High Park in Toronto, my beautiful park is now closed to me. Bye bye High Park.......I have so many memories.

High Park is a place I used to skip high school days whenever I needed a break and spend the day there.  Now we call that a mental health day.  As children and as a teen I would spend family time there watching and listening to the different bands which entertained the people of Toronto for free.  I used to also frequent Shakespeare in the Park, which was affordable for everyone because you paid what you could.  This park was donated to the city by the owners.  Now unfortunately, they have blocked vehicles from entering the park from Bloor Street, the main entrance.  During the weekdays, you may enter by Parkside.  I went last week after trying and failing many times and aside from the pool, the park was bare.  This was my go to place on weekends to have breakfast.  My parents would spend many days there feeding the chickmunks (yup, you can't do that in Toronto anymore).  My mother would write to me in the Middle East from the park and I would imagine myself there with her when I was serving overseas.  Now?  I checked out the Grenadier restaurant last week and found that the prices has risen abundantly.  Staff told me they had to rise the prices because they lost so much business.  I no longer saw the tourist buses which would come to see and enjoy the park of Toronto.  High Park no longer belongs to us.  It began with bicycles not obeying the stop signs and speeding around the park.  They even had the bicycle lawyer to protect the cyclists.  A bicycle is a vehicle and must obey the signs of the road, but no they blamed the Police.  Really, for enforcing the problem?  Well after that the park closed for vehicles and almost every weekend there has been a protest to allow the park to be accessable to all.  I had a scone and tea biscuit as I mourned my park, looking out at the empty patio.  I spoke to someone who is trying to save the park.  The person wishes to remain anonymous and informed me 60% of the public overall has stopped coming to the park.  80% of the weekend public has stopped coming.  I am one of the 80%.  I don't know if I will try to return.  Even when doors open was on, you could not drive into the park.  This is such a shame and reflective of how badly this city is being managed.  I won't bother uploading the empty patio because the article depicts it as I saw it. 

 "In 1873 John Howard deeded High Park to the City of Toronto.  For the free use and enjoyment of all citizens.  In May 2023, the City of Toronto Council voted 18-7, to close High Park permanently to cars seven days a week, 365 days a year.  Thus, creating access and parking issues."  There is a petition www.change.org/equalaccess-highpark.