One of the least safe parks in the city has the potential to become a gathering place for Centretown residents, according to a report on Dundonald Park.
The report was released in late February, following a year of observation and public consultation by Toronto group 8-80 Cities and the Centretown Community Health Centre as part of the “Make a Place for People Project.”
“We see Dundonald Park as an underused community gathering space,” says Christina Marchant, a director at the health centre.
Named after Douglas Cochrane, the 12th Earl of Dundonald, the park on Somerset Street W. and Lyon Street is rich with history. It was the site of the RCMP’s monitoring of Igor Gouzenko’s neighbouring apartment in the early days of the Cold War.
Now, the space has a negative reputation. Located across from a Beer Store, Dundonald Park is notorious among local residents as a venue for drug use and public intoxication.
“We really felt that there was a high need for the project at that park,” says Emily Munroe, a director at 8-80 Cities. “A lot of the community members that we spoke to very clearly indicated that they didn’t perceive the park as safe.”
However, the report does not suggest measures to discourage people from visiting the park.
“From our perspective, the park’s a place for everybody,” says Marchant.
“If you think about street-involved people, people in rooming houses, people who may not have a home, the park in a way is their living room,” she says. “So we have no interest in moving people out of their living room.”
Instead, all members of the neighbourhood are encouraged to get involved in the makeover.
“Access to green space for purposes of physical activity is definitely an important contributor to people’s health,” says Marchant.
“There’s certainly evidence that just shows that being in nature is helpful for people’s physical and emotional health,” she says.
Rather than an action plan, the report provides ideas to inspire the creation of a community gathering space.
An interactive water feature and a children’s garden are two of the report’s suggestions for attracting people to the park during summer months.
When the weather gets colder, the report suggests snow-shoeing and cross country ski lessons.
These ideas are meant to keep people in the park long enough to enjoy it. The report found that 57 per cent of visitors are walking through the park. The average amount of time spent in the park is four minutes.
The report acknowledges there are already efforts being made by residents and local businesses.
Centretown Movies transforms Dundonald Park into an outdoor theatre. On summer evenings, visitors watch movies on an outdoor screen. Organizers say similar events signify that park atmosphere is improving.
“My understanding is that the park was not always a family friendly environment,” says Marianne DosSantos, last summer’s co-ordinator for Centretown Movies.
“But the CCHC and Centretown Movies have been working for years to create activities that could interest community members and thereby bring people back to the park.”