AGO's Grange Park gets $15M reno, but still struggling with water drainage
City, art gallery planning to work on a solution for soil issue this fall

cbc.ca
By John Rieti
Aug. 31, 2017

The revitalized Grange Park is easy on the eyes, but a walk through parts of it will leave your feet soggy.

Drainage issues have plagued the park since its official reopening in July, following a multi-year $15 million renovation. Even long stretches of sunny weather haven't been able to dry swaths of the park, which is tucked behind the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Louise Rideout found out the hard way, having an "oh dear" moment as her son ran across the grass before coming to a squelching stop.

"I think they need to spend a little bit more and fix the problem they've just created," she told CBC Toronto as she helped dry out some sneakers.

"It's a shame because it's a lovely park."

Nicholas Campbell said he's noticed the muddy grass every day since the park reopened, but says he's hoping it's a "growing pain."

Fix coming in the fall

The AGO's Mike Mahoney, who is overseeing the project, blames the issue on the high percentage of clay in the soil under the park and not the sewer system.

In October, the contractor working on the project is set to remove the grass and replace the soil, Mahoney said, a service that isn't expected to add to the park's price tag.

"The reason for not doing it right away is that the park is experiencing heavy usage right now, which we don't want to disrupt," he said.

Jane Arbour, a spokesperson for the city's parks department, said the city is aware of the plans.

"As with all projects of this size, issues arise after completion that could not have been expected," Arbour said in an email statement.

Don't let flaw keep you away, visitor says

For now, parts of the lawn are cordoned off with caution tape, although many missed that and went into the wet patches.

Morgan McBride was hoping to lie down and relax for a few minutes, but finding what she called a "marsh," opted for a park bench instead. McBride says considering how much was spent on the park, she hopes it will be fixed quickly.

Meanwhile, Mahpara Mobin says she thinks the park's redevelopment was worth it, but it's "kind of sad" things aren't working perfectly.

"One small part shouldn't take away from all the beautiful things here," she said.

Grange Park now has a new playground, 80 new trees, an off-leash dog park and a new fountain. It's also the home to the massive Henry Moore sculpture, Large Two Forms, that used to stand near the front of the art gallery.

Grange Park has been a staple green space in midtown Toronto since it was officially converted into a public park in 1911. Formerly part of estate grounds once owned by the prominent Boulton family, the land became a city-run green space following an agreement between the AGO and the city of Toronto.