Upcoming G20 Summit Info

From Councilor Vaughan, important information regarding the upcoming G20 Summit and impact on the downtown core.

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Dear Residents,

This notice is particularly important for people who live, operate businesses, or work in the south end of Ward 20. The recent announcement by the Prime Minister’s office regarding the G20 Summit is going to have a dramatic and difficult impact on our neighbourhoods.

On June 26 and 27th, heads of state and leaders from the world's twenty largest economies will be holding their annual meeting in Toronto. The Federal government has chosen to locate the event in Ward 20 without any prior consultation.

There will be several zones of security established to protect the meeting. Summits such as this in Quebec City and Seattle have presented serious challenges to host cities. Anti-terrorism precautions, crowd control and the reality that these meetings usually draw large numbers of protestors, will mean that much of the ward will be severely impacted by security initiatives.

The city has tried to convince Ottawa to move this event to Exhibition Place, but the Federal government insists on staging it near Front Street, between Yonge and Spadina.

There will be fences, security checks and a significant number of street closures. The event may only last for two days, but preparations and clean-up will extend the period of disruption. Transit and the PATH system could also be impacted.

At my request, a Town Hall meeting has been called to brief all affected persons in the ward. It is set for:

Date: Thursday April 29, 2010

Times: Afternoon: 3:00 – 5:00 pm or Evening: 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Location: Metro Hall, 55 John Street, Room 308/309

As your councillor I will continue to work to try and move the summit, and if it can’t be moved, mitigate its impact. I will also use my seat on the Police Services Board to make sure the interests of the ward and the city are respected as security issues come forward.

I have received a ‘classified’ briefing so far. There will be serious disruptions. The security perimeter will be much larger than the area affected by the recent NFL games, and the protests are expected to be larger than last spring’s Tamil demonstrations.

I will forward what information I can when I receive it. Please let my office know as soon as possible if there are any special events or needs that require accommodation.

Town Hall Meeting Regarding HST and Condo Fees

MPP Cheri DiNovo would like to invite you and the condo owners/residents that you represent to a town hall meeting regarding the new Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) and its effect on condo fees and other expenses.

If interested, please post the following file to the community bulletin board of any condominiums you represent:

http://www.nnnow.ca/cheri_quarter_bloOCT09.jpg

If you would like to attend this meeting, please contact pighinp@ndp.on.ca.

When: Tuesday, October 27th
Time: 7:30-9:30
Where: Swansea Town Hall, 95 Lavina Ave

Update from Councillor Pantalone re: Last Council Meeting

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Union Station revitalization

Council endorsed an agreement with a private sector company that, as head lessee, will lease and operate all retail space in Union Station, including in a new lower retail concourse. With federal, provincial and municipal funding, the City will proceed with its plan to revitalize Union Station as a state-of-the-art transportation facility. The name of the successful proponent for head lessee will remain confidential until a lease agreement is signed, likely in the next four to six weeks. Construction work for the revitalization is scheduled to begin next year and be completed in 2015 at a total cost of $640 million. For more information and regular updates, visit http://www.toronto.ca/union_station/.

Appointment of Integrity Commissioner

Council appointed Janet Leiper the City's Integrity Commissioner, effective September 8. The Integrity Commissioner provides advice, complaint resolution and education to Council members (and appointees of most of the City's agencies, boards and commissions) on ethics issues. The role entails advising on the application of the Code of Conduct and various City of Toronto policies and legislation governing ethical behaviour. Please visit www.toronto.ca/integrity.

Social housing action plan

Council endorsed the Housing Opportunities Toronto (HOT) Action Plan 2010-2020 (www.toronto.ca/affordablehousing/hot). HOT proposes new investment over the next 10 years to help people struggling with high housing costs or inadequate accommodation. The Toronto Housing Charter, a component of HOT, states that all residents have the right to equal treatment in housing without discrimination, consistent with the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Future of east Gardiner Expressway

City Council authorized City officials to submit terms of reference to the Ontario government for an anticipated environmental assessment of options for the future of the eastern Gardiner Expressway and Lake Shore Boulevard in that area (east from Jarvis Street). Council directed that a cost-benefit study should be conducted as part of the environmental study. Council also specified that the environmental assessment should address the issue of the railway lands as a barrier to waterfront access. For details, see www.waterfrontoronto.ca/index.

