Public Commons

• The Women of Winter permit protest mailout, from Deirdre Norman

Part of Permits Correspondence Rinks permits

Your Rinks (and parks) need your help!!

Our parks and outdoor rinks, especially Dufferin, Wallace and Campbell, offer many programs throughout the year that are in jeopardy. The annual Icycles (Bikes on Ice), the Family Skate, The Women of Winter Shinny Tournament, the GTHLA New Year’s Eve skating party, etc., are the best of volunteer community and parks collaboration but now the City is insisting on treating these as outside events and requiring permits which will make many, if not all, prohibitive in cost and time. Please write to your city councilor (http://app.toronto.ca/wards/jsp/wards.jsp) and tell them how much you love your parks and rinks, and how much the community spirit which is integral to the GTHLA, is reflected in the collaboration between park staff and community volunteers in co-ordinating these programs. Ask them to restore these events to their previous status of city programs run with community help.

If you have any questions I will try to answer them

Deirdre Norman

Big Shot and TWOW convenor

hockeywitchtoronto@yahoo.ca

From: "Janet Chant"

1/19/2010 8:23 AM======

Dear Councillor Fletcher -

I am writing to thank you for investing in our city rinks and parks. I love how much grassroots community spirit is reflected in the collaboration between park staff and community volunteers in coordinating these programs. My best friend recently moved from Washington DC to Toronto and is amazed at the community she has found in her neighbourhood simply by going to the community centre (Trinity Bellwoods) and getting involved in classes and events.

I understand that there may be a shift in policy towards volunteer events previously collaborated on between the community and Parks and Recreation programming. This will impact the number of volunteer based events which I believe have been a positive contribution to our community. I am referring specifically to an upcoming outdoor women's shinny tournament held at Dufferin Grove. I have personally participated in this event for three years and every year it is growing. The feedback regarding the coordinator of the event, the venue and the assistance from the city has been outstanding. Please restore these city run programs with community assistance to their previous status and help us continue to be involved in celebrating our community.

Many thanks,

Janet Chant

From: Nancy Aranha-Martins

Date: Wednesday, January 27, 2010
To: Janet Chant
Cc: Councillor Fletcher; Kelvin Seow; Tino Decastro; Wynna Brown; Wendy Kirschner
Subject: Volunteer programming - parks and recreation======

Dear Ms. Chant:

Thank you for your email to Councillor Paula Fletcher with regard to your support for volunteer based programs and events in conjunction with our division. Your email was forwarded to Brenda Patterson, General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation. On behalf of Mrs. Patterson I would like to follow up regarding your concerns.

I would like to inform you that our division is currently in the process of reviewing its formal definition of "partnership". It is our intent to develop a set of guidelines and criteria to provide more clarity around how these relationship are established and operate.

In the interim, PFR staff will review and determine if a partnership category is appropriate for that years event. With regard to this years event, recreation staff will co-ordinate running this years event as a joint venture, as it fits in our role with providing support to community partners.

PFR staff will review and determine if a partnership category is appropriate for future years. With regard to this years event, recreation staff will co-ordinate running this years event as a joint venture, as it fits in our role with providing support to community partners.

Thank you for bringing forward your request.

Nancy Aranha-Martins
Operations Support Officer
General Manager's Office
Parks, Forestry & Recreation

From: Jutta Mason

To: Deirdre Norman Date: Jan.27 2010======

Hi Deirdre, thanks for forwarding me this e-mail from Brenda Patterson's office, regarding partnerships between citizens and city staff. On a number of occasions especially over the past four years, I have tried to engage the councillors copied here and city staff on the need for them to include citizens in any discussions developing partnership policies that affect our public space. That effort of mine has not got very far off the ground.

I think an interesting template for partnerships is the city's guide http://www.toronto.ca/tfto/pdf/fullguide.pdf for film and television companies wishing to make movies and shows in Toronto. I believe it says that there is no permit fee for using a park except if extra city staff are needed. The guide seeks to make things as easy and welcoming as possible for film companies, presumably on the basis that filming activities benefit the city. On the same principle, community activities like the women's shinny tourney benefit the citizens. The film website http://www.toronto.ca/tfto/index.htm asks "tell us how we're doing?" and I think the same kind of involvement is needed as Parks and Recreation staff develop the new partnership guidelines.

I hope that the issues highlighted by Janet Chant's eloquent e-mail will help awaken an interest in non-formulaic invitations to citizens to "tell us how we're doing," before any new guidelines or rules are set by city staff, or by our city councillors.

SPECIAL EVENT — A picnic, walkathon, fundraiser or gathering over 200

persons or any event that requires staff support, specific permissions or the

provision of materials or equipment such as, but not limited to, the use of sound

amplification, acceptance of donations, installation of tents, vehicle access,

electrical access or requests to borrow equipment, beyond that typically provided at

the subject location

Does the women's shinny tourney require additional staff support? No. Sound amplification? No. Acceptance of donations? No. Installation of tents? No. Vehicle access? No. Electrical access? No. Requests to borrow equipment? No. Anything else beyond what is typically required at the location? No. Will there be over 200 people?No.

See also:
Parks and Rec and their NO's