A plan by the Near North District School Board to use part of a neighbourhood park has nearby residents preparing for battle.
The Board is working with the City to make use of a 1.2 acre parcel of parkland, part of the 17 acre Kennedy Memorial Park, adjacent to the new Pinewood school, for outdoor recreation, and play.
The area stretches from the school to Jane Street.
"It offers a wonderful wooded environment for the enjoyment of students, neighbourhood families and the broader community," says a news release from the Board. "There is no consideration of the sale or transfer of parkland. There is consideration of expanding the range of park uses to include an open green play space on this small area, and the development of a community-accessible playground on Board property."
The Board says it will be "conducting a public engagement process very soon to seek feedback and ideas from the neighbourhood and the broader community regarding this exciting opportunity".
However, surrounding residents don't trust the Board with their park and have started a petition to pressure the board into backing down.
There is an online petition in addition to a hardcopy petition being circulated door to door.
You can read more and sign the petition here:
Sandy O'Grady lives in the neighbourhood and is one of those leading the fight. She says she's seeing almost complete support.
"This neighbourhood is very, very fond of this lovely park. We take ownership of it, we maintain it, we clean it up and it was deeded by the Kennedy family to the city to be a park forever and ever."
The area was 10 per cent of the developed land at the time, and was given to the city in lieu of the developer having to install sidewalks, curbs and gutters.
"You can't make a deal and then start giving the parkland away. You just can't do that," O'Grady said emphatically.
"I'm surprised for the complete apparent disregard for the community here. We've been given the feeling that they just thought they could just walk in and take what they please."
She says the group doesn't mind the school children using the park, but doesn't want any alterations including landscaping or cutting down of trees.
But the Chairman of the Near North Board, David Thompson, sees it as an opportunity.
"We really think this is a great opportunity to provide a playground to the community. It's a win-win situation but it's a concept and certainly we want to consult the neighbourhood and the city. Of course we have to be sensitive to the neighbourhood's concerns. At the end of the day the board is quite prepared to work with the playground we've got. We just think this is a great opportunity to expand and provide a really good neighbourhood playground."
The Board wants to have an open field, and that can't be done without cutting down trees, something the neighbours are adamant can't happen.
"That's part of the discussions," Thompson told BayToday. "That needs to be explained and I think that's only fair.
Coun. Mark King, chairman of the Community Services committee says there have been discussions at council and staff were given the authority to go ahead and listen to the process.
"There was never a sense that we would support it at this particular point. It's up to the school board to engage the community before they start moving forward.
"I've met with some of the concerned neighbours and I don't in any way, shape or form feel comfortable with what's being proposed there. It's just not something I think we really should be looking at, but it's up to council to make that decision if in fact it goes that far," said King.
