A sure sign that winter is on the way was the autumn meeting of the gardeners who toil long hours in the plots on the north side of Pump Park.  The use of the land, which began as something of an experiment in 2021, has become more solid with every year.  That means rules for the gardeners themselves but it also means more attention is paid to the areas around the garden, such as the wisteria draping Pump House.  If you’re interested in joining the group next spring to grow your own produce, please drop a note to Anita Matusevics  at anita.matusevics@gmail.com.

• Rebellion Lane commemorates that 1967 unilateral declaration of independence during the Centennial celebrations. One notable action that year was the “liberation” by kids of what we now call Pump Park.  The kids, none older than 14, wanted access to the park, which had been blocked to all but Toronto Hydro workers, and broke a lock on a gate.
• Stop Spadina Lane recalls the work Rathnelly residents did to stop the expansion into the neighbourhood of the Spadina Expressway in 1972. At the time, Rathnelly had lots of rooming houses, which, when sold, attracted professors, young professionals, writers and artists.  The Spadina expressway,  coupled with the crosstown expressways proposed to run along Dupont, would have turned the neighbourhood into an off-ramp.
• Michael Snow Lane honours the artist, author and filmmaker who lived for many years on Cottingham Street.  His work hangs in galleries across Canada and his geese sculptures in the Eaton Centre and the over-sized fans in front of the Rogers Centre are justly praised.
• Aileen Robertson Lane commemorates the life of the woman who was crowned Queen Aileen when the Republic was first declared.  She lived on Rathnelly from 1924 to 1986 and every year presided over Rathnelly Day wearing her crown.
• Robin Fraser Lane honours the distinguished lawyer who was one of the founders of RARA, authored its constitution and defended the neighbourhood against unwanted development.  He lived on Rathnelly until his death in January, 2018. For decades, he was at front of the breakfast parade that kicks off Rathnelly Day, playing his bagpipes.

• You might remember receiving a questionnaire from the city of Toronto last winter that asked whether your property was occupied for at least six months a year.  The aim of the initiative was to encourage owners of unoccupied property to put them on to the housing market.  The stick was a new tax that was one per cent of a vacant house’s assessed value. Just 2,161 properties were reported vacant by owners, which will bring about $55-million into the city’s coffers.  But a further 17,437 homes have been deemed vacant by the city because their owners didn’t file any sort of declaration. At the Toronto average of 2.4 residents per home, that means some 47,000 people could be settled if the properties were on the housing market. Now the city has tripled the tax to three per cent of the vacant home’s assessed value, which would add about $105-million in revenue, a significant amount for the cash-strapped city.   Mayor Olivia Chow said the money is welcome but that the real purpose of the tax increase is to encourage building owners to increase the city’s supply of housing.

• A pilot project that allowed residents to drink alcohol in 27 parks this past summer prompted only two complaints. Pump Park wasn’t included in the two-month-long project and, of course, no alcohol has ever been consumed there, right?  A full evaluation of the pilot program will be presented to city council early next year and, meanwhile, it has been extended to March 310 The fact that all hell didn’t break loose this summer means the pressure is now on to allow drinking in all the city’s 1,500 parks.  Ward 12 Councillor Josh Matlow was quoted in the Toronto Star that he was glad to learn that Toronto residents can drink responsibly in public places and that the city should just allow drinking in parks now.  

• We’ve written a couple of times about the controversial closing of the gate on to Clarendon Crescent at Poplar Plains Road.  After decades of unimpeded access, the residents of the street put an electronic-access padlock on the gate there in April 2022 and posted signs that said it is a private road.  The homeowners on the street, used by many Rathnelly residents, say it is a matter of public safety.  “We kept it open for a long time, but there are so many more people living in this neighbourhood now, walking with their dogs,” one woman, told the Toronto Star in a recent article. “They don’t clean up and sometimes use profane language. We got tired of that. And it was dangerous.” The city of Toronto agrees that it is a private street (even though it receives free garbage pickup) but this is questioned by a nearby resident, Edward Anderson, who argues there is no clear documentation to back up that assertion.  “We’ve used this for 40 years,” he said in the Star article.  “Why, suddenly, do they think that they can block it now?” Ward 12 Councillor Josh Matlow is trying to bridge the gap between the two sides.  He said it’s “sad and shameful that a property owner has decided to block access to community residents” but that there is little he can do.  This doesn’t satisfy Mr. Anderson.  “He simply is not bothering to investigate because, if he did, he would realize how wrong he is.” 

• Eight months and counting:  RARA asked the city’s Transportation Department last February to explain the rationale for the so-called begging button for the signals at Avenue Road and Cottingham. Despite repeated prompts, there is still no answer.

• The food drive on Sept. 30 organized by Ann Mussett helped bolster the supplies of the Avenue Road Food Bank.  And while individual houses contributed generously, only about 20 per cent of residents participated.  Many thanks to Marion Burnett, Nancy Thompson and Drew and Marianne Dinsmore for their help. But we can do better, can’t we?

Toronto has a severe housing shortage and massive income inequality so it’s not surprising that we feel the repercussions of that from time to time. Such is the story about a homeless man and woman who camped out briefly in September in Pump Park.  Happily, the story ended better than might have been expected.  RARA co-president Pym Buitenhuis was at the centre of things after the couple set up their tent.  She didn’t call authorities to get them evicted but, instead, went to speak with the, explaining that the park was well used daily by children and dog owners.  Pym persuaded them to agree to leave.  She also reached out to dog owners to come to the park the next day and about 20 dogs and their owners showed up. The couple soon realized this was indeed a well-used space and not a quiet refuge and left shortly afterward.  In a subsequent conversation with the manager of the pumping station, Pym learned that Toronto Water has an established process for helping the homeless who set up tents on their properties to connect them to outreach workers who attempt to find them shelter. If they are unable to do so, the tents are dismantled within a week. Mike Brannon, the pump station manager, said the neighbourhood is fortunate to live near a park where such a process is in place.