Construction trailer to stay put for now
Graffiti-covered eyesore appeared to be abandoned, but it’s needed again soon
Bad news for those who are cheering for a graffiti-scrawled construction trailer to disappear from Cabbagetown: it’s not going anywhere.
Our Thursday column was about a hangdog construction trailer and portable generator that put down roots at the corner of River and Spruce Sts., and Jim Conchie’s efforts to persuade someone to move it. It touched a nerve with readers, particularly Conchie’s description of being told to “go . . . yourself” when he called the contractor responsible for the trailer and asked to talk to a guy named Mike.
“That SOB,” said another Mike, well-known Toronto historian Mike Filey.
“Oh my!” said Sylvia McClease. “Sounds like Mike has his underwear on too tight, and they’re chafing, boo hoo,” she said, calling him “Mr. Grumpy-Pants.”
“What is so frustrating is that no one seems willing to take any ownership of this issue and all have been content to let the amount of graffiti increase on the trailer over the last six months or so,” said Susan Corrigan.
Conchie believed (and so did we) that the water main project for which the trailer was used had wrapped up after the huge open hole that for years had snarled traffic on River, just north of Gerrard, was finally closed in 2016.
But the city says we got it wrong; additional water main work on River, south of Gerrard, began last July and continued until February, said an email from transportation services spokesperson Steve Johnston.
The trailer is still needed for the road work component of the job, he said, noting it “will commence when spring weather sets in and there is minimal risk of snowfall.”
While work was suspended, the “the contractor requested to remove the trailer until such time when the roadwork starts up,” but then reconsidered and left it in the same place, he said.
“As roadwork will start up in a few weeks, the trailer will be required during construction and since it is in a location where it does not disrupt traffic,” or cause inconvenience, the city does not object to leaving it there, he said.
The contractor has been instructed to remove the graffiti as soon as possible, said Johnston, adding it has also been asked to be nice when contacted by the public about work being done for the city. What’s broken in your neighbourhood? Wherever you are in Greater Toronto, we want to know. Send an email to jlakey@thestar.ca. Report problems and follow us on Twitter @TOStarFixer.