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

The study area for the Western Waterfront Master Plan has been expanded to include the section of the Gardiner Expressway corridor north of Marilyn Bell Park.

This will enable the analysis, by our consulting team planning Alliance, of road and bridge options within the Gardiner corridor that could potentially accommodate the expansion of parkland as well as the Western Waterfront Light Rail Transit.

I have been working very hard with City staff to have this added to the WWMP to ensure the work conducted looks at the area as a whole and not two separate parts.

The clean up of Budapest Park is nearing completion. The play equipment has been sanitized and the boardwalk has been removed and is currently being replaced with new and stronger footings as well as sustainable wood boarding. New sand was replaced Tuesday and Wednesday of this week (to restore the beach) and the playground sand will be restored by end of day today. Due to the large contamination that took place, Toronto Water would like to conduct water quality tests before opening the park to public use. Once Toronto Water has given the all clear, Budapest Park will be opened for the public to use.

I would like to thank all City Staff from Toronto Water and Parks, Forestry and Recreation who have been working hard to ensure that the park is once again safe to use by residents. I would also like to thank residents of Parkdale High Park for your patience during this time. The public’s wellbeing, as always, has been the number one concern and your patience during this time has been greatly appreciated.

Every summer, the excitement of calypso, steel pan and masquerade costumes fill Lamport Stadium during the annual Caribana Festival. This three-week Festival attracts over a million participants annually, including hundreds of thousands of tourists to Toronto to celebrate Caribbean culture and Toronto’s diversity. Among the highlights is the Parade, one of the largest in North America.

I have been meeting with City Staff and the Festival Management Committee for the past few months to work out the fine details of this festival to ensure this year’s Caribana is successful and more importantly fun!

Toronto Caribana celebrates its 41st anniversary in 2008, come out and join the festivities!

Please be advised that the application for the above noted address (also known as Edmund Place) will be heard on Wednesday August 13^th, 2008 at 9 a.m. at City Hall, Committee Room 2.

Three variances will be discussed at the meeting. They are as follows:

Parking: The by-law requires the provision of three parking spaces. Only one parking space will be provided on the site.

Amenity Space: The by-law requires there to be 624 m² of contiguous amenity space. There will be 1,948 m² of amenity space. A small amenity space will be located on each floor and none of these spaces meet the City’s minimum room size.

Floor Area: The by-law limits the building’ s gross floor area to 2 times the area of the lot – 11,873 ft². The proposed building has a gross floor area of 15,070 ft².

Window Setbacks: The by-law requires apartment windows to be set back 18 feet from the lot line on the south side. In the proposal, the windows on the south side will be 6 feet from the lot line.

If you are unable to appear in person, you can write to:

Anita M. MacLeod
Manager & Deputy Secretary-Treasurer
Committee of Adjustment
Toronto & East York District

100 Queen Street West

Toronto M5H 2N2

You can also contact the Committee of Adjustment office at:

Tel: 416-392-7565

Fax: 416-392-0580

Update on the City of Toronto Target 70 Program

I am pleased to share that Toronto neighbourhoods that have been using the City’s new Blue Bins for several months are recycling from 10 to 15 per cent more, according to Solid Waste Management Services. Scarborough residents, first to receive the Blue Bins, are using the extra capacity provided by the new bins to put more items out for recycling.

Increasing recycling was one of the three goals the City hoped to achieve in introducing the new Blue Bins on wheels. The other two goals – improving efficiency and reducing staff injuries – are also showing promise. The roll-out of the new Blue Bins is part of the City’s overall new approach to waste management. Residents of single-family homes will, over the next few months, also receive new Garbage Bins and be introduced to a new billing practice that will charge residents for the amount of garbage that they produce starting November 1.

The revenue generated by the new system will fund significant new diversion initiatives designed to drive the City’s overall diversion rate to 70 per cent. Some of these new initiatives include bringing Green Bin organics collection to apartments and condominiums, introducing new recycling materials and creating a new curbside reuse/recycling program for household durable goods such as mattresses, furniture and electronics. The new bin-based system for garbage and recycling will also make collection more efficient across the city.

