#9106 - Oct 1991

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Digital Archiving Completed by the Ethnography Lab, A University of Toronto Anthropology Initiative and Produced in Collaboration with David Perlman/Wholenote Media Inc between July-December 2015. Page six, Kensington Market Drum TALKiNG ~ -RVM October 1991 .............. ' Accounting Coup Perhaps the most remarkable achievement of the four-year life of the Kensington market area task force was forcing the City's Finance Department to provide the taskforce with a breakdown of City revenues and expenditures in the Kensington area (in 1989). As many suspected would happen, the figures showed more money taken out by the City than put back--almost half a million dollars more. "It's mind-boggling," said Allan Schwam, main figure in the effort to get the information, "If the same applies to every neighbourhood, then where is all the money going?" Granted the city can't break down everything it spends~ on a block by .· block basis as demanded by the task force. How much of the money going to the humane society should be Kensington money, for example (especially now that there are no live chickens sold here). B u t even so, the difference is enough to provoke some questions. And that's where the most interesting part of this exercise is still in the future. Getting the figures was a triumph, but seeing what use people make of the information will be even more interesting. David Lewis Stein of the Star--the only mainstream journalist to notice what happened- pointed out one less than auspicious possibility: . that the information would be used as ammo in a so-called "tax-payers revolt," to argue for elimination of unpopular social services, or programs. ' The other less-gloomy possibility is that people in the community could now have a powerful argument for the city to fund projects or undertakings identified as worthwhile by the community itself. There are all-candidates meetings coming up . for the municipal election. Why not go and ask each of the candidates what they'd do for us with the information we've dug up for them? It will be an interesting test of their politics. · ~-~'''·"' a ~ tl fil ::I "' rn 0 0 ..Q c.. Three years 'ago three things seemed impossible in the world of Kensington politics: one, that the canopies would withstand a public works onslaught for their demolition; two: that the Aug~sta gas mains would be shifted to the street (to allow for construction of new canopies); three: that Gus Fisher would ever cease to be· a thorn in the side of the city's bureaucrats. Coming m November: CONSUMERS GUS--A PORTRAIT. Now here we are~ on the eve of another election, and council has just said "It is Council's position to retain the canopies". And only $25,000 (as opposed to ten times that amount three years ago) stands in the way,of relocating the mains. So when Fisher says "Just the canopies, the gas and the gates and I'm gone, it sounds as though he means SOON. ' ' ~-?
Digital Archiving Completed by the Ethnography Lab, A University of Toronto Anthropology Initiative and Produced in Collaboration with David Perlman/Wholenote Media Inc between July-December 2015. October 1991 ·Kensington Market Drum, page seven I Letters to Drum I Letters may be posted or hand delivered to Kensington Market DRUM, • -·· --- ·-·'" ,___• • 1...1:-~ ....... ;. Lttlltolf::i Will U'l::l tJUUII~ti'OV u) fUll Where space permitS . To the Editor ' Every year at around this time it seems that all the parks in Metro get the "great gift" of new sand and playground equipment gets overhauled. From my observation the overhauling usually entails repairs, painting and/or replacement of those pieces that need it. Why is it, that in a growing community where there are more children this year thali ever Bellevue Square Park gets overlooked.· Well maybe they haven't gotten to "our main park" yet, you say. I'd like to be optimistic about the whole thing but this will be my third summer here and I've yet to see anything change except the transient population. It's not only us Moms, Dads, Grandmothers, Grandfathers, Nanny's asking this question it's our children. Sand, Sand, we'd like some New Sand too, and we'd like a nice new paint job on the swing set, and we'd like to see some handles on the teetertotters so that the older children won't split them trying to dash up them only to crash on the other side, and mostly we'd like some NEW SMALLER SAFER EQUIPM ENT. In a community where lots of times it's the grandparents who are looking after children during the day our existing equipment makes it impossible for them to follow an active toddler up some of these rather large and dangerous dinosaurs. So I'm asking you the editors of The Kensington Market Drum, how do we bring about the above mentioned changes, so that our children have a better park to play in just like the kids who live in other neighbourhoods in Metro??? I heard you were small but you're at City Hall. Bob the Waiters roommate ps. If we tum Sasmart into an Art Gallery do we get a 3-D wading pool like the kids at Grange Park? To whom it may concern, Hopefully it will concern Parks and Recreation. Zoe has a broken arm. Zoe is two years old. Zoe fell off the slide at Bellevue Park. The slide is too big for Zoe. The equipment at that park is too big for small people. There is not enough sand in the sand box. Zoe loves to play there. Zoe does not love to get hurt. Small people need small equipment to play on. Please put smaller stuff in the park. I hope that the large equipment in the park is just an oversight. That is to say that perhaps Parks and Rec. is unaware that there are small people in thus neighbourhood. Well, Zoe and I want you to know that small people live and play here and we them to be safe. Thank you for your attention. Zoe and Mary To the Editor Perhaps your local readers and residents may have some qpinions and suggestions concerning lesser crimes (less serious than homicide) in the Kensington area. Specifically the much more frequent unlawful activities such as theft, vandalism and property damage, break and enter, excessive noise, offenses by dog owners, gross littering, fraud, offences by substance abusers, violence, speeding and over-idling by vehicle owners, trespassing etc. Parking is in a class by itself but some of these offenses have definite victims (most of us) and are undoubtedly committed by local repeat offenders to a large extent. During the summer things generally get much worse. Is there some way we can improve this s~tuation for everyone and have a nicer neighbourhood or is it the inevitable price of big city living where unthinking and uncaring attitudes prevail? Would the Drum be willing to randomly publish names,' addresses, photos, etc. of those charged or convicted of crimes in our neighbourhood and allow them to respond to any allegations? Hope Goodstreets ' Teetering Tot, Bellevue Park ' The offending climber ... see letter this page. Nixed, not fixed. And we got new sand, once the summer was over.
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#9106 - Oct 1991

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