July 3rd, 2009, 23 e-mails

C. W. wrote:

Not sure if anybody else has noticed but I was hanging about the north end of the arena yesterday and noticed that there is a yellow sponge-like tubing placed around the outside of the rink. It says Hazmat on it. There is nothing placed around this tubing, meaning that it is exposed to the open air, to any child who doesn't understand what Hazmat means, and to any pet that might be wandering about. Also, there seems to be some leachate coming out through that and leaking into the grass and onto the pavement around the sponge thing. Personally I believe this is a terrible way to 'ensure' the 'safety' of a dump site. I called MOE today to inform them of this.

W. wrote:

A quote from this article...

''""As a group, we've lost faith in the medical officer of health," said Govind Rao, a member of Friends of Christie Pits, the community group that has co-ordinated the protests at the dump site."''

A strong statement. I was not aware that "as a group" we had come to the consensus that "we" had lost faith in the medical examiner. I have not seen any discussion as to the competence of the medical officer on this discussion group.

I get concerned when I see statements such as these achieving wide distribution, claiming to speak for the group, when no discourse on the matter has been had by the group.

I, for one, do not believe the competence of the medical officer of health is in question on this matter.

L. B. wrote:

Personally, as a resident, and someone not formally affiliated with the Friends of Christie Pits, I have lost faith in McKeown. The assessment conducted yesterday was a farce, in my opinion. I am attaching a photo of one of the many obvious points of leakage that has so far gone unaddressed, and I look forward to seeing the results of the water sample analysis. This isn't just a matter for those of us living next door - all of Toronto drinks water from the lake.

Consider this quote from the same Globe and Mail article: "Dr. McKeown insisted the pesticide workers must be given access to Christie Pits soon. If managed properly, Dr. McKeown said the temporary garbage sites could operate safely “for some time.”" How long does the city intend to keep this site operational? I have heard reports that suggest this strike may drag on for another 4-6 weeks. The managers working this site told me a week ago that they did not plan to have more than 100 tonnes of waste here. We've reached that now. On speaking further with them yesterday, I learned they were told by city officials that the site could take over 470 tonnes, and to simply pile the waste higher. Think about which is easier for the city to deal with - keeping the Christie Pits site open indefinitely, or closing it and opening new sites in High park, Trinity-Bellwoods, Woodbine Beach, etc. For the moment, for most Torontonians their garbage is out of sight and out of mind. What would happen if every major park in the city had a dump site?

If CUPE continues to deny Orkin access to the site, what does this mean? Will the city stop their game of chicken and close the site? Will the province consider the growing health concerns and legislate back to work? I'm not sure what the outcome will be but it's something to think about.

E. G. wrote:

There is talk that this strike lasting a long time. I don't know about you, but I am very impressed by how unified the friends of Christie Pits Park are.

It appears that their efforts are being heard and listened to. Is there anyone that wants to take on being a spokesperson or focus? We need to do something to prevent the use of our soccer field as a possible dump.

What do you think?

J. D. wrote:

Those of you who may feel a certain apathy towards the dumping of garbage in city parks may want to know the following.

The dumping of trash is supervised by a small handful of city management staff (non-unionized) who, at least at other sites, have not been stopping the dumping of improper waste, such as renovation waste, recycling, and compost.

Many of the cars that show up are large expensive luxury cars, not normally seen in the mostly working to middle class areas of the sites.

The federal ministry of the environment has given the go-ahead to the city to dump garbage in public parks as long as pesticides are administered every 24 hours. That is to say, you can dump what amounts to toxic materials, as long as more toxins are added. Every 24 hours.

Residents have been advised at Christie Pits to keep all pets, particularly cats, indoors for the duration of the strike, since the expected increase in the rat population will be heavily poisoned.

It is advised that cats who show signs of convulsions be taken to the vets immediately for treatment, as this is the first sign of pesticide poisoning.

It is expected that when the waste is cleared away, the increased rat population, which is likely because they breed like... well, you know, will move into the neighbouring houses creating a pest problem which will last months if not years. This has been the reported experience of the past.

Many of the Local 416 picketers say they feel that the city is trying to punish them, because this is their workplace, and they will most likely be the ones who will have to deal with the problem.

I certain that all of us on this list-serve feel pretty bad about the situation too. I hope we can stop this foolish and extremely harmful decision.

