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

I would like to thank all of you who attended the final meeting in the Bloor Visioning series on Wednesday March 26th, 630pm, at the Lithuanian House, 1573 Bloor Street West. Over one hundred of you came out to express your longstanding committment for the neighbourhood, and I hope you come out again to the 1540 Bloor St West community consulation meeting on Tuesday April 8th, 630pm at the Lithuanian House to do the same.

This meeting brought together comments, questions and concerns of the last two meetings (January 16^th and March 5^th) and gave the City’s Planning Department an opportunity to present their draft recommendations to members of the community. This was also an opportunity for the City Planning Policy and Research dept to present information on the recent Council approved Bloor Avenue study. I would again like to thank Kevin Edwards, Lynda Macdonald and Corwin Cambray for their incredible work in putting these items together.

I have attached a record of comments and questions that arose at the meeting, as well as responses from Planning and myself.

If you would like a copy of the PowerPoint presentation as reviewed by City staff please email Shana Almeida (the file is too large to upload to this posting).

I will be sending out more information about the Avenue Study as it becomes available, as well as the formal notice for the April 8th meeting. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact my assistant Shana Almeida at 416-338-5174 or by email at salmeida@toronto.ca

microsoft-word-bloor-visioning-final-meeting-minutes.pdf

The Greenest City Youth Green Squad has been chosen as a finalist for a 2008 Green Toronto Award in the Youth category. The City of Toronto, Green Toronto Awards, will be decided on April 25 and we hope that the Youth Squad is recognized for their contribution to Ward 14.

The Youth Green Squad was created by the Greenest City – a non-profit environmental group based in Ward 14 – as an environmental awareness and leadership program for marginalized youth in Toronto. This unique project connects youth to food, to the community, and to the environment.

In 2007, the Youth Green Squad consisted of eight underprivileged youth who were given paid positions for several months as community environmental leaders working on various local projects including the HOPE Community Garden at Masaryk Cowan, one of the first community food gardens in Parkdale.

Good luck Youth Green Squad!

The Ministry of Environment (MOE) has announced Ontario’s Action Plan on

reducing lead in the provinces drinking water. One component of this plan is

to provide financial assistance to eligible low-income families to obtain

water filters that will remove the elevated lead content from their drinking

water.

In Toronto, the Water Filter Fund (WFF) is administered by Toronto Social

Services. The attached fliers detail the eligibility criteria.

This benefit is only available to households that meet the following three

criteria:

Must have received a water notification notice elevated lead levels through

Toronto Water – testing is free

And be low-income resident – in receipt of social assistance (Ontario

Works/Ontario Disability Support Program), or a low income household with a

yearly net household income of $20,000 or less.

And , be at-risk – pregnant woman, or have children age 6 years or younger.

tsspublic-1.doc

tsspublic.doc

Please join me on April 19th for our 2008 annual Environment Day and an opportunity to tour the Sorauren Park Fieldhouse.

More details to follow.

See attached flyer openhouseposterlr.pdf

Earth Hour

This is a reminder that this Saturday is Earth Hour! Please join me and the City of Toronto in turning off your lights for 60 minutes between 8 and 9pm. Your participation will be making a powerful, world-wide statement that you want to help save our planet. The World Wildlife Fund has joined with The Toronto Star and the City of Toronto to bring Earth Hour to Canada. You can register your participation at http://www.earthhour.org/ .

The City of Toronto is hosting a free concert at Nathan Phillips Square. The event will run from 6:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. and residents from across the GTA are invited to attend.

Join Nelly Furtado and other musical stars at Toronto‘s Earth Hour event

Nelly Furtado, multi-platinum Grammy and Juno Award-winner, and Canada‘s first Earth Hour Ambassador, will play a free concert at Toronto‘s Earth Hour event at Nathan Phillips Square on Saturday, March 29. In the heart of the city, people will see the lights go off in hundreds of buildings in the downtown core, including City Hall.

Parkdale Drug Strategy Education Event

The Parkdale Drug Strategy is hosting a community drug use educational event on April the 5^th from 2 to 5pm at May Robinson Auditorium – 20 West Lodge

Moderator: MPP Cheri DiNovo will be joined by a diverse panel of experts from the follow agencies and groups: St. Joseph‘s Health Centre, St. Christopher House, Toronto Police Services, Toronto Harm Reduction Task Force and the Toronto Drug Strategy.

08-04-05-parkdale-drug-strategy.pdf

Please visit www.gordperks.ca to check it out.

I hope you will find it very informative, easy to navigate, and fun! My blog posting that you receive weekly will continue to be sent out from my office, with a new title “The Park Post”. You can now also view the weekly postings through this link on my wesbite home page.

