The Friends of Sorauren Park is undertaking a community-led consultation around the design, operations and naming of the new Wabash Community Centre.
Your say matters. Please take our survey, only takes a few minutes. Results will be compiled and reported back to the community.
The list below describes the areas of interest, anticipated discussion points, and positions endorsed by the Board of Directors of the Friends of Sorauren Park.
| Town Square |
| Discussion Points: How to preserve the existing Town Square (home of the Farmers Market, outdoor movies and more) and enhance its operations, e.g. storage for outdoor furniture |
| FOSP Positions: > Protect the Town Square as the “outdoor community centre” > Supports the Farmers Market and other Town Square programming including outdoor movies, festivals, pumpkin sales |
| Design Excellence |
| Discussion Points: Architectural features, interior and exterior design, art, LEED design, green building, landscaping, accessibility, bikes, parking, future connection to West Toronto Railpath, digital media infrastructure, systems, omni-media communications |
| FOSP Positions: > Supports Design Excellence > Supports sustainable/regenerative building and energy systems > Supports top-floor event space as proposed in the 2009 concepts plans, Green Feasibility Study > Supports preserving the existing trees in Sorauren Park |
| Heritage |
| Discussion Points: Preservation, historical relevance, cultural heritage (Indigenous, multicultural, industrial), on-site interpretation |
| FOSP Positions: > Supports preserving the industrial heritage of the site as much as possible > Supports preserving the chimney as an iconic feature (used in our logo) and potential chimney swift habitat > Supports preserving the train shed |
| Aquatic Facilities |
| Discussion Points: Features, programming, accessibility |
| FOSP Positions: > Supports aquatic facilities at the WCC > 95% of 2005 survey respondents (500+) supported aquatic facilities |
| Programming |
| Discussion Points: Arts and culture, recreation and fitness, sports, 21st Century learning, skills (media lab, etc.) |
| FOSP Positions: > Supports all-ages accessible programming > Supports programming that reflects the needs and make-up of the community, e.g. large number of artists > Supports creation of Community Kitchen (Commercial Kitchen for community use?) |
| Governance/Operations |
| Discussion Points: Staffing, inclusiveness, diversity, revenue |
| FOSP Positions: > Supports Community Key Access, a principle that (for example) allows the FOSP to operate the natural ice rink, outdoor bake oven, gardening and other programs, in accordance with City policies such as booking and permit requirements |
| Building/Park Integration |
| Discussion Points: How the new building will support and enhance the life of the park, and vice versa |
| FOSP Positions: > Supports preserving the Sorauren Fieldhouse and enhancing its functionality (e.g., as the “headquarters” and winter location for the Farmers Market) by integrating needs into the new Community Centre, e.g. park-level storage |
| Naming of Community Centre |
| Discussion Points: Research, branding |
| FOSP Positions: > Supports a discussion around the naming of the Community Centre that reflects the community and its heritage |
Wabash Community Centre 