In spite of the fact that Raymore Park was rejected as a candidate for leash free zone consideration as recently as June 2014, organizers of the recently held residents’ meeting seemed to confirm that the zone is a done deal. Apparently ‘someone’ applied last June, and the City must consider the site. Oddly the city’s reasons against a leash free zone in Raymore were the same as those for rejecting adjacent Lions Park, namely, ‘TRCA, ravine, natural heritage’. The document may be accessed here.
The meeting was attended by about 25 people and the proposed zone was illustrated – I have outlined an approximation as the organizers distributed no hard copy:
Raymore Park showing the proposed off-leash zone. Google Earth.
The site as it looks now (September 2015).
The zone will be about 450 metres from the parking lot yet only about 100 m from nearby residences (the fact they are TCH homes may have eased concerns). The baseball diamonds will remain in place as removing them would involve park owners, TRCA and it’s ‘too much hassle’ according to the meeting organizer. The zone will occupy ¾ of an acre down at the southern baseball diamond in a rectangle following the river about 15 feet from the far side of the path. It will be fenced with pine wood rail fences so at least it won’t look too bad. Its northernmost tip will be about half-way up the open field (perhaps a little further than what I have drawn). I did suggest planting trees to the north of the zone which would hopefully dampen the sound somewhat. The organizers’ positive response to this suggestion may have been a way of easing my concerns; we’ll see. Trees to the south will provide shade. Water and lighting will not be supplied as the location is too remote and the budget small. Supervision by city staff will be minimal thanks to budget restraints and may I cynically suggest, the long walk from the parking lot.
When I suggested that the majority of people using the zone will be with unlicensed dogs, the response was a bit of a metaphorical shrug. From what I gather, nobody will be checking for dog licenses – even in the early days of this thing. Professional dog walkers will be allowed to use the zone.
The proposed opening hours are 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. year-round (even though the park gates are locked from November until April). This will create parking issues along Raymore Drive and Tilden Crescent. Organizers then talked about keeping the gates open year-round which some in the crowd thought was unlikely as even the ploughs get stuck occasionally.
The zone will be installed by spring of next year.
The organizers claim that traffic and noise levels won’t increase by much but they don’t like getting complaints about the zones it will be up to residents to phone 311 if people are abusing the area or being noisy.
There will be one more meeting to discuss the plans based on community input.
Faithful readers may have noticed an abrupt decline in output since December 2013. The problem started on July 8, of that year – a date that has etched itself onto my memory (believe me that’s hard at my age). On that fateful dark and stormy day, the rain came down for hours apparently creating a new one-day rainfall record. Comparisons to Hurricane Hazel were aired in the media but the difference between the two events is put into perspective here. Our latest big storm while significant for its intensity, was relatively tame when compared to Hazel in 1954.
July 9 2013 – water levels beginning to subside.
Anyway, I digress. At the height of the storm, our power went out and after a while, I trotted down to the basement to dig out a radio to find out what was happening. One’s subconscious is an amazing thing – it monitors thoughts and sensations without judgement and leaves it to the conscious brain to make sense of it. While descending the stairs and trying to remember where the radio was; gently nudging my brain were the following sensations: darkness, the sound of rain outside, running water inside(!), a musty smell(!) – none of which registered until I hit the bottom of the stairs and I stepped into several centimetres of flowing water and sewage. Gritting my teeth and squelching through the dark with a flashlight, several floor drains were found to be the source, gushing sewage with considerable force. Luckily, our basement is at ground level at the back so I was able to open a door and allow the smelly effluent an ungraceful exit.
Needless to say, the volume of rain had swamped the combined sanitary and storm sewer system resulting in several flooded basements in our neighbourhood and in neighbourhoods across the city. The sheer number of people affected overwhelmed insurance companies along with mitigation and construction contractors. It took us two days to get someone out to begin the clean-up process. Adjusters were brought in from Texas – they proved to be useless and eventually (after a great deal of arm-twisting) it took a Canadian adjuster to approve a fair settlement which we received in October. All the basement flooring had to be removed along with drywall to a height of about 3 feet. In addition, we decided to go the extra mile and renovate the rest of the house. We packed everything into boxes as if we were moving and stored the boxes in the garage and bathrooms. Work commenced in December and was completed by the end of February 2014. While the work was under way, we rented a cottage on Lake Erie near the charming town of Dunnville.
