High Park Grenadier pond fishing ban
This is a call for all the urban fisherman from Toronto, I just want to get more people to join me and speak up against these ridiculous signs that were erected at the north section of the pond, making it off limits for fishing.
In my quest to find a reason why fishing is off limits, I called MNR and I was told that the park is city of Toronto property and they can do whatever they want. I called the 311 city line and the agent that handled my call could not provide a reason why fishing is off limits. I left voice messages to the High Park manager and she does not call return my calls. Even people who have called Sarah Doucette, the city councillor for the ward, did not get a straight answer from her.
Whatever the reason is, and I assume they could be trying to "protect" wildlife, the signs that do not allow fishing cover only half of the pond, however, wildlife is spread across the entire pond, so careless fisherman could still snag a snapping turtle or bother the birds while fishing in the other half, besides those signs provide grounds for harassment as there is a couple of self-proclaimed volunteers that come to the park everyday in the morning and in the evening to enforce the by-law signs, they snap unauthorized pictures of fisherman and threaten to confiscate your fishing license. One fishermen not cognizant of the signs was fined $300 two weekends ago by a city hall conservation officer enforcing the mysterious by-law.
Fisherman have been fishing in this pond since the 1800's so I think enough is enough, if you oppose this ban like I do, let's make our voices be heard and work together to end this nonsensical ban.
If you want to help, you can call the 311 city line and complain, or call Sarah Doucette who is the city councillor for the ward.
