Banishment

back to Jutta's Blog main page

(Letter to park friends, Feb.12, 2025)

This morning around 10 a.m. a situation arose, on the street just beside the Dufferin Grove rink building, that you should know about.

I came to take a photo for a possible spot for a community bulletin board inside the main room. I parked my car next to another car at the dead end of that little street. There is no parking there, but the three legal spots were taken and I have a disabled sign that allows me to park in most "no parking" spots. Because of the other parked car there, I had to squeeze out, and my door touched the other car. Then I had to open the back door to get my cane out of the back seat, and my back door touched the mirror of the other car.

making sure I couldn't get in my car

Then the person sitting inside that car opened his window and told me I had injured his car. It turned out it was a Dufferin Rink rec staff. I said it didn't look injured (it didn't) and went inside and took my photo.

When I came out, a second rec staff came out. I wanted to get back into my car, but they both said I could not because I would touch his car again. I said they could make a report but I had to go. Then the second staff stood behind my car so I couldn't get out. I asked the driver to back out so that I could open my car door without touching his car. He did not move, and they both said I could not leave until their rec supervisor came. They were on the phone with him, and he directed the driver to move his car. The driver did this, although very slowly.

During this whole time I heard things from both of them that they -- hopefully -- would never say to their grandmother.

Their supervisor arrived just before 11 and he asked me first of all whether I had touched the staff. I said no, and when it became evident that the conversation wasn't going anywhere, I left to go and buy my groceries, along with everybody else, apparently, who wanted to stock up before the storm.

At about 2 pm, back home and while I was still putting my groceries away, two police cars pulled up in front of my house, and three officers came to tell me that they were here to caution me for assault (they had been told that I shoved one of the staff but that he had decided not to press criminal charges) and that I would no longer be permitted to be in the building because I have a history of making the staff uncomfortable. Note: the police can't issue a trespass order without approval from city management, so that must have happened.

During the thirty years that I've been part of the colourful social fabric of Dufferin Grove Park, I've seen so many remarkable things, and I thought there were no more quirky surprises possible. But this one is new. What happens next is certainly going to be interesting, at least to me -- even more so when seen in the context of the many other troubles at Parks and Rec, citywide.

My request: Email or phone Councillor Bravo and Mayor Chow to ask them for a meeting about the situation at the park (including the other issues I have recently brought up, that have surely been making some staff uncomfortable). Feel free to forward any part of this email, if you want, including to your local councillor, if they have an interest in Parks and Rec. Councillor_Bravo@toronto.ca, 416 392-7012 mayor_chow@toronto.ca, 416-397-2489 And pass this on if you know others who might be interested.

And if you want to sign up for my blog, to find out what happens next, you can email mail@celos.ca, and I'll put you on the list. It should be lively, and certainly local.