Game on: Toronto parks now boast permanent ping pong tables
The city of Toronto boast a new feature in a few of its parks: concrete ping pong tables for those looking to spend sunny afternoons playing games outside.
"This is why we pay taxes," said city councillor Gord Perks about the tables, according to the National Post, adding that residents were "thrilled."
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His comments started a different type of ping pong on Twitter, where a back and forth debate ensued about using tax dollars for games in parks. Perks fueled the debate by engaging with his critics.
@gordperks why not have the local community/ping pong club do a fudraiser for the table instead of 2.6m Torontonians pay for that table?
— Miroslav Glavić (@MiroslavGlavic) June 19, 2013
.@MiroslavGlavic I don't suggest you do a fundraiser to buy the subway car you ride. This is fundamentally the same. — Gord Perks (@gordperks) June 19, 2013
When taxes were invented it seems unlikely that ping-pong was the driving force, even indirectly @gordperks http://t.co/SE6nnIewns
— SYPE (@SYPEcdn) June 19, 2013
.@SYPEcdn We pay taxes to do things together that would cost too much for each of us to do separately.This cost you about 1/5th of one penny — Gord Perks (@gordperks) June 19, 2013
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However, Perks decision to champion the little things that improve a park here, a neighbourhood there, had its supporters among those who were less preoccupied with the cost.
@gordperks That's wicked! Saw a few of these in public parks in Germany 8 years ago. Forgot to bring 'em back as souvenirs.
— Mark Helwig Ostler (@ClassicOstler) June 17, 2013
Fancy! RT @gordperks: The City just installed this all-season ping-pong table in Richie Park. Way too cool! http://t.co/3X8tXWnorC — Zuzu (@zuzuhaha) June 17, 2013
Councillor Mike Layton told the National Post that ping pong tables dotted around Germany's parks inspired Toronto's project. There's even an online mapping project that documents where ping pong fans can find public tables in several European countries.