Bricks from sidewalk end up scattered

Paving stones removed long ago for a Kingston Rd. utility excavation are still waiting to go home.

We’ve previously made the point that private utility contractors are much better at digging holes to get at pipes and wire below the street than filling them in after the job is done. As usual, taxpayers get the shaft. That’s a good description of what happened at the northeast corner of Kingston Rd. and Morningside Ave., where bricks next to the sidewalk were taken out to dig a hole and not put back.

A reader has twice raised it with us, saying that people waiting for the bus at the corner end up stumbling over the edges of the paving stones that still surround the hole.

He said they were removed at least a year ago, and whoever removed them should have returned by now to put them back where they belong.

We went there and found a large hole next to the sidewalk that used to be covered by bricks, with weeds growing out of it, an indication that it’s been that way for a long time.

The bricks were piled at the north end of the excavation, but some have ended up scattered around an adjacent parking lot, where they end up under the wheels of vehicles.

Given the length of time since the hole was dug, it’s likely whoever is responsible has forgotten about it. But if they wanted to do the job right, it would never have gotten this far. Status: We’ve asked Trevor Tenn, who’s in charge of road operations in that area, if he can ensure the stones are put back where they belong. What’s broken in your neighbourhood? Wherever you are in Greater Toronto, we want to know. To contact us, go to thestar.com/yourtoronto/the_fixer or call us at 416-869-4823 email jlakey@thestar.ca. To read our blog, go to thestar.com/news/the_fixer. Report problems and follow us on Twitter @TOStarFixer.