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Toronto Queen's Park North Revitalization

...still feels like they only made improvements a few short years ago, as I remember this park being at bare minimum when I first move to this city. That is, just trees, grass, foraging squirrels, asphalt paths and that statue of a forgotten king on his horse at the centre of it all.
 
I dislike thread bumping for 'no reason' so I won't do this again w/o further news......but as this thread has been relatively low engagement, I want to again draw it to the attention of UT members.

If you like the direction this is heading, fine........but if you have concerns as I do...............the survey is open now, and you need to communicate that ASAP. It would be a shame to waste a generational public space opportunity near downtown.
 
Northern Light said:
The survey is now live:

Queen's Park North Phase 2 Exploring Design Options

ca.mar.medallia.com ca.mar.medallia.com

Open through early December.

Its a bit long and not particularly well done........... sigh. But if you care about this space I would encourage you read the materials I've posted/linked to first, then take the 15 or so minutes to fill the survey out.
Click to expand...
I did the survey. I found myself being rather negative to most of the suggested activity places. It appears to be a grab bag of sorts for currently accepted ' things' we think we have to have in our public spaces. A quiet place in the middle of our busy city where one can sit comfortably on a good bench on a well-maintailed walkway , amidst well-maintained mature trees with understory native vegetation, would be my ideal, but that's just me.
 
old boy said:
I did the survey. I found myself being rather negative to most of the suggested activity places. It appears to be a grab bag of sorts for currently accepted ' things' we think we have to have in our public spaces. A quiet place in the middle of our busy city where one can sit comfortably on a good bench on a well-maintailed walkway , amidst well-maintained mature trees with understory native vegetation, would be my ideal, but that's just me.
Click to expand...

I'm broadly with you; I think though, there is a place for some grandeur (such as a fountain), and well kept flower displays and such.

I'm also completely supportive of adding washrooms and take no real issue with an out of the way coffee kiosk or such.

But i think the first obligation of design here is to retain and enhance what people like, and then add value where it does not detract from same.

A commemorative garden, given the donors are ponying up 50M+ does not seem like a unreasonable inclusion.
 
Northern Light said:
1) How many people know it's a statue of Edward VII th? Of those, how many care enough to know who he was, or what his significance was? I will suggest to you that the number is substantially less than 10% of park users and 1% of the broader population. So if there were an educational reason for its presence, it's surely failing.

2) How many park users report the statue as important or very important to their enjoyment of the park, or came to the park because of the statue?

If that number is also below 10% .........does that suggest the statue merits that particular location?

****

Further notes. The statue was not an original for Toronto. It was originally made for and installed in Delhi, India. After Indian Independence from Britain it was put in storage......and purchased by a private, if influential Toronto citizen named Harry Jackman in 1969, who had it moved to Toronto, and Queen's Park.

Once asked about why he had a fascination for the King, he replied that he did not, he thought it was a great sculpture of a horse.
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Haha, I was going to say, that for me it's a statue of a horse with some guy on it.

I can only imagine that moving the statue to a more prominent location near roads would deter, uh, spunkier UofT engineering frosh from painting its balls, as has been the case from year to year. Personally, I'd move the horse (and rider) to some spot south of the legislature in amongst the more formal gardens there, and bring the north park more natural and indigenous focus.

Not sure I get the tree walk. Let's keep it in the plans though so that it can be axed with the first budget review, to save the other elements. Put a few tree walks into one or more of our ravine parks though, where you can really become immersed in their glories, away from the traffic of a neighbouring arterial road. Let's build at least four; one each in the Humber, Don, Highland, and Rouge valleys. The Feds can pick up the tab for the Rouge one. I have an idea for where the Humber one can go (giving me faster access to Bloor West Village from the Etobicoke side of the valley where I live) and giving people an overview of the rather special Humber Marshes, which wealthy homeowners on the east side would hate.

Busier than usual? Huh?
IMG_0737.jpeg


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Towered said:
Can we get some tree topping stuff going? We need more fun shit to do. I'm bored.
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Uh, like lumberjacks running up trees and lopping their tops off?

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Towered said:
Can we get some tree topping stuff going? We need more fun shit to do. I'm bored.
Click to expand...

In this particular park, I would not recommend that. The entire park is less than 11 acres, the forested segments, based on the current ideas being bandied around would be about 1/2 that, but only 1/4 in anyone spot. That's a tree walk covering under 2.5 acres, that would need large ramps........

The idea is fine, but @interchange42 is right that there are better spots for such a concept.
 
A bit off topic, but I'll stick this here for now........

@interchange42 probably knows this.............but just in case....... The yacht club on the Humber is being evicted.

The City is terminating the lease. That will be the next big project near him, in the Humber (masterplanning and re-doing that space)
 
Northern Light said:
In this particular park, I would not recommend that. The entire park is less than 11 acres, the forested segments, based on the current ideas being bandied around would be about 1/2 that, but only 1/4 in anyone spot. That's a tree walk covering under 2.5 acres, that would need large ramps........

The idea is fine, but @interchange42 is right that there are better spots for such a concept.
Click to expand...
I didn't think it was really viable here - I was just throwing the idea out there. High Park would be a great choice to build something like that!
 
Northern Light said:
A bit off topic, but I'll stick this here for now........

@interchange42 probably knows this.............but just in case....... The yacht club on the Humber is being evicted.

The City is terminating the lease. That will be the next big project near him, in the Humber (masterplanning and re-doing that space)
Click to expand...
How long has the club been there? Why are they terminating the lease now? What does the city want to do with that space?
 
Towered said:
How long has the club been there? Why are they terminating the lease now? What does the city want to do with that space?
Click to expand...
My fault for this tangent, so to wrap this up... the club has been there for decades. Over the past several years, the number of jet skis has spiked, and apparently they dump more unburnt fuel into the water than the more traditional motorboats that is the bulk of the club members' watercraft. The jet ski drivers also tend to gun them more often, and their wake and the gas pollution has accelerated erosion along the steep banks here. Club members have also built a pile of gazebos up against the river, damaging the riparian habitat at the club. At the same time, there are way more people paddling the Humber now, with a very successful canoe and kayak rental company setting up in the parking lot below Old Mill subway station every summer, so there's way more scrutiny on the powered watercraft and their run-ins with paddlers. No final word on what will replace the club, but paddling facilities will likely remain and possibly be enhanced. (It won't happen, but I'd be happy if the clubhouse became a public biergarten!)

Anyway, back to Queens Park: enhance for public enjoyment with low-impact interventions, don't over-program!

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