Vine Parkette Jr play area looks to be ready in days

 

[caption id="attachment_8830" align="aligncenter" width="490" caption="sorry about the blur the combo of my hands and fence proved difficult"][/caption]

Attempting to photograph this huge and complicated play structure it appeared to this author early this morning to somewhat funny as to the layers of seemingly fun yet an exciting and scary obstacle course in all vectors of x y and z.

The back lot green area, which is a bit difficult to get to now from the east or mid entrance of the park is being wonderfully grassed over.

[caption id="attachment_8831" align="aligncenter" width="490" caption="The new grassed area - grassed over baseball diamond area - think the blog will refer to it as the back lot"][/caption]

 

Bulb Planting in Your Park!

The JRA has received 1000 bulbs (Carlton, Thalia, Chionodoxa luciliae, and Scilla siberica) from the Toronto Parks and Tree Foundation as part of their BULBS (Better Urban Landscape through Bulbs) Program. Join us on Saturday, October 17th, 1pm  at one of three parks (Vine Parkette, Malta Park and Maria Park) to help plant them, for a flowery surprise in the new season.   If you'd like to find out more info or help organizing, please contact Morty @ nancy@lawrenceparkgardencare.com.

When is park play equipment the right park play equipment?

[caption id="attachment_1953" align="alignnone" width="439" caption="Landscape Structures Playground equipment in Halifax NS."][/caption]

The improvements to the playground equipment in Vine Parkette and Sir Casimir Gzowski Park, were much welcomed efforts by the Toronto Parks department. The Sir Casimir Gzowski Park project stands out for the wonderful and successful work of the Toronto Parks department -- Manager Partnership Development, as the project was funded and organized by the Partnership Development section in the amount of a $80,000 donation from “Bay Street Fore A Cau$e”. Securing these funds where no monies were available in the Toronto Parks capital budget was a great achievement. {full report in link opens in new window}

Toronto Parks has a good Partnership Development Department. But one wonders if the department in charge of the choice and installation of the play structures could seek out more innovative and creative equipment for our community parks. The City of Toronto has to be highly concerned about the liability and safety issues of all children's play structures, but does safety not need to be balanced with child motor skill development, creative play and mostly fun.

[caption id="attachment_1960" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="Landscape Structures Inc's "Evos" climbers slide"][/caption]

Enhancements that would have particular benefit of our inner city parks:

• a challenging playground for the creative mind and body


• provide physical fitness benefits which would help combat the rise in childhood obesity


• a well designed structure which encourages social interaction and builds positive interpersonal skills


• an environment which is inclusive to those with different abilities


• scenarios which would promote parent-child play

To achieve this goal the City staff whom are responsible for design, safety and management of play structure installation will have to work alongside several other key City departments. Consultation needs to be done with the Risk Management Department and the City Solicitor to examine how to create play structures which ensure the utmost safety for children yet does not sacrifice the creative and physical development of the child.

An example of a company which has a very reputable history of designing challenging yet, safe play structures for children is Landscape Structures [link] which is located in Delano, MN. The company is represented in Canada by ABC Recreation of Paris, Ontario [link]


Landscape Structures statement on their site


Research shows that children who have opportunities to play in natural settings are typically healthier and more likely to become adults who will respect and protect the earth.

Landscape Structures, the premier provider of innovative playground [Link opens in new window]

[caption id="attachment_1964" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Xwave park play toy"][/caption]

Another interesting company is Xccent’ playground components [link] one of their products the x-wave is similar to an old seesaw but can fit up to 20 kids.

Roundhouse Rail Heritage, a lot to work on...

photo credit: wyliepoon


The John Street Roundhouse was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway (“CPR”) in 1929
to service the steam locomotives that hauled CPR passenger trains into the new Union
Station. When steam engines were finally retired in 1959-60, the Roundhouse was
converted to servicing diesel locomotives and it remained in service until 1986.

This report details progress on the implementation of the Rail Heritage Museum initial phase of Rail Heritage Museum involves three bays of the Roundhouse and re-establishing a modest portion of the rail
heritage landscape to help interpret the site. This will be accomplished by placing radial
display track from the turntable into the park to showcase the rail artifact collection
consisting of locomotives and other rolling stock, and opening a series of restored railway
structures to the public, including the original Don Station which is being moved from
Todmorden Mills.

It also impact that a new hydro transformer station (Hydro One) might have on this National Historic Site.

