STORMWATER - THE LAST WORD?

Here is a quick overview of the recommendations from the South Etobicoke Stormwater Management Plan that has now virtually cleared the Environmental Assessment.  The full Study Report can be read online here.  See images below.

In essence, there will be an underground settling shaft adjacent to the filtration plant fed by east and west interceptor sewers that will be constructed along Lakeshore Blvd, Lake Shore Drive and Lake Promenade to capture and convey stormwater from outfalls along the Etobicoke waterfront.  The Sam Smith Park section of the sewers will be tunneled.  The rest will be "dig and cover".  Treated sediment will be periodically removed from the shaft and transported by trucks that will enter and leave the facility through the filtration plant.

Buried in the huge project file is a tiny section on enhancement “opportunities” with a small paragraph that says that during the detailed design phase there will be “considered” the “discharge of treated water from the underground treatment shaft ….. to North Creek to help restore base flow to the creek and increase opportunities for aquatic life”.  If this were to happen, The City would have to consult with TRCA and we understand that dialogue has started.  The project file, however, disappointingly states, “indications are that this opportunity is limited”. 

 

This is a far cry from a naturalized solution to cleaning up storm run-off that many community members wanted and is practiced in many places elsewhere.  There is no decentralized spreading out of the load, no additional wetland or settling ponds, no habitat enrichment, no daylighting of buried creeks, no water features or water runways, no imagination and no enhanced opportunity for people and wildlife to enjoy and benefit from any rainwater flowing through our neighborhood that had the misfortune to fall on barren cement and asphalt.

TREATMENT SHAFT

"CABLE WAKEBOARDING" AT SAM SMITH STOPPED IN ITS TRACKS!

Some of you have heard rumours that the Councillor’s office was recently approached by Water Ski Wakeboard Ontario with a proposal for a wakeboard cable installation in the lagoon at Colonel Samuel Smith Park, along the very eastern shore of the marina.

The proposed cable wakeboarding system involves two towers and a cable that runs between them powered by a motor that pulls wake/surf boarders through the water at high speed.  Typically, this high activity sport includes flip stunts as well as jumping off of ramps etc.  Click here to view a short video of this sport from the manufacturer of the proposed system.

FOSS responded with the following ……

“All along the marina shore, particularly that shore, is prime nesting and fish breeding habitat.  Can you imagine what impact that would have on park wildlife?  TRCA have been trying for ages to establish a breeding programme for Red Necked Grebes and, guess what, to everyone's delight, this year the birds finally bred - in the same area the wakeboarders are wanting to use!! 

The large kites used by the kiteboarders are already a problem to park breeding birds.  When they dry them out by hovering them in the air over that same nesting habitat, they must seem like the predator from hell as they circle overhead.

I haven't had the opportunity yet to survey our mailing list about this, but, without hesitation, I can assure you that there would be an outcry against this activity in our nature park, especially considering the master plan's emphasis on quiet, passive recreational use and all the work TRCA have done and money spent to create the wetlands and shore habitat.

I strongly urge the Councillor to politely redirect this group to a more suitable location.”

The Councillor’s office responded to the proponent of this idea with the following ……

“Colonel Sam Smith Park is known as a bird sanctuary, as such the would be somewhat incongruous with the intent of the restored area. The park is home to passive activities for the most part.

Colonel Samuel Smith Park is one of Toronto's largest waterfront parks.  The waterfront lake fill area is mainly naturalized with grasses, shrubs and small trees. The shoreline is a combination of rocky headlands, cobble beaches and protected wetland.  The park is popular for a variety of passive recreational activities including walking, cycling, birdwatching, photography and fishing. The diversity and quality of habitats has earned the park a reputation as one of the premier birding locations in the city. We are very proud of the number of threatened species that are making their home in the park.”

Nancy Gaffney, Waterfront Specialist for TRCA (Toronto Region Conservation Authority), has informally made the following comment … 

“While this is not an official TRCA position, this proposal would never be considered for Col. Samuel Smith Park”

It is very gratifying indeed to see Councillor Grimes’ strong support of the Friends of Sam Smith Park position that Sam Smith Park is a “nature” park for passive recreational use.

