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

Dear all,

Some of you have had questions about the new garbage bins that are arriving at our homes this fall. At the bottom of this post is a link to the detailed City of Toronto web page. There are a few highlights I wanted to address directly.

Toronto is converting to an entirely new way of collecting garbage and a new way of paying for our waste management system. Today, we collect the garbage bag and cans you put out at the curb and pay for the system from your property taxes. When the new bins arrive you will put them out and pay a separate waste charge the same way your pay current water.

Please note that we will be cutting garbage costs from property taxes. As a result property taxes will be reduced!

The change in collection and billing means that instead of everyone paying in regardless of how much waste they create, each household will pay based on the size of container they choose. In effect you pay for what you use.

Another issue many people have raised is their concern that the bins are too unwieldy. The bins are designed so they can be lifted and dumped by an automatic arm attached to City trucks. This will make collection faster, and will save considerable money and keep the garbage charge low. Also, the automatic arm will greatly reduce the number of injuries suffered by our waste collection workers.

The other determinant is the unfortunate fact that we generate too much waste. Prior to becoming your City Councillor I worked in the environmental movement. One of my main areas of expertise was waste management policy. During two decades of work I fought to get strong packaging laws from the federal and provincial governments. At one point I took Coca Cola all the way to the Supreme Court to attempt to reinstate a refillable bottle system in Ontario. I still feel that we allow too many disposable products and packages in the marketplace. The consequence for Toronto is while we do not have jurisdiction to reduce over-packaging we are required to collect and dispose of that material. This, more than anything, causes us to need large waste bins.

For more information on the new system please contact me either by phone or email, or check the City website at:

http://www.toronto.ca/target70/index.htm

Please be advised that starting in early August (exact date to be confirmed), Jameson Avenue will begin being reconstructed. This will include new roads and sidewalks, along with an exciting Jameson community art project which will be incorporated into the reconstruction schedule. City of Toronto construction notices will be sent out approximately one week in advance of the start date.

I wanted to provide you with as much notice as possible to prevent any surprises. The construction will involve complete closures of short segments of roadways during the watermain installation and the road reconstruction. I have been advised by City staff that driveway accesses to the apartment buildings will be maintained.

The watermain and water services reconstruction is scheduled from August to October of 2008, with the road and sidewalk reconstruction from September to November 2008. As with any other projects to be completed in November, there is always a chance that part of the final phase of the construction, depending on the weather condition, may have to be carried over to the next year. I certainly hope that will not be the case.

Should you have any questions, please email or call my office. I will keep you posted as this project moves forward.

I would like to thank all of you who attended the Bloor Visioning meetings in January and March of this year. Many of you came out to share your experiences of living and working in the neighbourhood, and your participation made these sessions a great success.

The meetings brought together comments, questions and concerns regarding future developments on Bloor Street West between Dundas Street West and Keele Street. Your insights give the City’s Planning Department an opportunity to apply the sessions’ guiding principles when assessing proposed developments and their respective Avenue Segment studies.

Please be advised that the final report for the Bloor Visioning Sessions will be going to the July 7th, 2008 Toronto and East York Community Council meeting for consideration (please visit link below for full details)

http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-14044.pdf

If you would like to speak to this item, in writing or in person, please contact City Clerk Frances Pritchard, Acting Administrator at 416-392-7033 or by email at teycc@toronto.ca

As some of you are aware, the applicant for 1540 Bloor Street West (Tas DesignBuild) agreed to meet with members of the community who have been selected by my office to sit on a “working session” group.

The members of this group represent residents, business owners and stakeholders in the area of the development. This process involves the group of approximately 10 people meeting with the developer, City departments and my office to work towards consensus on key issues, however where this is not possible the issue will be identified as such in meeting notes and in future staff reports to City Council. City Planning chairs these meetings and discussions topics include built form and massing, streetscape improvements, and transportation planning (to name a few).

Our first meeting took place on Thursday June 19^th at 6pm. I have attached minutes of the meeting provided by City Planning. If you have any questions, please contact Kevin Edwards at 416-392-1306 or feel free to contact my office.

1540-bloor-working-group-meeting-_1-notes.pdf

Give blood on Canada Day at the Palais Royale

1601 Lake Shore Blvd. 416-533-3553

The Parkdale Beauty Pageant Society presents:
10th Annual Parkdale Film and Video Showcase
Two evenings of short films, videos and installations from the friendly streets of Parkdale!

Full program details including lists of participating artists and schedule information: http://www.rehabfilms.ca

SCHEDULE

Friday 27 June 2008
OPENING of REside: installation loops by Chris Curreri in 3 homes on Fuller Avenue north of Queen (DUSK until DAWN all weekend : FREE)

9:00 PM — OPENING @ THE REVUE
Join us to launch our 10th ANNIVERSARY with an evening of short films and videos at the Revue Cinema!!! Celestial shorts by lovely Parkdalians! Films old and new!!!!
The Revue Cinema, 400 Roncesvalles Avenue (PAY WHAT YOU CAN)
http://www.revuecinema.ca

Films and videos by: Mammalian Diving Reflex, Lori Chodos, Cheryl Rondeau, Michelle Irving, Allyson Mitchell, Michael Toke, Greg Majster, Evan Tapper, John Greyson, Trevor Tureski, Matt Wyatt, Jonathan Culp and Jay Davidson

