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

Please join Mayor David Miller, the Wabash Building Society, City Parks and Recreation staff, my office and many others on Monday May 5^th, 7pm for the official opening ceremony for the Sorauren Park Fieldhouse.

This new site was renovated with the help of community groups, members, residents and business owners who contributed generously to make this building a success! A big thank you goes out to City Parks, Forestry and Recreation staff who worked so hard to get this site renovated in time for the summer season. I look forward to getting everyone together again on the 5^th to celebrate our hard work.

A community fundraising BBQ will also be held on the site, with food provided by Mitzi’s Sister/Mitzi’s Café. Come out; enjoy some great food, great weather (!) and much more.

See attached flyer for details.

sorauren_flyer__final.pdf

Please be advised that the application for 70 Melbourne Avenue, as part of the Parkdale Pilot Project, will not be heard at the Community Consultation meeting scheduled for May 1st. It is my understanding after speaking with City staff that the Buildings department needs further clarification from the applicant before they can finalize their review.

Please be advised that the consultation for 124 Spencer Avenue will still proceed on Thursday May 1^st, 6pm at the Parkdale Public Library Auditorium.

The City’s Planning department will be sending out a hard copy notice to everyone that received the Meeting Notice of the cancellation. Once the plans have been clarified and/or updated, the consultation will be re-scheduled. I will post the details on my website.

The Horticultural Societies of Parkdale and Toronto are holding their annual Plant Fair at Parkdale School and Community Centre at 75 Lansdowne at Seaforth (One block north of Queen) on Saturday May 10, 2008 from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm.

This is an excellent opportunity to fill that empty spot in your garden and find just the right plant to meet a particular need. They have a range of annuals, perennials and herbs, in addition to drought and shade tolerant plantings. Eco-gardening products will be offered for sale. There will also be an information booth with expert advice to address your gardening questions. You can visit the Green Elephants Table and relax at the Hort Café after your gardening needs have been met.

The proceeds for this event go to over fifteen local garden projects, so your participation contributes to the beauty of the entire community! See attached flyer for more details.

plant-fair-large-poster-10-may-08.pdf

The Western Waterfront Master Plan Team has announced that the public Presentation (delivered by John Van Nostrand) on April 3^rd is now on the City’s webpage and is available for viewing and download. In addition there are also two (2) Feedback forms titled Overview of Alternatives and Overview of Potential Park Activities and Features.

I encourage everyone to take the time to fill in these forms and send them to planning Alliance as they will be critical in making decisions of the overall Master Plan. Also please feel free to send additional comments with these forms if the space allocated is too small (on the back of the feedback sheets or additional sheets).

In order to access the webpage please follow the link below.

http://www.toronto.ca/waterfront/wwmp.htm

The deadline has been extended to May 4^th for submission of your feedback. Please send your responses to:

Graeme Burt, gburt@planningalliance.ca, fax 416.593.4911

Pesticide Bylaw bans weed and bug killers

The City of Toronto is reminding residents to comply with the pesticide bylaw and choose natural ways to care for your lawns and gardens. The City’s Pesticide Bylaw bans weed and bug killers in almost all circumstances. Fines for breaking the bylaw start at $255.

Pesticides can be dangerous, and not just to the people that use them. Studies have linked pesticides to health problems, including cancer, Parkinson’s Disease and birth defects. They can also run off lawns and into Lake Ontario, the source of our drinking water.

Visit www.toronto.ca/pesticides or call 416-338-7600 for information on:

• tips for fighting common weeds and pests
• which products to buy and which ones to avoid
• how to choose the right lawn care company
• natural lawn and garden care basics
• how to safely dispose of unwanted pesticides

The bylaw is working. Pesticide use is down in Toronto, and more people are using natural ways to care for their lawns and gardens. Thank you for helping us keep our City and our residents healthy.

HOT consultations at Metro Hall

Affordable housing experts will gather at Metro Hall on April 26 as part of the City’s consultations for “HOT – Housing Opportunities Toronto: An Affordable Housing Framework.”The event will include plenary sessions, workshops and lunch with Mayor David Miller and city councillors.

