City of Toronto Workers Destroy Free Community Food Garden Amid Growing Food Crisis

reply to post by reficul


I live in Alberta. We've had bumper crops all around due to above average rain fall coupled with a beautiful summer this year. We still haven't seen frost.

Originally posted by Destinyone
reply to post by reficul

 

hmmm...methinks I'll cast a *hunger* spell on the bad Mayor Rob Ford. The more he eats, the more he'll crave to eat. The more he'll feel the stabbing pangs of hunger. He'll stuff his bloated piggy face until his eyes are swollen shut with folds of fat, and his fat sausage legs will no longer hold his wobbling girth upright.

Will that work for you....

Des

LL would that spell be based on greek myth, perchance?
but just in case,, as you do want to know the proper Names to use

In Greek mythology, Erysichthon (also spelled Erisichthon, both of which translate as "Earth-tearer") was the son of Triopas and the King of Thessaly. He ordered all trees cut down in the sacred grove of Demeter. One huge oak was covered with votive wreaths, a symbol of every prayer Demeter had granted, and so men refused to fell it. Erysichthon grabbed an axe and cut it down himself, killing a dryad nymph in the process. The nymph's dying words were a curse on Erysichthon. Demeter responded to the nymph's curse and punished him by placing Limos, unrelenting and insatiable hunger, in his stomach. Food acted like fuel on a fire: The more he ate, the hungrier he got. Erysichthon sold all his possessions to buy food, but was still hungry. At last he sold the only thing he had left, his own daughter Mestra into slavery. Mestra was freed from slavery by her former lover Poseidon, who gave her the gift of shape-shifting into any creature at will to escape her bonds. Erysichthon used her shape-shifting ability to sell her numerous times to make money to feed himself, but no amount of food was enough. Eventually, Erysichthon ate himself in hunger.[1][2]

en.wikipedia.org...

yet more of the "FORD CRAZY TRAIN" steaming on through.

i agree that the timing of ripping it down is really suspicious. can't say i am surprised at it happening with mayor dingbat ford at the helm. "lets just Wait till it will really hurt them before doing anything". there was always a "community garden" across the street from my old place, but i guess since it was only flowers it wouldn't hurt the big business that ford, and almost all the TO mayors we have had work for.

i don't blame people for trying to grow their own food, when all the veggies at the grocery stores there have been rather sickly looking this year. and the cost is raising even so. i actually have been suspecting since spring they would use the crappy produce (the best/biggest stuff goes to canning factories), as the showpiece of "see how bad a year it has been sorry but the price must go up".

what we need is to make space available for people to grow what they want. once upon a time there was a place in Mississauga where you could do this but it has long since become yet another housing development. there is a lot of useless space around Toronto that would be perfect for use as gardens. but no they WANT us dependent on big business to feed us, as if we grew our own stuff it would hurt the big grocery store chains, as well as the city would loose a possible way to control the masses.

has anyone started a petition to have the city set aside unused land (like the strip of land between the cliff and king st in Parkdale, and below the cliff between the rail tracks and the Gardner/Lakeshore lots of unused space just in that area alone). ? i know people had been discussing trying to force reinforcement of building roofs to use as gardening space earlier this spring.

here is an online petition www.change.org...#

Originally posted by generik
yet more of the "FORD CRAZY TRAIN" steaming on through.

i agree that the timing of ripping it down is really suspicious. can't say i am surprised at it happening with mayor dingbat ford at the helm. "lets just Wait till it will really hurt them before doing anything". there was always a "community garden" across the street from my old place, but i guess since it was only flowers it wouldn't hurt the big business that ford, and almost all the TO mayors we have had work for.

i don't blame people for trying to grow their own food, when all the veggies at the grocery stores there have been rather sickly looking this year. and the cost is raising even so. i actually have been suspecting since spring they would use the crappy produce (the best/biggest stuff goes to canning factories), as the showpiece of "see how bad a year it has been sorry but the price must go up".

what we need is to make space available for people to grow what they want. once upon a time there was a place in Mississauga where you could do this but it has long since become yet another housing development. there is a lot of useless space around Toronto that would be perfect for use as gardens. but no they WANT us dependent on big business to feed us, as if we grew our own stuff it would hurt the big grocery store chains, as well as the city would loose a possible way to control the masses.

has anyone started a petition to have the city set aside unused land (like the strip of land between the cliff and king st in Parkdale, and below the cliff between the rail tracks and the Gardner/Lakeshore lots of unused space just in that area alone). ? i know people had been discussing trying to force reinforcement of building roofs to use as gardening space earlier this spring.

Agreed 100%!

What they don't seem to realize is how much more respect the citizens would give city hall if even the mayor took an empty lot and turned it into a model for growing fresh food. No brainer.

In Asia the roof tops of many high rises and smaller flat top houses are used for gardening. When I lived in Korea my wife and I had peppers, tomatoes, huge troughs of squash etc. We gave some away, traded for other items and it was just the norm.

A garden in empty lots is a plus for any city and that can't be ignored nor denied IMO.

There is definitely something bigger going on here and it smells...

Peace

reply to post by DerepentLEstranger



Well, ya know...all us myths stick together.....

Des

and in Edmonton …
”…received notice last Thursday that their garden plots would be destroyed as early as yesterday as part of the Rainbow Pipeline II’s continuing path.
The gardeners pay a small fee to use a piece of land for growing food and are required to donate a small amount to the Food Bank. The land has been in use for this purpose for over 14 years. The gardeners are asking xxx to delay the project four to six weeks so the harvest can be completed.”
“What this group of gardeners are asking for is so reasonable, it’s unbelievable that this Conservative government isn’t responding positively,” said Bilous.”

metronews.ca...
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Well, at least this MLA stood up for his community and managed to help those people to save the harvest. The date for the removal of the garden got delayed until after the harvest of their food.
Some politicians are still on the side of the people.

reply to post by jude11


It's "Occupy" related I suspect that is why. There are many many gardens on public land, but this still is rather heartless. I suspect this will cost the city in the long run...pissing off protestors generally just incites more protests...

