Rob Ford’s plan to buy parkland advances—as does the Toronto Star’s campaign against it

There won’t be any decision just yet about whether Rob Ford can buy the strip of parkland next to his Etobicoke bungalow (a.k.a. Fencegate ground zero) to build a security fence. The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, which owns the plot of land, voted to have staff study Ford’s application and report back in June. Though the Toronto Star may have inadvertently proved Ford needs a better fence, it would be pretty unusual for TRCA staff to recommend a sale; the authority very rarely let people buy up parkland, and usually only when they’ve unwittingly built a swimming pool or greenhouse a foot or two beyond their property lines. Plus, if staff do recommend a sale, there will have to be a public consultation first, and we can’t imagine that going well for Ford—especially since the Star went through its archives and unearthed a clip of the mayor talking about plans to “tear down the whole house and build a nice house.” [Globe and Mail]