Toronto's public golf courses might be transformed into something new

Toronto mayoral candidate Jennifer Keesmaat has been on a roll this week. After proposing gender parity, rent-to-own, tearing down the Gardiner Expressway, and more, she's gearing up for the vote later this month.

Now, Keesmaat is proposing a new strategy to transform public land. The former chief city planner wants to turn publicly-owned golf courses into usable public space for everyone, not just some golfers. 

We have an opportunity to take the public land currently occupied by City-owned golf courses and turn it into space that the public can access year-round without having to pay for access. Read more: https://t.co/AooBFNcVSu #Keesmaat4Mayor #TOpoli pic.twitter.com/OhuCvYu8JV

— Jennifer Keesmaat (@jen_keesmaat) October 8, 2018

She has set her sights on three courses: Don Valley Golf Course, Scarlett Woods Golf Course and Dentonia Park Golf Course, which she says are losing the city money. 

The city's upcoming 2018-2026 capital plan leaves about $10 million for improvement on these courses, and Keesmaat says that money is best spent on converting them to more usable public space. 

Members of the community will be consulted under her plan, to see how the space is best-used. It could be a new community centre, an arts hub, parkland, or anything else that is desired and needed in the area.