RPTV WEEKLY NEWS – (Episode 45) Moss Park residents mourn the loss of 61 trees cut down by Metrolinx

Welcome to RPTV Weekly News Show Episode 45. In this weekly news show hosted by RPTV reporters Fred Alvarado, Jabin Haque, Kedar Ahmed,  Mathew Ryan and Victoria Nanneti, we present news that impacts on Toronto's Regent Park and the surrounding areas.

Episode 45 features segments on:

• • CSI Announces the End of the CSI Community Living Room Project at Daniels Spectrum (01:32 min);
  • Community Resident Meeting Discussion on Rezoning (06:17 min);
  • Moss Park residents mourn the loss of 61 trees cut down by Metrolinx (12:01 min);
  • Protesters rally to increase access to shelter spaces (13:33 min);
  • City of Toronto expands Warming Centre space (19:04 min);
  • Two people stabbed in Sherbourne Street and Dundas Street East area (19:44 min);
  • City of Toronto proclaims February as Black History Month as City celebrates with in-person events across Toronto (20:37 min);
  • Covid-19 and Vaccination update: Toronto Public Health expands access to required children’s vaccines through its immunization clinics (21:49 min);
  • Events and Jobs in Regent Park (25:25 min).

This weeks lead story:

Moss Park residents mourn the loss of 61 trees cut down by Metrolinx

After Metrolinx cut down 61 mature trees this weekend to make way for a new station for the Ontario Line. Area residents held a funeral.

On Sunday afternoon, rumbling chainsaws supplied the soundtrack to the ceremony organized for the fallen trees by community members. Around two dozen attendees brought flowers, lit candles and read an obituary through a megaphone, said Diane Devenyi, a longtime Moss Park resident and co-organizer of the service.

“It was heartbreaking to listen to the cracking of the trees as they were broken apart and tossed to the ground,” she said.

The clearing of the 70-year-old trees came the same weekend as a judge granted an injunction blocking Metrolinx, the provincial transit agency in charge of building the Ontario Line, from removing 11 centuries-old trees on the grounds of Osgoode Hall until Feb. 10.

“It speaks volumes, which trees get sacrificed first … it’s trees that are located in less privileged, racialized communities,” said Walied Khogali, co founder of Moss Park Coalition. “When I was at that funeral, I saw many tears, and some of them from Indigenous youth who felt so powerless.”

Henry Hong, a member of Friends of Moss Park, said he was disappointed that no legal defence similar to the one at Osgoode was mounted to halt the tree clearing in his neighbourhood. In fact, his community was given no notice when the trees would be coming down.

“On Saturday morning, we were surprised to see and hear trees being cut down,” he said, noting the noise was loud enough to set off car alarms.

“The consultation meetings weren’t really consultations,” Hong said. “It was more about them telling us what their plans were.”

He also hasn’t seen the implementation of suggestions for more frequent and open communication by Metrolinx that were offered up by community members or even municipal politicians who are opposed to the development.

Some Moss Park residents are advocating in a coalition called Build Ontario Line Differently (BOLD) to prevent more communities from meeting the same fate.

“Unfortunately, it’s too late for Moss Park,” Hong said. “I hope lessons will be learned from this,” referring to many more trees that are scheduled to be removed in areas like Ontario Place and the Greenbelt.

“How many trees are actually going to come down in the GTA before people stand up and start fighting back?” he added.