SSP Construction Update meeting with TRCA - completion now delayed to 2029

DASSP attended last night's TRCA meeting on park construction. As I was the first person to arrive, I had all 3 of the folks to speak to.

TRCA stated that completion is now delayed a year, to 2029. This is no surprise as TRCA has a terrible record of completion on all their projects in S. Etobicoke over the last few years.

They stated that all the large gravel will be removed, and replaced with the original pea gravel, after re-grading, as before. Apparently, they took photos of the original pathways to use as a reference.

I asked that DASSP and FOSS have a walkthrough of the pathways, beaches and surroundings near the end of the project, to assess any issues identified or outstanding. Hopefully there will soon be access to a beach, for disabled park users, as there now is at Marie Curtis. Time will tell.

The gravel issue is huge for wheelchair users, mobility impaired and elderly folk with balance constraints

Public Information Session - SSP Shoreline Construction Phase 2 Progress

There will be an information session on Thursday, August 20, 2026, from 5pm - 7pm

Humber College, C Building, Room 109

For more information please copy the link below into your browser, review and then attend;  

                            https://trca.ca/conservation/erosion-risk-management/restore/colonel-samuel-smith-park-major-maintenance/

DASSP not contacted again by the City of Toronto and TRCA

It has come to our attention that a toxic spraying in Sam Smith Park will occur in the Autumn.

Despite having existed for many years and participating in many Park projects, our Group never gets contacted at the genesis of new projects. 

                                                              

We are in the process of finding out about wheeling through the pathways near the spraying and how to mitigate the threats to our hands, arms, gloves, tires, length of toxicity, etc.

Please stay tuned, as we have just reached out to the City and TRCA, via Janette Harvey.

Path between the Jean Tweed Centre and Humber is now safe for Elderly and Disabled.

Last week, 311 workers finally repaired the path between Jean Tweed and Humber! This path, which leads toward Sam Smith Park both ways, had been in a terrible state of disrepair for quite a long time. 

DASSP is glad to see that this little part of the world will be a lot safer for elderly and disabled from now on.

Disability Issues - Rebuilding and relocating the weekday Morrison St entry path through Humber.

TRCA has installed a notification sign of a new entrance to Sam Smith Park at the rustic Morrison weekday gateway. The work is set to commence after July 1 and wrap up by the New Year.

Prior to July, TRCA will have a period of input, and DASSP will need to be involved.

At this time, there is a need to move the entrance because the current small entrance is actually on the property of the adjoining property owner. The property line is at the midpoint of the parking lot, so the fence needs to move to the left/south, so that it is on City property.

This is the current entrance, which needs to be relocated.

The new entrance would be to the left/south in the proximity of a large, healthy old growth tree, which TRCA wants to cut down (they have already painted a red dot on the tree) 

DAASP supports retaining the tree, and simply leveraging the existing north/south path, by smoothing and rebuilding it, while landscaping the parking lot to a gradual grade, down to the path, in front of the tree, without harming it.

Disability issues arise, as a new fence may need to be erected between the path and the Small Bowl, for the protection of elderly, wheelchairs, mobility devices etc.

With the Helen Keller Centre completed now, the Visually Impaired population of New Toronto will be increasing exponentially and the upgraded path will require modifications to accommodate the group.

This is the location of the proposed new entrance. You can observe the tree in question, behind the fence.

This is the healthy tree that TRCA proposes removing.

Mayor Olivia Chow - City in a Tax Grab with the Helen Keller Centre for the Visually Impaired on Eighth St.

Amazingly, the City of Toronto is trying to undertake a tax grab from the new Helen Keller Centre on Eighth St. 

The City is trying to charge the Centre a six digit figure saying that development taxes are overdue, however the Centre maintains that these are not owed, as the building was constructed under the affordable housing initiative, for disabled and low income folks.

Let's hope that Mayor Olivia Chow and her management team come to their senses and quickly resolve this unseemly conflict.  

DASSP is looking forward to welcoming lots of new Visually Impaired park visitors throughout 2026!

