Public Letter to Richard Ubbens

Dear Mr Rubbens,

I am writing today as a concerned citizen, having seen the damage that was done in your name to the city, people and community of Toronto. The destructions of the People's Peas Gardens is a shameful thing that cannot be undone, but its crime can be acknowledged and publicly apologized for.

I am not a member of Occupy, but as a thinking human being who values democracy, community and life, I certainly share many of its concerns. I am also not a member of Occupy Gardens, although I do recognize that we have an abundance of problems with our current food-production model of agribusiness. I am a full-time employed web developer, who deeply cares about Toronto, and tries to encourage healthy community projects wherever I see them.

The People's Peas Garden in Queens Park was one such project. It increased ten-fold in size over the summer, due to the excitement of the community to get involved and contribute to it. Although I was not a member of the community, and only enjoyed the garden as a passerby, I recognize that the community involved in it was strong and vibrant, giving people a fantastic reason to enjoy, and love, one of Toronto's great parks. This love is certainly something that you, as the Toronto Parks Director, should be excited about, and try to encourage at every opportunity. As a public servant, your job is to serve the community.

The People's Peas Garden was, admittedly, illegal. However, things that are illegal are not necessarily wrong (and vice versa) - sometimes the law needs to catch up to reality. The People's Peas Garden was a grassroots project by people who saw problems with the City as it is, and wished to be allowed to enact a dream of a better Toronto. The people of Toronto encounter many problems when they wish to do similar things: community garden waiting lists are long, Toronto schools are failing to teach food-growing to our children, and there are very few places that people are able to grow their own food. As the city (sadly) increasingly build more and more condos, this demand for public space will only increase. It is on you, as the Parks Director, to make sure that this need is met. To fail to do so will be a massive failing in your role.

However, the gravest shame in all of this was not the destruction of the garden - it was the manner in which the garden was destroyed. The Peas Garden was planted while police watched, back in May. The authorities were well aware of its existence all summer, yet did nothing about it. The Peas Garden had also been careful to erect a sign with contact information, so that the city could contact them - a sign which you publicly denied the existence of, even though there is footage of a Parks worker taking down that very sign. This can only be considered to be a brazen lie, which again, brings shame to your position. And finally, the garden was destroyed just two days before the scheduled harvest and Thanksgiving feast. It is clear to any outside observer, as I am sure it was clear in your mind, that this was an intentional, pre-meditated move to cause as much pain as possible to the community members who were involved in the garden, as well as to harm the City of Toronto as a whole in an attempt to crush its creative spirit and desire for a better city.

After knowingly waiting for five months to remove the so-called 'illegal' garden, you waited until it would cause the most damage, and inflict the most pain. It is for this cruelty that a public apology is demanded. I expect both this apology, and a direct response.

Yours sincerely,
Stuart Basden

More info:
http://www.treehugger.com/lawn-garden/toronto-destroys-occupygardens-free-food-garden.html
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/johnbon/2012/09/free-community-food-garden-removed-city-toronto-workers