In addition, I know that many residents have raised concern regarding an inability to get through on the 392-BINS number during certain hours of the day.

In an attempt to improve service the City has hired additional staff and have centralized the call centre in an attempt to provide timely response to residents calling. Please continue to contact my office directly if you have questions or concerns about this new waste diversion program.

Toronto Bikes – How about you!

Whether it’s commuting to work, riding the great trails across the City or taking a leisurely ride with the entire family, biking in Toronto is rapidly becoming a great way to get around the City.

With a series of ads on transit shelters and garbage bins hitting the streets this week, Toronto Bikes is a campaign aimed at encouraging Torontonians to get out and ride their bikes more often.

When you ride your bike, you are doing a number of positive things for you and your community. First, there’s the effect on the air we breathe. By riding a bike, you are helping in the efforts to stem climate change by helping to reduce the harmful emissions in our air and you’re assisting the community by reducing our dependence on vehicular traffic. That helps reduce traffic congestion.

And then, there’s the effect on you. Cycling is a positive physical activity that leads to a healthy lifestyle and healthy communities. Cycling can offset many major health concerns which are linked to physical inactivity.

Improving the quality of our air and becoming more physically active – that’s a combination that you can’t beat.

As well, more and more people are using their bikes to get to and from work. More than 40 per cent of workers in the city use sustainable modes of transportation (bicycling, walking and public transit). Trips to work by bicycle, increased from 1.4 to 1.7 per cent in Toronto between 2001 and 2006.

For more information on biking in Toronto, click on www.toronto.ca/cycling.

UPDATED HOPE GARDEN 2008 Events/Workshop Schedule

(please note some dates/activities have changed):

Jul-29 Where Does Our Food Come From? The Global Food System – Melissa Benner

Aug-05 Pollinator Workshop – Cancelled!

Aug-12 Native Plants: Designing a Native Plant Garden – Bennet Deakin

Aug-13 Potluck & Rainwater Harvesting System Opening Greenest City

Aug-19 Food, Culture, Media: Becoming Critical Consumers – Melissa Benner

Aug-26 To Be Announced – TBA

Sep-02 To Be Announced – TBA

Sep-09- To Be Announced – TBA

Sep-16 Preserving Food for the Winter – Kyla Dixon-Muir

Sep-23 Canning and Pickling for Beginners – Sarah J. Harrison

Sep-28 Harvest Festival Greenest City

Sep-30 Sprouting at Home Toronto Sprouts

It gives me great pleasure to announce that the Jameson bridge officially re-opened today (Friday July 18^th, 2008). Access to the waterfront has now been fully restored, and it is my understanding that folks are crossing the bridge on this very humid day as I am writing this to all of you.

I would like to thank City staff who worked with my office to accelerate the construction schedule for the bridge. I would also again like to thank members of the community who advocated for proper notification and information processes to be in place so my office, waterfront staff and the community are fully informed well in advance of any major construction projects that impede access to the waterfront.

I look forward to working with you as we move forward with the Western Waterfront Master Plan.

As many of you know, Budapest Park suffered damage as a result of last week’s major storm. Parks and Toronto Water staff have made every effort to address the damages and remediate the affected area. It is my understanding that the clean up has been moving along smoothly and that the sanitizing is complete. Staff advised that the washrooms are now open and that the majority of the beach has been cleaned of debris.

The boardwalk will start to be removed tomorrow, sand to restore the beach is scheduled for delivery on Tuesday and Wednesday and the Playground equipment and all other Park furnishings will power washed and sanitized by Thursday evening.

Pending approval by Public Health and the Ministry of the Environment staff expect the park to be reopened by next weekend.

I have two good news stories for avid tennis players in Ward 14. The Park and Recreation 2008 capital projects include funds for revitalization of the Tennis Courts, located at Marilyn Bell Park. The work, which I have requested to begin in September, to allow access over the summer, will include new court surface as well as new fencing and net posts.

