Toronto's new Love Park puts up sign begging you to be patient about gross pond

The centrepiece of Toronto’s new gem of a park has been looking more like a murky emerald than a crystal-clear diamond over the past week.

Love Park has only been officially open since June 23, but its warm reception quickly turned to disappointment for some visitors when the signature heart-shaped water feature developed cloudly water with a green tinge.

City of Toronto staff quickly got to work identifying the problem, which was determined to be a malfunction of the pond’s ozone treatment system.

New Toronto park’s pond already looks disgusting just weeks after opening https://t.co/VemM6pisvq #Toronto

— blogTO (@blogTO) July 10, 2023

A City of Toronto representative explained to blogTO on Tuesday that “the bio-filters at Love Park are going through a planned commissioning process,” adding that during this process, “the pond needs time to establish as the ozone treatment is being calibrated.”

“Part of this planned commissioning process is understanding what triggers imbalance and adjusting as required. This ongoing work will be affected by environmental factors such as summer weather conditions and changes like rain and heat.”

“Some greening is expected to occur during this ‘balancing period,’ and the green shade is expected to subside as adjustments are made and the system reaches stability.”

“The City and Waterfront Toronto will continue to work with the contractor and pond designer to bring the pond water into balance.”

However, that’s a lot of words, and parkgoers may not be scrolling through their news feeds for explanations about the pond’s current state when visiting the park.

To ease concerns about the murky water, the City has opted to install a sign at the pond’s edge, explaining why the water looks disgusting and assuring the public that it’s being worked on.

Update https://t.co/WwooFWERck pic.twitter.com/z8FW1ZeOLu

— david c (@davidcapizzano) July 14, 2023

The hastily produced sign fixed to an unsightly yellow pole at the edge of the pond pleads with the public to “Please show me some Love.”

The sign elaborates on the City’s earlier statements, explaining that “Love Park pond was designed and built as a natural pond, which mimics a wetland, and uses a natural water filtration system, not chlorine.”

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“This type of system can take some time to balance the water chemistry before the green hue and foggy pond water subsides. This may take a few weeks, but the pond water remains safe and is monitored and maintained as required.”

The sign goes on to state that factors, including fluctuating weather temperatures, rain, and even things like sun and shade, can all affect the hue and clarity of the pond’s water.