Wow I would have had to refuse if I asked to do the removal...crazy times!! And Rob Ford should be fired up over this with all the FAT jokes he gets...I am stunned by this...I see both sides...but where is the mutual respect...It makes me want to go into politics...

Well, first of all, if they had worked WITH the city instead of just squatting on public land, things could have worked out.

Since it IS city owned land, there are requirements to get permits and stuff. Vancouver has a plethora of plots set up by non-profits and community groups who have worked WITH the city to organize things.

Even Vancouver City Hall is donating their own lawn to set up garden plots.

Seriously, instead of being obnoxious about it, the squatters could have just asked.

It's the Canadian thing to do after all.

Originally posted by juniperberry
Well, first of all, if they had worked WITH the city instead of just squatting on public land, things could have worked out.

Since it IS city owned land, there are requirements to get permits and stuff. Vancouver has a plethora of plots set up by non-profits and community groups who have worked WITH the city to organize things.

Even Vancouver City Hall is donating their own lawn to set up garden plots.

Seriously, instead of being obnoxious about it, the squatters could have just asked.

It's the Canadian thing to do after all.

I was waiting for you. And there you are.

Always someone...

Looking for brownie points from city council perhaps?

reply to post by jude11


Please.

Why does everything have to be a conflict?

Why is everyone so bound and determined to do whatever the heck they want whenever they want?

I'm no fan of government, but neither am I an anarchist.

Originally posted by juniperberry
reply to post by jude11

 

Please.

Why does everything have to be a conflict?

Why is everyone so bound and determined to do whatever the heck they want whenever they want?

I'm no fan of government, but neither am I an anarchist.

can you answer WHY THE DAY BEFORE HARVEST?
can you answer why these people wernt "approached" ?

can you see any sense in throwing away the food?

please?

xploder

Originally posted by juniperberry
reply to post by jude11

 

Please.

Why does everything have to be a conflict?

Why is everyone so bound and determined to do whatever the heck they want whenever they want?

I'm no fan of government, but neither am I an anarchist.

no fan of government, but neither am I an anarchist.

In these times you can no longer sit on the fence as that's how we have arrived at this point in history.

Sorry to say but you really do have to choose a side now.

Peace

So there is a growing food crisis, and they destroy the food? That is just counterintuitive enough to be something a government would do. This enrages me to no end, considering that they let the garden grow until harvest time. I think a huge lawsuit is in order. I am starting to believe that there really is a big conspiracy in all governments or the West, who probably have corporations like Monsanto lobbying them to destroy these types of gardens.

They don't want people becoming self-sufficient, and it is becoming more and more obvious as time goes on, and more and more of these acts are perpetrated. But what can the people really do? I know what I would want to do, and it is something that needed to be done a long time ago, but that is a drastic action. Yet governments are not leaving us with many outs regarding expressing our outrage over events to the point that something will change.

In the off chance we do get to publicly express our outrage, the government does not plan on listening. Politicians are becoming less and less afraid of the public, and government in general is becoming bigger than it should ever have been allowed to grow. We need to take states' rights back here in the US, and in Canada, they should...I don't know, since I don't live there, lol. But there is probably something that could be done there as well to throw off the chains of a government that is becoming too oppressive.

reply to post by juniperberry


Why is everyone so bound and determined to do whatever the heck they want whenever they want?

Because if what we do doesn't hurt anyone...it's our right,

And as citizens of this planet, we should never have to ask permission to exercise our rights.

Did I miss something?

Peace

reply to post by jude11


No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden.
Thomas Jefferson

xploder

reply to post by jude11

The reason? The people did not have permission to grow free food on public land.

Maybe it's just me... but there's something about that statement which is vastly disturbing. Wouldn't "public land" indicate it is open land free for public use? Like a public park for instance? A plot paid for and maintained by public tax dollars. If the public community cannot choose to grow food on that public land, then I wouldn't call it "public land", I'd call it Government land. I hate this mentality that every single little piece of land has to have some sort of monopolistic ownership... you can't even go out into the forest and grow something because you'd probably be breaking some sort of national park regulation. It's just completely ridiculous. This world isn't even ours anymore. It's controlled and owned by either the Government or powerful private entities.

reply to post by ChaoticOrder


interesting that president Obama suggested,
that government land should be used to grow food,

i think public land maintained by the public tax is for the public to use how they see fit.

as long as any one and everyone can benefit from the use of the land,
or access the food produced.

xploder

reply to post by XPLodER


Been regularly harvested for the last 4 months.

Occupy Gardens had been harvesting produce for the last four months. And thousands of passersby were free to help themselves to whatever they needed.

rabble.ca...

reply to post by JiggyPotamus

I think a huge lawsuit is in order

The garden was illegal, there is no grounds whatsoever for legal action.

They don't want people becoming self-sufficient

Sure, that's why there are 76 community gardens registered on the Toronto Community Garden Network

www.tcgn.ca...

Originally posted by dainoyfb
I live in Alberta. We've had bumper crops all around due to above average rain fall coupled with a beautiful summer this year. We still haven't seen frost.

As far as I'm aware, the major crops in Alberta are beef and oil. Oil's doing fabulous, but the beef isn't...is it?
What would interest me is how the prairie grain crops did this past summer. Haven't heard much, so it must have been OK.