Please share this email other friends of our parks.
Proposals to make serious cuts that will damage our parks are coming to the city’s Parks Committee next week and we need you to speak up for parks!
Today, KPMG released their recommendations for cuts to parks and they include closing farms and zoos, eliminating urban agriculture and horticulture services and reducing grass cutting, litter pick-up and snow removal. Cuts to recreation were released yesterday and they focus on reducing city rec programs assuming that they will be replaced by programs from community groups and the private sector. I’ve attached a detailed analysis of the reports. Stories from the Globe and Star are here: http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1024733–close-small-zoos-and-riverdale-farm-consultant-suggests?bn=1 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/future-of-riverdale-farm-at-risk-as-toronto-city-hall-continues-its-search-for-savings/article2097127/
It is essential that anyone who cares about our parks speak out against these short-sighted cuts. The report will be discussed at Parks and Environment Committee next Thursday July 21 at 9:30 a.m. at City Hall. Please consider making a 5 minute deputation or writing in with your comments. All you need to do is to go to http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2011.PE6.1 and click on either “Request to Speak” to make a deputation or “Submit comments” to send in your concerns.
This is just the opening salvo in what will be 8 months that will bring the biggest changes to our parks since amalgamation – service reviews, budget cuts, new union contact negotiations, new 5-year Parks Plan.
Toronto Park People was created to bring together park advocates from across Toronto and build a strong unified voice for our parks. We will need the energy and help of everyone in Toronto who cares about our parks to make a difference in the upcoming budget fight and protect our parks. We all know how important parks are to our communities and how fragile a good park can be. We can’t let decision makers at City Hall take our parks for granted.
Park People is launching a major effort to defend our parks. We are posting research and breaking news on the new Parks Budget Watch on our website – http://www.parkpeople.ca and our ever expanding facebook http://www.facebook.com/TorontoParkPeople page. You’ll find detailed analysis of the proposed cuts and an overview of the process.
But we can only succeed if we get everyone engaged. We need you to talk to your councillor, write to the Mayor and ensure a strong turnout for defenders of parks at pubic meetings. And we will also need your financial support to sustain this effort. Your tax-deductible contribution at http://www.parkpeople.ca/donate/ will go directly to supporting our work and defending our parks.
Thanks so much for supporting our parks.
Dave
Dave Harvey
Executive Director
Toronto Park People
401 Richmond Street West, Suite 404
Toronto, Ontario
M5V 3A8
healey willan park 