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Ads in City Parks

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of all the ways for a cash-strapped city to raise money, allowing advertising on litter bins in public parks is as close as it gets to scraping the bottom of the barrel. City council’s approval of the measure was discovered recently by the Toronto Public Space Committee, buried deep in the pages of the parks department’s operating budget.

The documents also reveal approval for advertising on ferries to the Islands. The city stopped posting ads on the ferries in 99 after public concerns were raised about heritage.

Among the surprise supporters for garbage-bin advertising was lefty councillor Michael Prue, who says that from what he can recall, the money from those ads is supposed to be pumped back into parks and rec. “If it means getting the grass in our parks cut once more, then I’m for it.”

Public space advocate Dave Meslin calls the economic argument “ridiculous.” Expected revenue from the advertising is $16,000 this year and $8,000 in 2002.

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