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13 Comments

cityscape

Department of Ironies: Toronto Kills Fort York Bridge, Then Awards It Toronto Design Award

Posthumous vindication?

By

Rendering from the environmental assessment of the proposed bridge.

On May 18, Toronto’s councillors decided to let the planned Fort York pedestrian and cycling bridge die. Last night they gave it a prize.

The Toronto Urban Design Awards “acknowledge the significant contribution that architects, landscape architects, urban designers, artists, design students, and city builders make to the look and livability of our city.” Awarded every other year, winners are selected by a jury of architects and urban designers; the City holds a ceremony (this year, at the Palais Royale) and the winning designs are exhibited at city centres and Toronto City Hall.

This made things somewhat awkward yesterday, when that jury of respected design professionals recognized the merits of the Fort York bridge. It was accorded an Award of Excellence, in fact, in the “vision and master plans” category. “The number and quality of this year’s nominated projects demonstrate a high level of sophistication and excellence in the design and construction of structures throughout the city,” said Councillor Peter Milczyn (Ward 5, Etobicoke Lakeshore).

Yes, he was one of those who voted the bridge down.

Comments

  • Anonymous

    head asplodes

  • Anonymous

    In fact, since the Fort York Bridge was killed by one vote, you could argue that Peter Milczyn himself killed the bridge.

    • Anonymous

      Actually, not reall. While that would be ironically delicious, that vote needed a 2/3 majority to pass.

      • Anonymous

        Zoinks! Thanks ok, I don’t mind passing the blame around a bit.

  • Anonymous

    *head-desk*

  • Anonymous

    “a high level of sophistication and excellence ”

    Oh dear… How terribly inconvenient.

  • Anonymous

    Only in Toronto could such a supreme act of hypocrisy not generate surprise.

  • http://twitter.com/ACMESalesRep ACME Sales Rep.

    Ford’s cronies on council wouldn’t recognize hypocrisy if it bit them. They’re happy to take credit for things, but blame? Good luck.

  • Anonymous

    An epic fail by politicians isn’t really that newsworthy, is it? Politicians doing something useful might be!

  • Peter M-Ward 5

    Irony yes, accuracy no. The bridge was deferred because the construction was going to come in at least 25% over budget. So what should have been chopped to make way for the bridge? Accessibility to a subway station? Capital repairs to a library? Repairing a crumbling bridge? Replacing an aged watermain? Those are real choices that face Council whether people want to believe it or not. The bridge will get built eventually.

    • SD

      Do you want to bet on that bridge getting built eventually?

      If it ever does, the cost will be much higher, because the opportunity to co-ordinate w/ other railway work is gone.

      If you are, in fact, Peter Milczyn, you’re a spectacular embarrassment. All of the councilors that support Ford are embarrassing, but for an architect to display that level of cluelessness about how cities work? For an architect to display that lack of judgment?

      Spectacularly embarrassing.

    • Manundabridge

      How about cutting windrow removal or some other suburban gravy? How about road tolls for all the suburbanites coming into our city but not paying to keep up our infrastructure. I guess those would be some of the hard choices that you don’t want to face?

  • Jack

    Perhaps the bridge could have sold a lottery. Sell 100,000 tickets for $10.00/ea. Offer a million dollar grand prise and use the other $9,000,000 to offset some of the costs to build the bridge. In Toronto, for a public works project, and the chance to win a million dollars, you could easily sell a 100,000 tickets.