Public Commons

• Here are some of the stories of the collisions between "unseen" laws and innovative local parks and public spaces.

Part of Notebooks: Laws and Regulations

One non-elected city staff employee made a single-handed fundamental change to a community-designed local skating rink at the 11th hour.....

No notice to the community involved in the design.

No accountability to explain or discuss a perceived "problem".

No more bench for skaters. OHSA rink changes

NO low-cost, simple solution to slippery winter walkway StairsForWinter

Occupational Health and Safety Act (70 pages) – Wallace stairs - supervisors' fears of personal liability

Occupier's Liability Act (4 pages)

– laws from very different context of private landowners grafted onto public space - purpose - is to keep people and their property safe on other people's property - insurance

Health Protection and Promotion Act (67 pages) - wading pools shut down in error in July 2011 - farmers' market - back door regulation despite exemption from Food Premises Regulations (23 pages)

City Of Toronto Act – (285 pages)

Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (30 pages)

- tells us the rules for obtaining information from the city about our public spaces - how has it worked on the ground in our local parks?

Trespass to Property Act - (4 pages) - city staff say that this law gives them the power to make photography, media and helmet policies, although this view is open to strong challenge

Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 (51 pages)

ONTARIO FIRE CODE (278 pages)

Police Services Act (90 pages)

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act,2005 (25 pages)

Ontario Building Code Act (55 pages)

NO low-cost, simple solution to slippery winter walkway StairsForWinter - cob building

Dog Owners' Liability Act (10 pages) [read and summarize story]

Policies

Helmet Policy

Confined spaces policy

Cash handling policy

Campfire Policy

Photography Policy

Effects of Invisible rules

Setup: 23-Apr-2012 by Belinda Cole [1153]