Public Commons

• Dufferin Grove Park, McGregor Park, Dufferin Rink, Wallace Emerson Rink, Campbell Rink. This list was made "on the ground" by the people doing the work.

Part of Policies relating to Staff Staffing - Ward 18 Conservancy

Recreation Staff Responsibilities

Dufferin Grove Park, McGregor Park,
Dufferin Rink, Wallace Emerson Rink, Campbell Rink
February 2010======

ONGOING

• create and run all park/rink programming
• work directly with recreation supervisor to facilitate park/rink programs
• coordinate with commmunity groups/not-for-profits to run daily programs and special events
• select, train and schedule staff for all above locations
• upkeep and maintain all program areas
• place and follow-up on work orders, and work with parks/recreation supervisor to ensure on-going state of good repair to all facilities
• liaise directly with the following city staff: parks supervisor, aquatics supervisors/managers, trades supervisors, permit office staff, forestry supervisors, horticulture staff
• liaise directly with non-city organizations: schools, police, public health
• maintain program supplies by purchasing items and ordering through the city
• handling cash for rink/park programs (skate rental, snack bar, etc - refer to Dufferin Grove Park cash handling proposal)
• upon request, we help to develop new policies/protocol (eg. Open Air Burning Safety Protocol, Organic Farmer's Market)
• upon request, we collaborate with other city staff to enhance existing programming (eg. JJP recreation meeting)
• use park progamming as a chance to introduce people to their neighbours, get to know troublesome youth, give out information about the park/rinks
• evaluate and adjust programs regularly to meet community needs

GOOD ORDER

1. Running Ward 18 AIRs - Dufferin, Wallace Emerson & Campbell Rinks:

• Programming and enforcing shinny age group/pleasure skating schedules at all three rinks
• Creating, distributing and updating rink schedules (regular & holiday)
• Creating ice maintenance schedules that complement rink program schedules and meet community needs, in collaboration with parks and recreation supervisors
• Monitoring ice conditions, working with parks and rec supervisors to make sure safe/skateable ice conditions are maintained
• Liaising with the permit office regarding time slots available for permits
• Liaising with permit holders, especialy regarding inclement weather cancellations/manual scraping of the rink
• Programming special shinny/skating programs (family campfires, beginner shinny programs)
• Coordinating school groups - distributing fliers, calling schools, booking groups locally at the rink, providing hot chocolate and skate rentals
• Coordinating with community groups to run special events
• Enforcing the rules of the rink, which includes banning/trespassing those who do not follow the rules
• Youth outreach, including working with trouble makers to resolve bad behaviour
• Co-ordinating volunteers
• Placing and following up on work-orders for the rinkhouse and rink area
• Updating outgoing messages, especially when there's inclement weather
• Daily cleaning, upkeep of every part of the rink-house and outside rink area
• Putting out, collecting and replacing toys, chess and checkers, books and magazines in the rinkhouse
• Rink guarding during ice maintenance
• Administering first aid, filing and following up on incident reports
• Inventory of all supplies and ordering/buying new ones
• Scraping the rink manually with green shovels in inclement weather
• Attending annual health and safety inspections

2. Running the wading pool:

• Liasing with aquatics management and staff around on site staffing and programming
• Basic maintenance of the pool (cleaning, filling, emptying daily, maintaining chlorine, pH levels)
• Supervising the pool at all times
• Liaison with visiting day camps
• Approaching new playground/pool/sand-pit users, making sure strangers feel comfortable, introducing people to each other
• Maintaining and replacing the water toys, chess and checkers, books and magazines around the pool

3. Playground upkeep:

• checking playground for hazards, removing any dangers
• placing work orders
• weekly checking under all climbers to see if the ground is soft enough for CSA specifications
• litter-picking in program areas twice daily or more
• sorting and replacing playground toys
• introducing new people to their neighbours or playmates

4. Working with volunteers to do up-keep of the community gardens, composts, and park trees:

• Garden upkeep: planting, weeding, watering (including trees)
• Mulching trees that show signs of stress
• Building and maintaining composts
• Picking litter in all the community gardens (Local 416 does not do this)
• Up-keep of the garden fences
• Giving out information about the Sunday “garden parties,” giving out plant information

5. Recreation state-of-good-repair of the park and rinkhouse (spring/fall):

• Monitoring state of paths, trees and park furniture and alerting supervisors to areas that need attention
• Working with volunteers to do minor repairs and painting that parks does not do
• Readying the park for winter by cleaning and organizing sheds; in spring, clearing up the winter’s jumble in the rink house and getting supplies, equipment ready for warm weather

