Toronto recommissions the Salmon Run Fountain

[FutureMayor]

FINALLY!

Toronto recommissions the Salmon Run Fountain

"Salmon Run," a fountain, sculpture created by artist Susan Schelle in 1991 will be officially recommissioned in a ceremony hosted by the City of Toronto.

The fountain is a combination of both black and "Atlantic" green granite as well as bronze. It depicts salmon swimming upstream through a barrier of reeds and eelgrass and is approximately 8 feet high and 50 feet across.

"Salmon Run" was created to acknowledge the natural heritage of the Toronto lakeshore and inspire hope for the ecological well-being of an area now dominated by human traffic.

The recommissioning ceremony will celebrate this important focal point of the City’s most visited attraction - the CN Tower.

Louroz

 

[scarberiankhatru]

I saw them working on it two weeks ago.

 

[garden of evil]

they have been "working" on it for months.
Thank goodness the chain link fence will finally come down.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

I saw them working, not "working"...

 

[Canuck 36]

Yay for giving a shit about civic pride/aesthetics.

 

[p5archit]

I love those f-ing chain link fences..so decent and well designed, perfect for every construction site- shows just how much work the people are really doing!!!

good to hear this though..f-ing rediculous that we need to recommision these types of things..

p5

 

[indense]

does anyone know if the fountain is operational yet? if it isn't, does anyone know the timeline when it will be?

 

[DSC]

There has been discussion of the sad state of the Salmon Run Fountain in the "Toronto Fountains thread but it has its own thread so I post this.

One of Toronto's most iconic fountains is currently an embarrassing mess

A popular Toronto fountain depicting swimming salmon is looking worse for wear. Currently dry and covered in graffiti, its centrepiece metal sculpt...

www.blogto.com

It truely is an embarrasment!

See this post (2017) for it in working order. https://urbantoronto.ca/forum/threads/the-fountains-of-toronto.21480/page-7

 

[junctionist]

There has been discussion of the sad state of the Salmon Run Fountain in the "Toronto Fountains thread but it has its own thread so I post this.

One of Toronto's most iconic fountains is currently an embarrassing mess

A popular Toronto fountain depicting swimming salmon is looking worse for wear. Currently dry and covered in graffiti, its centrepiece metal sculpt...

www.blogto.com

It truely is an embarrasment!

See this post (2017) for it in working order. https://urbantoronto.ca/forum/threads/the-fountains-of-toronto.21480/page-7

Even for a city that operates with a seemingly perpetual civic austerity mindset, that looks bad. There are so many things wrong with that photo. Why did the fountain get to that state? Why was there no pressure from the private sector to fix it?

Why isn't there more security in the area? If you can get away with vandalizing a fountain that thoroughly, what else can you get away with? Leaving a suspicious package behind? Vandalizing some of the landmark buildings in the area?

 

[Northern Light]

Even for a city that operates with a seemingly perpetual civic austerity mindset, that looks bad.

No disagreement there.

Why did the fountain get to that state? Why was there no pressure from the private sector to fix it?

Good questions.

Why isn't there more security in the area? If you can get away with vandalizing a fountain that thoroughly, what else can you get away with? Leaving a suspicious package behind? Vandalizing some of the landmark buildings in the area?

Here, I have to say, most things that arguably should be, are not all that secure, and some things that can't reasonably be are as much an issue.

Which is to say, society can't really operate functionally by trying to plunk down fully, trained, equipped, and backed-up security here, there, and everywhere.

Ultimately, the good behavior of society is a social condition.

Its a mixture of expectation, tolerance, and yes, fear. (of being caught and/or punished for doing something 'bad)

The threat is implicit, and it rarely works to stop real-time crime or other mis-deeds.

A camera doesn't actually stop you from shoplifting or vandalizing etc; what it may do, is aid in punishing you after the fact.

***

All of the above is simply to say I don't think 'security' guarding a fountain makes much sense.

What should happen, of course, other than maintaining the thing properly in the first place is:

1) A sign should go up immediately; providing an apology and explaining that the fountain isn't working, but a solution is being planned.

2) If vandalism or litter occurs, it should be cleaned up as quickly as possible, ideally next day, but certainly within 1 week.

3) If its determined the fountain will be down for an extended period, a liner should be laid across the pool area at the bottom, and soil dumped in and a flower bed planted in its stead.

