A fellow dad at my daughter’s school told me he moved into his neighbourhood specifically because of Fairbank Memorial Park. He imagined hiking there with his wife, pushing his baby daughter in a stroller. But that’s not what happened.
Just after he moved in, the City’s Storm Trunk project took over. He shrugs when he talks about it. He doesn’t oppose the project itself. He understands the City’s goal: to reduce the risk of basement flooding, to protect homes and families. He gets that sacrifice was required. But what concerns him now is what the project left behind.
The City’s heavy machinery is moving out. The construction is winding down. But the park? Not what was promised. Dead trees. Poorly planned grass restoration. The playground feels abandoned, neglected.
“I was hoping after several years of this park being taken away from us, we would get more investment back in it,” says Alireza Anvari, Fairbank dad.
The City’s plan says restoration of shaft locations at Fairbank wrapped up at the end of this summer. But if restoration means revitalizing the playground, someone missed the memo.
Alireza says large, established, beautiful trees that once shaded the playground are now dead. “I was shocked the other day when I noticed them,” he says. Imagine that: childhood laughter under barren branches, swings in the shadow of decay.
And it wasn’t just the trees. During construction, the playground was technically accessible—but poorly managed. Still water became a breeding ground for mosquitoes. A dump behind a fence made it unwelcoming for kids and families.
Alireza is hoping for more. More investment in the local community centre, especially the Fairbank pool. The outdoor pool is a summer favorite, but it’s old, run down, with no warm showers. It needs revitalization—so that children can splash without compromise, and families can gather without frustration.
Adding and refurbishing local recreation facilities is the least the City can do for neighbours who have endured years of heavy construction. And the construction isn’t over yet: 17 kilometres of new storm sewers will be built until 2027.
I keep returning to that image: a father pushing a stroller under dead trees, waiting for a park that matches the promise he was sold. The cause is important, yes — but the community deserves to see the promise kept.
I just hope the City doesn’t let a good cause go sour before the project is done.
