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tues july 16, 2013 ®
Kids’ park gets major revival Flagstaff Park updated thanks to grassroot campaign
CYNTHIA REASON creason@insidetoronto.com
CYNTHIA REASON creason@insidetoronto.com
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Up until recently, the only playground equipment available for little Brynna Barnett to play on at Flagstaff Park where the very same swings, slides and climber that her mother played on as a child decades before her. “It was the same old lopsided dome climber, the same tattered and rusted banks of swings with the paint all chipped off, and the same slides,” Brynna’s mom, Kim Barnett, said Monday morning at the reopening of the rejuvenated north Etobicoke Park. “It was just outdated and old. My mom has pictures of me at my daughter’s age – five – on top of the old big slide.” Enter Doug Ford – and a whole host of community supporters. Back in June 2011, the Etobicoke North councillor was approached by Barnett’s sister, Kerri Weston, about the dilapidated conditions at Flagstaff Park. He readily agreed to donate $5,000 in seed money towards a fundraising barbecue – and the rest, as they say, is history. “When she told me this park
Foul play ruled out in death of man found in park
Staff photo/CYNTHIA REASON
Mayor Rob Ford was on hand to celebrate the reopening of Flagstaff Park Monday morning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Pictured here are: Ford, along with his brother, Etobicoke North Councillor Doug Ford, and Scarborough East Councillor Paul Ainslie, chair of the City’s Parks and Environment Committee. Campers from the nearby SummerDaze day camp Noah and Samuel helped hold the ribbon, while campers Catherine and Anna tried out the new slide.
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My mom has pictures of me at my daughter’s age – five – on top of the big old slide. – Kim Barnett, on the oudated playground
equipment had been here for the last 40 years, since she was little, right away I thought ‘Bingo! Let’s revitalize the park!’” Ford told The Guardian at Monday’s event, noting that Canadian Tire and other corporate donors stepped up to help. “So we held a barbecue
and hundreds of people showed up and they all pitched in and worked their backs off. It was a big community effort.” In the last few months, the old playground was torn out and about $275,000 worth of work has been undertaken at >>>ford, page 10
Homicide has been ruled out in the death of a 54-year-old south Etobicoke man, whose body was found in a local park recently. According to Const. Wendy Drummond, the results of a post-mortem examination undertaken late last week determined that the victim had a pre-existing medical condition that contributed to his death. The man, whose name police are not releasing, was reported missing by his wife at 5:05 a.m. on Thursday; his body was located at a park in the area of Park Lawn Road and Kings Point Drive at around 7:35 a.m. that same morning. Police originally classified the victim’s death a “suspicious” one, and charged an unnamed 53-year-old man with aggravated assault in connection to the deceased. Given the results of the post mortem, Drummond said police will not pursue homicide charges against the unnamed accused, but that the aggravated assault charge against him still stands. Call 416-222-8477 (TIPS).
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