By Sean Delaney
Historically, bocce courts in Plunkett Park sat quiet in the middle of Humber Summit. The boards had shifted, the gravel had sunk, the lights were dark, and the whole space was sliding into the kind of wear that makes people give up on a park. Many of the long-time players had grown older, and without new faces to keep the game moving, the courts were becoming more weeds than bocce.
But this summer, something remarkable happened.
A group of younger residents — including Alex Pantalone and Daniele Saluri — decided they weren’t ready to watch a piece of local tradition disappear. What began as a simple clean-up turned into a full community effort. The courts were levelled, repaired, and brought back to life by neighbours who showed up with shovels, brooms, crushed stone, and a genuine love for the place. And before long, the courts were buzzing again.
“It really comes down to succession,” said MPP Tom Rakocevic, who has watched the project closely. “Without the next generation picking up the torch, many things fall to dust. What these young men did was incredible. They brought people together — kids, parents, seniors — all playing bocce in the same space again.”
The renewed courts weren’t only usable — they had become a meeting point. Families brought food. Children carried little buckets of gravel. Dogs trotted around the edges. Everyone contributed something. What formed at Plunkett Park was more than a restoration. It was a revival.
Councillor Anthony Perruzza, a long-time resident of the area, thanked the group for stepping up to restore the Plunkett Park bocce courts. He said he was glad to help with materials and lighting repairs, and called the project “a wonderful example of second-generation community pride.”
Mike Tinaburrihas played bocce for more than 50 years. “I never thought I’d see the courts busy like this again. For years, it felt like outdoor bocce was fading. These young guys brought it right back.”
Rakocevic remembers when outdoor courts across the city were being shut down because they weren’t being used. “Some became mini dog parks,” he said. “When people stop using a space, it stops being maintained. And when it’s not maintained, people stop using it. It’s a cycle. But these young fellows broke that cycle.”
As the weather cooled, the group wanted to keep the momentum going through the winter. They reached out to Rakocevic about access to indoor bocce space at the Gordon Irene Risk facility. “They didn’t want the season to end,” he said. “They wanted to keep this community they built alive.” He helped guide them toward the City’s Parks and Recreation team and encouraged them to keep pushing forward.
What struck him most about the movement was how naturally it brought generations together. “Bocce isn’t age-dependent,” he said. “A child can play with a senior in the same game. The only advantage is experience. It’s beautiful to see people of all ages engaging in something positive and social.”