Does anyone, as E. mentioned, want to volunteer to be an organizer?

V. S. wrote:

One simple thing that I think everyone on this list could do is to send an email to Councillor Giambrone as Michael Edwards did. I thought it was an excellent email. I have just sent mine off, firstly questioning of the use of parks in general and then questioning the use of the soccer field rather than the skating rink at our own park. I don't think anyone needs to coordinate that, we just need to send the emails and keep them going. Spread the word to our neighbours who are not on the list and/or don't necessarily live in the immediate vicinity of the park but have some connection. If you're a dog walker let your fellow dog walkers know. I wouldn't want to walk my dog on soil that has been contaminated by garbage, and chemical spray used to keep rats away. Fellow parents at the children's playground should be made aware and so on.

C. wrote:

How about a creative protest... like a huge (Clay and Paper style) sculpture that fills the space meant to be for garbage? Or sends a clear message about how we feel about dumping on an area meant for play. I'm sure we could come up with something with a little brainstorming.

B. S. wrote:

As you probably have heard now, the pest control company was turned away again twice by CUPE, as part of their job action: "nothing in, nothing out". There has been a lot of media attention and since I unexpectedly found myself speaking into a half dozen cameras before my first cup of coffee, I thought I'd share with you some of what was said.

First, for the record, it is currently not the citizens and residents who are blocking the application of pesticides, it is CUPE as part of their job action. This is a question of strategy in a labour dispute, not the result of an environmental concern. CUPE is also blocking the sewage truck from pumping out leachate and most of you - me included - would prefer to see this toxic sludge removed. Since it is the City who certifies the efficiency of its own pest-control to the Ministry, blocking the spraying truck will not force closure of the site(1).

Second, are we worried about the toxic effects of Permethrin and Benzalkonium chloride? According to the literature I have looked at, these substances appear to pose comparatively little concern for humans. They are nevertheless potent toxins. It is their environmental hazards that we worry about. I am also worried about the leachate that is pooling in the pit, and I am worried about the safety of our non-unionized city employees who now have to handle the leaking garbage bag for bag, without proper protection, to pile it even higher.

Third, how do we feel about the medical officer, Dr. McKeown issuing a health hazard order to spray? Obviously he has a right to do that and neither CUPE nor any citizens and residents I know are planning actions that are not legal. But I wonder: how does he know? To our knowledge neither the City nor the Ministry of the Environment have tested the leachate and the dump, nor have they shared any of their reasoning with us. For that matter, they have shared precisely no information with the residents, and the information you have is what we were able to obtain after calling in for answers. To the best of my knowledge, the city has still not informed residents of the hazards that Permethrin poses to their cats. No flyers were handed out to warn us that dogs in the park should carefully avoid rodents that are dead or dying from rat poison. And no one has even commented about the stench. Why do we experience some smells as unpleasant? Generally speaking, because this is a warning signal.

Fourth, who do I think is responsible for this? This is a many layered question. I will not comment on a labour dispute - this is something between the City and the Unions. But there are many more groups involved: the non-unionized workers who are now exposed to the leaking bags, the residents, the environment, the media, the citizens - a _few_ of whom really do have no other option, the City who reportedly is saving a million dollars a day in wages; understand that everyone has their sub-agendas and not all of these agandas are informed with a sense of integrity and responsibility towards the common good. All we citizens and residents are doing is to point out that a garbage dump in a public park, any public park, seems a particularly cynical solution to what should be a manageable problem. Who is responsible for the dump? That is easier: it is Dr. McKeown himself, who signed off on these plans together with the other city managers.

Fifth, how long do we think this will last? I don't know and I have no parameters to speculate with. Apparently our Medical Officer believes these dumps could operate safely "for some time". How would he know how long that is? On Canada Day, on Nathan Philips square, a reporter told me off-camera how he believes the process goes: the city will balance the downstream costs of the union's demands with the money they are saving in wages. The moment that balance is reached, there will be a backroom deal and the strike is over. I myself find it hard to believe the system would really as cynical as that. Maybe I am just too much of an idealist. But in all honesty, I can't escape the feeling that we are being held hostage to political expediency.

(1)Apparently the required 24h intervals that we heard of are part of a City operating protocol, not a condition of the MOE.

