Wednesday, March 24, 2004
Victoria, B.C.'s Solution
thanks
[email this story]
Posted by Editor on 03/24
Comment Here
(3)
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
More Dog Poisonings?
Can anyone confirm the rumours we have heard that two dogs became sick after eating some foreign material while at TrinityÒBellwoods park?
[email this story]
Posted by Editor on 03/23
Comment Here
(0)
Monday, March 22, 2004
W.I.N.
nice site!!!
[email this story]
Posted by Editor on 03/22
Comment Here
(0)
Friday, March 19, 2004
What Makes A Park Successful?
"Don't Pave Paradise" let us know what he or she did not want Withrow Park to be like. The comment raises a good question. What makes an urban park successful? There are no perfect answers to this question. What do you think? What amenities, designs, or features come together to make a great neighbourhood park?
[email this story]
Posted by Editor on 03/19
Comment Here
(14)
Thursday, March 18, 2004
Community Comments . . .
Yesterday, Casey Conklin offered this thoughtful comment:
As it seems increasingly unlikely that the person who put poison down in the park will be caught, the fact is we may never know what motivated them to do that. It is easy, and natural I suppose to assume that this was someone with a grudge against dogs - but there is no proof of that. In fact, it is now understood that in most cases of animal cruelty - and surely this crime qualifies - the act has very little, if anything, do to with the animal(s) targeted. It has much more to do with the person's own psychological problems and needs. For example, a desire to garner a great deal of attention - even if it's all negative - can be a huge motivating factor. The dogs may have simply provided an easily accessible platform. We just don't know.
Therefore, I don't think we should jump to the conclusion that the poisoning of Withrow Park was meant as a commentary on the situation around a few errant dog owners. Let's remember that the majority of dog owners visiting Withrow Park are compliant with Leash and Stoop&Scoop by-laws.
Is Withrow park big enough to support an Off Leash Area? Studies suggest it is more than big enough - even for a multi-use, urban park. More importantly, what happens if you take the Off Leash Area away? Will that improve things? Will the dog owners in this neighbourhood simply melt away? I would argue that you would end up with several hundred angry, disenfranchised dog owners that no longer care one wit where or when they walk their dogs - off leash, or otherwise! Will getting rid of the Off Leash Area mean more enforcement from Animal Services? There are many, many parks in Toronto that don't have OLAs - they all get the same relative degree of enforcement attention - which I think we can all agree is pretty thin. It would however mean the end of the Withrow Park Dog Owners' Assoc., as the OLA is that group's reason for being. That would mean the loss of an important, direct line of communication between the dog owners and the rest of our community. Generally, the whole thing would be a big step backward.
Obviously, if providing an Off Leash Area for dogs was the ultimate solution we wouldn't be having this discussion. An OLA in any park is just part of a solution to ensure equitable and safe use of urban park space. Enforcement is another part. Changing attitudes is the final and most challenging part. We haven't really even scratched the surface on that...
[email this story]
Posted by Editor on 03/18
Comment Here
(4)
Monday, March 15, 2004
More Dogs Everywhere
Riverdale is only one of thousands of communities in North-America that are trying to come up with ways to accommodate growing dog populations. Do an Internet search and you will see that our problems are not unique. As a reference, we have added links (under "Related Links") to dog parks in Vancouver, Denver, and Bloomington as well as to a dogcentric site called "thebark.com." Take a look at them. The Australian study is a comprehensive analysis of this massive societal change. Domestic dogs are now a billion dollar industryÛand growing year by year. Our urban parks were never designed to handle this exploding dog population. Yet, as many of the residents who have contributed to this site note, dog owners represent a significant portion of the tax base in our neighbourhood. Are their needs being responded to or are the concerns of non dog owners? Paula Fletcher's call for participation and suggestions for a functional review of Withrow Park is an important first step. Don't assume though that your needs and the needs of your neighbours will automatically be addressed. Let the City know your ideas on how the park can be improved. Make the fencing of Withrow Park a catalyst for positive change.
[email this story]
Posted by Editor on 03/15
Comment Here
(12)
Saturday, March 13, 2004
Celebration
Hundreds of kids, adults, and dogs attended the official reopening of Withrow Park last night. Riverdale residents joined with local politicians Paula Fletcher and Marilyn Churley (and wasn't that Jack Layton in the crowd?) to celebrate the launch of a new chapter in the park's ongoing story. Congratulations to the City of Toronto Parks employees who helped with last night's festivities and who worked tirelessly to return the park to our community.
[email this story]
Posted by Editor on 03/13
Comment Here
(3)
Friday, March 12, 2004
Party Tonight
Please join together with your neighbours to celebrate the re-opening of Withrow Park. Paula Fletcher and Marilyn Churley will be there as will representatives from the City. Let's have some fun and enjoy the park together. The party starts at 6:00 this evening.
[email this story]
Posted by Editor on 03/12
Comment Here
(5)
Thursday, March 11, 2004
Back To Normal
The fence came down yesterday at the north end of Withrow Park. Kids and dogs swarmed in. The park was back to normal. Too bad. Normal included many dogsÛbig dogsÛrunning free as their owners walked along tens of metres away. In a period of a few minutes we saw five unleashed dogs two of which relieved themselves well away from owners who were unconcerned about their pets' behaviour.
We know from scientific studies that the pesticide carbofuran is a relatively toxic substance but one that was used for years to produce the food we ate. The park was closed at great expense for what turned out to be a few milligrams of the substance. Dog waste, on the other hand, contains Campylobacter and Salmonella, proven killers. It also contains Toxocara Canis a parasite that is a serious health threat to children. We know that Riverdale's Dog Owners' Association has worked hard to promote responsible dog ownership. It is a very small minority of owners who choose not to care about how their dogs impact other park users. If the fence has not changed their ways what will? Is it time for the City to begin ticketing inconsiderate dog owners?
[email this story]
Posted by Editor on 03/11
Comment Here
(18)
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
Fence Finished . . .
Three weeks after spending $25,000 to build the one kilometer long fence, work crews were at the park this morning tearing it down. As we've come to expect, television trucks and reporters were there covering, one of them said, the "good news" aspect of the story (by the way, have these tv stations heard of the no idling bylaw?). The many people who have come to this site in the last twenty days have posted opinions both for and against the fence. One message is clear. An undesigned 19th. century park in a 21st. century world is no longer serving the community. We applaud Paula Fletcher's call for neighbourhood involvement in ideas for the park and ask that everyone participate. Please see the following message from Fletcher's office:
The ordeal this community has faced in the past few weeks has generated much needed discussion and ideas about the character and form a multi-use park in a downtown urban setting should take. Toronto Parks and Recreation are beginning an operational review of Withrow Park that will include consultation with the community. By mail, fax or email (see form below) please feel free to forward your suggestions and indicate your interest in being involved. I will be happy to pass these along to Parks and Recreation.
Paula Fletcher
Toronto City Councillor, Ward 30, Toronto-Danforth
[email this story]
Posted by Editor on 03/10
Comment Here
(0)
Hundreds of kids, adults, and dogs attended the official reopening of Withrow Park last night. Riverdale residents joined with local politicians Paula Fletcher and Marilyn Churley (and wasn't that Jack Layton in the crowd?) to celebrate the launch of a new chapter in the park's ongoing story. Congratulations to the City of Toronto Parks employees who helped with last night's festivities and who worked tirelessly to return the park to our community.