Etobicoke's West Deane Park is 'just an ocean' of garbage: resident
City solid waste crews clean up the park daily

InsideToronto.com
Aug. 10, 2017
Tamara Shephard

West Deane Park’s leafy, green and manicured landscape with shaded trails drew Gord Smart on his early Monday morning walks.

Soon, the serenity of his Monday morning constitutional became blighted — by the sight of “just an ocean” of garbage, remnants of some people’s weekend picnics and barbecues in the Martin Grove and Rathburn roads-area park.

On Tuesday morning after the August long weekend, food waste, water bottles, pop and energy drink cans, Styrofoam containers, empty beer cases and pop can cases were strewn everywhere — on the grass, on the children’s playground, and on patio stones near picnic benches outside the park’s washrooms.

There was even piles of burned charcoal dumped on the grass.

“It’s just appalling and disgraceful the amount of garbage people leave here,” Smart said Tuesday morning, as he took a reporter on a garbage tour of the park as city solid waste crews finished cleaning up.

“On weekends, the park is full of people and families who like to enjoy the park. I think that’s great. But this behaviour is really an affront to everyone.”

A week ago, Smart found a dirty diaper left abandoned on the wood chipped ground of the children’s playground.

West Deane Park is a nearly 50-hectare city park that follows the Mimico Creek ravine from Eglinton Avenue West south to Rathburn Road.

The park features two ball diamonds, four tennis courts, three children’s playgrounds, gardens and a picnic area.

Smart took photos Tuesday morning of the piles of refuse people left abandoned near the picnic area, and far afield from it.

He even saw a turquoise, yellow and pink badminton racket laying on the grass, in what appeared to be perfect condition.

Smart has lived in the Martin Grove and Rathburn roads area near West Deane Park for decades. Recently, he began taking his early-morning walk to various parks when he repeatedly noticed the mountains of weekend picnickers’ refuse on Monday mornings.

Smart said he often speaks to the city workers who clean up the park.

“There are four city guys, who tell me West Deane Park is by far, the worst park in Etobicoke for garbage,” Smart said at the park. “They tell me this is their first stop at 7 a.m. They’re here for an hour to an hour-and-a-half cleaning it up.”

On Tuesday, fresh tire tracks in the grass suggested city solid waste crews had also been there on holiday Monday to empty the large black garbage and blue recycling containers, which were empty on Tuesday morning.

A reporter counted no fewer than nine pairs of oversized garbage and recycling containers in the park; three pairs in the immediate area of the long, double picnic tables that could seat 20, and the children’s playground.

Blue metal City of Toronto signs top every pair of refuse cans warning: “No Dumping. $$$. Fines apply” and “Take propane tanks to city drop-off depots or Community Environment Days.”

Smart said he has seen abandoned propane tanks in the park.

City parks spokesperson Megan Price confirmed Tuesday city solid waste crews pick up garbage daily in West Deane Park. In addition, city parks crews pick up litter on the ground of the park, including gum wrappers and cans, she said.

Price said city officials want people to use, and to take ownership of, the city’s parks.

“We want to see people in the parks enjoying the space,” Price said. “It’s about what you carry in, you carry out. Clean it up and take it home with you.”

Not unlike provincial parks, Price said garbage and recycling cans in city parks are for what she called “ancillary” waste, or small pieces of litter like paper, gum wrappers and water bottles.

“Those cans aren’t meant to accommodate all the garbage from your picnic in the park,” she said.

Common sense — and common courtesy — could go a long way toward changing people’s attitudes and behaviour, Price said.

“Think about the next people who are going to be in that space using the park,” she said. “Think about how you’d like to leave the park for other people to enjoy.”

West Deane Park is a busy park with many picnic permits, Price said.

The city requires anyone hosting a picnic in a city park for 25 or more people to obtain a city permit.