M. T. wrote:

Thank you B. for your ongoing clear and thoughtful analyses of the Christie Pits dump situation. I've really appreciated how you've tackled this subject without being quick to point fingers, and accounting for the very real complexities of the strike and it's resultant environmental impacts (which I agree could have been dealt with much more logically). I was also interviewed this morning by CP24 before my first cup of coffee and found it very difficult to address the questions posed to me within the minute-long interview timeframe (and I'm afraid I probably didn't do much justice to the issues).

Perhaps I am more cynical but I do believe that we are being held hostage until the city balances its budget by not paying the striking workers. The clear losers in this situation you rightly identified. I might be alone in this sentiment, but I feel strongly that cities (and Toronto particularly) really get a raw deal in terms of funding. I am by no means condoning the Toronto's current method of balancing the budget but the problem really is tied up in years of the federal and provincial governments downloading services on municipalities without the corresponding budget requirements to provide those services. In Toronto, this situation has been made more acute during the last 10 years since the GTA amalgamation. How are cities realistically expected to improve social and environmental justice when they receive only a footnote in national spending?

I. N. wrote:

Hey I've been out since 7 talking with the news. the Poison man came at 7, then left. Will be coming ack. Please come out, I feel like I'm not the best spokesperson! they're doing live updates on CP24 every 15 min or half hour

T. F. wrote:

The cops where there at 6 a.m. today when I turned up to do an interview on 1010... Unfortunately, 'we' were introduced as Nymbies and the park was called a battleground - nice! :-( the two city workers told CUPE that they had a document (not sure from who) to allow spraying. The cops just stood by then spoke to the two City Manager guys. One even said to CUPE (cameras from CP24 rolling...) that they were "concerned for the residents".... I almost fell over. CUPE head man rolled up and confirmed to his guys that the protocols is "NOthing in, nothing out"... So the toxic sprayer guys are not getting past them. CUPE said Orkin tried to get in last night at 10:30 also.

Unfortunately I'm stuck at work.

I. N. wrote:

The news media this morning has done several interviews with B. and my roommate. There #1 question is, "How do you feel about the Cupe workers blocking the entrance to the Poison people at 7AM t his morning."

The poison people showed up and left again just as I was arriving at 7. The cops left shortly after.

The news people kept asking me, "Is G. here to speak to? Is G. home?" Go G.!

G. R. wrote:

Hi everyone, (and media), I was very happy to hear an interview on CBC Radio One this afternoon with Gideon Forman from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. He spoke out on the health risks of the spraying and the leaching from the site, and against the use of the ice rink as a temporary dump.

Contact Information for his association:
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment
130 Spadina Avenue, Suite 301
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5V 2L4
Phone: 416-306-CAPE (2273)
Fax: 416-960-9392

gideon@cape.ca

Thank you to Gideon and CAPE!

T. F. wrote:

You may also have heard but CBC just reported that they are closing Christie Pits on Sunday when it's full and York Mills Arena as of end of business today.

More parks... Sunnybrooke Park and Centennial Arena are added... NOT a victory.

B. S. wrote:

actually not closing, right? Just stopping to add more I believe. What's there, stays there.

S. M. wrote:

We should absolutely join up with another park now to protest at that site. Ideas on where?

J. C. wrote:

Christie Pits is closing on Sunday.

S. M. wrote:

I really think we can use our experience organizing (and experience of having our park made a dump) in the service of other parks and communities now. Is there anyone web-savvy who can set up a website so that people can come and get support for their own park protests? I was really sad to read the article about the communities (contrasted with ours for dramatic effect) who just accepted their park dump as inevitable. It would be great to have public information out there, like the pictures of the leachate leaking, etc. I think if we create a space for activists to gather, share information, and organize, they will.

One thing I would love to see is an information sheet with some real suggestions for alternative sites on the public record. People always ask that, and lack of definitive answers feeds the hopelessness. Counselor Pantalone said he offered several other sites instead of Christie Pits, but they weren't chosen. Could we get a hold of that list? Do other counselors also have alternative site lists?

I also felt sad to see the footage of all the seagulls getting poisoned by eating from the dump. Yes, seagulls are annoying and plentiful, carry disease, etc. but it's still sad. And of course, I'm sure there are other birds in there, too. Now the workers have to wade through torn bags...It's all inhumane. I think we should lobby for the city to give our rink a facelift when the cleanup happens. Painting, resurfacing, the works. It just looks so ruined (and it carries such negative associations) now.

