless people and crackheads are littering the same street. Woke culture at its best. All talk, no show.
If you continue to troll "woke," trying to provoke a fight, you'll soon be greeted by a disinvitation to the party here.

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