Tag Archives: Raymore Park

Against the light.

I love taking shots against the light. It can be a challenge to avoid glare and burnouts but the rewards are worth the effort in terms of contrast and vivid colour. Today was a continuation of several days of sun , mild temperatures and low humidity which lends even more clarity to such images.

Fresh blades of grass are backlit and the air is clear on this day of low humidity.

The texture of the tree trunks makes a nice contrast with the blades of grass while the shadows continue the tree lines.

Flowers from the trees dot the water by the peninsula. Lots of green shades contrast nicely with the sky reflection.

Warm weather brings problems

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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.

Wildflowers make an appearance.

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The ground has finally warmed and some spring wildflowers are making an appearance. A few years ago, some kind person planted a variety of wild flowers in the park and they have flourished.

Trout lily is a beautiful and fascinating plant because it relies on ants to pollinate its flowers as well as spread its seeds.

Trout Lily

These bluebells aren’t native but they add a vivid splash of colour.

Bluebells at the edge of the park.

Northern Blue Violets aren’t spectacular but are a welcome addition to the forest floor.

Northern Blue Violet

Not a trace of trilliums unfortunately. I suspect they were dug out long ago.

Coming to Raymore – Urban Park Rangers

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After much study and consultation, Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation has produced a five-year parks plan to be implemented, beginning this year (subject to City Council approval).

Extensive consultation of citizens, staff and industry experts determined four basic functions of parks management:

1. Communicate and connect with users
2. Preserve and promote nature
3. Maintain quality parks
4. Improve system planning

One of the more interesting proposals under Item 1 is the introduction of an Urban Park Ranger who would be a more visible presence in parks and would be a

‘primary point of contact for individuals and groups wanting to engage with the parks system and build relationships with community stakeholders’

Combing through the corporate jargon of relationships and stakeholders (are community stakeholders the people using the park barbecues? Ed.), it appears that park rangers will be the human face of the park system and will be tasked with ensuring that City and park by-laws are more more rigorously enforced. A commitment to providing or improving park amenities such as washrooms, signage, shade areas and benches is also proposed. Another interesting idea is the establishment of a centralized parks volunteer and donations system. Businesses and people might like to donate money, land or time to the parks system but at the moment there is no formal system in place.

This will be a timely intervention for our local parks that can sometimes look a bit neglected when compared to the elaborate facilities and displays found in more upscale areas of Toronto.

The plan is a long read but well worth the effort. Comments on the proposal can be directed here.

Community clean-up day.

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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.

Winter storm

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Day lilies are shocked I tell you.

The park was cold and snowy today and a fresh covering made it look like January except for bright green new growth sticking out through the snow. These day lilies are probably remnants of gardens that belonged to homes destroyed during Hurricane Hazel.

A pair of Mallards swimming around a temporary pond were taking refuge from high water in the river. I was careful to stay well clear so that they weren’t disturbed.

Ice is forming in April!!

Hidden worlds

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You’ve got to admire the resourcefulness of some people. This mini BMX circuit is well hidden and is the illegal labour of love of some parent. I remember seeing a man during the March Break who appeared to be clearing up litter in a wooded area. I should have known that few people actually pick up litter in Raymore Park. Instead of tidying up, he was labouring with at least one of his kids to produce this.

The hidden track.

Every one of the branches forming this raised track is nailed to the wood below so this has taken a lot of time (and nails).

It's a thing of beauty, bringing to mind a dinosaur skeleton.

It’s a thing of beauty in a primitive way, bringing to mind a dinosaur skeleton.

I’ve no idea how usable it is but it’s definitely an interesting structure to stumble across. You almost expect to see Robinson Crusoe coming through the woods.

There's an earth track between the yellow tapes.

There are dirt tracks between the yellow tapes.

The dirt tracks between the tapes will certainly form a channel during rain and will eventually erode the hillside. I suspect the course is a little too challenging as I’ve never seen anyone using it.

There’s no faulting the motivation of this parent. Unfortunately, he has scarred the ground and littered the park with a structure that could present a danger to humans and wildlife. While I assume that shrubs and trees weren’t chopped down for this, branches taken from the forest floor could well have been home to overwintering insects and small vertebrates. When this thing is abandoned and falls apart, the nails will be around for years.

It’s another example of someone feeling comfortable in creating a clearly illegal structure in Raymore Park and shows an astonishing lack of respect for public parkland.

It’s the canine cops…

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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.

Lots of activity by the river.

Park pariahs

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Yesterday I encountered two people in the park who, although well meaning, are a detriment to wildlife.

How long have we known that bread is bad for ducks and geese?

This old boy is one of a few who regularly feed Canada Geese and Mallards at this spot just above the weir. In fact, anytime you approach the water in this area, birds will swim over anticipating a free (but potentially harmful) meal.

Here’s pariah number two. She was skating along with her very active dog off leash, no doubt congratulating herself for exercising the unfortunate animal. As I approached with my dog, it was evident she had no leash and had to hold onto her dog’s choke chain in order to keep it close. All this without missing a stride!

I'm such a free spirit, I don't leash my dog.

Such a free spirit, she doesn’t even bother bringing a leash.

Once she passed us, the dog was released and went on its way, flushing wildlife in its path. I have never seen this young lady and her dog before and probably won’t see her again but it’s hard to understand how people can be so cavalier about the responsibility of animal ownership and the effect an uncontrolled dog has on wildlife in a park setting.

Park Clean Up

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Aren’t people wonderful! All within easy reach of garbage cans too. Cycle path at Scarlett just north of La Rose.

On Tuesday I emailed local Councillor Doug Ford about the huge amount of litter along the cycle path just north of Eglinton. Yesterday a clean-up crew came to this end of the park and unfortunately they missed most of the litter since they didn’t bother reaching over the 4′ fence or walking into the wild area. I called the park supervisor today today and he sent them out again very quickly. The original concern i.e. the litter on the cycle path remains unaddressed.
Here is the email:

Hi Doug,

Now that the snow has gone, I notice there is a huge amount of garbage along the cycle path from just above Eglinton to just north of La Rose. I try and pick up the odd pieces of trash but this is beyond my abilities. I enclose a photograph for illustration purposes. I was wondering if a crew could be sent out to take care of this…

We have had a long winter and the snow has only just cleared. Regardless, there must be a way to keep on top of litter throughout the winter months. God forbid that a city worker should occasionally have to walk along the trail.

Some councillors organize community clean-up days where people in a neighbourhood spend a couple of hours hauling trash from local parks. I think this is passing the buck and neighbourhoods that aren’t so cohesive or those without strong community involvement end up being compromised even further.