Compiled by Marisa Kelly, photos by Hailey Alexander
Continuing from the August & September editions we review area parks and assign a letter grade. Park amenities, tree coverage, seating and waste management all go into the evaluations each year.
In 2021, the City of Toronto opened up 79 new public washrooms for use throughout the winter, nearly doubling the previous number. This project was a direct response to pandemic restrictions which made access to public washrooms extra challenging, making life especially hard for vulnerable segments of the population.
Compiled and photos by Madeline Smart
By Nabahat Hussain
The Annex has just three designated off-leash dog park areas: Bickford Park, Ramsden Park, and Vermont Square Park. A 2018 motion to add a fourth off-leash area (OLA) in the neighbourhood is now underway at Huron Street Playground. Located just northwest of Bloor Street West and St. George Street, the park currently has a few playground structures including a rope climber, a sandbox, a swing set, and a small rock-climbing structure.
In this year’s installment of evaluating park spaces within the Gleaner’s catchment area, our observers noted the impressive revival of Queen’s Park North showing what a great city can do when it focuses its imagination and resources. The neglected Euclid Avenue Park, near Koreatown, shows what happens when these resources are withheld. Compiled by Mary An, Tanya Ielyseieva, and Nicole Stoffman.
This is our first set of park reviews for 2019. The Annex and its surroundings are blessed with a rich array of green space — much of it under the umbrella of city parks. We grade them here, every year using many parameters. Many a venue to run your dog, laze away a day, grab a seat in the sunshine, or shade, push a child on the swing set, the Annex has it all.
By Brian Burchell
This female Eastern White Wild Turkey, dubbed “Rose” by neighbours, seems to enjoy her mini-range consisting of Christie Pits, Bickford, and Art Eggleton parks.
Tall trees provide lots of shade for the University of Toronto faculty and students who often congregate at Bloor-Bedford Parkette. Easily accessible from St. George station or the parking lot behind the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, the park also features paved walkways and several benches. AHMED-ZAKI HAGAR/GLEANER NEWS
The new and improved Bickford Park is a great place to take in the autumn leaves. It features large fields, a customized dog park, and new benches. GEREMY BORDONARO/GLEANER NEWS
By Mike Layton
PHOTO BY GEREMY BORDONARO/GLEANER NEWS: There’s lots for kids to do at the recently renovated Margaret Fairley Park, where the installation of a new wading pool and seating area is almost complete. The revitalized park has a determined Muskoka feel to it that might strike some as a bit too sterile.
PHOTO BY NOELLE DEFOUR/GLEANER NEWS: Dogs ramble at Bickford Park, home to one of the city’s off-leash areas.
By Annemarie Brissenden
After a year of public consultations, the City of Toronto’s Municipal Standards and Licensing Division (MS&L) will propose an amendment to the section of the Toronto Municipal Code that governs dogs and dog behaviour.