Parents push for construction to begin on stalled school playground in Junction Triangle
CBC News | Posted: May 11, 2021 12:19 AM | Last Updated: May 11, 2021
'The yard is sitting empty,' says 1 parent who wants work to start again
Toronto parents who have raised over $300,000 for a new school yard used by two elementary schools are pushing for construction on the stalled project to begin again now that students are learning remotely and the yard is empty.
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), however, say the next phase of playground renovations at Perth Avenue Junior Public School and St. Luigi Catholic School will not begin until July due to safety concerns. The schools, located in the Junction Triangle neighbourhood, share the playground.
The boards said the Ontario education ministry has not yet indicated when students will return to class in person and the lack of a timeline is adding uncertainty to the school yard revitalization project.
Neighbourhood parents have been advocating for an upgrade for nearly a decade. They crowdfunded to help pay for it, but so far, only the artificial turf field portion is finished. Parents say the project has been plagued by delays. Construction started last year, broke for winter and was supposed to start again in the spring.
Kevin Putnam, a parent of three children, said he thinks the makeover of the school yard should be started again now before summer. Pandemic travel restrictions, plus limited opportunities for summer camps, mean there is a demand for outdoor play space, he said.
"There are a lot of kids that have grown up waiting for a school yard and now we're in the middle of a pandemic and we need it more than ever. Yeah, I'm frustrated, like many parents," he said.
"The yard is sitting empty."
Putnam said the boards should contact the contractor to find out when work can begin.
"Let's get the contractor to come back now, start work until it's finished. Should school resume before they're finished, let's make some arrangement with the city to use Perth Square Park as a temporary playground for children at our school," he said.
"For kids facing a long summer, it would just help them a lot to have this awesome place, the artificial soccer field, the climbing gym, the basketball nets. It would all be awesome for them. It's all paid for."
WATCH | CBC's Natalie Kalata talks to parents in the Junction Triangle:
The city, meanwhile, has offered to help the school boards with construction but it's not clear if the boards will accept the city's help.
According to the boards, the project at the school is split into phases. The parking lot and artificial turf field were completed on schedule but the play structure in the playground still needs to be constructed.
Project delayed due to safety concerns, boards say
"After careful review by TDSB and TCDSB staff (as the playground is shared with a Catholic school) both boards determined that it would not be safe for students to begin the next phase of construction while schools were operating," Ryan Bird, spokesperson for the TDSB, said in an email.
"To do so would have seen much of the already small, outdoor space torn up — further limiting critical outdoor space that is needed now, more than ever during the pandemic."
If students returned to class in person and construction began during the school year, kindergarten pupils in classes on the lower level next to the playground area would have to hear loud machinery and keep their windows closed all the time to avoid dust, while Grade 1 to 6 cohorts would have limited space to play, Bird said.
He said the area would also not be large enough to accommodate the number of classes at the schools when students have to distance physically.
"With all of this in mind and the uncertainty about whether students would return to the school this year, the decision was made to delay this phase of the project. Should the ministry announce that students will not be returning this school year, we will do everything we can to attempt to start the work earlier," Bird said.
Yung Chang, a filmmaker and a parent, said he takes his four-year-old daughter to play at the school yard nearly every day. He said he moved to the neighbourhood about three years ago.
Chang described the previous school yard as "ramshackle" with little activity, but said the turf has become a centrepoint for his child where she can play.
"It's been indispensable as a place just to get some movement and exercise," he said.
Chang said he is looking forward to the completed project.
"A playground and a school yard is what brings us together."