The City is holding a series of HOT consultations, including public sessions at the Scarborough Civic Centre (May 14); North York Civic Centre (May 28) and the Etobicoke Civic Centre (June 4). Organizations are also encouraged to hold their own consultations using material available at www.toronto.ca/affordablehousing

Date: Saturday, April 26

Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Location: Metro Hall, 55 John St., Rooms 308-309

Blood Donor Clinic in Liberty Village

See attached flyer for details.

microsoft-word-blood-donor-clinic-may-14-poster.pdf

As you know I have been working with the community and City staff to develop a streetscape improvement plan that can be incorporated into the TTC track reconstruction scheduled for 2009.

For the residents and BIA members who have been involved in this process to date you are aware that this is a complicated and exciting undertaking.

Attached is the Notice of Study, which will be posted in the Liberty Village and NOW Magazine next week April24/25 and then again May 1/2, 2008. A ‘schedule B’ EA process requires three public notice postings and one community consultation meeting. Please be advised that the City’s Transportation Department will aim to host the public consultation in June or July. I will be posting the exact date on my website as soon as it becomes available.

roncesvalles-notice-one-2008.pdf

Please find attached the community consultation notices for the above noted properties, as part of the Parkdale Pilot Project. In attendance will be the owner of both properties. The meeting will be held on:

Thursday May 1st, 2008

Open House (6:00 p.m.)

Presentation (6:45 p.m.)

Parkdale Public Library, Auditorium

1303 Queen Street West

This will give you an opportunity to ask questions and provide any comments or feedback on these applications. I have also included a link (below) which gives some detailed history of the Parkdale Pilot Project should you wish to know more.

http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/2000/agendas/committees/to/to000118/it042.htm

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office.

124-spencer.pdf

70-melbourne.pdf

I would like to thank all Ward 14 residents, social service agencies and business owners for their participation in this year’s 20 Minute Makeover and Community Clean up Day. It is through the active participation and engagement in the community that we can begin to create the neighbourhood we all want to live in.

Great work everyone!

I also want to remind you that this Saturday is WARD 14 ENVIRONMENT DAY!!see attached flyer for more details. I look forward to seeing you in the Ward.

perksad_parkdale_final.pdf

The City’s annual spring clean-up gets underway Monday, April 14 and will run for three weeks. The operating divisions taking part include Solid Waste Management Services (coordinating division); Transportation Services; Municipal Licensing and Standards; Parks, Forestry and Recreation; Toronto Water; and Fleet and Facilities. These divisions, along with staff support from the City’s agencies, boards and commissions, will collaborate to clean up winter debris. The spring clean-up leads directly into two key components of Toronto’s Clean and Beautiful City Initiative – the 20-Minute Toronto Makeover on Friday, April 18, and Mayor David Miller’s Community Clean-up Day on Saturday, April 19.There will be 500 City staff dedicated to the clean-up, and 300 pieces of equipment, including 55 littervacs; 50 sweepers; 20 front-end loaders; 40 stake trucks; 10 collection trucks; and 125 pick-up trucks.

Date: Beginning Monday, April 14 (for approximately three weeks)

Time/Place: The clean-up happens daily in four different areas of the city. Maps outlining the daily schedule organized by district are available on the City’s website at www.toronto.ca/garbage.

Toronto Hydro hands out free clotheslines

As a member of the Toronto Hydro Board of Directors I thought that Ward 14 residents might be interested in this opportunity. Please read this read this article, published in the National Post.

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/toronto/story.html?id=450691

2008 Call for Applications: Energy New GMF Funding Opportunity for Green Buildings

On May 7, 2008, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) will issue a call for applications for Green Municipal Fund (GMF) financing to retrofit municipal buildings for energy efficiency or construct new energy-efficient municipal buildings.

The primary objective of this targeted funding opportunity is to finance exceptional green building projects that can serve as examples of excellence for other municipal governments to follow.

GMF will award, in total, up to $20 million in low-interest loans and up to $2.5 million in grants through this call for applications. Eligible applicants can request up to $2 million in loans and $300,000 in grants for each project.

Any municipal government, or municipal utility or corporation wholly owned by a municipal government in Canada may apply.

The deadline to submit a full application is June 19, 2008. Final decisions on funding will be available in January 2009.

In addition to funding for capital projects, GMF provides grants for sustainable community plans and for feasibility studies and field tests. Details on these funding opportunities are available online at www.sustainablecommunities.fcm.ca.