The Dalhousie Community Association has launched an initiative to inventory all parks and greenspaces in the area after concerns were raised over the amount of public greenspace available in the city.
“An example of why we need this inventory is the bicycle path and tree area near the O-Train station on Carling. We want to make sure that the city does not take it away from us just like the Primrose and Upper Lorne Street greenspace that the city removed a couple years back,” says association president Eric Darwin.
"It will also help in investing more into public parks because there is so little space."
A report on the association’s website says the proposed inventory would help lobby the city to buy the Dominican Gardens property for public parkland.
The association is also interested in small green areas that may exist near parking lots, as well as other buildings.
“Hopefully with this information, we would be able to see what measures we should take to make sure various greenspaces, big or small, are to be maintained as parkland,” says Darwin.
Somerset Ward Coun. Diane Holmes says the city is still negotiating to buy the the Dominican Gardens.
The property was put up for sale in 2008 which raised concerns after developers showed an interest in the land.