I'd be glad to join a team to help pick up trash in the park on Sunday if anyone's interested in doing that. I guess we'd need somewhere to cart it after we did, so someone with a truck to help?

Finally, I'd love to see an update from someone on Crawford Street. I saw a photo of a worker siphoning off the leachate. Did CUPE let them in? Are they letting them in now that the site is closing? Are the strikers still there? How about the spraying? Is traffic picking up because people know the site is closing?

Thanks to G., M. and B. for all you're doing, everyone who organized and attended the City Hall protest, the people who made the great Reduce Garbage flyers... I think it all made a difference.

B. S. wrote:

Around 8:30 tonight the pesticide company's truck rolled up Crawford street to the entrance of the Dump, anticipated by the CUPE picket line and eight police officers. The City's district collection manager was already there. As predicted by Dr. McKeown, the expected "health hazard order" was duly served. I am transcribing it here:

Date: July 3, 2009

ORDER
Made pursuant to Section 13 of the
Healt Protection and Promotion Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter H.7

To: City of Toronto
100 Queen Street West
Toronto, Ontario

M5H 2N2

Attention: The City Clerk

I, Reg Ayre, a Public Health Inspector for the City of Toronto Health Unit order you to take the following action:

1) Commence forthwith the removal and appropriate disposal of all standing water accumulating on the outdoor ice rink pad at the elevated northwest section of Christie Pits, located at 750 Bloor Street West.

2) Maintain this temporary garbage storage site free of fly and rodent infestation at all times by ensuring the daily assessment of the site by a licensed pest control contractor and treatment as indicated by this assessment.

THE REASONS FOR THIS ORDER ARE THAT:

1) I inspected the Christie Pits temporary garbage site on Friday July 3, 2009 at approximately 13H45 and observed that the site was littered in places with exposed putrescible garbage and the hardened surface contained standing water.

2) Evidence of an active fly infestation was detected in that fly larvae and adult flies were observed in the exposed putrescible garbage.

3) The standing water on the site is impeding the effective and safe application of fly control measures.

4) Attempts to undertake pest control measures and to remove the standing water have been prevented by ongoing community and labour picketing activities.

I am of the opinion on reasonable and probable grounds that:

1) A health hazard exists in the health unit served by me.

2) The requirement specified in the order are necessary in order to decrease the effect of or eliminate the health hazard.

NOTICE

TAKE NOTICE THAT you are entitled to a hearing by the Health Services Appeal and Review Board if you deliver to me [...] notice in writing, requesting a hearing within [some text obscured by thumb holding paper

on my photo] (15) days after service of this Order.

[obscured] FURTHER TAKE NOTICE THAT although a hearing may be requested, this Order takes effect [obsc.] it is served to you.

CUPE responded by stating their position: "Nothing gets in, nothing comes out." The city manager presented his Order to the police. But ...

... the police officer clarified that according to the Labour Act the workers have a right to strike and the police may not interfere in their job action. The Order was passed by a City Department. Unless an injunction were passed by a court of law, i.e. by an entity that is neutral in the labour conflict, the police would not order the workers to cede passage to the city and their contractor. They were present merely to keep the peace.

The City manager and the pesticide contractor left.

-- What I have learned today: 1) The City can Order itself to action. 2) The details of the law can be as surprising to municipalities as they are to us. 3) A city Public Health Inspector believes spraying and mopping will eliminate the health hazard.

What I have not seen, is that our public health officer is ordering (or even asking for permission) to clear the garbage out of this park and the other parks.

Attached: a reminder of what Reg Ayre is talking about, for those who haven't been there in a while, taken this evening around 8:00. (CC0)

P. A. wrote:

Dear Councillor Giambrone,

I received a copy of your email to Michael through the "Friends of Dufferin Grove" email list.

Is it only parks that were considered as drop-off sites? What other types of locations were on the list of 200 possible sites?

Was Nathan Phillips Square one of the sites considered? It would seem to meet all of the criteria you mentioned in your email to Michael.

From: Chris Gallop

Hello P.,

Thank you for your email. Councillor Giambrone asked me to respond on his behalf.

