Good afternoon Ramsden Park Dog Owners Association !

We wanted to invite you to join Park People for any or all of our delightful ravine-focused event series: TO Ravines, with Love. Please share these free physically distanced opportunities with your friends and networks to discover safe, new and creative ways to love Toronto’s one-of-a-kind ravine system.

SUNDAY, MAY 2, 9am - DAWN CHORUS: A Guided Listening Tour of Morning Songbirds

Call in from your favourite ravine or the comfort of home to join the 7th Annual Dawn Chorus as 50 million migrating songbirds return to Toronto. Experienced birders will share the amazing story of these beautiful creatures, help us identify birds by their song, and share recorded highlights of the Dawn Chorus.

Registration link: https://highparknaturecentre.com/demo/event/8957/

Phone in number (connect at the time and date above): (647) 558 0588

Meeting ID (dial when prompted): 882 2816 0471

Passcode: 141917

  

TUESDAY, MAY 4, 7pm - CONNECTING US THROUGH ART: Ravine wandering meets art-making

 Join an artistic journey using your camera, simple materials found around your home, and inspiration from your closest ravine. Together, we'll capture outdoor experiences through nature-centred art-making, deepening our connection to these nearby spaces and sharing the joy of nature with loved ones.

Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcodOysrjgtGdV0SPpqqIsGVvqZAkI0Fd8G

Phone in number (connect at the time and date above): 647 374 4685

Meeting ID (dial when prompted): 835 3540 3731

 

SATURDAY, MAY 15, 10am - Audio-Guided FOREST THERAPY Experience with Carolynne Crawley

Join Forest Therapy Guide Carolynne Crawley from your local ravine, park, or green space or a live audio forest therapy experience.  This expert-guided forest therapy experience will help you slow down, build a deeper connection to your surroundings and spend quality time in nature.

Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vcO-vqzMrHdTXIaXla_hJclwM_drzZwvP

Phone in number (connect at the time and date above): 647 558 0588

Meeting ID (dial when prompted): 868 7245 3670

We look forward to reflecting on the wonders of nature together!

Until then, be well,

New Chips Are On The Way!

The City is preparing to have the surface of the off leash area topped up with Engineered wood fibre on Monday June 1st and 2nd, The contractor will be on site from 8am-4pm both days.

They will need to close the OLA for the two days to ensure health and safety requirements are met. At this time with the amenity just opening it might seem like poor planning but with Covid -19 many construction companies have been closed down not allowing the city to have it completed while it was closed.

This application of surface material will create a pleasant area for all of our users and will eliminate the muddy conditions that exist.

City Staff will post signage tomorrow warning of the closures for Mon-Tuesday of next week so there is some dissemination of this information.

Now you know.

These are the latest Guidelines from the City with regard to Off Leash Parks

DOLA is Open!

UPDATE: REOPENING TORONTO’S DOG PARKS

As you know, Premier Doug Ford and Mayor John Tory have both announced that Toronto’s off-leash areas will reopen on Tuesday, May 19. We have no additional information to report at this time. Still, there are simple things we can all do to make this reopening successful.

Here are some ways we can all do our part:

• If you aren’t in a rush, wait a few days to avoid potential overcrowding.
• Practice social distancing, following existing guidelines.
If the dog park is too busy to practice social distancing, come back another time.
Use caution with frequently touched objects, including gates.
Ensure your dog will reliably come when called.
Supervise dogs and children closely, at all times.
Keep an eye out for wildlife that may have taken up residence to raise their young.
Put all litter in the proper bin, including poop and gloves.
Be kind. People and dogs may be stressed.

Finally, be ready for potential inconveniences like closed parking lots, tall grass and who knows what else. Please be patient. Workers are doing their best.

