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What goes up doesn't always come down. Just take a look at the arches over the reflecting pool at Nathan Phillips Square. They're like the house that has Christmas lights hanging outside all year round.
It's been months since that last pile of snow melted in the city yet the mesh netting used for seasonal lighting that's attached to the top of the square's arches hasn't been removed yet, a reader complained.
The netting – its reflection a bit of an eyesore in the pool – needs to come down.
"It's rusty and looks awful," the reader said. And like that house with the icicle lights that sway in a summer breeze, the mesh doesn't make a very good impression on visitors to the famous square.
On a recent visit, The Fixer noticed several groups of camera-toting tourists were all smiles in front of Toronto's architecturally fabulous city hall designed by Finnish architect Viljo Revell. Others stood reflected in the square's pool which, as Torontonians know, becomes a skating rink in winter – ergo the overhead lights. Good thing visitors didn't notice the mesh, which really detracts from the overall aesthetic of the square.
Curious as to why the netting hadn't been removed, we contacted Mike McCoy, who's in charge of city facilities in the area.
He said the mesh isn't just chicken wire used to hold lights; it's the actual lighting system.
It was donated and installed by the city's special events department, which is also responsible for taking it down. McCoy agreed that lights should have been down at the end of winter, but given where the lighting system has been installed, it's difficult to take down and hard to store. Though his department isn't responsible for the lights, McCoy said he'll look into it and connect us with the person in the special events department who is.
But he warned that with winter fast approaching it may make more sense to leave them up.
WHO'S CHECKING IT OUT: Mike McCoy, director of facilities operations; 416-397-5270; mmccoy@toronto.ca
What's broken in your neighbourhood? Wherever you are in Greater Toronto, we want to know. To email us, go to thestar.com, click on the GTA tab, then click on The Fixer. Or call us at 416-869-4823.
