Dufferin Grove Park: City Wants Accountability

Dufferin Grove Park hosts many community events and gatherings. However, Dufferin Park as we now know it may be in trouble because of trouble caused by a lack of accountability for the money being spent. In May the “Friends of Dufferin Park” organization received a notification from the internal auditor, who wished to enforce more accountability with the way money handling in the park was taking place.

Currently duties such as the running of the Dufferin Park Farmers Market and skate rentals are handled by the Centre for Local Research into Public Space (CELOS) and volunteers. CELOS is a supposedly non-profit corporation run by unelected members. However, because of the structure of this group, city officials worry that there is no accountability for money with the CELOS. Earlier this year CELOS received a $100 000 Trillium grant to invest in the park as they see fit, independently from the city, and therefore free of any enforced accountability. One possible of the possible options suggested by the city included was giving the control of the park’s finances to Toronto Parks and Recreation.

The future of the services offered in the park was uncertain because of the lack of accountably of CELOS. By the end of this past summer, a new staff had been hired by the City to over see maintenance of the park.

According to the Friends of Dufferin Park website postings supporters of the park want to continue functioning as they always have, described as "flexible, innovative ways that local parks staff have continually adapted over the last 20 years". Conforming to the regulations placed on other parks in the city would detract from the character of the park and community. The concern is over the "institutional context" of a “one size fits all" management policy run by the Toronto parks and recreation. Ward 18 City Counsillor Ana Bailao has promised to try and protect the park.