The City of Toronto holds public consultations as one way to engage residents in the life of their city. We invite you to get involved.
The City of Toronto, City Planning Division, in collaboration with consultants from DIALOG, is holding an Open House to present the Draft Pet-friendly Design Guidelines and Best Practices for New Multi-unit Buildings. Please come
and provide us with feedback on how we can improve the document.
Details are as follows:

OPEN HOUSE
Pet-friendly Design Guidelines and Best Practices for New Multi-unit Buildings

Date: Time: Place:

Tuesday, October 22, 2019
6pm - 9pm
Metro Hall Rotunda(55 John Street, Ground Floor Lobby)

The City of Toronto has initiated a project to create a set of Pet Friendly Design Guidelines for Toronto’s multi-unit, high-density communities. Toronto communities are becoming increasingly compact, and include a large and growing pet population. In these areas, existing facilities may be at or nearing capacity, and additional space, facilities, and amenities are increasingly required to support the growing pet population and their owners, as well as to provide open space and facilities for everyone to enjoy.
The purpose of this study is to develop a series of guidelines and best practices to inform the design and planning of pet amenities in multi-unit, high-density communities. The study will focus on three scales – the neighbourhood, the building, and unit - covering the private to the public realm, with recommendations and strategies tailored to address issues associated with each scale.
As you have expressed interest on this matter previously, we would like to invite you to contribute your ideas and your perspective on how the resulted draft Guidelines can inform planning and development to improve residents’ access to facilities and amenities, and quality of life. We hope that you are able to attend.

Ran Chen
Project Manager – City of Toronto Phone: 416-392-1137
Email: Ran.Chen@toronto.ca
Notice to correspondents:

Gail Shillingford
Project Manager – DIALOG
Phone: 416-849-6825
Email: GShillingford@dialogdesign.ca

 

Personal information received at community consultation meetings or contained in correspondence with the City is collected under sections 8 and 136 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006 specifically for creating a public record of information potentially relevant to making an informed decision. Questions about the collection of this information may be directed to the Planner listed above.Compliance with City Council policy respecting Notice may result in you receiving duplicate notices.

City-Wide Study of Existing Dog Off-Leash Area Pup-Ups

Hello Dog Off Leash Area Stakeholder,

Please Share: Extended Pup-Up Hours

Due to popular demand, we’ve extended the hours for the Pup-Ups taking place before and after the workday. Please see the schedule below; Pup Ups with extended hours are indicated in bold text.

All the Pup-Ups will take place within or adjacent to the Off-Leash Areas (OLA). Look for us under the blue City of Toronto tent at the OLA.

The information is also posted on www.toronto.ca/olastudy and we encourage you to spread the word to your networks!

Location (Off-Leash Area)	Date	Time
Bayview Arena Park	Thursday, October 17th	4:30 – 7:00pm
Cherry Beach Park	Saturday, October 19th	9:00 – 11:00 am
High Park	Saturday, October 19th	12:00 – 2:00 pm
Merrill Bridge Park	Tuesday, October 22nd	7:30 – 10:00 am
Beresford Park	Wednesday, October 23rd	8:30 – 11:00 am
Allan Gardens	Wednesday, October 23rd	4:30 – 7:00 pm
Sunnybrook Park	Thursday, October 24th	10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Sandy Bruce Park	Thursday, October 24th	4:30 – 7:00 pm
Wychwood Car Barns Park	Saturday, October 26th	9:00 – 11:00 am
L’Amoreaux Park	Monday, October 28th	4:30 – 7:00 pm

Party Time!

Hello Friends of Ramsden Park, 

This fall, Park People is hosting two new national webinars, sharing practical ways to advance your work in city parks across Canada. 

In October's webinar, hear from national city park experts about how they've made awesome things happen in their parks. In November, learn about how to connect with local media can help rally community around your city park.

Register now to get back to school with us this fall. Please help us spread the word and share this online learning opportunity with your networks!

DATES

• Saturday October 19th at 3:00 pm EST: Three Steps to Establishing a Community Park Group
• Saturday November 23rd at 3:00 pm EST: Build your Park Group's Media Profile

Both webinars will also be held in French. Cliquez-ici pour apprendre plus sur nos webinaires en français.

Dear Dog Off-Leash Area stakeholders,

Please find below the survey link that you can share via email and social media outlets, this will assist in ensuring we receive valuable feedback and data about existing City Off-leash Areas. 

https://cotsurvey.chkmkt.com/ola-survey

In addition, as outlined in the Discussion Guide, the 10 Case Study sites where the "Pup-ups" will be held have been finalized and are as follows:

1. L'Amoureaux Park OLA
2. High Park OLA
3. Beresford Park OLA
4. Wychwood Barns Park OLA
5. Allan Gardens OLA
6. Merrill Bridge Road Park OLA
7. Cherry Beach OLA
8. Sunnybrook Park OLA
9. Bayview Arena Park OLA
10. Sandy Bruce Park OLA

The intention of the 10 Case Study sites is to serve as exemplars to demonstrate how the researched global Best Practices may be applied to sites to solve issues that are common across all of the City's existing OLAs. The above mentioned sites were chosen using site selection criteria that was developed by our Consultant in consultation with Stakeholders to identify common attributes. Examples of criteria include; size of OLA, type of surface, presence of trees, etc. Design solutions that address each attribute of interest will be developed as a type of 'lessons learned', and be used to inform future work in OLA's, such as changes to maintenance routines or when renovations are undertaken when adequate resources and funding are secured.  

