GRANGE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE (GPAC)
Community Newsletter
July 2009
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Welcome to the first edition of GPAC’s Community Newsletter. For more information about GPAC, please visit www.grangeparktoronto.ca. For this newsletter in Chinese, Click Here.
GPAC was established in July 2008 with the goal of creating a great city and neighbourhood park. GPAC’s role is to advise on the restoration and revitalization of Grange Park and on an oversight structure for the on-going maintenance and program for Grange Park. GPAC is co-chaired by Councillor Adam Vaughan and Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) Vice-President Rupert Duchesne. GPAC’s membership is composed of local residents and representatives from the AGO, Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD), University Settlement, St. George the Martyr Church, City of Toronto Parks Forestry and Recreation Division, as well as two members-at-large.
On June 1, 2009, a community meeting was held at University Settlement to report back to members of the community about GPAC’s activities since the last public meeting in December 2008. A brief summary of that meeting follows.
What has GPAC done over the past year?
GPAC has established a plan for the Grange Park revitalization project with three phases:
- Phase 1: strengthen natural environment of the park
- Phase 2: undertake design/revitalization project
- Phase 3: establish a more proactive/preventive program to protect/maintain park
GPAC’s focus over the past year has been on Phase 1 – to strengthen the natural environment of the park. Thanks to a grant from TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, PMA Landscape Architects were engaged to conduct an environmental audit on Grange Park in fall 2008. PMA’s final report was completed in January 2009. The report includes information about the trees, soil, natural drainage, sunlight and groundcover on the park, as well as a conservation use plan to strengthen the natural environment.
The PMA study recommended these initial remedial initiatives:
- specialized pruning to remove dead wood in a number of the trees
- soil decompaction and mulching around all the trees to improve drainage
We are very pleased to report that TD Friends of the Environment Foundation has provided a second grant to undertake these remedial initiatives planned for fall 2009.
New Protocol for Grange Park maintenance
City Council has requested Councillor Vaughan, City Staff and AGO to develop a new protocol for the ongoing maintenance of Grange Park and a mechanism for community involvement in park management.
The AGO has agreed to raise funds to revitalize Grange Park and to establish an endowment fund to protect the ecology of the park.
Criteria for Grange Park Permits
GPAC is working with the Grange Community Association (GCA) to develop guidelines to govern applications for permits to hold special events in Grange Park. The proposed guidelines are intended to protect the ecology on the park and will include restrictions on equipment and vehicles, noise levels and duration. Draft guidelines will be posted on the Grange Park website in September.
Design Brief for Grange Park
GPAC has developed a design brief to guide the revitalization program. The overall goal of the design brief is to realize the park’s full potential while respecting its simple and elegant nature as a green oasis. It must accommodate a great range of activities, both active and passive. The PMA study identified a number of natural zones in the park– the great lawn in the middle for active play, for instance – that can be reinvigorated to maximize their beauty and versatility to make Grange Park a great neighbourhood and city park. The full design brief document is available on the Grange Park website www.grangeparktoronto.ca.
Grange Park Q&A
The following is a selection of questions and answers raised at the community meeting on June 1, 2009:
Q: Are there plans to limit activities in the park?
A: No – the PMA study identified areas that naturally lend themselves to different types of activities. We will build on the strengths of these areas to make them more useful and beautiful.
Q: What will happen to the wading pool?
A: We do not have a specific design yet for the park, but we understand that waterplay is important to the neighbourhood.
Q: Could neighbours take part in maintenance and improvement activities in the park?
A: City Parks and Recreation would look after the standard park maintenance. The enhanced maintenance activities could have the involvement of neighbours.
Q: Could the new criteria for park permits include advance notification for neighbours?
A: We are still developing the criteria. We could post the permits on the Councillor Vaughan website, GPAC website and GCA website for neighbours’ advance information.
Q: I’m concerned about the park becoming an “art zone”. Are you replacing playground equipment with art?
A: Any art coming into the park will be interactive – where people can play, climb, sit. We will engage children in this process to ensure they can relate and play with the pieces selected. Artistic elements would also be echoed in the park furniture – benches, lighting, pathways. The goal is to make the park beautiful, serviceable and fun.
Q: I’m concerned that integrating 4 Grange Road into the park will make the play area too open to McCaul Street, causing a safety hazard for our children.
A: Safety will be primary concern as we incorporate 4 Grange Road into the park.
Q: How will the park serve older children?
A: Our intention is to create opportunities for multi-generational recreation, with play for all ages.
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Upcoming Events: Don’t miss the Grange Festival, Friday August 7 – FREE RIDES & ACTIVITIES
Join University Settlement for the Grange Festival 2009 on Friday, August 7, 12pm-5pm in Grange Park.
With an emphasis on being friendlier to the environment, the festival will include FREE rides and activities for children of all ages, refreshments and booths for our local community partners and businesses.
Please note that the Grange Festival will not be cancelled due to the city strike or inclement weather. If either event makes it impossible to use the park, the festival will be held inside University Settlement at 23 Grange Road.
Grange Festival 2009 is sponsored by International Financial Data Services.
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Members of the Grange Park Advisory Committee:
Members Resource Persons and Alternates
Rupert Duchesne, Co-Chair, AGO Peter Couto, resident (alternate)
Councillor Adam Vaughan, Co-chair Ken Greenberg, AGO resource
John Burns, St. George the Martyr Church Mike Mahoney, AGO, alternate
Peter Caldwell, OCAD Derek Parcher, resident (alternate)
Bev Carret, AGO Netami Stewart, City of Toronto Parks
Mark Emslie, City of Toronto Parks
Debbie McGuinness, resident
Pat McKendry, resident, social housing and co-ops
Mazyar Mortazavi, member-at-large
Marguerite Newell, resident
Ceta Ramkhalawansingh, resident
Mathew Teitelbaum, AGO
Debra Shime, University Settlement
Margaret Zeidler, member-at-large
VISIT OUR WEBSITE: www.grangeparktoronto.ca