Our frail and elderly bulldog Mugsey managed to injure himself on the first day at the cottage and required nursing and emergency vet visits (think All Creatures Great and Small where they’re quite comfortable treating horses and cattle). He never really recovered and after an operation to remove some tumours in March, the vet discovered that he had spondylosis and a mass by his neck that seemed to be paralyzing him gradually. by June, he was unable to walk more than a few steps and his stomach had become bloated with gas. My wife and I made the horrible decision to put him down on June 16 as it became harder to blunt his pain and other than food and treats, he was unable to be Mugsey.
Mugsey on the day we brought him home in April 2003
We had lived with Mugsey for over 11 years. He was an incredible, intelligent and (usually) happy boy who lived for his daily hour-long walks in the park. He provided moral support and comfort to my wife through her prolonged illness and when word got out that his life was ending, some of his greatest fans came to bid him a fond farewell. Gorging himself on previously forbidden treats he was petted and caressed one last time before his final drive to the vet. Even though he was in terrible shape and in pain despite lots of Gabapentin, he knew by gestures (he had become totally deaf in the previous year) that it was time for one last car ride. He tottered unsteadily to his feet and waited for his lifejacket to be fastened. This device with its carrying handles at the top had helped us many times to get his 80lb bulk up and down steps and into the car.
There are moments of crystal clarity when events are seared into the memory. Walking from the car to the vet’s office that last time is one of those. The late afternoon sun shone brightly and people passed us, getting on with their lives, oblivious to the final minutes of Mugsey’s life. In my head was the unsettling thought, ‘I’m going to kill my pet’, yet the world didn’t know or seem to care. He sniffed the usual spots along the way and once inside, plonked himself on a blanket in the vet’s office (as he had done many times for laser treatments) and lay quietly on his side keeping an eye on me to make sure that I was still there with him. The act of betrayal pressed heavily on me as I lay beside him and second-guessed our decision. Bravely, he didn’t flinch as the vet needed a couple of tries to find a vein in his back leg that would carry the fatal injection. I kissed his head and gave him one last hug goodbye and he let out an enormous sigh as tranquillizer was released into his bloodstream. At that moment it seemed as if he could now stop holding it all together and drop the burden of pain and discomfort he had endured for so long. He became deeply unconscious and on the vet’s persistent advice, I left, as the final injection, while painless can produce a reaction in the form of movements that are distressing to owners. The walk back to the empty car without him was one of profound sadness, guilt and relief.
The house seemed empty for months afterwards. Even now, I catch myself thinking that he’s on the couch in the basement ready to snooze while we watch TV.
So anyway, this cathartic little posting is why it’s been quiet lately and I hope to begin walks in the park anew without our boy. We still miss him horribly. It won”t be the same without him.
I was heading through the wild area on Monday (Thanksgiving Day). I could hear a strange sound, not an animal noise but a squeaking; like a chew toy. As I approached the sound increased in intensity and there were small mounds of earth along the dirt path in the wild area.
Curious piles of soil.
As I drew closer the answer was revealed. A treasure hunter, wife and chihuahua in tow, was looking for valuables left behind by Hurricane Hazel victims. Not wishing to be confrontational, I adopted a friendly approach and asked the man if he was aware of the history of the site. His apprehension dissolved and he soon became keen to tell me all about his hobby. ‘Oh yes, there’s lots of good stuff buried. Last time I was here, I found a silver jewel case’. All the while, with his wife nodding approval, the man continued, using a smaller squeaky probe and shovel to ferret out anything metallic. Instead of removing this debris, he tossed it aside, not even adding a gram of benefit from his odious activity.
It’s hard to know how to defend historic sites against such predators. The provenance of items found is probably lost without a trace once they have been removed and sold.
Another worrying development recently has been a group of people who act as if the park is their own personal off-leash zone. They seem to be led by a lady who drives to the park and releases her three very active dogs (without collars) into the wild area. The dogs are constantly being yelled commands so she’s an obvious presence. She meets up with a couple of local residents and their five dogs are set loose to harass whatever wildlife they come across.
