City of Toronto drops plans for events space at Hanlan’s Point after public backlash

The City of Toronto had dropped a controversial proposal to create an events space at of one of Canada’s oldest openly queer spaces – Hanlan’s Point Beach.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Hands Off Hanlan's (@handsoffhanlans)

“We've heard from over 2,000 people loud and clear that that's not something that people want. And so we've decided to be risk responsive to the community and accountable to the community and drop that,” Daniel Fusca, manager of public consultation for Toronto parks, forestry and recreation, told CTV News Toronto on Monday.

Prior to that declaration, the city’s master plan for the Toronto Island Park included an open-air events and festival space at Hanlan’s Point. The proposal detailed a potential open-air amphitheatre that would host “island-sized” festivals and cultural events.

Thousands of members of the LGBTQ2S+ community mobilized to voice that a festival space could expose the community to discrimination and homophobic violence that has reached the sacred space in recent years.

“The city has officially dropped the proposal for the permanent festival space at Hanlan’s because we all used our voices, because we made ourselves heard. And that's really a beautiful thing,” Travis Myers, a member of the grassroots group Hands off Hanlan’s, told CTV News Toronto on Tuesday morning.

Spearheading efforts to correct course, Fusca hosted a public meeting at the 519 in Toronto to discuss the potential events space on Monday night, following the creation of an online forum to express concerns and a virtual meeting last week.

Councillor Ausma Malik, who represents the Toronto Islands at city hall, said the reshaping of the planning process that has taken place has served as a “huge” opportunity.

“By including community voices and coming up with a framework that is going to make sure that this is a safe and protected space for generations to come,” Malik said.

Even more significant than the official removal of plans for an events space at Hanlan’s Point, Myers said the city is committing to pursuing future planning with the foundational lens that it is a historic place for the LGBTQ2S+ community. The next step is obtaining heritage status designation for the beach, he said.

“I don't think this is where this ends, we are definitely going to see more official recognition for Hanlan’s as a queer space so we don't have to fight this battle in five,10, 15 years time,” Myers said. 

With files from CTV News Toronto's Mike Walker