 

Park scenes from DASSP member Vesty

It's been a quiet summer for DASSP with all the construction and mayhem in the park this year, but we are still working on a few things behind the scenes, for next year.

It the meantime, here are some beautiful snapshots of the park, from our most dapper member, Vesty!

Everyone have a safe and wonderful Christmas and holiday season!

Sam Smith Park Cleanup Day will be on Sunday, April 27th from 9am - 3pm !

Alan Roy's park cleanup day will be on Sunday, April 27th from 9am - 3pm !

Dress for the weather. Garbage bags will be provided.

Please come out if you are able to, and help us maintain our beloved park! 

Rebuilding the beaches at Sam Smith Park - Disability Impact 2025

The park fencing has gone up as of the end of 2024, and we are anticipating heavy construction vehicles over the first 3 to 4 months of 2025. This has already been delayed by 8 months.

The vehicles will likely ruin the eastern pea gravel path going into SSP. This, combined with the soft and muddy ground resulting from the winter freeze/thaw cycle, will likely disrupt the spring return of wheelchair and elderly folks into the park.

Hopefully the work will be well executed and completed in a timely fashion over the next 2-3 years, unlike the endless construction at Prince of Wales park, nearby at the end of Third St.

Time will tell....

Still no update on making the SSP Dog Park accessible

DASSP has been following up with Toronto Parks, however we are still being told that we will have to wait until later in the year to see what the 2025 budget looks like.

We have noticed that since Jorge retired, his current replacements are notoriously unresponsive to issues concerning Disabled/Elderly Park goers at SSP.

We will keep pressing for further updates...

Bat Box Follow ups not happening.

I received this note from Jessica at TRCA this past week after asking if they would be opening up our bat boxes to check for any activity over the past year...

"At this point in time there is no monitoring scheduled for the bat boxes at CSS. Only boxes included in the provincial requirements for Metrolinx are monitored to confirm they are being used.

Having the monitoring crew go out with the appropriate equipment costs anywhere from $2,500 to $3,500 per box to monitor. This includes analysing the echometer or sonobat recording and they don’t currently have the budget to include more boxes. They suggest community members can monitor for bat exits at dusk to see if they’re being used and ask that the public note if there are any damage to the boxes that requires maintenance."

DASSP will endeavour to monitor over the next year and report back!

Sam Smith Park Clean Up will be Sunday, April 21st.

Alan Roy's park cleanup day will be on Sunday, April 21st ! 

Please come out if you are able to, and help us maintain our beloved park! 

Rebuilding the beaches at Sam Smith Park - Disability Impact

NOTE: This activity has now been delayed a few months, until June 2024

Today I wheeled through the park and encountered a band of surveyors between the pond and third beach.

I spoke to the lead surveyor who stated that they were measuring the pea gravel paths to determine their width for heavy equipment which would be required to carry out the work next year.  Additionally, he was there to determine the impact of the heavy equipment on tree roots underneath the path.

This work will definitely impact the access of disabled park users, as the heavy equipment on the heavy traffic pea gravel routes would likely become impassable by wheelchair users, while vision impaired visitors would likely be unable to process audible environmental clues needed to make their way through the park unaided.

DASSP has learned of a Lakeshore Grounds Committee community group, of with FOSS is a member, operating out of Humber College, which learns of these project ahead of time.  DASSP will be seeking to participate in these meetings going forward, so that we can represent the needs of the mobility, visibility and hearing impaired park users, as well as the elderly.

As far as DASSP is aware, this work would commence sometime in 2024.  We would seek to ensure that all paths remain wide enough for disabled access, and advise on any other access impact/issues that we are currently unaware of.

Baby Snapping Turtles at Sam Smith Park

DASSP members participated in a Turtle Watch hatching over the weekend.  

Over 30 baby Snapping Turtles were released to the ground, very near the water, to allow the juveniles to find their own way down to the water safely, and without predation. While this species is not endangered, it is threatened.  