These people give responsible dog owners a bad name.
One of the offending dogs. The owner is nowhere to be seen.
Three of the dogs arrive in this vehicle.
It saddens me to think of the wildlife that struggles to survive in an urban environment. Now they have to deal with this added burden. It’s inconsiderate and unfair. After all, there are lots of off leash parks in Toronto. Once people see this open flouting of park rules, others will surely follow.
These two sets of people are like leeches because they take from the park and add nothing. The park is diminished by their presence. Their selfish behaviour presents a massive middle finger to those who appreciate the history and the wildlife of Raymore Park.
Yesterday, I saw the mother deer on her own in Raymore Park. She moved across the width of the park and moved slowly into the wild area right in front of my wife and I as we stood watching breathlessly.
White-tailed deer leave their young for hours on end while foraging and return to them to provide milk. Today the mother was on the Weston side of the river and waited until I moved upstream. The fawn will be safer on the far side as access is limited so hopefully, that’s where it is.
…standing motionless, waiting in the shadows.
She crossed the river slowly and disappeared into the vegetation which, thanks to the rain is very tall this year.
As I was leaving the wild area, I encountered a lady with four very active, off-leash border collies. On mentioning my deer sighting, she seemed to believe her dogs wouldn’t bother the deer and its fawn. In fact, she went told me that ungulates (yes, she used the word ungulates) are a leading cause of death to other animals and humans thanks to their hooves! She mentioned that one of her dogs had had an encounter with a deer recently and that the deer chased her dog and threatened it (with its hooves).
It’s not hard to imagine what would happen if any dog happened across the fawn while it was on its own and defenceless. In fact, any kind of encounter between wild and domestic animals should be avoided. To me, it seems irresponsible to invite such an encounter on a daily basis.
On Sunday, right in the middle of a (relatively) busy park, a white-tailed deer was shepherding her frisky fawn through the park. The fawn was darting all over the place and seemed to be excited by the open space having just emerged from the wild area. The mother soon corralled it behind her and the two of them moved into the bush by the weir. The mother did not feel threatened as her tail was down. Several people in the park were quite delighted by the sight. One gentleman with his large active dog off-leash put his dog under control after I pointed out the pair.
It’s already May 22nd and yet the gates to Raymore Park are left wide open every night. This despite a call to 311 last week.
Park gates open at 11:00 pm May 21st.
May 20th was the Victoria Day holiday. Because the gates were left open, a group of people held a fireworks party on the grass by the parking lot.
Every year it’s the same. Surely the date cannot come by surprise? Gimme the friggin’ key and I’ll lock it up.
Postscript: As of early June, the park is being locked up regularly but interestingly it re-opens between 3 and 4 a.m.
Earlier on the 20th, a young deer ambled down through the park quite unconcerned with the large numbers of people. A few people stopped to watch before it disappeared into the sumac behind the unused ball diamonds.
Fortunately there were no dogs on the loose – like this one that is allowed to chase park wildlife.
Image courtesy of Code Monkey.
On a further seasonal note, mosquitoes are back. The woods at the bottom of the park are home to some of the most aggressive bugs known to humanity. They managed to give me a matching welt on each arm.
Lastly, some fungus caught my eye. It’s a type of bracket fungus commonly named Turkey Tail. It breaks down dead and diseased wood.
The onset of warmer weather is the worst possible time for wildlife in the park. Many animals are in the most crucial part of their reproductive cycle and increased numbers of people add a considerable burden to their lives. Fortunately, numbers decrease as the season progresses and the novelty wears off. Today, this gentleman let his very active dog off leash at the entrance of the park and it ran to the footbridge flushing out wildlife as it went, causing considerable distress to wildlife, pedestrians and cyclists. Many people seem to regard the park as a leash free zone.
Face obscured.
This lady decided that the zoom on her camera was insufficient so she had to impose herself on these poor geese, giving them no option but to leave their peninsula. The small island in the distance is about the only safe place for nesting birds and other animals.
On a happier note a pair of American Black Ducks were waddling in a corner of the park this morning, snacking on new growth and happily out of sight of unleashed dogs. It’s possible that they are in the process of migrating from the southern U.S. to summer grounds further north although some stay here year-round.
