CCFEW - Proposed Skating Trail at Sam Smith Park


	Citizens Concerned About the Future of the Etobicoke Waterfront

Last Update: Nov 27, 2008

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On this page:

The Proposed Skating Trail (June 2008)

The Consultants’ Report (August 2008)

CCFEW’s EA Submission (September 2008)

How You Can Help

What’s New:

We made it easier for YOU to help SSP

Right to Know Bylaw going to Council

South Etobicoke Community Action Area Launch Meeting

Waterfront West LRT Public Open House

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September 2008

It is clear form the covering letter that accompanied the Lura report, that the City of Toronto plans to proceed with construction of the skating trail despite the many objections and unanswered questions detailed in that report.

On September 16th, CCFEW delivered a request to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment to designate this project under the province’s Environmental Assessment Act. The text of our covering letter is reproduced below:

Citizens Concerned About the Future of the Etobicoke Waterfront (CCFEW) was formed in 1989 when it spearheaded the fight to secure public access to a section of Lake Ontario waterfront immediately west of the Humber River. The area was being redeveloped for condominiums. CCFEW’s efforts and the support of the provincial government contributed to the reduction of development density and the creation of Humber Bay Shores Park. For nearly twenty years we have worked constructively with the municipality and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to ensure responsible development and to promote a healthy, green, accessible waterfront environment through preservation and rehabilitation.

Recently the City of Toronto has decided to build a $2 million ice skating track in Colonel Sam Smith Park on the Etobicoke waterfront. The creation of this park was approved under the Environmental Assessment Act in 1980. In 1993 modifications to the original plan were required to take the Act into consideration. The site of the ice skating track is a woodlot part of which is designated for “landscape regeneration” in the Master Plan of the park. It borders a treed corridor that is used by migratory birds and contains a remnant creek which flows through nearby wetlands into Lake Ontario.

We are writing to ask that as Environment Minister you pass a project-specific regulation designating this project as an undertaking to which the Environmental Assessment Act applies. The project and our concerns are outlined in detail in the attached submission.

The reasons for our request to you are

The environmental impact of the City’s proposal has not been evaluated within the context of current natural heritage policies.
There has been no evaluation of the environmental impact of this proposal on the woodlot where the artificial rink is to be located or on the park in general.
There has been a lack of genuine and open consultation in the decision making process.
The Province has both an historic and ongoing connection and involvement in The Lakeshore Grounds.

Citizens Concerned About the Future of the Etobicoke Waterfront contends that the City has not provided a justification for the need to build this facility in an environmentally sensitive area. After a decade of work and investment by the City and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Colonel Sam Smith Park has evolved into a unique naturalized waterfront park. The introduction of active recreational facilities such as an ice skating track is not in keeping with the original vision of the park nor the spirit of the Master Plan.

A designation under the Environmental Assessment Act is the only way in which significant unresolved concerns regarding rationale, environmental impacts and land use compatibility can be addressed.

We appreciate your consideration of our request and would be happy to provide further information at any time.


		Click here to view the covering letter. Click here to view the Environmental Assessment Application. Letter of Support from Friends of Sam Smith

	*You Can Help!* Letters of support for our Environmental Assessment submission would be very helpful to our cause. Letters from individuals are good, but letters from community organizations are even better. Letters should be addressed to: The Honourable John Gerretsen Minister of the Environment 12th Floor, 135 St. Clair Avenue West Toronto, Ontario M4V 1P5 Letters should reference File Number ENV1283MC-2008-3481 and then give all your own reasons. It is important that CCFEW be sent a copy (so that we know what is being said and can keep track) and a copy to your City Councillor, the Mayor and Guardian wouldn't hurt.

June 2008

The City of Toronto is actively considering locating an ice skating trail in Colonel Samuel Smith Park, near the Power House. The idea of such a trail first appeared as a possibility in the 1996 Master Design & Implementation Plan. It disappeared again until 2006 when it was proposed circling the (then) proposed Skateboard facility. Click here for a more complete history.

The latest version of the plan was unveiled at a public meeting on June5, 2008. The illustration below is a photo of the handout provided at that meeting. The Power Plant is in the lower right, and the TTC bus loop is in the upper left.


		Click here to view the plan as a pdf.

		We outlined our opposition last week on our What’s Up page, and most of those same objections were raised at the June 5th meeting. There were more questions than answers, which is a bit surprising for a project which has already received budget approval. One of the most fundamental questions was, *“What’s the operating budget?”* There was no answer available - not even an estimate. Is it any wonder the City struggles to balance its budget? Another good question was, *“What about the skateboard park?”* This was a top priority two years ago, but when it couldn’t be built in *this* location, it fell off the radar. Requests from the skateboarders and other community groups to restart the siting process have gone unanswered. It certainly leaves one wondering whether this is about building something the community wants and needs, or just getting something built near the Power House. If you would like to make your voice heard, additional comments will be included in the summary report by Lura Consulting if they are received by June 12th. You can download the Comment Form here as a fillable MS Word file or as a pdf file. (The meeting was so well attended, they ran out of comment forms.) The meeting also got coverage in the Etobicoke Guardian on June 6th. Click here to read Tamara Shephard’s article. The tone of the article that went into the print edition changed substantially. Click here to read that one. Of particular interest was Councillor Grimes’ claim that $900,000 had been spent “ready the Power House and install transformers”. Unless he is counting the complete cost to restore the building, this is at least 10 times the number we have heard for costs directly related to allowances for a possible ice skating facility. The June 10th editorial in the Guardian was much more in line with how we viewed the meeting and the situation at Sam Smith Park. Click here to read that one. For more on this issue, also check the Friends of Sam Smith Park blog

		August 22, 2008 The report from Lura Consulting was released today. Unfortunately, it isn’t so much a report as a list of comments. There is a transcript of all the questions and answers from the public meeting, and a summary of comments received by the June 12th deadline. Questions that were unanswered at the meeting remain unanswered. There are no new answers or next steps in the report. The closest we get is the covering letter: August 14th, 2008 On Thursday June 5th 2008, Parks Forestry and Recreation staff in conjunction with Councillor Grime’s office organized an open house to present the conceptual plan for the proposed Skating Trail in Etobicoke Lakeshore. The meeting was hosted by LURA Consulting, a firm hired by the City to facilitate the discussion, collect and organize comments and feedback from the community, and prepare a summary report. Some residents expressed excitement and support for what will become a great family destination in your neighbourhood. Others raised concerns regarding the potential impact of a skating trail in this area. Be assured that City staff are committed to developing this project taking into account the importance of the sensitivities of the park and community, and without disturbing the existing Wetlands-Wildlife Restoration Trail. In proceeding with the project, the City will be issuing a proposal call in September for qualified and experienced firms to initiate the design phase. It is anticipated that the project would be complete and operational for the 2009 skating season I appreciate the time and effort you have taken to be engaged in this process and providing your opinions and input. LURA Consulting will continue to receive your comments as the project progresses so please forward any comments to shall@lura.ca. Yours truly, Michael Schreiner Manager Construction Management /Capital Projects

	You can click here to read the full report in pdf format (6.7MB, 66 pages). The final appendix of the report is the the “arborist’s report”, a site plan review by the City of Toronto’s Urban Forestry department. The final page details the “Potential Tree Conflicts” they have identified. That page is reproduced in the Zoomify window below:


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