Berczy Park

Berczy Park
Dog fountain in Berczy Park
Location of Berczy Park in Toronto
Type Urban park
Location 35 Wellington St E,
Toronto, Ontario,
Canada
Coordinates 43°38′53″N 79°22′31″W / 43.647967°N 79.375209°W / 43.647967; -79.375209Coordinates: 43°38′53″N 79°22′31″W / 43.647967°N 79.375209°W / 43.647967; -79.375209
Owned by City of Toronto
Operated by Toronto Parks, Forestry & Recreation
Public transit access King (TTC) and 503 Kingston Rd
Website Berczy Park

Berczy Park is a small (3,606 square metres (0.891 acres)) park in downtown Toronto.[1][2] The park is triangular in shape, bounded by Scott, Front and Wellington streets. The park is bordered at its eastern tip, where Wellington and Front join, by the Gooderham Building, a heritage building that is an example of a "flatiron building".[3] A widely admired mural graces the western facade of the building.

The park is named after William Berczy, an architect and surveyor, who worked with John Graves Simcoe, the first Governor of Upper Canada, in founding its capital, York, Upper Canada, the town that grew into Toronto.[2]

History

prior to the 2015 renovation the park's central courtyard was surrounded by benches that faced its fountain.

The park was opened in 1980, replacing a parking lot.[2] The park was closed in September 2015 for renovation.[1][4] A key focal point of the renovated park was the replacement of the park's original fountain, with a larger two-tier fountain that incorporated sculptures.[2] The park was redesigned by landscape architect Claude Cormier of Montreal, who also designed Toronto's Sugar Beach. The renovations cost $7.2 million.[5]

The renovation was the first since the park opened. Among the required work was the removal of several large trees that had outgrown the soil reservoir provided for them. Fifty new trees were planted in Silva Cell growing chambers, each tree having 30 cubic metres (1,100 cu ft) of soil provided for its roots to grow.[1][2] The park officially reopens on June 28, 2017.[5]

Features

The distinctive feature of the park is a large, two-tier fountain with life-size cast-iron statues of 27 dogs and a cat. The dogs are all looking up towards a large bone perched on the fountain's peak. The cat is looking north at statues of two small birds perched on the arm of a lamppost about 3 metres away from the fountain. The fountain also includes a ground level trough to provide drinking water for real dogs.[3][5] Each of the dog statues contributes to the fountain function by each sprouting water upwards from their mouths.[2] There is also a second cat statue perched on an electrical box at the south-west corner of the park.

At the east end of the park, there is an irrigated pea gravel patch, intended for dog owners to allow their pets to do their business.[5] The landscaping includes grassy berms and garden beds. A children's play area is planned for the northwest corner of the park.[2] Scott Street, on the west side of the park, features curbless borders and pavers to integrate the street into the park design.[2] The City's Economic Development and Culture Division has commissioned a public artwork titled Jacob's Ladder by Toronto artist Luis Jacob. It will be installed in late 2017 on the west side of the park.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "More dogs, taller trees: Berczy Park is (partially) back in action". CBC News. December 5, 2016. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Berczy Park". Toronto Parks and Recreation. Retrieved May 13, 2017. The park's historic centrepiece, a large fountain, has been replaced by a new two-tiered fountain with a unique and whimsical theme. When it's opened in spring 2017, 27 dog sculptures – and one cat – will be situated around, in, and on the fountain, each spraying water from its mouth. A golden bone sits atop the fountain.
  3. 1 2 Christopher Hume (September 13, 2015). "New park and fountain will let fun flow: Hume". Toronto Star. Retrieved May 13, 2017. The story of Berczy Park is the story of Toronto. It starts with a small downtown space carved out of a neglected site left over from the 1800s and ends with a 21st-century facility that forms the centre of a diverse high-rise community.
  4. ↑ "Berczy Park's dog fountain". Retrieved May 13, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Christopher Hume (May 23, 2017). "Berczy Park redesign displays St. Lawrence neighbourhood's creative thinking: Hume". Toronto Star. Retrieved May 13, 2017. The remake, which cost $7.2 million, includes rows of trees, a garden, and lots of benches as well as the fountain.
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