Vision for Toronto's western waterfront

Council approved a 2009 Western Waterfront Master Plan (www.toronto.ca/waterfront/wwmp) which will guide decisions related to improvements to the public realm in the area over the next 20 years. The master plan provides a vision to improve parkland, beaches, trails, roads, bridges and recreational facilities in the western waterfront area between the Humber River and Exhibition Place, including Sunnyside Beach and Marilyn Bell Park. The area's beaches are to be expanded and enhanced, consistent with a vision that sees the lake and beach as the major recreational attractions of the western waterfront.

City-wide recreation service plan

Council approved a set of principles to guide the creation of a city-wide, multi-year Recreation Service Plan. The principles are equitable access, high quality programs and services, inclusion to recognize diversity and encourage participation by all, and capacity building to provide programs and services that benefit all participants and help create a sense of community, belonging and vitality. Development of the plan will help the City take stock of its current services/programs and use the four guiding principles in planning to meet existing and emerging recreational demands. For details, visit www.toronto.ca/parks/rsp.

Incentive for energy efficiency retrofits

Council agreed to establish a Home Energy Efficiency Incentive Program (www.toronto.ca/energy), giving the owners of low-rise residential properties in Toronto financial grants of as much as $1,000 for a selected set of energy efficiency retrofits. The City will take steps to integrate delivery of its program with the ecoENERGY program offered by Natural Resources Canada.

Improvements to South Stanley Park - Public Meeting Sept 2

Improvements to South Stanley Park - Public Meeting

Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone and City of Toronto representatives will present a draft plan and implementation strategy for the improvement of South Stanley Park located at 845 King Street West between Walnut Avenue and Stanley Terrace.

Members of the comminity are invited to attend and provide comments on the proposed concept plan.

Date: Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Time: 6 – 8 p.m.
Location: 15 Stafford Street, Community Room.

For more information please contact:
Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone 416-392-4108
Barbara Carou, Parks Planner 416-392-8157
bcarou@toronto.ca

A Victory on Strachan? And New Metrolinx Meeting Date

This week, Metrolinx and the city came to a compromise on the Strachan Avenue Overpass (further details below). We're very encouraged by this development, but still determined to support the campaigns working to make sure that any solution is the right one for our community.

Hoping for further details / images / engineering drawings for the new bridge, and Metrolinx has announced a new community consultation that all residents should attend:

Metrolinx’s Open House – unveiling the new proposal for Strachan
Historic Fort York - 100 Garrison Road
Tuesday June 16th
3-8pm

More details and images:

The existing roadway looking east on Douro / Wellington towards Strachan.

City mockup of the new compromise design. Note the roadway height change as indicated by the stop sign.

See more details and a chart of the various options presented here. See the original email from Joe's office and the letter from Rosario's office on this new plan.

Clean and Beautiful City Programs Open

From the city's website (http://www.toronto.ca/cleanandbeautiful/programs.htm):

Clean and Beautiful City programs actively bring together residents’ vision, community volunteers, contributions from organizations and businesses and City expertise to enhance and renew public spaces in Toronto’s neighbourhoods and streets. We actively contribute to numerous cleaning and beautification initiatives within the City and implement three types of projects:

Community Projects

* Do you want to plant a community garden?
* Do you want to paint a mural in your neighbourhood?
* Do you want to improve a public space near your home, work or school?

We help to find partners and resources for volunteers whose projects are selected. Join a growing list of individuals, community groups, not-for-profit organizations and local businesses from each of Toronto’s 44 wards whose projects have improved our city. Community-based projects should be visible, accessible, simple in design and execution, and easy to maintain.

