Good civil servants often go unheralded but Toronto is blessed with more than a few, and one of them is Fort York’s own Dave O’Hara. On January 4 the fort passed a milestone when Dave marked his tenth anniversary as its Manager. It’s a title that does not do justice to the role of “holding the fort,” a job that involves being true to the site’s history, but also ensuring it’s very much relevant to twenty-first century Toronto. Throw in a massive construction project, intense neighbourhood development, special events, thousands of visitors, and even a functioning cannon, and it’s a job description that few could fill, but Dave does so wonderfully.
He came to the site from the Parks Department where he had been a Parks and Recreation Planner for twelve years. A special interest in heritage landscapes and conservation issues had drawn him into several fort-related projects previously, including the Fort York & Garrison Common Parks & Open Space Design and Implementation Plan, development of Fort York Boulevard, and re-landscaping for Victoria Square, so he was no stranger to the job’s challenges when he took it.
He has a degree in Landscape Architecture and a Master of Science in Planning that complement his practical experience. Over the last decade Dave has emerged as one of the city’s most respected, collaborative, and indefatigable administrators as he has led the extensive efforts to plan and develop the 43-acre National Historic Site and its stunning centrepiece, the new Visitor Centre where he got to add “construction expediter” to his resumé. The job is one that continues to evolve and there’s more to be done, of course, including the reworking of the landscape on the Garrison Common, building of the pedestrian-cycling bridge over the rail corridor, reconstruction of Bathurst St. south of the steel-truss bridge, and creating the parks flanking Bathurst and beneath it. May Dave’s hand continue to be felt for good in these and other projects in the fort’s precincts. Toronto is lucky to have him.
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