Saturday 28 June 2008

3:00 PM — HOME MADE MOVIES : From Parkdale to Guyana
A screening of home movies by Alison Latchana documenting her life in Toronto’s West Indian community. In the 1980’s Alison recorded her daily life, family and travels among the West Indian community, on the road in Europe and back home in Guyana. Hanging out on Jameson and at Queen and Sorauren. Village life in Guyana. Trucking through Portugal. Good times, hard times, family and friends — Alison shot it all with her Canon Super 8 sound camera. Join us for an hour of her autobiographical films AND meet Alison in person.
(PAY WHAT YOU CAN)
Parkdale Public Library, 1303 Queen Street West
http://www.tpl.toronto.on.ca/hou_az_pk.jsp

9:00 PM — PARKDALE UNDER THE STARS! (family friendly!!!)
Two outdoor screenings of Parkdale shorts under the stars in the Fuller Avenue Parkette
(Just north of Queen, 2 blocks west of Lansdowne)
BYOBLC – that’s blankets and lawn chairs!
(PAY WHAT YOU CAN)

For more information please contact us at:
rehabfilms@gmail.com
http://www.rehabfilms.ca

I have some very exciting news.

A recent meeting was held to discuss concerns regarding large events held along the Lake front in past years, and their relationship to motorists from out of town parking illegally along the boulevard and within parks property. As you are aware, motorists mount the curb to access both the boulevard and parks property, including using the Martin Goodman Trail.

As you can appreciate this creates a major safety issue and a unnecessary expense to the City in restoration costs.

As a result of this meeting “No Parking on Boulevard and Park Lands” signage (approximately 60cm x 60cm) will be installed on many utility poles between Humber River through to British Columbia Drive.

I am thrilled with this new installation and to once again communicate that there is no parking in parklands.

Over the past 4 months, I have posted information on my website regarding the Bloor Dundas Avenue Study.

To review, the Avenue Study was approved by City Council on March 5^th, 2008 after months of hard work and commitment to the neighbourhood shown by members of the community, City Planning and my office. The Avenue Study will examine the areas on Bloor between Keele Street and Dundas Street West, and Dundas Street West from Boustead Avenue to Glenlake Avenue and discuss the parameters for future developments in the area. It will also identify various areas for improvement.

I am happy to announce that the web page for this Avenue Study is up and running. Please visit www.toronto.ca/planning/bloordundas.htm to find detailed background information as well as information about the lead consultant, Brook McIlroy http://www.brookmcilroy.com/

I would also like to announce that the kick off public meeting date has been set for Tuesday July 8^th, 630pm at Saint Joan of Arc Gymnasium. Please see attached flyer for more details.

Again, thank you to everyone who came out to show their support for this Avenue Study. Let’s get started!

Flyer: kick-off-public-meeting-notice.pdf

Although the weather was not ideal, the rain held off long enough for me and a core group of Lamport Stadium supporters, Park staff and area residents to officially re open the stadium.

Over the course of the last year I have work with Parks, Forestry and Recreation to have the turf at Lamport Stadium replaced and the fencing changed. Both improvements have been well received by the permit holders, the Liberty Village BIA and local residents.

On Tuesday night, we all had the joy of watching the Ultimate Frisbee and Women’s Field Hockey teams play a great few games on the new turf.

I look forward to being a part of long term improvements at Lamport Stadium.

For information on booking Lamport Stadium please contact Andrea Boylan at 338-3349.

Councillor Giambrone and I have been working with the community over the last year to improve some of the design elements of the Dufferin Jog Elimination Project. I am happy to say that, after much input from the community, staff are pulling together the final pieces of the tender document and construction is expected to begin in the fall.

The only outstanding aspect of this project is securing an artist for the Public Art installation in the tunnel of the underpass (location decided by the community).

Through public consultations, with the Culture Divison of the City of Toronto, over the past few months many of you have already expressed your views about what the public art component in this location means to you and how it should communicate civic pride about your neighbourhoods. As Culture staff is beginning to work on the “Terms of Reference” , the document that will be given to artists responding to the competition call, we are welcoming your input not only about the social and economic history of Parkdale and West Queen West, but your personal and family histories and recollections.
Most importantly, we would like to know your thoughts about such intangible things as how you would like to feel while walking through that underpass, and the kind of ambiance you would wish the art to elicit. We hope that when combined together these personal and collective stories and historical materials will inform and inspire the artists and lead to excellent proposals, finally resulting in a Public Art work that will be a source of pride not only for the area but for Toronto.

Please forward all your comments to my staff Amy Johnston – ajohnston@toronto.ca and she will forward the content onto the Culture Division for their consideration.

Come Explore our great neighbourhood

SATURDAY JUNE 21, 2008, 9:45 a.m. Meet at Baird Park, RAIN OR SHINE

Following up on JANE’S WALK May 3rd that honours Jane Jacobs, Toronto’s late beloved community activist, resident and City advocate we’re doing a second Neighbourhood Walk. The Walk will be by Duncan Farnan, local West Bend resident. All walks are free.

Start and Finish: West Toronto Lawn Bowling Club – Baird Park (Keele Street and Humberside Avenue). Allow for 1 1/2 – 2 hrs or just drop in and out: You’ll be back for lunch!

You can check Jane’s Walk out at http://www.janeswalk.net:

You can also see a short transcript of the West Bend – Junction Walk by visiting the website of the West Bend Community Association at http://www.thewestbend.com/