This proposal illustrates the need for vigilance, however.  There are others out there who don’t understand the uniqueness of our park and the special purpose it serves those who love it and the wildlife that call it home.  There will always be eyes on our quiet sanctuary!

BIRDING "BIG YEAR" RECORD-BREAKER BIRDS AT SAM SMITH PARK

Josh Vandermeulen is a serious birder, travelling more than 50,000 kilometres this year to document 344 unique species, setting a new record for the number of species seen in Ontario in one year.
 "Where you and I see a bunch of birds, he sees red-necked grebes, pied-billed grebes, Nashville warblers, and ruby-crowned kinglets."
"These birds are all around us and so many people don’t notice even the more common birds,” Vandermeulen said in an interview at Colonel Samuel Smith Park in Etobicoke, one of his birding spots. 

Click here for the full Toronto Star story 

STORMWATER STUDY COMPLETED

The City of Toronto has finished its environmental assessment of the Etobicoke Waterfront Stormwater Management Facilities Study.  FOSS has just received a "Notice of Study Completion" and it is reproduced below.  The City's backgrounder can be read online here.  If you search "stormwater" in the search bar above, you will find more from the FOSS website on this.   
In spite of written submissions from Friends of Sam Smith Park, Citizens' Concerned for the Future of the Etobicoke Waterfront and from many others interested in applying natural solutions to the stormwater problem; and in spite of a number of public consultations in which not one community member spoke in favour of what they have eventually decided upon; and in spite of a Community Work Group that rejected a solely engineered solution, all natural options that would have added water to our park's "lost" creeks and increased wetland habitat have been dismissed and none are incorporated in to the chosen design.

The chosen solution is the one the City wanted in the first place.  Why any of us ever thought our opinions would be seriously considered was, in hindsight, a bit over optimistic!

So, we're going to get the "big pipe".  All water in the South Etobicoke stormwatershed will be routed in to a large collector pipe and treated in a huge shaft located in Sam Smith Park.   
While the need to improve shoreline water quality for aquatic vegetation and wildlife is very important, give only engineers a problem to solve and the answer usually turns out be an engineered one! (with apologies to any "friends" who are engineers)

We've all been shafted!!!

COMMUNITY GARDEN SUGGESTIONS FROM FOSS MEMBER DON McCLEMENT

• Basis of concept – a flow – welcoming - inviting you in to this area and in to the park
• Naturalized in sense of circular or oddly-shaped plots interrupted with sculptures, bird feeders, nesting boxes, benches or seating nooks – all amidst the apple trees and utilizing them.
• What if the garden plots were run down the eastern border from the gatehouse and Rabba’s in such way that cover for wildlife could be added – nesting boxes, feeders, shrubs, etc...?  Is it possible to put some art structures to add to the location?  (a sort of a cohesive mix)
• Incorporate community input for sculpting ideas for this and all parts of the park.
• Some acceptance of crop loss to wildlife
• Mix of vegetable and flower plots