Fort York Pedestrian Bridge Environmental Assessment

The city is holding a public meeting regarding the environmental assessment for the Fort York Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge:


We invite you to attend the first of two Public Information Centre Meetings, to learn more about what is being considered for the Fort York Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge. Information on the work completed to date and next steps will be presented.

Date: Thursday April 16, 2009
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Location: Niagara Public School, 222 Niagara Street (Gymnasium in Basement)

More info can be found here.

Bathurst Crossing Information

The city is recommending a crossing mid-block on Bathurst between Wellington and Niagara to allow for safe pedestrian passage. The city recommendation and next steps can be found here:

Bathurst Crossing Information [pdf]

Deputy Mayor Pantalone, Adam Vaughan, and Wellington Place Neighbourhood Association all support a safe crossing and this solution.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or comments.

Front Street Extension Dead

Adam Vaughan has informed his constituents that the Front Street Extension is officially dead.

Toronto Sign By-law Project Public Consultation

The City of Toronto holds public consultation as one way to engage residents in the life of their city. Toronto thrives on your great ideas and actions. We invite you to get involved.

Public Consultation Meetings Notice
Toronto Sign By-law Project

The City of Toronto is preparing a new sign by-law. It will replace the individual sign by-laws of the former municipalities. The new sign by-law will update the standards for signs on private property, address current sign issues, and reflect the diverse character found in Toronto communities. The Sign By-law project will also explore ways where signage will support the City’s efforts in energy conservation and revenue generation.

The first round of consultation has concluded and an interim report and presentation containing issues and options for the new sign by-law has been heard at a special meeting of Planning and Growth Management on December 8, 2008. At the meeting, public and stakeholder submissions were made and Councillors provided direction to help steer the project into the second round of consultation. At this second stage, a series of public consultation meetings are being held to give residents and businesses an opportunity to provide their comments and ideas on the issues and options presented in the first report. This information will be used to develop appropriate measures in the new sign by-law to effectively regulate signs in Toronto.

Following this second round of consultation, a draft sign by-law will be presented to Council.

The current series of consultation meetings will be held as follows:


Tuesday, January 20, 2009 - 7:00 p.m.
Etobicoke Civic Centre
399 The West Mall
Ground Floor, Main Boardroom

Wednesday, January 21, 2009 - 7:00 p.m.
North York Civic Centre
5100 Yonge St, 1st Floor
Council Chambers

Thursday January 22, 2009 - 7:00 p.m.
Scarborough Civic Centre
150 Borough Drive
Council Chambers

Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 7:00 p.m.
Toronto City Hall
100 Queen Street West
2nd Floor, Committee Room #2

As all sessions share the same content, you need only attend one.

Translation Services, including American Sign Language, are available upon request.Translator requests must be placed at least two weeks prior to the selected meeting date.

If you would like additional information, please contact the Sign By-law Team:

Tel: 416-392-8000 Email: signbylawproject@toronto.ca
Fax: 416-392-7536 Web site: www.toronto.ca/signbylawproject/

Information will be collected in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. With the exception of personal information, all comments will become part of the public record.

Update from Councillor's Office re: Strachan Grade Separation

A note from the Councillor's office regarding the Strachan Grade Separation:


Re: Future of Railway Crossing on Strachan Avenue

As your City of Toronto Councillor, I am pleased to inform you that Toronto City Council this week APPROVED the following motions on this matter:

"1. City Council strongly supports the Grade Separation Option which lowers the Georgetown/Milton rail corridor, allowing Strachan Avenue to pass over the rail lines, and

2. City Council direct staff to forward this report to the GO Transit Board requesting that the City Council preferred Strachan Avenue Grade Separation Option be included as part of the Individual Environmental Assessment Study of the Georgetown South Corridor Service Expansion and Airport Transportation Link."

As you may know, Strachan Avenue is presently used by 14,000 vehicular trips daily (more than Dufferin Street but less than Bathurst Street). This traffic is bound to increase as Liberty Village and other nearby areas are further developed.