That could be done for ~ $10,000 to a very high professional standard. A perfectly reasonable cost as an interim measure.

If things looked cared for, people will tend to treat them accordingly and report abuse of that space by others.

If things look neglected and un-cared for, what's one more tag?

 

[christiesplits]

Not sure who this looks worse for, the City of Toronto, Rogers, or the Canada Lands Company (CN Tower). Regardless of jurisdiction, this is a stain on all three parties.

 

[junctionist]

No disagreement there.



Good questions.



Here, I have to say, most things that arguably should be, are not all that secure, and some things that can't reasonably be are as much an issue.

Which is to say, society can't really operate functionally by trying to plunk down fully, trained, equipped, and backed-up security here, there, and everywhere.

Ultimately, good behavior of society is a social condition.

Its a mixture of expectation, tolerance, and yes, fear. (of being caught and/or punished for doing something 'bad)

The threat is implicit, and it rarely works to stop real-time crime or other mis-deeds.

A camera doesn't actually stop you from shoplifting or vandalizing etc; what it may do, is aid in punishing you after the fact.

***

All of the above is simply to say I don't think 'security' guarding a fountain makes much sense.

What should happen, of course, other than maintaining the thing properly in the first place is:

1) A sign should go up immediately; providing an apology and explaining that the fountain isn't working, but a solution is being planned.

2) If vandalism or litter occurs, it should be cleaned up as quickly as possible, ideally next day, but certainly within 1 week.

3) If its determined the fountain will be down for an extended period, a liner should be laid across the pool area at the bottom, and soil dumped in and a flower bed planted in its stead.

That could done for ~ $10,000 to a very high professional standard. A perfectly reasonable cost as an interim measure.

If things looked cared for, people will tend to treat them accordingly and report abuse of that space by others.

If things look neglected and un-cared for, what's one more tag?

The notion of hiring security just for a fountain is a strawman. Security is necessary in my opinion for the entire precinct containing the fountain, the plazas, the CN Tower, Skydome, Bremner Boulevard, the John Street Roundhouse, and the John Street Pedestrian Bridge (not just the fountain itself). Some of these landmarks have security, but there should be a workable security strategy that covers everything.

 

[Northern Light]

The notion of hiring security just for a fountain is a strawman. Security is necessary in my opinion for the entire precinct containing the fountain, the plazas, the CN Tower, Skydome, Bremner Boulevard, the John Street Roundhouse, and the John Street Pedestrian Bridge (not just the fountain itself). Some of these landmarks have security, but there should be a workable security strategy that covers everything.

For clarity, the fountain is a publicly owned asset, nominally part of a public park.

Under normal circumstances, parks do not have security guards, none do.

Toronto has 1,800 public parks.

Security guards, generally do not have enforcement powers different from you, ie. 'citizens arrest'.......

Except, for enforcing the Trespass to Property provisions of the law, which would require they be an agent of the City.

Don't get caught up in the details...........

Securing every park with a guard, (and some parks enormous) but for simplicity's sake, would be 1,800 guards per shift, and functionally, five shifts per week, to cover 168 hours per week, plus sick days and holidays.

That's 9,000 guards..........not happening.

 

[AnnetteMeetsJane]

Even for a city that operates with a seemingly perpetual civic austerity mindset, that looks bad. There are so many things wrong with that photo. Why did the fountain get to that state? Why was there no pressure from the private sector to fix it?

Why isn't there more security in the area? If you can get away with vandalizing a fountain that thoroughly, what else can you get away with? Leaving a suspicious package behind? Vandalizing some of the landmark buildings in the area?

If the fountain was full of running water, it would be much harder to graffiti. If it looked maintained, I don't think that it would be a target for vandalism and probably wouldn't need security. Just saying...

 

[Northern Light]

Story on the above:

‘Public squalor': Vandalism of water fountain prompts calls for city to improve preservation of public art

A decades-old water fountain in the heart of one of Toronto’s most visited areas was heavily vandalised with graffiti last week, prompting a social media outcry urging the city to do more to preserve public art.

www.cp24.com

Graffitti is being removed today - Note the importance of public shaming.

***

The City's official excuse, get this, is that they turned off the water (its not broken)........to facilitate construction of the the Fly Over Toronto attraction.

Really? And it needed to be shut down almost 3 years ago and will take another year to turn back on?

Cough.....