Open Letter Re: Junction Triangle Boys and Girls Club

Dear Neighbour:

You are probably aware of the on-going problems at the Junction Triangle Boys and Girls Club which is managed as an outreach location of the Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club located at 180 Westmoreland Avenue.

The Junction Triangle Boys and Girls Club has been operating in a temporary location and offering a limited after-school program for children since the lease expired at their Randolph location in March 2008. A new clubhouse location was found and the Club began leasing a facility in August 2009 at 45 Ernest Avenue. The new clubhouse would have provided additional space for 120 children and brought the services for young people back to pre-existing levels when the Club was located on Randolph.

After a year of renovations, the Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club abandoned the Ernest Avenue location without notice or any neighbourhood consultations. The Club’s departure resulted in the loss of several hundred thousand dollars worth materials, rent and donated goods and labour. Because the Club had no legitimate reason to abandon the new facility they now face the additional expense of tens of thousands of dollars to settle a legal claim by the landlord for breaking the lease. With on-going legal negotiations with the landlord, the Club is refusing to hold a public meeting or consultations with Junction Triangle community.

Our neighbourhood needs social services for children. Almost any day after school you can see groups of children roaming the area with no facility or organization offering a safe environment for them to play in the Junction Triangle. As a former Board member, I resigned in frustration last September because it became evident that the Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club are not interested or capable of fulfilling their mandate and serving the children in our neighbourhood.

The children deserve better. That’s why I am writing to you and asking for your help. Could you please take a minute and join the discussion about the Boys and Girls Club on the Junction Triangle website? Ask your questions, voice your opinions and pass along any suggestions you might have about other organizations that could provide services for Junction Triangle children. The neighbourhood needs to raise its voice and show that we are concerned. As long time residents will know, nothing comes to the JT on a platter; we have to fight for it.

Councillor Bailao has been working on this issue actively since assuming office in December and is exploring options to restore services to children in the area. Your ideas and comments will help her efforts and demonstrate that the neighbourhood has run out of patience and is now looking for solutions and help from a competent organization that can provide services for neighborhood children of all ages.

So please, if you could, join the discussion. Your ideas and opinions will really help.

Many thanks for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Kevin Putnam
Junction Triangle Resident

NOTE: Please post comments about this letter on the existing forum here.