Everyone should be writing letters.


To The City Council of Brampton

I am writing this letter in confidence that you will support the values of community engagement within public spaces across The City of Brampton. Public spaces are vital in promoting cultural diversity, wellness and the growth toward a sustainable environment. For the past twenty years, members of my community that reside in Ward 3 have actively engaged in playing hockey within a tennis court facility located at County Court Park. Recently we were forced to leave the premise by The City of Brampton By-Law Enforcement and The Peel Regional Police.

As residents of this area, we understand the intended purpose of the facility for tennis players. I have read By-Law 161-83 in reference to prohibiting certain sports from being played. This By-Law restricts a group of over 70 people who use this space to actively engage in sport. The conflict between policy and occupying this space, begs the question of to what extent can these places be truly “public” if the maintenance requires marginalization or exclusion of people. If this space is not intended to be a public space, the City of Brampton should adhere to their own value systems that are committed to building vibrant and sustainable communities that offers convenient options to live, work and play. Marshall Berman, the author of “Take It to the Street: Conflict and Community in Public Space” argues that space fails not when it is full of so-called ‘deviants’ but when they are absent. He writes that there isn’t much point in having public space, unless problematic people are free to come into the centre of the scene…The glory of modern public spaces is that it can pull together all different sorts of people who are there. It can both compel and empower these people to see each other, not through a glass darkly but face to face.

I am proposing that this space should be free of By-Law 161-83. The City of Brampton should promote the diversity and vitality that public spaces can offer in building community. Given the physical attributes of this space; I would also propose that half of this space be retrofitted to accommodate those who wish to use the space for any other activity.

This is an important decision for strengthening our community. We hope that you make this decision based on the values that The City of Brampton represents.

Sincerely,



Harpreet Singh
33 Bloomingdale Drive
Brampton, Ontario
905-459-5378