Today is Community Clean-up Day and in honour of the day, I brought a plastic shopping bag with me and went through the wild area with Mugsey. It’s bitterly cold today and with the temperature just above zero the park was almost empty.
A typical collection of garbage found in the wild area.
Amongst other bits of human detritus there was a glove, many plastic bags and wrappers, 4 plastic bottles, 1 bag of dog poo (left by my friend ‘Dave)’, a couple of other bags of dog poo, a grade 9 math text, chunks of styrofoam, cigarette packs etc.
Not a bad haul and I could have filled another bag in the wild area alone but since every day is clean-up day for me, it can wait until tomorrow. Another bag or two and the wild area should be clear of trash. The theory goes that people are more reluctant to drop litter if the place is clean.
There was one other person in the park, a lady with a very active small dog that seemed bent on chasing wildlife. When our paths crossed I gave her the greeting reserved for such occasions, ‘Hey, did you see the coyote when you went through there?’. The dog was put on leash in an instant and the two of them beat a hasty retreat. I hate lying but wildlife has a tough enough time in the park without being harassed by off-leash dogs and their inconsiderate owners.
A couple of updates while we’re waiting for spring.
I discovered the identity of the ‘Douche’ who has been leaving packages of dog poo around the park. Yesterday, I brought a plastic shopping bag with me so that I could grab the odd bits of litter as I walked through the park. I passed by the lower entrance to the woods and the pile of bags that were left there all winter. There were four of them and another three along the way including a fresh one hanging on a tree. Into the plastic bag with all of them.
Before… notice the very old one at 11 o’clock from the newer pile of 3.
After!
After doing my civic duty (and seething about the fresh bag of dog crap left hanging on a tree), I was talking about the ‘Poo Bomber‘ (also mentioned here) to a fellow dog owner; let’s call him Dave, and he said, ‘That’s me. Rather than carry them all the way through the park, I leave them and pick them up later’. Needless to say I was gobsmacked and mentioned that many had not been picked up. ‘That’s not me’, Dave insisted. This was just after picking up seven identical bags scattered through the woods – including the one on the tree. I didn’t press the point but at least I’m not watching out for who it is any more. Hopefully Dave will get the hint from now on. I mentioned that I keep a blog and he keeps telling me he’ll get around to reading it. I guess I’ll know when he does.
As for what I thought was a BMX track in the woods, I saw it in use the other day. A couple of adults and a small child came down the hill following a remote controlled toy truck of some kind. The track is for the toy and everyone stands and watches this thing trundle its way over the course. Go figure.
Dog tag please. Animal Services van by the Raymore Drive entrance to the park.
Today a lady from Animal Services was checking tags for a while. She walked from Raymore Park all the way along the path to Lions Park, checking tags along the way and extracting addresses from those unable to produce said tag.
According to the City Auditor, only about 30% of Toronto’s dogs are licensed. Actually, from what I have seen, the auditor’s estimate is quite high. Others put it closer to 10%. This is the first evidence I have seen of Animal Services in a long time. A few years ago they used to have quite a strong presence and an A.S. employee used to watch dog owners through binoculars, checking for by-law infringements. This was around the time that A.S. hired students to go knocking on doors and peering in windows, looking for evidence of dogs and cats. There was a bit of a public outcry against such draconian measures and Mayor Rob Ford mused that license fees should perhaps be abolished since they bring in very little money.
Apparently abolition must have been taken off the table – in addition to the ‘stick’ of fines for unlicensed dogs, A.S. is looking at the ‘carrot’ of discounts for doggy products and services if dog owners can prove their pet is licensed.
If they really want to enforce the tags, A.S. should enlist the help of vets throughout the city and allow them to issue tags – the vets would get a piece of the action and could offer a discount on some services. They could perhaps pay for or subsidize a pup’s tag on its first check-up. Once a dog is in the system, it’s likely to stay and the renewal fees would roll in for years.
Meanwhile, in the park, birds are frantically mating and nesting and taking advantage of the mild temperatures before the mini cold-snap that is expected this week.
Friends of Raymore Park 