Columnist attacks temporary Toronto park and people have thoughts
Residents of Toronto's Cabbagetown neighbourhood were delighted when a new temporary linear park appeared along Parliament Street in July, transforming a lane of traffic into a string of five parkette "islands" from Carlton Street to just south of Winchester
But not everyone is happy about the new pop-up, and a Toronto Sun columnist's angry tweet about paved asphalt replaced by this lush pedestrian parkscape of logs and trees has unleashed a tidal wave of comments from both sides of the cars vs. pedestrians debate.
Sun columnist Brian Lilley posted a video of the temporary green spaces, known collectively as the Cabbagetown Parkscape, commenting, "Because we don't have enough whacky crap on the streets of Toronto…Someone thought it was a good idea to put mini forests on the road."
Because we don’t have enough whacky crap on the streets of Toronto…
— Brian Lilley (@brianlilley) August 22, 2022
Someone thought it was a good idea to put mini forests on the road. pic.twitter.com/L8BA3wtBmv
That someone, for the record, is the Cabbagetown BIA, which works in the interests of businesses populating this stretch.
If the BIA had thought that the flow of fast-moving cars versus foot traffic was of more benefit to their neighbourhood, there would be no Parkscape.
They get a more pleasant environment for a shoppers that encourages them to linger and shop more. Drivers don’t have the luxury to stop wherever they want and casually browse storefronts.
— Mike Miller (@mykolos) August 22, 2022
Lilley's complaints read like an appeal to motorists to paint the park as another front in the 'war on the car' narrative often pushed by right-wing media.
On the other side of the fence, those defending the installation cite a lack of adequate greenspace in the city.
So, you’ve never been to this neighbourhood I see.
— Brian Lilley (@brianlilley) August 22, 2022
Several have piled on in support of Lilley's commentary, though locals are speaking out in support of the park spaces.
Was a great decision we in Cabbage-town love it to go take a hike
— Kitty (@kitt36_kitty) August 22, 2022
Others are ridiculing the columnist's very vocal stance on what really amounts to a few trees and logs over a short stretch of Parliament Street.
Breaking: Angry man yells at trees.
— Jake (@jamferg57) August 22, 2022
There are several comments that, for whatever reason, seem to think Justin Trudeau is somehow responsible for a temporary park installation overseen by a local BIA.
@JustinTrudeau said he would plant a hundred million billion tree's only a liberal would start in Canada's biggest city
— Mickey March (@MickeyMarch1) August 22, 2022
Some of them are best read with the X-Files theme song playing in the background.
The “woke” alive and well in Toronto…Trudeau trees, did he plant them?
— Sharon Tracy. (@SharonT20519250) August 22, 2022
Others are up in arms about how the pop-up park will supposedly suffer damage due to winter road salt and plowing, completely ignoring the fact that the Parliament Parkscape will only be in place until September.