SOME MEMBERSHIP FEEDBACK TO COMMUNITY GARDEN PROPOSAL

• We think that the garden sounds like a great way to connect the community and allow members to grow their own healthy food. We came from the High Park area where people did the same. So far the proposal sounds positive to us.
• I just read the email and the revised location seems to make sense to me.
• In my opinion, the old orchard location next to RABBA would work well.  The residents of the old hospital used to grow their own food, so this use is appropriate.  The meditation garden next to the Gatehouse sounds a bit iffy, though – too close to the road.  There are lots of quiet, natural spaces in the park where folks can go for the best meditation - in nature.
• All sounds great to me. I grew up on the grounds in the now demolished Lakehouse. BTW, though I never saw water in the swale, I well remember the creek that ran beside our house was often filled with grain from Gilbey's Gin whenever they washed out their vats.
• I like this idea very much. Apple orchard is good. You have my full support. 
• I think its a great Idea but I am not sure why The Gatehouse which already has a garden around the house and is leading this project would require a meditation garden in addition to the outdoor space they already have. Community gardens in other areas catch on very quickly and if you add in the fact that we have food insecurity issues in our area and also many people living in cramped housing and/or no personal use of a garden- then surely we want to allocate as much space as possible to growing food. A meditation garden is a lovely concept but works best with a water feature and access to shade via trees or landscape features.  This would be easier to achieve close to the house.
• I think a community garden is a great idea - my grandparents had one in Europe for many decades. My only concern is, based on two area gardens I’ve seen - one currently in High Park and one that used to be located next to Plant World on Eglinton Ave. as part of a building complex - is the appearance of the garden, especially if viewed from the street. The plots looked quite messy, with no standard fencing. Chairs were stacked up, compost heaps lying off to the side. I hope there are standards for community gardens?
• Great idea and new location east of the entrance driveway in the old orchard next to Rabba that runs down from Lakeshore Blvd. is much better.
• I have thought about the Community Garden at Sam Smith. I like the idea of gardens in that area next too Rabba. It needs something there and why not have the community growing veggies. I would like to add flowers and perennials in the mix and I think we need to add a few more fruit trees in that space. A few more benches and maybe a water fountain for a European feel would be great. A resting place/community garden.

COMMUNITY GARDEN PROPOSAL FOR SAM SMITH PARK

A working group consisting of a number of local agencies is looking to establish a community garden in Sam Smith Park.  Those agencies include the Gatehouse, LAMP, Daily Bread Food Bank, Foodshare, Humber College and the Ward 6 Community Action Team.  The group’s goals, besides community food security, are focused around physical, mental, emotional and social health, community building and education – the garden would become a catalyst for “social alchemy”, to use their phrase.

The plan for the garden has three components …

• Individual family allotments
• Community garden where a group of volunteers would work together to provide vegetables and fruit for local needs
•  “Healing garden” (therapeutic purposes; meditation etc.)

Both CCFEW and FOSS were invited to a meeting yesterday and asked for our input.  We limited our comments to location only.  The original idea for a location was the large swale just south of the Gatehouse.  From our perspective, we suggested that the swale is not the best location for the following reasons ….

• It is a wildlife corridor, particularly for spring and fall bird migration, and heavily used and enjoyed by birders
• FOSS’s hope is that the buried Jackson Creek that runs through it and originally formed the wetland that is the current swale will be eventually surfaced as part of a stormwater management plan that now seems stalled, thus increasing and enhancing park habitat
• FOSS would like to see the rich undergrowth that used to be under the trees restored so that the many birds who used to use it for feeding and shelter would return
• The soil is probably contaminated from decades of industrial pollutants that were dumped in to the former creek; any new soil added might impact the root systems of the remaining trees
• Very little sunlight reaches the interior of that swale because of the tall spruce trees surrounding it and that would limit what could be grown there
• The space is quite small and would eliminate future expansion
• It is out of sight and away from passing surveillance

We suggested a better location would be east of the entrance driveway in the old orchard next to Rabba that runs down from Lakeshore Blvd. to the small swale.  The space is larger, contains no significant wildlife habitat, has ”eyes on the street” and, besides, what could be better than a garden with apple trees in it!  Those apple trees go back to a time when the old psychiatric hospital grew its own food and patients worked the land as part of their therapy – a fitting heritage background for this proposal.

Our suggestions were well received by the working group.  As a consequence, the Gathouse will take the lead role in applying for permits.  They will apply to the City to establish a healing garden just west of the Gatehouse building (next to Farah Khan’s memorial garden) and to the Toronto Region Conservation Authority to start a small community food garden at the north end of the old orchard.  This should happen in the next two weeks.  It remains to be seen as to how well those applications will be received.

We have not yet had the opportunity to poll Friends of Sam Smith Park to get your thoughts.  We have only just learned the details.  So, friends, please take a few moments to e-mail Terry Smith and let us know how you feel and think about the proposal in general, FOSS’s suggestion for the best location and the project’s compatibility with our own goals and expectations for our park.

