"The Truth Is A Fluid Not A Solid"

Media coverage of the WIthrow Park affair continues unabated. From the day the first tainted wieners were found Toronto media has converged on the park in the hopes of getting a sound bite or perfect quote from passing Riverdale residents. Reporters have invariably taken these words of wisdom and boiled them down to a story about conflict, anger, and intrigue. Carbofuran is referred to as a poison rather than an insecticide and dog owners and parents live in fear. This is not the Riverdale that residents are experiencing, nor does it represent our vision for the park. Let us know what you think. Has the media covered the story or spun it?

Will Parts Of The Park Open Soon?

Reg Ayre of Public Health offered hope Friday that at least parts of the park may be opened much sooner than 4 to 6 weeks from now. In addition to the twice daily inspections by two Parks employees, on Monday a team of 10 will be examining large parts of the park. With the warm weather causing the snow to retreat, he is hopeful that the team will be able to gather sufficient information for an assessment about the safety of re-opening at least part of the park. He also indicated, much to the disappointment of some, that the City back-tracked from its commitment to open the north playground early this week due to the deep snow in that part of the park.

Wiener Found Yesterday?

When theparkaffair.com spoke with City of Toronto Public Health officials Friday morning we were told that no tainted wiener was found Thursday. As it was explained to us, a Withrow Park supervisor, Sandy Straw, found an area of snow that looked discoloured. It was inspected, Toronto Police did not take samples, and there was no indication that the snow discolouration had anything to do with the recent tainted wiener discoveries. Later in the day we were told that a wiener part was found but it was not contaminated. Then, following that, the city released a statement saying a wiener had been discovered and it was contaminated after all. Riverdale's ordeal of political intrigue, speculation, and rumour may soon be over. Public Health and the Parks Department are taking advantage of warm weather this weekend to inspect the park. Their goal is to open as much of the park as possible in the coming week.

Do We Need A New Kind Of Park?

For years now we've boasted that Toronto is a "world class city." Many of us have taken great pride in Toronto's cultural diversity and social inclusiveness. With that stature has come a growing population with changing needs. No where is this better reflected than in our parks. If there is one thing the Withrow Park Affair illustrates it is that urban dog owners are overwhelming parks that were not designed to accommodate them. Christopher Hume's Feb. 23rd. article in the Toronto Star argues this point and stresses that we have to design our parks to provide places for multiple uses, and yes, this includes well designed off-leash areas for dogs. Is it time for the community to come up with a new vision for Withrow Park, one that recognizes the changing needs of our residents? Let us know.

Will Ottawa Follow Toronto's Lead?

The Ottawa Sun and Globe and Mail report today that six dogs have become ill apparently after eating dried dog food found in two Ottawa parks. While it is not known if this is a copy-cat act, when the City of Toronto fenced off a 21 acre park because of dog poisonings, it let a criminal disrupt an entire community. Unfortunately, there are people who seek this kind of power and attention. Did Toronto's action set a precedent that someone in Ottawa is acting on? Based on the experience in Riverdale and the community reaction that has followed, the City of Ottawa would be wise not to give a criminal the power to further disrupt the way honest people live, work, and play. (Post a comment and let us know what you think)

Snow May Stop Planned Inspection

The overnight snow may delay a planned inspection by City of Toronto Public Health workers. Reg Ayre said Monday that his office had planned to "search large areas of the park," this week because of the warmer weather. The Riverdale area received another 8 to 10 centimetres of snow last night.

Real Estate Prices Strong Despite Fence And Signs

A local real estate agent confirmed that the closure of Withrow Park and the posting of "dangerous chemical" signs has not harmed house prices. "Buyers understand that it is a temporary measure," said the agent.

Are There Precedents For The Park's Closure?

The Editors of this site would like to hear from anyone who has experienced, read about, or heard of what other cities do when faced with criminal acts of dog poisoning. Outside of the Portland, Oregon link noted below, there is little available information about responses to this type of act. Are there any precedents? Send us an email if you have information.

Greenwood Park Invites The Parkless

In a show of neighbourly solidarity the staff of Greenwood Park invited all Riverdale residents to enjoy a family skating party at their unfenced park on Sunday Feb. 22. "We thought that it would be a good idea, given everything that has happened," said Greenwood staff recreationist, Patrick Domagala. Dogs were welcome to the park, not the skating party. View image

New Signs Warn Of Dangerous Chemical

Our City can be proud of the exceptional professionals who have had to make tough decisions with very little data to work from. At last Tuesday's community meeting the police, parks, and public health representatives performed admirably while fielding some tough questions and comments from the community. Does the new sign that has been posted around the park do justice to their hard work? Friday, the City posted information signs on the newly erected Withrow Park security fence. These signs say that the park is closed until further notice because of the presence of a dangerous chemical. Whatever your opinion of the fence, the signs can only increase the level of fear and uncertainty about the safety of our park. View image Just how dangerous is Withrow Park? We have asked the City for the quantities of Carbofuran found in the tainted weiners and are waiting for that information. Postings on this site argue that the quantities of the chemical found are quite small and, because of that, pose little threat to the neighbourhood through ground water contamination, etc. While the fence is detrimental to our community's image, it does arguably protect dogs and children from the work of a sick individual. However, what will visitors and the media now think of our neighbourhood when they see these signs? Withrow Park is not a toxic dump site.