While a decision last April to permanently lock a gateway on school grounds left locals in the Bathurst Street and St. Clair Avenue West area feeling unwelcome, a recent community meeting has unhinged a solution: keep the gate locked during the day and open at night.
The public meeting was held by local Coun. Mihevc last month and more than 75 people attended. Nancy Lerner, principal of Hillcrest, said the original decision to close off the Nina Street entrance was a safety one. “The gate is very close to Bathurst Street: we’ve had children chasing after balls.… we’ve had intruders,” she said.
However, the closed gate also made some locals feel shut out. While the one entryway was closed, another remained open on the more affluent Hilton Avenue. In addition, the school attached a ‘private property, no trespassing’ sign to the locked gate.
Local Molly Ladd-Taylor said she first noticed something wasn’t right last Victoria Day when a usually busy playground instead was empty. “It used to be a real hub, lots of basketball, soccer games,” she said.
Concerns over the locked gate came to a peak last June when a nearby altercation led to a 16-year-old being murdered. Ladd-Taylor said many believe that had the gate been open, there may have been more people in the area, producing a watchdog affect.
After the murder, a petition against the closed gate was signed by more than 150 locals. Mihevc held a meeting with school and board officials in July and then followed up with the public meeting last month. “There was virtual unanimity that the gate be open at night,” said Mihevc.
According to Ladd-Taylor, community members at the meeting volunteered to work with the school and board officials, to look at how they can make the compromise a reality. Lerner said the group will be meeting this month.
“The gate is still locked right now,” said Ladd-Taylor. “But we’re hopeful for a resolution."