Other interesting sections of the report

Roundhouse Rail Heritage
The Toronto Railway Historical Association is a registered Canadian charitable
organization, established in 2001, to promote the development of the museum at the
Roundhouse. The vision of TRHA for the Rail Heritage Museum is to link three
component sites: the Roundhouse, Roundhouse Park and Union Station. While the
TRHA has undertaken various actions such as participation in the annual Doors Open
event to promote interest in the Rail Heritage Museum as well as organizing regular
public tours of Union Station, it has not been possible for them to prepare a detailed
operational plan due to the remaining uncertainties with the Roundhouse restoration and
other issues. The TRHA working with the Tenant, City staff and other appropriate
stakeholders have been able to resolve the following:
1. Resolution of rail cars ownership issues
2. Finalization of plans for the integration of the Rail Heritage Museum within
Roundhouse Park
3. Finalization of condition assessments for the restoration of various rail heritage
elements such as the Coal and Sanding Tower, Don Station and Cabin D
4. Development of a cost plan for the capital needs of the Museum and
establishment of an operating direction (with help from the Museum of Science
and Technology)
5. Formulation, in consultation with Parks, Forestry and Recreation; Preservation
Services; and Planning, for the Restoration of the Coal/Sanding Tower, a park
lighting scheme, landscape improvements and interim construction access

John Street Roundhouse -  city changes Full report [opens in new window]

Are condo developers taking over park development in West Toronto?

The artist rendering plan of the West Toronto condo development above is only an example of the park like setting most west end condo developers are placing in the their multiplex  building projects.

Look at all the park like features included for the use of their customers, in the above example they even include a putting green and a water fall, and a “community” BBQ area.  All of these are great recreational park features, present in many public parks.

Developer efforts made in this manner are great for those who purchase the condos in their development. They will have many of the amenities present in public parks right there at the foot of their building  to use. Greater access and ease of use than using the same conveniences in a public park, which is the worrying part – will private developer parks contribute to the breakdown in ground level community support to public parks.

Why put effort into a community park if the one outside your door is there for me, many people will ask. Of course there are many reasons, such as community cohesion, but thoughts such as these require contemplation and effort which many people do not have the time for in a city that people have come to expect good city parks.

Developer parks something coming upon the west end fast without much realization.

Posted by Robert

City of Toronto Council items of note: Dasher board system at High Park Ice Rink

Picture credit - Grant Macdonald Flickr

Construction during November 2008 and be finished  in December 2008 to replace dasher board system at High Park Artificial Ice Rink. New dasher boards will be purchased and installed using a donation of $150,000.00 from Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment on Wikipedia [opens in new window]

Parks, Forestry and Recreation will contribute $45,000 towards the joint project to repair the surrounding fencing at the same facility.

The cities acceptance of this donation was moved by: Councillor Saundercook and seconded by: Councillor Grimes. This type of basic, down-to-needs effort from elected members is just what they should be doing.

Posted by Robert

Exhibition Place: Ghostly Secrets Revealed Wednesday, October 29th at 7:00 p.m

from Heritage Toronto site

Exhibition Place: Ghostly Secrets Revealed

On Wednesday October 29th at 7:00 p.m., please join Steve Collie for a very special ghost tour of the Exhibition Grounds, with all proceeds benefiting the United Way.

Exhibition Place is known for its bright lights and entertaining shows, but lurking below the surface are a few well-kept secrets that, until this walking tour, were primarily known only to staff who work the late shift. That the grounds should harbour otherworldly visitors is not much of a surprise: the Horticulture Building was once used as a temporary morgue; the current site of the CNE midway was a bloody battlefield during the War of 1812; and the grounds were once home to two military forts. Not to mention the CNE's own long history, going back to 1879 - plenty of time and plenty of reasons for an accumulation of "things that go bump in the night."

Date: Wednesday, October 29th
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Leader: Steve Collie
Start Point: General Services Building, 2 Manitoba Drive at Strachan Ave. (north of the Princes' Gate entrance to the Exhibition Grounds)
Finish Point: Scadding Cabin
Length: Approximately 2-3 hrs.
Difficulty: Long walk on level ground; some stairs
Cost: $5.00 charge per person with all money raised going to United Way

Vine parkette drop test passes with flying colours

Monday Morning (Oct 14/08) a team of three parks employees conducted a drop test in the new playground area to ensure they area was surface safe for children playing on the playground equipment. Alphe Savoie a playground practitioner with the parks department made the test with two of his park department associates.

The test was made with the  Triax 2000 triaxial accelerometer which measures impact in three dimensions using a hemispheric shaped head from. The head from is dropped from a tripod from a distance -  in this case of approx 8 feet. The Gs, HIC, and impact velocity are measured. the velocity, time, and date of each drop are reported. The city then archives this data for compliance reporting.



The results of   this mornings test are as follows. The numbers listed below are representative of all the drops done at the testing time, all of which  I watched.

Peak of 55 ( Gs)  where the upper limit  number is 200

Peak of 158 (HIC) where the upper limit  number is 1000

You can see by the numbers the surfcae passed with flying colours.

Posted by Robert