Toronto skateboarders hoping to save Fort York DIY skatepark

The park, on a relatively unused, graffiti-covered walkway along Fort York Blvd. that crosses under Bathurst St., consists of three concrete ramps built off-site by the skateboarders, which were then attached to the barrier between the walkway and sidewalk. The setup also includes a row of cinderblocks.

Skaters have been building and using the space since October 2016, skateboarder Nicky Young said. But last Friday, orange City of Toronto pylons and construction tape were put up between two of the ramps, which were also marked with bright orange spray paint; in an email Monday night, Toronto Transportation Services spokesperson Bruce Hawkins confirmed the division will be removing the ramps Wednesday.

“People are trying to figure out how to engage skateboarders and build community, and this is really the very best example of that — when a group of people come together on their own initiative and with their own creativity and their own resources and build something out of trial and error and problem-solving,” said a frustrated Young, who’s started an online petition addressed to local Councillor Mike Layton in an effort to save the park.

The City of Toronto has 14 outdoor skateparks (12 permanent and two seasonal). But DIY skate parks have an “entirely different dynamic” from private or city-built ones, Young said, because they build a greater sense of community and stewardship since they’re labours of love.

Since setting up on the walkway, skateboarders have cleaned up garbage and dog feces that used to litter the area, and turned it into a vibrant meeting point for groups ranging from five to 20 skaters.

“It almost becomes more of a sacred space than just a space to skate,” he said, pointing out that cities like Vancouver and Montreal already have city-sanctioned DIY skate parks.

“There’s a lot of momentum in Toronto now. People really want a DIY park . . . It’s a huge part of skateboarding culture, and it’s such an unfortunate thing that is lacking in Toronto.”

If removed, this will be at least the second DIY skatepark taken down by the city in six months. A larger one near Lansdowne Ave. and Bloor St. W. was removed in November 2016.

It’s not as simple as just letting the skaters carry on, Layton said. The walkway is technically part of the Fort York national historic site, he said, and any changes to public property must meet certain standards so the city doesn’t open itself up to any liabilities.

“(There) are serious things that need to take place in order for us to change public space in that way . . . We can’t simply say, ‘Oh no, that’s OK, let it go.’ If there’s a legal implication at play,” Layton said Monday.

A bylaw officer who’d initially noticed illegal graffiti in the area had flagged the park to the city’s Transportation Services department, he said.

“I appreciate the fact that we’re trying to figure for people to use skateboards, but we can’t take it upon ourselves to change a public space like that without some consultation or accountability to the greater public.”

Although sparsely used now, he said the walkway will eventually be part of the Bentway Project, an initiative to create a 1.75 kilometre public trail under the Gardiner Expressway. The walkway will connect two parks on either side of Bathurst St. still under construction and will be part of a path that leads to a school and community centre.

“If there was any possibility for a temporary use over the next year before the other pieces are in place, I’m sure I’d be interested in exploring that,” Layton said, emphasizing that any interim plans would need to meet all city building standards.

Skateboarder and local resident Josh Singal, who was the first one to bring a ramp to the walkway, said he thought it was disingenuous that the city only started paying attention to the space after the skateboarders started using it.

“If you really want to talk about ‘historical national site,’ look how much graffiti is here,” he said. “Look how much garbage and graffiti is everywhere. This should have been cleaned up if the city really cared about the spot. But no, it’s not until skateboarders come and then it looks bad.”

Before the city marked the spot to be cleared, Singal said he was hoping to create a fenced-off area for local residents who bring their dogs down to the area, and maybe even create a community garden on some of the nearby green space.

Even when the parks are completed and the walkway becomes a connector, there’d still be plenty of room for pedestrians on the adjacent sidewalk or green space, he added.

“There’s a lot of ideas we have,” Singal said, “but it’s really hard to implement stuff when no one really wants to listen to you, or when they do listen to you, it’s already too late.”