HOSPITALITY

1. Running the Dufferin Rink Zamboni Cafe Snack Bar:

• Basic every day running of the zamboni snack bar includes: Preparing coffee, hot chocolate, cookies, mini-pizzas perogies, soup and any special foods
• Running the zamboni café, so there’s cheap, nutritious food but also as a “front” for staff to make connections with youth, people with young children, kids at the rink on their own, new rink users, etc., also as an information post
• Liaising with public health regarding regular inspections and follow-up
• Friday Night Suppers at the rinkhouse – to build a stronger neighborhood but also to support families with young children
• Approaching new rink users, making sure strangers feel comfortable

2. Running snack bars at Wallace and Campbell Rinks:

• Selling coffee, drinks, hot chocolate, hot dogs, etc.
• Daily set up and take down of the snack bar
• Bringing cookies and other supplies from Dufferin Rink to Wallace and Campbell
• Using the rink as a “front” for staff to make connections with youth, people with young children, kids at the rink on their own, new rink users, etc., and to provide information

3. Running the playground food cart at the Cob Courtyard

• Preparing coffee, lemonade, cookies, salads and any special foods in the rink house kitchens
• Daily set-up, take down and cleaning of the food cart
• Liaising with public health regarding regular inspections and follow-up
• Using the food cart/ outdoor cob kitchen as a "front" to get to know park users, give information, hear complaints, work with volunteers

4. Organizing weekly community supper which includes:

• Planning the menu
• Sourcing and purchasing food
• Cooking for 250 people per night
• Set up and take down of supper beside the bake ovens
• Serving a large volume of people, introducing new people to their neighbours
• Liaising with public health regarding regular inspections and follow-up

5. Running Pizza days which includes:

• Set-up and take down of make-your-own-pizza day and children's play area at the bake ovens
• Manning the pizza oven and helping people make their pizzas, including helping kids pick their own toppings in the children’s gardens
• Food prep in zamboni kitchen, lighting the fires
• Booking birthday party groups, school groups
• Introducing people to each other

SPECIAL PROGRAMMING

1. Skate lending at Dufferin, Wallace and Campbell Rinks:

• Taking inventory of the skate and hockey equipment donation
• Setting up and maintaining a system for skate rental
• Contacting all schools and daycares in the neighbourhood in order to inform them about the skates (free to school classes)
• Posting signs and telling people about the program
• Taking continuous stock of the equipment -- skates needing sharpening, laces, insoles, sticks need replacement – and keeping the rental room in a state of good order (since it’s also the water-heater room for the zamboni)
• Sharpening skates

2. Running special shinny programs:

• Running adult beginner shinny programs at Dufferin & Wallace rinks
• Running neighbourhood shinny tournaments
• Working with community volunteers/contracted persons to run shinny tournaments or skills sessions
• Outreach to new comers, people who've never skated before

3. Year-round support of the Dufferin Grove Park Organic Farmers’ Market:

• Liaison with the market manager, public health, by-law and various other inspectors/officials
• Helping with the weekly set-up and take-down of the market
• Giving information about the market throughout the rest of the week
• Running a special market snack bar with additional food
• Running a bread vending table
• Baking bread in the outdoor ovens, including teaching community people who want to learn about outdoor bread ovens

4. Helping with special community volunteer projects:

• Learning about every aspect of the project
• For building projects, helping to set up a shed and a “yard”
• Keeping that area clean and orderly
• Arranging food and refreshments for the volunteers
• Helping with child support for the volunteers
• Co-ordinating the volunteer efforts
• Checking up on the project sites on a daily basis
• Co-ordinating any necessary repairs

5. Supervising park fire permits (there were 174 in 2005):

• helping to develop the Open Air Burning Safety Protocol
• booking campfires, scheduling and carrying out fire safety training sessions
• monitoring the condition of the firesites, removing debris
• supplying campfire volunteers with water and shovels
• campfire follow-up, which includes making sure everything went well, fire was put out, park equipment was returned

6. Coordinating with special programs externally generated:

• large school picnics
• Toronto Youth council picnic
• Art day camps
• Rehearsals
• Bake-oven picnics and pizza parties
• Soccer club car washes

PARK SAFETY/COURTS

• supervising the park, tracking bad behaviour
• following up park user complaints and concerns
• liaison with St.Mary’s School and Kent Senior School staff and students
• daily contact with basketball players, checking with them for trouble before it starts, peacemaking in summer, working with police if necessary
• counselling and troubleshooting in winter with rink youth, liaison with Dufferin Mall Youth services for counselling
• supervising park youth doing hours for trouble they’ve made