Proof that public pressure (sometimes) pays off
Toronto’s waterfront is home to a new park, now situated at the mouth of the Don River. Haydn Watters spoke to a longtime advocate who has been working to revitalize the Port Lands for 30 years.
For John Wilson, a citizen advocate for the Don River, this park is the result of decades of work – and somehow even more than a dream come true.
“What we have now, I think, is more spectacular than we ever dreamed of,” he told Metro Morning this week.
Wilson chaired a task force at city hall that fought to revitalize the river, a battle that began in the 1990s and required constant public pressure to overcome resistance from some local politicians who wanted to focus on other things.
What kept Wilson and other activists going? “This is something that is really important and can make our city a better place,” he said.
“This is what I’ve spent my last 30 years doing. Now it’s somebody’s else’s turn to take it up and take it forward.”
Check out Wilson’s walk-and-talk with Metro Morning reporter Haydn Watters in the video player above.