Gord Perks City Councillor, Ward 4, Parkdale-High Park

BIKEPOOLS:The concept is simple – meet up with BikeFriday organizers in groups and ride to work together. Biking to work can sometimes be dangerous – but it’s safer when you ride with other people.

7:00 AM – Parliament & Carlton(to Victoria Park & Gordon Baker Road)

7:30 AM – Yonge & Major Mackenzie (to Hwy 7 & Warden)

8:00 AM – Bloor & HighPark (to Mississauga City Centre)

8:00 AM – Danforth & Woodbine (via the Danforth & Bloor to downtown)

8:00 AM – Bloor & HighPark (via Bloor to downtown)

8:00 AM – Yonge & Lawrence (to Hwy 7 & Leslie)

8:45 AM – Roncesvalles & Grenadier (at Alternative Grounds Coffee Shop) to UofT

For more information visit: www.bikingtoronto.com/bikefriday

Artscape is please to invite you to the 5th Annual Queen West Art Crawl. The West Art Crawl Launch Party happening at the Gladstone Hotel on Friday, September 14, starting at 7pm!

Various locations throughout Parkdale will be participating in PLAY/GROUNDS’; site specific installations and performance art taking place in the community of Parkdale, with artists using empty store fronts, vacant lots and parks as satellite locations for installations that engage and interact with passers-by.

Please visit www.torontoartscape.on.ca/qwac for dates, times and more information

The Revue Film Society is holding a fundraising event on Saturday August 25th at The Local Pub (396 Roncesvalles Ave) to generate more donations and support for the re-opening of the theatre. For more information, please see attached or visit www.revuecinema.ca

Come out, enjoy some great music and a chance to win some exciting prizes!

rv_local_release.doc

Please see below for more information on service level adjustments related to the cost containment measures announced on August 10th, 2007.

17-08-cost-containment-aug-17-backgrounder.doc

I am also including my personal thoughts on the cost containment measures that I posted in July. As I mentioned, I hope to meet with all of the Resident Associations in the month of September to talk about these measures and the revenue tools in more detail. I will continue to keep you updated.

microsoft-word-cost-containment-letter.pdf

Public information meetings have been scheduled to discuss the proposed streetcar line. The meetings are being held on:

Mon. August 13, 2007
6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Open House
7:30 p.m. – Presentation followed by Questions & Answers
Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place
100 Princes’ Boulevard, Presentation Theatre (beside Salon 108)
Enter at “B” Doors

and

Wed. August 15, 2007
6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Open House
7:30 p.m. – Presentation followed by Questions & Answers
Bonar Parkdale Presbyterian Church
250 Dunn Avenue (just south of Queen St.)

Visit http://www.toronto.ca/involved/projects/waterfront_transit/index.htm for more information. An updated version of the proposed line is below, in PDF format. I look forward to seeing you on August 13th!

Pdf

Council defers vote on two new taxes

Council voted 23-22 to defer a decision on implementation of two new taxes until the October 22 Council meeting. The City is facing a $575 million funding shortfall for 2008, having exhausted its reserves and one-time fixes to meet a balanced budget as required by provincial law. The ability for the City to raise new revenue was granted through the City of Toronto Act, and two new taxes were introduced for consideration at this meeting: a land transfer tax, and vehicle registration fee.

I will be meeting with all Residents’ Assocations this fall to further discuss the City of Toronto’s financial situation

Climate Change plan passes unanimously

The climate change and sustainability plan was passed by a unanimous vote of Council. Under the plan the City commits to meeting Kyoto emissions target reductions of 6% by 2012, stepping that up to 30% by 2020 and 80% by 2050. Council endorsed the creation of the $42 million Toronto Energy Conservation Fund, which will promote energy savings initiatives in city buildings, as well as schools and hospitals. The City will obtain 25% of its electricity from green energy sources starting in 2008, and establish the Live Green Toronto program that will help community and residents’ groups green their neighbourhoods through a series of initiatives, including green roof projects, community gardens, and water conservation programs.

City to expand dog off-leash areas, and increase enforcement of dog bylaws

Implementation of the People, Dogs and Parks — Off-leash Policy will begin this fall, and will expand the number of off-leash areas in City parks.

This week I had the pleasure of visiting the Grafton Community Garden, a space that my office has been working to help create for the last 6 months. Although the praise for securing materials for the garden was most appreciated, I think that a more important thing to highlight at this garden is the way in which it has engaged the community. To best capture the community that has grown around this garden I have requested that Carolin Taron, garden coordinator, share a composition. Enjoy!

“Seven months after a Cherry Bomb Coffee meeting with Amy Johnston of Councillor Gord Perks’ office, I am running through the garden sprinkler with a dozen neighbourhood children; playing hide and seek between 5 ft high sunflower stocks, heirloom beans, tomatoes bursting with not quite ripe fruit, while other gardeners are re-staking their eggplants admiring the cabbages, picking zinnias , chomping on basil and arugula. Passersby are joining in. “Wow how did this grow?”– weekly Wednesday gatherings, watering, love and attention and lots of sheep manure.”

The Grafton Community Garden is proud to announce their first Salsa Event, Wednesday August 15th at 6:30 pm (bring and or sample salsa made from the garden)

Grafton gardeners meet every Wednesday at 6pm

On July 14^th I walked with the community to celebrate Mad Pride; an internationally recognized and locally endorsed event committed to raising awareness about the marginalization of psychiatric survivors and consumers. Together we marched from CAMH to the Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre pushing a gurney to symbolize the Mad People’s escape from the institution in a safe, celebratory and accepting space.

For more information on Parkdale Community Information Centre’s Newcomer Fair, please visit newcomer-flyer2007.pdf

Parkdale Festival – August 25th, 2007 – Noon to 6PM – Mazaryk Cowan Park

www.parkdalefestival.com

To see the flyer follow this link parkdale-festival-nologo.jpg