Above images, the wedge during renovation and the wedge in a Scotiabank commercial.
The St Johns wedge located at Dundas St W. and St Johns Rd. went though a transformation from a flat, underused piece of Junction roadway and space a few years ago after the Then ward 13 city council member Bill Sandercook signaled what many in the community thought – that the St Johns Wedge was in dire need of a new design to serve the community.
The author of this blog put together a team to work with the city staff and Bill Sandercook and his community assistant Bea Mozdzanowski to reconfigure the space.
It was a big project and was costly. Yet today while reflecting on the influx of new businesses it, became clear how important it was to rebuilt the space, all,of us involved in the project hoped invigorating the wedge would provide some help in bringing new activity and businesses the eastern part of the Junction strip. Many people commented how it was outside the neighborhood council members office. He was aware of the fact that some people may misconstrue the effort on his behalf.
But he benevolently supported the group of local residents (I will post names of the group in an updated post) in developing the design they though the community needed.
A comment on the blog a while ago describes it best, better than I can.
It’s a small space without a name, but it’s the Junction’s first public square. It’s a landscaped public space surrounded by roads and a walkway, like traditional public squares. It’s flanked by historic streetscapes. I love the granite block paving. We ought to give a name, like St. Johns Square.
Why is the blog writing about this now, because after the change of our local council member the last details of the project were not completed, and since they require little effort, and would greatly contribute to the use of the wedge, it would be great to complete them.
One being the installation of light – the electrical runs are in place and the wire hangs from the inside top of the gazebo. Secondly the installation of the benches for the gazebo, we have plans right now to the measured drawings produced by High Park architects.
As a member of the local group who worked on the project I think it was successful but the finishing touches would be great.
I’ve always referred to the space as Malta Square. It is in the middle of Little Malta and surrounded by the Maltese Canadian Society, Malta travel agency and nearby Malta Park.
However, Malta Park could be changing, Ward 11 Councilor Nunziata is continuing her attempt to take the name Malta Park and use it to rename Runnymede Park. It is reported that she plans to raise the issue, for a third time, during the September Etobicoke York Community Council meeting.
I have never really understood what this is supposed to be used for. In fact, I have never seen anyone using it. The block paving makes it useless for any purpose one might expect to use it for. No place to sit down, no table to use for whatever. A big waste of money.
Situations is what is supposed to used for, well in my terms, I do not know if the other group members would select this word. The block paving I forget why that choice was made. I will get the emails out of the archive drive and look for the discussion about the paving blocks.
it will be of more use if the seating gets installed in the gazebo and the light in the ceiling of the gazebo. Your idea of Tables is great, why there are none I will have to check the discussion emails.
As to use, it does get used, quite alot when expressed as a amount in relation to the other semi public spot in the Junction – The train station. (1) I regularity watch out for the amount of use it gets, just to see if has worked out. You can see activity of teens, stroller mobs and mothers, the Maltese community.
Better put a call out to the Justin – who owns the property and Stephen who manages the property and the building to the west of train station lot, for letting the station stay to serve the community. … and to the Junction Arts Festival which build the train station during the period when was director and Past Councillor Bill Saundercook, was chair of the festival.
I don’t think it’s your place to make that call. A waste of money? Why? Maybe if they put some benches in, people could actually SIT?
The granite block paving is beautiful and contributes to a sense of place, but it’s more suited for roads. Pedestrian spaces are supposed to use smaller granite setts like at Sugar Beach and in cities throughout Europe, or smooth slabs of granite like at Dundas Square. However, the paving doesn’t have much to do with the square’s issues. It needs more seating for sure. The gazebo is the natural place for it.
I really remember very little about the paving stones, although I do (maybe) remember to reduce the cost of the project they may have been reused from the site.
..and yes the cobbles are higher than traditional cobbles used in the city if Toronto and many European public spaces.
But ones of roughies in terms of cobbles can be walked at the village end if the Charles Bridge in Prague.
I will look up some old images of cobbles taken elsewhere.
I know the streets of Prague well. The sidewalks throughout the city centre are paved with granite and marble setts arranged in tile-like mosaics, for instance a checkerboard mosaic of black and white squares using sections of black and white stones. They use small blocks of stone with quite small spaces between the stones for the sidewalks and public squares. The streets are paved with blocks of stone that are even larger than the traditional Toronto standard which was used for paving several downtown streets at the turn of the 20th century.
The traditional Toronto size of block was also used for paving around streetcar tracks up to the 1970s. (Concrete is now used.) I think that the granite blocks should once again be used around streetcar tracks in Toronto in prominent areas like Queen Street in downtown.
…seems junctionist and this blog author have a joint interest in urban surfacing, thought I would post a few images that show the types of surfacing mentioned in the comments. In the third picture you can see the commonly used, sections of black and white stones as stated by junctionist. The last photo is of the path section near/under the Charles Bridge (sorry its blurry) funny thing is this rough paving is outside glass art gallery.
I fully agree that that – granite blocks should once again be used around streetcar tracks – although I think the stochastic methods of our city council could achieve this.
The 1st two are from Skalice u České Lípy, Czech Republic
The second two are from the Prague-East District, Czech Republic
I can’t imagine the junction without the platform/station.. it serves many needs I hope a building isn’t put up on the spot.
The building was planning a condo in the future for the site and the land the large 3 story sits on next to the train lot. Yet it appears with the 3 story now being full and hosting a new restaurant the plans for that may be off for some time?