The Politics of Skateboarding in Toronto
Part 1: The History...
(Credit: Nick Pierre / Desc: The East York Skate Team – Circa 2002)
Councillor Janet Davis of Ward 31 took the time to describe the history of politics in relation to skateboarding in the city of Toronto. Year's ago and earlier in her career Councillor Davis formed a professional relationship with a group of young skateboarders in the east end. One particular boarder, Nick Pierre had stuck out to her. She had built a trust with this group, and through hard work, teamwork, and time spent, they together created city funding for skateboarding.
Pierre, having eventually gained the Councilors trust through various projects together, along with his friends Migs Bartula and others (the East York skate crew) they soon formed the Toronto Skateboard Committee (T.S.C.). Pierre told me in his own words a similar story to the one I was told by just earlier by Councillor Davis. Both Councillor Davis' and Pierre's accounts of their histories together are alike and both stories compliment the other. Pierre described his youth, meeting the Councillor, and the projects they have worked on since...
Part 2: City Hall & the Toronto Skateboarding Committee (T.S.C.)...
(Credit: Nick Pierre / Desc: Board members of the Toronto Skateboarding Committee (T.S.C.)
The Toronto Skateboarding Committee (T.S.C.) announced this February that Toronto city council motion to allocate funding for new skateparks passed with a vote of 23 - 18. Below is a list of Councillors that voted in favour of the motion. (Toronto Skateboarding Committee)
Justin Di Ciano, Mark Grimes, Anthony Perruzza, Maria Augimeri, Sarah Doucette, Gord Perks, Josh Colle, Mike Layton, Joe Cressy, Joe Mihevc, David Shiner, Kristyn Wong-Tam, Pam McConnell, Paula Fletcher, Janet Davis, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Shelley Carroll, Michelle Holland (Berardinetti), Gary Crawford, Michael Thompson, Raymond Cho, Paul Ainslie, James Pasternak
Item 4b, a motion to amend the item moved by Councillor Janet Davis was carried as part of the 2016 Capital Budget for Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation.
That City Council request the General Manager of Parks, Forestry and Recreation:
to undertake the planning and design work for new skateboard facilities in 2016, with costs to be funded from the 2016 Capital Budget for facility planning, to include $500,000 construction costs for new skateboard facilities in the 2017 capital budget submission such new locations to be determined by Parks, Forestry and Recreation staff, in consultation with the Toronto Skateboard Committee; and to provide recommendations for an annual capital program for new skateboard facilities in the 2017 – 2026 capital budget to be brought forward at the same time as the Toronto Skateboard Strategy in 2016, in time for the 2017 budget. (from Toronto's 2016 Budget)
An interview with a downtown Toronto security guard in regards to skateboarders performing tricks on private property backs up motion - Item 4b as he concurs they too should have a place of their own.
Interviewee: Al Domotor; Downtown Toronto Security Guard (Sat, Feb. 27, 2016)
Domotor's tale of skateboarders causing havoc amongst the building while tearing up the railings out front only again strengthens the motion which just allocated more funds into Toronto's local skateboarding industry.
The brief interview took place downtown at Domotor's workplace so geographically it works with how I plan to tell my story.
Downtown youth/skateboarders sometimes have nothing better to do than loiter and trespass on private property while being reckless and destructive when they could essentially perform their art/sport in a more safer, even controlled environment...
Part 3: The T.S.C. Annual General Meeting (Tues,Apr. 5, 2016)...
(Credit: Toronto Skateboarding Committee / Desc: A previous T.S.C. meeting in session at City Hall)
The Toronto Skateboarding Committee (T.S.C.) holds their Annual General Meeting in Toronto City Hall's Committee Room 2. In attendance were board members of Toronto's Parks and Recreations team, various members of the local public, skateboarders, and members of the media.