Thank you

POWERHOUSE OF TERROR'S LAST SCARE?

Interesting article in the Torontoist.

CCFEW BIRD WALK IN SAM SMITH THIS SATURDAY

INTERPRETIVE SIGNS TO BE REPLACED

"The lovely signs that we installed at Sam Smith have faded since they were installed (green has turned to blue is the most obvious sign), which is a defect, and our vendor has agreed to replace them at no cost to the City.  We will be removing the existing panels early next week, and temporarily replacing them with plywood until we can get replacements (likely December before we receive them, and installed as soon as possible thereafter).  Ideally we would have replacements prior to removing the existing panels, but our vendor wants to have the defective panels in hand before fabricating replacements."

Janette Harvey
Natural Environment Specialist
City of Toronto - Parks, Forestry & Recreation
Natural Environment & Community Programs

PEREGRINE FALCON AT SAM SMITH

At approximately 7.30 am near the marina last Sunday morning, Sam Smith Park hosted a distinguished visitor. 

This is a Peregrine Falcon. You can see on his feet that he has a band so it is a bird that has been fledged locally.

The Canadian Peregrine Foundation says that the band is, "green tape and indicates a male. Most likely it  is Euro from our Islington and Bloor nest at Sun Life. The only other candidate is Albus from our Yellow Pages nest at Markham and Milner in Scarborough. Euro is more likely as that nest is not far from Colonel Sam."

Thanks to Irene Cholewka for this photograph and the report.

CCFEW BIRD WALK AT SAM SMITH THIS SATURDAY

GREBE NEST MYSTERY FINALLY SOLVED

Friends of Sam Smith Park has just come to understand that it was a Lake Shore Yacht Club member who actually designed and built the current nesting platform, including the floating steps, and located it on one of their marker buoys on the east side.  A previous post had wrongly attributed this year's successful attempt solely to the Toronto Region Conservation Authority's efforts.  There was confusion because TRCA has been working on this for the last three years and, in the absence of all the information, it was assumed that they were responsible.

So, kudos to the Yacht Club as well as TRCA.  Those of us who are so excited about our new Sam Smith family owe you both a big thank-you.

 

There is, unfortunately, a general perception that many of those in the boating community do not care about surrounding park land. This couldn't be further from the truth and LSYC's simple solution to the grebe nesting problem illustrates their commitment.

GREBE CHICKS STRONG AND HEALTHY - MORE PICS FROM IRENE CHOLEWKA

GREBES - FEEDING TIME (SMALL FISH)

ANOTHER GREBE FAMILY PHOTO FROM IRENE

The two hatched chicks are actively feeding.  They can generally be observed riding on the back of one of the parents and accepting minnows caught and presented by the other.  Hopefully, they will survive the activity of people fishing close by and the mink that patrols that particular part of the marina wall.

RED NECKED GREBES FINALLY SUCCESSFUL

Finally, after three years of testing out different types of nesting platforms and locations, TRCA (Toronto Region Conservation Authority) can claim success with the recent arrival of two Red Necked Grebe chicks hatched in the last few days.  One unhatched egg is still in the nest.
For some reason, as yet unexplained, a nesting platform moved (was moved?) from it's mooring further west and ended up tied (tangled?) to a small red buoy close to the northern marina wall about 30 or so feet from shore in a very convenient spot for observation.
The two hatched chicks have already been seen riding on a parent's back.
The photographs were taken by Irene Cholewka whose wonderful book of Sam Smith birds was on display at this year's Spring Bird Festival.

SOME BIRD FESTIVAL PHOTOS

BAT HOUSES

LITTLE BROWN BAT

At this year's Bird Festival, FOSS volunteers, along with visiting families, built bat houses as well as the usual tree swallow nesting boxes.

Why build a bat house?

Many bat species would typically roost under the bark of a dead tree and other safe crevices. However, due to habitat loss, this is often not an available resource. Bat houses provide a safe and secure home for bats to roost during the day and to raise their young.