As you may also know, the number of trains (GO Transit, VIA and cargo) will greatly increase as the Union Station to Pearson Airport Rail Link is built and GO Transit adds more lines. Therefore, the present rail crossing on Strachan Avenue has to be changed so that the rail traffic and the road traffic are separated. A number of technical solutions are possible, (you can see the report through the internet at www.toronto.ca/planning/strachanstudy.htm) but, only our proposal will be urban friendly (the proposal recommended by City Council). This proposal was seen by about 150 people in our community at the Public Meeting on November 5, 2008 at the Trinity Bellwoods Recreation Centre, where it received unanimous approval.

The final decision on this matter that will greatly affect our neighbourhoods, and the City of Toronto, will be made by GO Transit and through the environmental process. We have, as a community, taken the first positive step. We will, however, need to be vigilant to make sure that the final decision to allow the needed transit expansion to take place does so in a way that solves problems for us rather than creates new ones.

In conclusion, I hope you find the news in this update useful. I will, as usual, continue to keep you informed once the next steps become clearer.

Community Council Meeting on Strachan Grade Separation on November 18th

Toronto and East York Community Council are reviewing the proposal for the Strachan Grade Separation on November 18th. The report can be found here:

http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-16917.pdf

The full agenda for the meeting and more info can be found here:

http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/te/agendas/2008-11-18-te20-ai.htm

Raising the Bar: Toronto Summit on Nightlife, Drinking and Violence

Adam Vaughan is hosting an event called Raising the Bar: Toronto Summit on Nightlife, Drinking and Violence.

Feel free to circulate this invitation to neighbours, colleagues or other interested parties. More information is below.

The registration deadline for the event is Friday November 14 at 12 noon.

Raising the Bar: Toronto Summit on Nightlife, Drinking and Violence

Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Location: Montana, 145 John Street, Toronto
Time: 9am to 4pm
Admission: Free, registration is required

Refreshments and lunch will be provided

Themes:
Nightlife - What is Toronto's nightlife like? What kinds of violence and other problems are associated with nightlife in Toronto?
Prevention - A discussion of issues, strategies, experiences and approaches

Speakers include representatives of bar and club customers; owners and operators; security staff; AGCO; the City of Toronto; police and researchers

Those invited to attend include:
- owners, staff and customers of Toronto bars and clubs
- Toronto Police Service
- City of Toronto
- elected public officials
- Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO)
- Toronto Entertainment District Business Improvement Area
- researchers
- health and policy experts
- students
- residents associations
- other interested stakeholders

Sponsored by: CAMH, AGCO, City of Toronto, Montana, Toronto Entertainment District BIA, Toronto Police Service

Registration:

Please provide name, organization, mailing address, e-mail address, telephone, fax and dietary needs

E-mail: michelle_tortolo@camh.net
Fax: 416-595-6033 (Attention: Michelle Tortolo)
For more information, phone 416-535-8501 x 6173

Annual seasonal lighting exchange - Wednesday, November 12, 2008

With the festive season upon us, Toronto will be glowing with lights in no time. Join me at our local neighbourhood Festive Light Exchange on Wednesday, November 12 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Johnny Lombardi Parkette (College St and Grace St) in Little Italy. Exchange two of your old incandescent strings of seasonal lights at the Toronto Hydro-Electric System booth, for one new string of LED lights.

Ten strings of energy-efficient seasonal LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights cost less than ten cents per season and use up to 95 per cent less electricity to operate than traditional strings of incandescent lights. Many people still use traditional incandescent lights, which consume more electricity and cost more money; ten strings of incandescent seasonal lights can cost up to $42 per season to operate.

Switching from incandescent to LED seasonal lighting is a great way to cut back on electricity use. Using LED lights will not only help you conserve electricity, save you money, but also contribute to the City's climate change efforts.