I believe the list you are referring to has been posted on the Dufferin Grove email list somewhere. Let me clarify that this list of 200 sites represents a preliminary assessment for contingency planning purposes done several months ago. It does not reflect the evaluative work that needs to be done against the criteria mentioned in the Councillor's email to Michael. It also does not reflect the necessary approvals for any potential site from the Ministry of the Environment and the Medical Office of Health.

The list includes a wide variety of potential sites, the vast majority of which are parking lots at civic centres, sewage treatment facilities, arenas and parks. It also includes some sections of roadway. In some cases, green spaces in some parks were also considered. Please let me reiterate that this list is a preliminary evaluation. Nathan Philips Square does not appear on this list, and I'm not privy to the reasoning behind that.

There are currently no plans to open additional garbage drop off sites at Dufferin Grove or at any other location. The current 19 drop-off sites are not going to reach capacity for some time. Additional sites will be considered only if and when they are needed. Hopefully it will not come to that, as negotiations are continuing daily to try to reach a new collective agreement with the unions.

If and when additional drop-off sites are needed, should any sites in Ward 18 be under consideration, Councillor Giambrone as your local representative will certainly be reiterating our neighbourhood's concerns to City management and working to help ensure that if any sites are selected in our area that they are both appropriate and safe.

Best regards,

Chris Gallop
Special Assistant:
Public Works, Development & Constituency Matters

Office of Adam Giambrone

V. S. wrote:

Hi everyone: I have just received the following email.

Dear V.,

Thank you for your email. Councillor Giambrone asked me to respond on his behalf.

There are currently no plans to open additional garbage drop off sites at Dufferin Grove or at any other location. The current 19 drop-off sites are not going to reach capacity for some time. Additional sites will be considered only if and when they are needed. Hopefully it will not come to that, as negotiations are continuing daily to try to reach a new collective agreement with the unions.

Let me also clarify that the list of 200 sites that has been circulating (I believe a copy has been posted on the Dufferin Grove email listserve) represents a preliminary assessment for contingency planning purposes done several months ago. It does not reflect the evaluative work that needs to be done against the specific criteria mentioned below. It also does not reflect the necessary approvals for any potential site from the Ministry of the Environment and the Medical Office of Health.

The list includes a wide variety of potential sites, the vast majority of which are parking lots at civic centres, sewage treatment facilities, arenas and parks. It also includes some sections of roadway. In some cases, green spaces in some parks were also considered. The parking lots at High Park were considered as part of this process, but the parking lot at Dufferin Mall was not since that is private property. Please let me reiterate that this list is a preliminary evaluation.

The existing 19 drop-off sites have been chosen through careful consideration using specific criteria, such as being located on city-owned properties which are paved to control leeching issues, have easy access to residents and vehicles, offer reasonable buffer zones between the site and nearby residences, and are acceptable to both the Ministry of the Environment and the Medical Officer of Health. Of the 19 existing sites, only one is not located on a paved area, at Moss Park, which is the green space surrounding the Canadian Forces Armoury.

Let me be clear that none of us want to see garbage drop-off locations in our city's parks. However, the current labour disruption has created extraordinary circumstances that requires measures to be taken to ensure the health and safety of Toronto residents. Centralized drop-off locations allow the City to take appropriate pest-control measures and to keep the garbage isolated from residences. They will also help ensure the garbage is removed rapidly once the strike has ended. The alternative is for more and more garbage to end up in our laneways, streets, sidewalks, yards and homes, without the means to take appropriate health precautions.

As I mentioned, there are currently no plans to open additional garbage drop off sites at Dufferin Grove or at any other location. If and when additional drop-off sites are needed, should any sites in Ward 18 be under consideration, Councillor Giambrone, as your local Councillor, will certainly be reiterating our neighbourhood's concerns to City management and working to help ensure that if any sites do end up being selected in our neighbourhood they are both appropriate and safe.

Best regards,

Chris Gallop
Special Assistant:
Public Works, Development & Constituency Matters

S. M. wrote:

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

I have just read and signed the online petition at the Friends of Christie Pits website called "Parks are not Dumps!" it can be found at http://www.PetitionOnline.com/fcpp/

I personally agree with what this petition says, please take a look and consider signing yourself.

Best wishes,

Content last modified on July 04, 2009, at 02:56 PM EST