The April 5 meeting from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. outlined key accomplishments and ongoing initiatives in regards to the T.C.S. Annual Report, April 2016. Items and events of current importance in the report include:
A Toronto Skatepark Strategy, the 2015 Toronto Skateboard Strategy, the 20 Year Facility Master Plan, the 2015 T.S.C. Youth Skate Jam and Forum, Jane's Walk, Dunbat Skate Jam, Parks Summit, Greenline Walk, Project: Under Gardiner, Toronto StreetArt – Dunbat Mural, Ethiopia Trip, East York Skatepark Clean-up, Guidance and Support for Skatepark Initiatives, the Skatepark Budget Motion, Babes Brigade Women's Skateboarding Contest, Media Interaction, and a Newsletter.
A list of dates for the remaining 2016 T.C.S. meetings is as follows:
Wednesday, June 1, 2016 Wednesday, September 14, 2016 Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Attachment 6. Toronto Skateboarding Committee - Meeting Agenda (.PDF)
Attachment 7. Toronto Skateboarding Committee – Annual Report (.PDF)
Part 4: Project: Under Gardiner...
(Credit: City of Toronto / Desc: Map of proposed Under Gardiner Project)
In an interview with Migs Bartula, Co-Chairman of the Toronto Skateboarding Committee (T.S.C.), he said, "The images on a scroll I presented at our last meeting are part of Project: Under Gardiner. The T.S.C. is on the stakeholder advisory committee for the project and we have proposed to have a skatepark included in the development of the project space underneath the Gardiner Expressway. Most of the land is owned by the city but the project is being funded by a private $25 Million dollar donation. The project team is working with Waterfront Toronto on community consultations and developing the space."
You can find out more about the project at the following links:
The first link acts as a guide for the entire project and the second link is for presentation material for the project. Maps of the area where the skatepark is being proposed can be found on pages 35, 69, 79, and 136.
"At this time all the plans are conceptual and the skatepark appears to be part of a future phase of work. I am not sure about funding details and how much space it will occupy. You can contact the project team on the website for more info," said Bartula.
"We are also working with Parks, Forestry and Recreation on a Skatepark Strategy which will feed into the Parks and Recreation Facilities Master Plan (Link: http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=76ad94c9edf31510VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD)," said Bartula. "We are a stakeholder group in the Master Plan Process and we have participated in numerous meetings and encouraged the skateboarding community to participate in the consultation process. The Master Plan will help identify gaps in service levels and determine what sort of facilities are needed and how to invest in new ones in the future. This plan should identify where new skateparks should be built, how many and how to pay for them."
In addition, Bartula said, "The parks department also conducted a skate park user survey which had over 1,800 responses. It looked into what skateparks skaters are using, how they are using them, where there is need for more and what sorts amenities they would like to see as part of new skateparks, Ex: lights, access to restrooms, shade, etc,"
Toronto's Annual Board Meeting...
(Credit: Christopher J. O'Brien / Desc. Photo pit stop @ Queen's Park)
As warmer weather approaches, there are lots of fun activities to take up on the streets of Toronto this summer. The attached video portrays an inside look at local Toronto board shop Longboard Haven, and co-owner Mike McGown as he discusses the annual Board Meeting.
Located at 183 Queen Street East, owned and operated by skaters, Longboard Haven is Toronto's one stop skateboard shop. Greeted by a friendly dog upon enter, the shop’s inside front-left wall is covered with cool boards while inside back-left wall displays the selection of longboards for sale.
The shop’s manager and part-owner Mike McGown is preparing a board for a buying customer. He gets asked a question about the shop’s annual Board Meeting and begins to explain the annual event. Board Meeting is one of if the Toronto's, maybe even Canada's largest annual skateboarding meet, ride, and event.
The scene will explain / shoot back and forth from inside the shop, to outside where in a park near the top of Yonge Streets, thousands of skateboarders prepare to flood downtown. They travel together stopping at Queen's Park, City Hall, and Trinity Bellwoods where the ride then comes to an end. The event is annual and one of the largest gatherings of skateboarders in North America.
