12 hours ago |
<!—->
12 hours ago
‘));
jwplayer(“UIVDO”).setup({
stretching: “uniform”,
flashplayer: “/portals/_default/skins/zuza/resources/player.swf”, skin: “/portals/_default/skins/zuza/resources/blueratio.zip”,
image: ” + _$adActive.attr(‘vdoBG’) + ”, width: 542, height: 275, file: ” + _$adActive.attr(‘vdoURL’) + ”,
‘events’: { onReady: function () { jwplayer(‘UIVDO’).play(); } }
});
}
} else {
$(‘.ad-image-wrapper’).css({ ‘display’: ‘block’ });
$(‘div#UIVDO, div#UIVDOWRAP’).remove();
}
}
});
Beach Mirror
by DANIELA PITEO
Toronto city staff and neighbourhood residents bandied about ideas March 20 at the Frankland Community Centre regarding the upcoming revitalization of Withrow Park’s south area grounds.
Alex Mut, a landscape architect with the City of Toronto, presented potential uses for the playground and invited ideas from residents and their children.
“The park has a nice canvas to do something exciting,” said Mut, but remarked the neglected grounds are due for a major facelift.
“It seems to be the lesser-known playground or, at best, the playground with the swings because that is all it has to offer,” Mut said.
The playground, on the west side of Logan Avenue in Riverdale, will receive new equipment and landscaping with funding from the city’s capital projects and an additional levy from Parks and Recreation. The project has a budget of $250,000.
A presentation of potential uses for the land was displayed for residents and children to examine followed by an interactive group workshop allowing small groups of people to share their ideas with the city.
According to Mut, it was important children were included in the process and he said he was pleased that several parents brought their kids out to the meeting.
“I think it is very important to get a full range of ideas, obviously we can’t accommodate everyone’s ideas, but to hear them all and learn about the park is very valuable,” Mut said.
The feedback will be gathered, refined and again presented to the community for further discussion.
The selection process will transpire over various stages of planning and presented to the community in subsequent meetings.
“We will review the information gathered tonight and determine where the priorities seem to be,” Mut said.
Longtime resident Sandra Lester said she was excited to be a part of the process and put forth an array of ideas.
“I’d like to see interactive, naturalized learning so kids can learn about science, nature, issues like producing your own power and pumping your own water. I’d like them to feel empowered to interact with their own landscape,” Lester said.
Her focus, which strongly appealed to all present at the meeting, centred around educational and environmentally responsible play with an emphasis on adventure and fun for children of various ages.
“I’ve been in the neighbourhood for a very long time, over 20 years. I remember being a nanny in this neighbourhood and a little girl, who is now in a master’s program, climbing on equipment that is still in the park. That means this equipment is over 20 years old and it hasn’t changed since then.
“It’s time to revitalize it. My son is getting to the upper age limit, he’s nine, and I think kids should still play a lot at nine, but he’s not finding it adventurous anymore. There’s a lot of opportunity to do something really different here,” Lester said.
Ward 30 Councillor Paula Fletcher was also on hand to take note of what her constituents had to say.
According to Fletcher, a common complaint is that city equipment has been dumbed-down, so the city is working toward finding equipment that is both fun and challenging.
“I think adults pick pieces of equipment that they think look interesting and then the kids have to say, ‘That’s the one I like,’” Fletcher said.
Mut and city staff will work toward compiling the information garnered from the meeting and present a conceptual design by late April.
Speak Your Mind