LED lights provide an energy-efficient alternative to traditional seasonal lighting. Not only do they use less electricity, they are tiny and unbreakable; produce virtually no heat in comparison to standard incandescent light sources. They also have a lifespan of 20 to 30 years and instead of suddenly burning out, they gradually fade to darkness.

Please note that this is available to the first 500 families, there is one exchange per family, and the offer is extended to City of Toronto residents only. For more information, please visit: www.torontohydro.com/SLED


Friends of Trinity Bellwoods Fall Community Meeting - Tuesday, November 4, 2008

On Tuesday, November 4, 2008 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the Trinity Recreation Centre (155 Crawford Street), the Friends of Trinity Bellwoods is having a Fall Community Meeting to solicit input from the community for a five-year planting plan.

For more information, contact greenspace@trinitybellwoods.ca.

Meeting About 224 King St. W. November 4th

Councillor Adam Vaughan invites you to a community meeting:

Proposed Development at 224 King St W

Date: Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Time: 6:30 – 8:00 PM
Location: Metro Hall, 55 John St., Room 308


Councillor Vaughan would like to hear your feedback about the proposed redevelopment of this site with the construction of a residential condominium tower.

This site is currently a parking lot located immediately west of the Royal Alexandra Theatre.

Please let Councillor Vaughan know if you plan to attend, at 416-392-4044 or councillor_vaughan@toronto.ca.

Parc Development Meeting - REMINDER TO COMMENT

Thanks to everyone who made it out to the meeting for the Parc development on Wednesday - it was a great turnout from the community.

The most important next step in this process is to send individual written comments to the city planner:

Jamaica Hewston (jhewsto@toronto.ca)

Please also feel free send your comments to us (NiagaraNN@hotmail.com). Remember, these comments are vital, as they go on the record with the city.

They're also vital because if you don't comment, you're not considered an interested party - and only interested parties can attend city or provincial meetings on the development.

Again: no comments on record = no access to make your voice heard in future.

Even if you didn't attend, your comments / thoughts on the process are important - so please take the time to send your comments!

25 Stafford ("Parc") Development Meeting Reminder

Reminder that the meeting for the proposed 25 Stafford ("Parc") development is this Wednesday night. Full info below.

Remember that this is your neighbourhood, and you need to attend if you want your opinions to be heard by the city and by the developer!

Community Meeting re: 25 Stafford Development ("Parc")
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Wednesday September 17, 2008
6:30pm to 8:30pm
Niagara Community Centre
700 Wellington Street West
(entrance off of Walnut Street, in between tennis courts and pool)

Full information here [PDF]: http://www.nnnow.ca/Parc_Community_Meeting_Notice.pdf

25 Stafford ("Parc") Development Community Meeting

A community consultation meeting to discuss Brad Lamb's "Parc" development has been scheduled:

Wednesday September 17, 2008
6:30pm to 8:30pm
Niagara Community Centre
700 Wellington Street West
(entrance off of Walnut Street, in between tennis courts and pool)

We're hoping for a strong community turnout to discuss this key project in our neighbourhood. Please note in your calendar, let your neighbours know, and attend if you can.

Full information here [PDF]: http://www.nnnow.ca/Parc_Community_Meeting_Notice.pdf

Councillor Pantalone Neighbourhood Visit July 21st

Our area's Councillor, Joe Pantalone, will be hosting a meet-and-greet session next Monday (July 21st) at the Niagara Community Centre. Official invite here:

http://www.nnnow.ca/Joe_Pantalone_Meeting_July_21.pdf

The Community Centre is at 700 Wellington Street West (SW corner of Wellington and Walnut - building entrance between tennis courts and pool). You can find a map here.

If you're attending, or if you have any specific questions you'd like us to ask the Councillor on your behalf, please contact us at NiagaraNN@hotmail.com.

The more people that attend, the stronger our voice is heard at City Hall, so please make the time to come out.

There are many issues and opportunities in our area, and this is a great chance to have your voice heard.

Ward 20 Community Environment Day

Some exciting events from our neighbours:

http://www.adamvaughan.ca/events_article.php?article=177