A win for joie de vivre
Torontonians aren’t much for gushing, but the fountain at the new Berczy Park is the best ever to flow forth in this city. The huge three-tier structure, which comes complete with 27 cast-iron dogs, one large bone and a cat, is a spectacular addition to the public realm, a wonderful exception to the philistinism that rules in these parts.
Designed by Canada’s most brilliant landscape architect, Montreal’s Claude Cormier — best known in this city for Sugar Beach — Berczy Park is destined to become his second Toronto icon, not a bad record for a designer in any field. This is one of those civic features that will attract admirers from all over the neighbourhood as well as the world.
On a recent afternoon, its waters spouting magnificently, the fountain had an audience of several hundred, some passing by, others taking pictures, eating lunch, walking dogs, just sitting and most smiling in a mixture of awe and amusement. It was a festive occasion. There was a palpable sense of shared amazement in the newly opened facility.
Berczy Park, really an extended plaza, runs along Front and Wellington Sts. between the Flat Iron Building and Scott St. The original 1980s park was a pleasant but utilitarian amenity, well-used but frayed around the edges. The remake, which cost $7.2 million, includes rows of trees, a garden, and lots of benches as well as the fountain. It isn’t a large space, but thanks to some very clever paving, the space has been visually extended to a line just short of the curb. The feeling of openness is remarkable. Similarly, new paving on recently narrowed Scott St. creates a sense that the park incorporates the road.
At the east end, where ground level rises, a garden surrounds a patch of pea gravel irrigated to help clean up after dogs have used the space for its intended purpose. By the way, the fountain has a ground-level channel with water for thirsty canines. It’s also decorated with studs that resemble a dog’s collar.
“I love Toronto,” Cormier enthuses. “I find it extremely dynamic. It’s true that getting anything done is difficult here, but there’s a fresh energy in this city. What I’m trying to do is create new types of landscape architecture. I did that at Sugar Beach and now at Berczy Park. I have to say, the public consultation process with this project was the best ever. The dog owners wanted a place to walk their dogs, parents wanted a place their kids could play and the BIA (Business Improvement Association) wanted a place for tourists. We brought those three groups together.”
As Cormier makes clear, the “hero” of the project is local councillor Pam McConnell. “Without Pam,” he says, “it wouldn’t have happened.” It also helped that Waterfront Toronto selected him in 2010 to design Sugar Beach. The hugely popular venue made it easier for the city to move beyond its usual blinkered perspective.
Certainly, Toronto’s public realm doesn’t offer many examples of the humour and joie de vivre evident in every detail of Berczy Park. (See if you can spot the birds at which the cat stares so intently.) This city is more comfortable erecting statues of kings on horseback, earnest memorials, cenotaphs and anything donated by well-intentioned philanthropic groups with an agenda or collectors running out of space.
“You just have to keep moving things forward,” McConnell says. “Councillors have to pay close attention to details. And when you’re dealing with government, you have to have a plan before you get the money. Fortunately, the St. Lawrence neighbourhood has some very creative thinkers.”
As much as anything, the new Berczy Park also reflects the changing nature of the city. In the last decade or two, downtown Toronto has become a series of residential neighbourhoods. Today, there are kids throughout the core as well as dogs. They need places to live and spaces to play. As Berczy also makes clear, these spaces needn’t be huge to succeed — instead, they must be entertaining, engaging and enjoyable. On a sunny weekday afternoon, you’re likely to find more people in Berczy Park than at, say, Riverdale Park East and West, which are vast in comparison.
“I can be tough on a city,” Cormier admits, “but I have to say, I’m delighted with how it’s turned out.” So, too, are stalwarts from Somerville Construction, Julian Rabideau and David MacLeod. They have spent the last 16 months tending to the park’s tiniest components, many of them underground, where the fountain’s mechanics are hidden away.
Berczy Park opens officially on June 17.