The concrete barricades blocking access to the parking lot at the Jokers Hill hiking trails near Newmarket remain in place nearly a week after they were supposed to be removed by the University of Toronto.
For months, the barricades on busy Bathurst Street have been a sore point for local hikers and nearby residents alike. After discussions earlier this month between the Town of Newmarket, which owns the parking lot, and the university, which owns the trail, Newmarket Mayor John Taylor said the university had agreed to remove the barricades in the early part of last week.
But the concrete blocks remain in place, due to a delay caused by the university's contractor, Taylor said.
"The delay is not due to any unwillingness on the part of U of T to remove the barriers, and we hope to see them down by the end of the week," he said.
Since the pandemic began, U of T has been left with just 25 per cent of its regular operating capacity. It was one of the reasons the university said it put up the barricades, as they did not have staff available for upkeep and enforcement of social distancing.
But a reason why the barricades stayed for so long was that their presence had reduced longstanding problems of trespassing, theft, vandalism and littering, which has plagued what is meant to be a scientific research area, according to a spokesperson.