Bats significantly reduce the amount of pest insects in our backyards while at the same time helping farmers and gardeners by eating insect pests. An individual bat can eat thousands of insects in just one night! More bats eating insects mean less pesticide use in our environment.

White Nose Syndrome, a virulent bat-killing disease, is responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of bats, particularly the Little Brown Bat, Ontario’s most common bat species.  There’s no cure for this disease — which doesn’t affect humans, so don’t worry about getting infected — but by having bat boxes around, you could make the bats’ lives that much easier. That extra boost could help get them through winter, when the disease hits hardest.

Bats are helpful, not dangerous animals. They are safe and beneficial to have in your backyard. Less than 1% of bats have rabies.  The disease is also fatal to bats.  They are not carriers of rabies.

If you want to build a bat house for your home or cottage, here is the same Conservation Authority approved design we used at this year's Bird Festival. 

 

Locate your bat house about 12 to 15 feet above the ground on a building, tree or pole - a building will offer the most stable temperature. Orient your bat house to get maximum warmth, especially in the morning (southeast exposure).  If your bat house is not occupied by the end of the second year, try moving it to a new location.  The perfect location is near a permanent source of water (ideally within a mile of a stream, lake or marsh).

TORONTO SUN COMES TO THE BIRD FESTIVAL

This red-wing blackbird repeatedly dive-bombed a red-tailed hawk Saturday adding a little feathered lustre to a demonstration in Etobicoke Saturday (VERONICHENRI/TorontoSun).

TORONTO - A red-wing blackbird who dive-bombed a red-tailed hawk and a bald eagle during a demonstration in Etobicoke was one lucky nest-protector.
Despite repeated kamikaze strikes Saturday, the much bigger juvenile flesh-eaters kept their beady eyes focused on owner Sam Trentadue. Raw chicken strips both he and the volunteers held were more appealing than a pesky interloper.
A flashing beak or taloned claw could easily have turned their tormentor into a nice light snack, “but they’re not trained to hunt and kill,” Trentadue told a mid-day audience at the third Spring Bird Festival.
Raised and trained by commercial breeders with the Ontario Falconry Centre in Scarborough, the hawk and eagle were among several raptors brought by him and partner Laura Brunato plus apprentice Bharathy Jayakhanthan, 16.
If freed, which is not allowed, the hawk, eagle, American kestrel, Great Horned Owl, prairie falcon and a turkey vulture named Frank — for Frankenstein — “would not survive,” Trentadue said.
Trailing light plastic lines attached to their legs, to prevent them flying off, the birds were released from the partner’s gloved hands or perches, pouncing on raw chicken shared with volunteers.
“He was kind of heavy and my arm shook a bit,” Kim Sine, 9, of Etobicoke, said, after the hawk fetched a treat.
Her dad, Brian Sine, who came with his wife Marcia and son Marvin, 6, for the second year, said “the wife is interested in birds” and the festival was a good family-oriented event.
There were “oohs” and “aahs’ when Trentadue said the owl — which kept turning its head almost full-circle — favours fresh skunk more than other prey in the wild. It avoids the repulsive impact of being sprayed because “they can’t smell.”
But several youngsters groaned when told a nervous turkey vulture may defensively regurgitate a ‘cast’ pellet of unwanted meal remains which, after a day of festering will smell so bad “it will empty the whole park.”
Luckily for the enraptured crowd, Frank was well-behaved when he landed on Kyle Hammond’s gloved hand — the five-year-old describing the bald-faced bird as “different.”
Trentadue, who regularly takes his flock to schools, fairs, public events and movie sets, said his centre is affiliated with the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Organized by City of Toronto staff, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Humber Arboretum, Citizens Concerned about the Future of the Etobicoke Waterfront and Friends of Sam Smith, the festival attracted more than 150 registered participants.
Birdwatchers reported spotting more than 22 wild species during walks.
ian.robertson@sunmedia.ca