Councillors decry city’s new creek, river signs

[Spiel]

Councillors decry city’s new creek, river signs

 

 

May 19th, 2009

Danna Zabrovsky / The National Post

 

 

Fiscally conservative city councillors say new signs identifying Toronto’s rivers and creeks aren’t worth the money spent on them.

 

The wavy signs, 128 of which popped up last month at 64 sites in Toronto, are meant to heighten awareness of water crossings and connect people to their surroundings. More signs marking the Don watershed are expected in Markham by the end of the year.

 

“You’d have to be retarded if you can’t see dang’ water in front of you,” said Councillor Rob Ford (Etobicoke North), apparently unconcerned at offending either the plan’s proponents or people with intellectual disabilities.

 

“The last time I checked, I think everyone knows where the Don River is and the Humber River is. It’s only been there for over a hundred years. So I don’t really know what we’re trying to accomplish by putting up signs and telling people, yeah, underneath this bridge there’s water.”

 

The project posts signs identifying rivers and streams across the Don watershed, and is funded by the City of Toronto, the Town of Markham and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. They have spent $24,000 collectively to manufacture and install them; the signs are also slated to appear in Richmond Hill.

 

Toronto Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong (Don Valley East) called the signs “a cosmetic approach that provides a limited benefit.”

 

He suggested a better way of connecting people to local watercourses would be to make paths along the rivers more accessible. “If you really want to connect people, you make it easy and attractive for a city community to use the trail systems that goes along the Don watershed,” he said.

 

He added that a plan to connect the hiking trails should be higher on the city’s to-do list. “If these routes were connected, then you could, for example, ride your bike from up at Lawrence and the Don Valley Parkway all the way downtown. That’s a true connection.”

 

Markham Deputy Mayor Jack Heath is a supporter of the signs, but said Mr. Minnan-Wong is onto something: “These are not competing projects. These are different and complementary projects…. Environmental enhancements that occur in all the municipalities of the GTA affect each other

The closer we integrate them, in my view, the better for all the general population to enjoy them.”

 

Peter Heinz, vice-chairman of the Don Watershed Regeneration Council, said the signs benefit people who don’t know what a watershed is, let alone that they live in one.

 

“People pass over a bridge and have no idea what’s underneath,” he said.

 

“It’s all about connections in people’s minds. Connecting them to the creek that’s nearby, realizing that it’s connected to the creek they pass later on when they get down closer to downtown. It’s a visibility-awareness type thing,” Mr. Heinz said.

[kickingfrog]

“You’d have to be retarded if you can’t see dang’ water in front of you,” said Councillor Rob Ford (Etobicoke North)

 

What an intelligent and articulate way for a politician to make a point.

[Spiel]

“You’d have to be retarded if you can’t see dang’ water in front of you,” said Councillor Rob Ford (Etobicoke North)

 

What an intelligent and articulate way for a politician to make a point.

 

Yeah, I thought that was pretty special too Rob. *shakes head in disbelief*

[Dara]

All the rivers, streams, and lakes up here have signs posted with the names. How else could you tell somebody where something was. just past Kabinakagami lake ...on the left.

 

maybe he thinks they should take down all the library and skating rink signs too. Gotta be dumb not to know its a skating rink.