Long boards flood Deer Park, take over Yonge

Thousands of young men and women gathered in David Balfour Park off Avoca Ave. Saturday to mark what they call “The Toronto Board Meeting.”  Those who live in the area will know that there have been others — organizers say this is the 11th annual. The name is a cute little play on words for those who love to travel by long board. It may be an insult to the sport/hobby but the long board seems like a grown up cousin of the skate board. From Balfour Park, “members of the board” spilled out onto to Yonge Street and shortly after the dinner hour more or less took over the street (above). Others found their way into Avenue Road and down to University Avenue. Once again this year, the cheerful boarders managed to conduct this takeover of the streets without injury. It isn’t clear just what the police knew about The Board Meeting in advance but there’s no doubt many motorists were caught off guard.  Nonetheless, the earnest young boarders were well-behaved. The men all wore ties (it was a board meeting you see) and one might easily have mistaken them for Upper Canada College kids carousing on the Oriole Park school field. Some of the participants were  interviewed by Calvin To of CTV and it is entertaining to hear their interpretation of boards as the new millennium of inter-city travel. And this is your warning to watch out for the 13th annual board meeting in mid-September next year.