There are 3 other nests around the pond, so we will be hoping for further hatchings and releases throughout the remainder of the late summer and into autumn.

Dog Park accessibility opposite the Sam Smith Powerhouse.

DASSP has followed up with Jorge, from Toronto Parks, on this important issue (please see our earlier post).

The dog park remains largely inaccessible to our members in wheelchairs (both manual and power) due to the uneven tree roots and post rain mud and mire.

Please stay tuned.  We are hoping to have this sorted or at least an update before the autumn rainy season.

Assembly Hall - ART ON THE BRAIN : May 16 - June 14

The Brain Injury Society of Toronto is currently presenting an Art Exhibition at the Assembly Hall entitled "ART ON THE BRAIN" until June 14.  

These talented disabled artists have produced quite a thought provoking array of pieces. Please drop in and have a look on your way in or out of Sam Smith Park over the next few weeks.

Apologies to the artists for the poor quality of my pics.

SSP Spring Bird Festival - Saturday May 27, 10 am - 2 pm

Please bring your kids and family! Fun for everyone! 

Making the SSP Dog Park accessible for Wheelchair and Elderly dog owners

DASSP has made an application with Toronto Parks to make the Dog Park, just west of the Powerhouse, accessible and inclusive to all dog owners, and their wonderful dogs!

As you can see from the photo below, the muddy (after rain), uneven and exposed tree rooted terrain is unsuitable for walking, mobility impaired elderly, as well as manual/power wheelchairs and scooters. 

This remediation is long overdue and hopefully will be corrected in an urgent and timely manner. Please stay tuned...

  

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The two Maternity Bat Boxes have been installed in the Park!

After a long wait since late last summer, TRCA has finally installed the final two Bat Boxes in the Park, opposite the Observation Deck!

These are maternity boxes, so hopefully they will increase the number of little Brown Bats in SSP, as the species is drastically declining due to white nose disease.

Jessica of Toronto Parks stated; "The boxes were paired on the two best options with the S or E orientation and were labelled with large number markings so they can be distinguished from the viewing platform should anyone wish to report any activity".

These boxes are not black, as the previous bat boxes were, and can be seen from the observation deck, as Jessica mentioned.

Let's all hope for lots of exciting and enhanced bat watching in the Park this summer!

The First 2 Bat Boxes have been installed !

Great news SSP Bat watchers! TRCA has installed the first 2 bat boxes on Friday, both of the "rocket boxes" have been placed around the pond. This is a project that DASSP has been working on for a few years now, after suggesting to TRCA that we/they create a pilot project to increase bat populations around Toronto.  DASSP's September bat count numbered only 6 resident bats in Sam Smith Park.

The bat rocket boxes are four-sided, dual chamber boxes 45” in height. They are mounted on a 2-piece metal post which is set in a concrete footing. This creates an installation that is approximately 15’ high.

By mid-December, the tree-mounted bat boxes will installed at approximately 4-5m in height along a south or east facing forest edge or on a stand-alone tree. This reduces the amount of shading they receive, and allows them to be more easily discovered than if the boxes are installed inside forest cover.

Placement of the tree mounted boxes on the island will reduce the likelihood of mammalian predation and close proximity to productive foraging sites.

The proposed bat habitat installations are located to provide ideal maternity roosting sites. They offer easy access to forest, water sources and productive foraging grounds. They have relatively open surroundings but are in close proximity for forest edge. Relatively open, meadow habitat common through much of the southern portion of the park, combined with adjacent wetland and waterfront habitat should provide excellent foraging resources to support productive maternity roosts.

While tree-mounted boxes are often considered less favorable for a number of reasons, they provide conditions that may be beneficial under certain scenarios such as extreme summer heat. In addition, they may also be used by male bats and juvenile females that are not rearing young. These are often installed in pairs to provide a wider array of conditions at each location.  

Many thanks to Jessica at TRCA for all of her assistance to us on this project, and to Rob and Vesty of DASSP for the pics.

Let's hope that our May bat count will be an improved one, with lots of healthy, juvenile bats!