I heard about your concern for children on the busy streets of Toronto. I too have concerns; mostly for those rowdy street hockey players who I’m deathly afraid of not seeing, as they dart out from between cars for that surprise goal they have been waiting to score.

I don’t have buses or streetcars on the street where I live. Oddly enough, 30 years ago, when looking for a house in the Bayview/Davisville area, one of our requests to the real estate agent was a quiet street and close to good schools. 

I admit I wasn’t a good parent back then as I often let them run up and down the sidewalks on Bayview Avenue and oh yes, even Davisville Avenue.  Things have changed in those 30 years, my street is not as quiet as it once was, but, thankfully for my grandchildren’s sake, my children made it out of the neighbourhood and have discovered other wonderful neighbourhoods in Toronto.

My grandson (poor boy) is being raised in Little Italy. Just north of Trinity-Bellwoods Park. Oh yes, it’s noisy all right: cars, streetcars, children laughing as they walk along College St. with their parents. And the noise in the parks around them, good lord, so many children playing in the splash pads, on the swing sets, running in the open green space.

Another thing, those Farmer’s Markets in the parks: I thought they were good ideas, but I don’t know having to stand in a line to get to the fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers etc., behind all those young parents and their children. Why do children have to eat all that healthy food?

Tonight I saw my grandson running on College Street, laughing (my goodness how could he? it is not safe there, you told me that the other day) stomping in puddles, with people walking along the street smiling and laughing at his laughter as the water splashed.

I really must talk to my children about raising their families in downtown Toronto. I don’t want them to have the same kind of happy life their parents had.

Karen Siddiqi – Ward 22 resident

c.c. to Councillor Layton & Councillor Matlow