Against The Fence

Please click on "Comments" at the bottom of this message and add your vote against the fence.

For The Fence

Please click on "Comments" at the bottom of this message and add your vote for the fence.

Letter Posted in Comments

Editor's note: The following letter template was posted to the site by one of our readers. Because of its length, it was moved here to the main section. You can read the complete text in the "Comment On The Meeting" comments section. Dear Ms. Fletcher: We are very concerned residents of Toronto's Riverdale neighbourhood. We have read your Feb.13 press release. The decision to erect a fence around Withrow Park deals a tremendous blow to our community and is considered by every Riverdale resident we have spoken to as a major and devastating mistake. We love our park and want to be able to continue to use it immediately. The City has responded to the poison crisis by posting guards and now by erecting a fence. These protective and passive measures have already cost tens of thousands of dollars and have not done anything towards a permanent solution of the poison problem. Instead of wasting tax payers' money on passive measures, we demand that the city immediately take proactive measures to clean up the park and make it safe again. We understand the budgetary considerations, and as residents and park users are willing to support the cleanup effort financially. We all understand the public health risks and liability issue the City faces in light of the poison found in the park. Before the cleanup effort starts and while it is underway, there is a simple and rational alternative to the fence: residents should be given the choice to use the park at their own risk. This can be done in the form of waivers park users will have to sign, or warning signs posted in abundance around the park, or any other means of warning the City deems fit. Instead of responding by shutting down the park, the City should provide residents with clear instructions for minimizing the risk of poisoning when using the park. Law suits against the City will be avoided under the "use at own risk" proviso advocated above. As responsible adults we wish to make our own choices, and not be subjected to the type of collective punishment that the fence enforces. To deprive the entire Riverdale community of this wonderful park is a severe and intolerable over-reaction. It will be met with strong resistance from the residents. Business owners stand to lose just as much, not to mention the blow to real estate and home values in the neighborhood. We ask you in the strongest possible terms to reverse the decision to fence in the park, and to reopen the park immediately under the "use at own risk" proviso, and at the same time immediately commence the cleanup effort. Your press release mentions that the "an attempt will be made to to have a fence built that allows for access to the clubhouse and rink facilities". Perhaps you have forgotten the importance of playgrounds to young children, and the relief they provide to parents. The two playgrounds deserve the highest priority. They are used far more regularly and intensively than the clubhouse and rink. Moreover, they are small and confined areas. For this reason it should be possible to test them immediately for the presence of poison and make them safe by simply refreshing the sand if any trace of poison is found. This is an inexpensive and simple solution that will be enormously appreciated by all residents. Over the coming days signatures will be collected from residents and business owners. Letters of protest will be sent to the media. We will not let up until the fence is down and our park restored to us. We anticipate, and look forward to, your full cooperation. Respectfully, YOUR NAME

Load on Server

When the media broadcast our URL last night it caused so many people to come here that they overwhelmed the server and the site crashed. If you tried to post a comment and could not log on try again today. As we move forward we will provide the Riverdale community with a central resource for information relating to Withrow Park and the events that precipitated the fencing. Please return often to review the latest comments, links to related sites, and other information about the park.

Review of Tuesday Evening's Meeting

The meeting was well attended with an estimated 250 residents (and numerous media) coming to express their views on the Withrow Park fence. The City of Toronto was represented by: Superintendent Tony Corrie, Toronto Police 55 Division. Don Boyle, Director, Parks & Recreation, South District. Reg Ayre, Manager, Healthy Environments, South Region. MPP Marilyn Churley of Broadview Greenwood was in the audience as was Paula Fletcher, City Councillor Ward 30. Riverdale's MP, Dennis Mills, could not attend but sent a letter expressing his position. He asked Councillor Paula Fletcher to stop the fence as it let one criminal have the power to disrupt an entire community. Comments from attendees after the meeting suggest it was a very positive exchange, one that probably should have occurred before the City started to build the fence. Rather than reviewing all of the opinions and positions voiced during this two hour meeting (let's leave the press with something to do) the following are the action items the City will respond to. First, the Parks Department will consider a number of options including opening access to the pathways and to one of the playgrounds. Second, the Police said that the park is no longer a crime scene but if more pesticide laden material is found they will reclassify it (or a part of it) as such. Finally, Public Health maintains its position that fencing the park will keep people safe.

Comment On The Meeting

Tonight the Riverdale community will assemble to discuss the city's latest action in response to the Withrow Park affair. City workers were busy today building 4,000 linear feet of fence that will cut off Withrow Park from the rest of Riverdale. Over the next few weeks this site will review the events that led to today's action and will provide community members with a forum for their views on the subject. Please add your thoughts, comments, and suggestions to this ongoing dialogue. We will assemble as many facts as possible in order to keep community members informed. The Editor