For continuous project updates, please visit the project webpage at: www.toronto.ca/olastudy.

Thank you,

DOLA Administrator

Write A Love Letter to Ramsden Park

Write a Love Letter to Ramsden Park 

(any one connected to the park could do this too if you wanted to pass it on - kids too!). 

See instructions below;

Park People decided to help Toronto celebrate Valentine's Day in an unconventional way. We're inviting people to write a love letter to their park, and all of the entries will be posted around Valentine's Day. 

We wanted to invite you to write a letter or share this fun campaign with your networks. http://parkpeople.ca/send-your-park-a-love-letter-for-valentines-day

Also, we've posted one of the letters on our website, a letter to High Park. Feel free to have a look: http://parkpeople.ca/archives/1739

Thanks in advance. Have a lovely Family Day weekend.

Park Plans Now Finalized

Here are the plans for Phase 1 of the Revitalization.
More will be posted when we know it.

Thanks all.

Ramsden Park Revitalization - Final Open House – Monday Sept 8, 6:30 pm

Final Open House – Monday Sept 8, 6:30 pm 

Belmont House, Auditorium, 55 Belmont St

Ramsden Park Revitalization is moving forward after careful consideration involving

- multiple stakeholder discussions

- three rounds of public consultation

- dog off-leash area working meetings

- two facilitated site walks

Using feedback received at the public meetings, PMA Landscape Architects are fine-tuning design concepts and details for neighbourhood approval.

Please come out to the final Open House meeting to review these plans on September 8th at 6:30 PM at Belmont House, 55 Belmont Street

http://ramsdenparkconsultation.com

Mark Your Calendar!

Ramsden Park Revitalization Website

And We've Got Red Runner Beans!

Once again thanks to all those who showed up to get this job done in 45 minutes.

Soon the fence will be festooned with beans……

Ramsden Park Revitalization

Last night there was an extensive presentation of the designers' ideas, still in development, for revitalization of Ramsden Park.

These included a smaller and fully fenced off-leash area and revitalized pathways, play areas and recreational space. The attached picture is what we currently use.

Contrary to rumours, no tennis courts are being considered for removal in any configuration of the plan.

The next step in the consultation process is a walk through the park to go over the ideas which were presented for each of the park's key areas. 

This will take place this coming Saturday, June 7th, from Noon until 2 PM, beginning at the Yonge Street entrance and continuing West. 

I anticipate that the group will arrive in the Off Leash Area 

between 1 - 2 PM.

I cannot make it this Saturday, and would appreciate it if those who are most concerned could find a way to, if not take the entire walking tour, at least meet in the Off Leash Area to express any concerns.

Should you wish more information and details of the plan, there is a website devoted to this project. 

http://ramsdenparkconsultation.com

Here you can see the meeting notes and presentation made last night.

They have not been posted yet, but will be on the Meeting Reports tab in the upper menu.

On the Home page you can also sign up for email updates on this project.

There will be a final meeting to confirm priorities and plans. I will keep you advised when that is scheduled, or you can watch for it on the aforementioned website.

Please let me know if you can make it on Saturday by emailing ramsdendogs@gmail.com

Thanks so much.

Another Successful Cleanup

After the winter that was, more detritus than ever came out of the park today. Thanks to Munaza Chaudhry of the ABC Residents Association for her fabulous organizing of supplies and snacks!

Work Work Work.

Work Work Work

Cleaner than it's been in a long, long time

Great turnout this year

Thanks to Starbucks and Whole Foods for the snacks!

And now there's only a stump……all clean

A clean park with snack remnants on table

Stacked on Pears, this all came out of the Off Leash Area!

Halloween....2013

The July 8 2013 Monsoon

Big storm blew down a giant tree at the foot of the Roxborough stairs. Most of the wood chips have been washed up against the fence. Lotsa work to do.