I want to remind everyone that the final meeting in the Bloor Visioning series will take place on Wednesday March 26th, 630pm, at the Lithuanian House, 1573 Bloor Street West.

This meeting will bring together comments, questions and concerns of the last two meetings (January 16^th and March 5^th) and give the City’s Planning Department an opportunity to present their draft recommendations to members of the community. This is the last meeting in the series, so I strongly encourage you all to attend and hear how your contributions have shaped this vision.

I have attached the meeting notice for more information.

On a personal note, I want to thank everyone for coming out to our meetings. Your dedication and creativity have helped the City and my office in so many ways (including the advocacy needed to get an approved 2008 Avenue Study!)

I look forward to seeing all of you on March 26^th.

bloor-visioning-3.pdf

I am pleased to say that I have had two successful working group meetings this month and plan on wrapping up our design consultation by the end of the month. Councillor Giambrone and I have pulled together a very thoughtful group of residents, business owner, community group representatives and artists to advise on the design process. Currently we are looking at ways to improve lighting, the pedestrian interface, art space, green space and heritage.

At City Hall, Councillor Giambrone and I have been meeting with staff and are working towards incorporating as many of the community’s ideas as possible into this project.

Thank you for your input throughout this consultation process. Attached are the meeting minutes from our first gather and I will be posting complete documentation next week.

microsoft-word-dufferin-jog-design-charette-meeting-1-minutes.pdf

City of Toronto’s Annual Spring Clean up!

Please mark your calendars, our two annual spring April clean-up events are coming up.

Friday, April 18 @ 2:00 p.m. – The 20-Minute Toronto Makeover

Sat., April 19 – Mayor David Miller’s Community Clean-up Day

The City encourages groups and organizations to register between late March and April 11. To register: Go online to www.toronto.ca/litter

If the Internet isn’t an option, call 416-392-7899

We know many of you personally participate and also encourage many others within your Wards to form groups to register for either/both events. It’s great when we walk the talk and demonstrate our own slogan that “Keeping Toronto clean and beautiful is up to all of us!”

Attached is an update on both events, a prepared story you may use in a constituent newsletter, email distribution or mailout, along with the appropriate graphic icons. Watch for more detailed information on our website closer to the end of March (registration begins late March through to April 11). If you have any remaining questions, please contact me directly (see details below).

For more details on the 20-Minute Toronto Makeover visit:

www.toronto.ca/litter

Keep up with the latest news on these events as the websites are updated regularly starting late March.

For the 20-Minute Toronto Makeover, please contact Pat Barrett,

Tel: 416-392-4716, Email: pbarrett@toronto.ca for more information.

For Mayor David Miller’s Community Clean-up Day, please contact Steve Johnston,

Tel: 416-392-4391, Email: sjohnsto@toronto.ca for more information.

Earth Hour – Lights out for 60 minutes

What are you planning to do on March 29, 2008 from 8:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.? It can’t be as important as joining with your friends and neighbours and turning off all your lights! By turning off your lights for 60 minutes, you will be making a powerful, world-wide statement that you want to help save our planet. The World Wildlife Fund has joined with The Toronto Star and the City of Toronto to bring Earth Hour to Canada. You can register your participation at http://www.earthhour.org/ . The web site allows you to sign up for Earth Hour 2008, get involved to increase the impact of the event and identify other ways that you can save energy. Useful ideas include taking transit more, riding your bike or walking more, getting rid of the beer fridge, hanging out your laundry on a clothes line rather than using a dryer, eating less meat, and many more. Once you have signed up to participate, you will receive useful tools and tips to help you get more involved. Be sure to turn off your lights at 8:00 p.m. on March 29!

Please see attached poster: earthhour_poster.pdf

Western Waterfront Master Plan Meeting

Please be advised that the next PUBLIC OPEN HO– USE AND MEETING regarding the WESTERN WATERFRONT MASTER PLAN is set for April 3rd, and will be held at the Swansea Town Hall, in the Council Chamber.

Public consultation is an important part of this Master Plan study. The purpose of this Public Open House is to re-introduce the project team, provide background information, describe key precedents, introduce preliminary options and seek input from the public. Anyone with an interest in the study is invited to attend and participate.

Please forward this message to anyone else you may know would like to participate to attend the Public Open House and Meeting.

Please see attached:

public-notice-wwmp.pdf

notice-public-mtg-wwmp.pdf

Parkdale Community Information Centre – Annual General Meeting

PCIC invites you to join them on April 1st for their AGM.

Please see attached flyer for more information:

microsoft-word-2007-agm-announcement-_2008_-_1_.pdf

Parks and Trees foundation grant deadline is approaching, please refer to attached application for granting guidelines.

community_grant_2008.pdf