Another Toronto park bites the dust?

We recently received a tip from a viewer letting us know that, yet again, another public park is off-limits in Toronto... well, off-limits unless you are a member of a certain race, that is.

He's a member of the Beaches-East York riding, and he said he was getting increasingly concerned about an illegal occupation at Taylor Creek Park. So, I went down to take a look!

We reached out to the City of Toronto, and spokesman Brad Ross had this to say:

The City is aware of a group of primarily young people that have been camping at Taylor Creek Park. It appears that at least some of the youth group's activities and set-up are occurring within the boundaries of land that is leased to the Hannon-Shields Centre for Leadership and Peace, operating as the Children's Peace Theatre.

The city acknowledges that the site is on land that is part of the traditional territory of many nations including the Anishinaabe, the Haudenosaunee, the Wendat, and the Mississauga of the New Credit. The city's hope is that the site can and will be peacefully shared by the youth group and the public in a manner consistent with public park space. The City has been in touch with the youth group and will continue to communicate with them and the Children's Peace Theatre in that regard.

Alas, so much for “hope.” 

When I visited the park the other day, I was told by an Indigenous woman that we were not welcome, nor were we permitted to be in the park because we were not First Nations.

The vibe in the air made me feel like pushing for my right to walk through what is clearly public parkland might end violently, so my cameraman and I took the hint and left before things went south.