February 8, 2012

Moore Park school field gets final approval

Anna Sajecki

While two opposing proposals for a rundown soccer field at Our Lady of Perpetual Help school (OLPH) have left locals at odds, a recent decision by the school’s district board over the Mount Pleasant Road and St. Clair Avenue East field has set future plans on solid ground. 

The Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) has approved the Rosedale–Moore Park Association (Mooredale) proposal. The local recreation organization will absorb the cost of transforming the site into a 180-foot by 120-foot artificial turf soccer field. The trade-off is that Mooredale, which organizes several soccer teams, will have evening and weekend field rights for the next 10 years.

“It was a relatively straightforward decision,” said local TCDSB trustee Catherine LeBlanc-Miller, of the proposal that will see all costs covered.

Regarding the alternate proposal, the Moore Park Residents Association had raised money, but not enough.

“In about four weeks, we raised $105,000 in pledges,” said Tim Costigan, president of Moore Park. “If we had more time, we would have raised more.”

Costigan said locals created the alternate proposal because they were concerned about losing the field’s baseball diamond, about potential traffic problems and about monopolization of the field. While he said he is disappointed with the final decision, he is pleased the board is working to mitigate potential problems such as increased traffic flow.

Natalia Dukszta, president of the Catholic School Advisory Council, said she has only heard positive feedback about the field.

“I’m thrilled,” said Dukszta. “It means we’ll have a field for our kids to use.” Construction will likely begin next month, said LeBlanc-Miller.

This article appears in the September 2010 issue of North Toronto Post

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Reader Comments:
Sep 13, 2010 07:25 pm
 Posted by  mooredale resident

This article neglects to investigate why neighbours are concerned about a soccer field being built in this school yard. It is astounding that OLPH and the Catholic School Board did not understand the neighbours concerns nor did they appreciate that over $100,000 was raised from these neighbours in a short time to help the board and the school keep the field a multi-ppurpose field. They have completely lost the goodwill of the neighbours by proceeding with Mooredale's soccer field. For years, we have put up the ugliness and neglectful air of this school and its yard. (Surely a parent or school employee could put in a few flowers from time to time?) We have put up with thoughtless parents who drive their children to school and block our streets and our driveways. And now, when they get to leave the school and our neighbourhood at 3:30, we will be invaded by the next set of thoughtless parents parking on our streets, blocking our driveways, and and we will not have peace and quiet until bed time. Except for the immediate neighbours who may find themselves having to listen to adult players who will want to kick the ball around til all hours. (Yes, they do that now with the basket ball nets).

All I can say is shame on Mooredale who professes to be a community association, and shame on OLPH who profess to teach Christian values. And shame on North Toronto Post for writing fluff.

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