Toronto may charge man for ‘illegally’ building steps to make park safer

A Canadian man took initiative to make his community safer after noticing that people were risking injury walking down a slope in a city park … and now the city is deciding whether or not to press charges.

Adi Astl, a former mechanic, tried to work with city officials but ended up simply constructing eight steps himself so people could more safely make their way up and down the embankment in Etobicoke’s Tom Riley park, the Toronto Sun reported.

Glenn Beck talked about the ridiculous example of big government on Thursday’s “The Glenn Beck Radio Program.”

Astl had asked his councilor about whether or not the city could install steps. The Parks, Recreation and Forestry department estimated that building eight steps on the embankment would cost anywhere from $65,000 to $150,000; after their steep estimate, Astl took matters into his own hands and built the steps for $550.

People enjoying the park seemed to be fine with using the new wooden stairs, but city parks officials soon put an end to the “illegal” installation, putting up yellow caution tape and cones so people would stop walking up and down the eight steps. A Parks and Rec spokesman told the Toronto Sun that a staircase “invites” people to climb it, while they don’t expect to be safe on a slope.

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