In addition I am pleased to say that, at my request, Parks and the TDSB have negotiated a shared use agreement for the tennis courts at Parkdale Collegiate Institute. The courts will be open to the public for use after regular school hours starting next week. The courts will be opened by TDSB staff in the morning and closed by Parks staff at 9:30pm daily.

Thank you to all the residents who had an opportunity to come out on Wednesday July 9^th to meet with me and Transportation staff at the environmental assessment public consultation.

As you know staff are seeking approval for this project at a conceptual level. Please review the display boards on the City of Toronto website, link provided below, and share your comments with staff.

The Roncesvalles Reconstruction project is scheduled for 2009-2010. We have decided, in an effort to streamline this process, to run the environmental assessment in parallel with the design process. Once a cross section has been approved by the community and at Council, and the street survey is completed by Technical Services I will be organizing a community meeting to discuss the detailed design elements for Roncesvalles. I am hoping that a meeting of this nature will be organized in October, once the EA is complete.

The Roncesvalles Ave EA meeting display boards:

http://www.toronto.ca/involved/projects/roncesvalles_streetscape/pdf/2008_07_09_display_boards.pdf

Greenest City is Hosting Summer Workshops at HOPE Community Garden

Jul-15 Organic Pest Management: Learn how to prevent and manage pests naturally. – Robert Weeks

Jul-22 Where Does Our Food Come From? Understanding the Global Food System – Melissa Benner

Jul-29 Food, Culture, Media: Becoming Critical Consumers – Melissa Benner

Aug-05 Pollinators/Beneficial Insects: Identifying beneficial insects and pollinators in our garden – Tania Sanhueza

Aug-12 Native Plants: Designing a Native Plant Garden – Bennet Deakin, Abbey Huggan & Pat Cepin

Aug-13 Potluck & Rainwater Harvesting System Opening

Aug-19 The Food Movement: Eating Local, Thinking Global – Melissa Benner

Aug-26 World on a Plate: An evening of sharing cooking and eating with our Parkdale Gardeners

Sep-28 Harvest Festival

Sep-30 Sprouting at Home – Toronto Sprouts

All of our workshops are free and open to everyone. We do not ask for RSVPs, but it would help us prepare better if we get an idea of how many participants we are having. For more information please contact: Gelek Badheytsang , 647-438-0038, gelek@greenestcity.ca

The 2008 Parkdale Youth Festival is seeking: Artist, performers, vendors and volunteers

Are you an artist or musician looking to showcase your talents? Are you part of

an organization that services young people? Do you want to get involved in a

community event? Then you might be interested in taking part in the fourth

annual Parkdale Youth Festival. It’s been dubbed the largest gathering of youth

service organizations in the west end of Toronto, and this year we will once

again be showcasing a spectacular line up of local entertainment for people of

all ages.

On Saturday August 23 from 2:00pm -10:00 pm Masaryk-Cowan Park and Community

Centre will play host to a day of music, art and information to raise awareness

for various city-wide youth service organizations.

All youth organizations are offered a complimentary community table to display

their information on available youth services and programs.

Contact Festival Innovator info@parkdalefestival.com

Deadline for application is July 31st, 2008.

Edmund Place Fundraiser
Edmund’s Place is sponsoring their second annual fundraising boat cruise on Wednesday August 20, 2008 at 6:00. Come and enjoy a wonderful evening of music, dancing, great food and, at the same time, support affordable housing!

To order tickets, call 416-537-2262 ex. 244 or email at edmondplacecruise@parc.on.ca. Or you can pick up your favourite reading material and a ticket at Another Story Book Shop at 315 Roncesvalles, open 7 days a week or call 416-462-1104.

Location: Pier 29, 261 Queen’s Quay (East of Sherbourne)

August 20, 2008, at 6:00 p.m. sharp return at 10:30 p.m.

Ticket price: $75.00

Please see the attached flyer for more information: evening-magic-flyer.pdf

Grand Opening : Sorauren Park Farmer’s Market

Please join me, Ward 14 residents, local farmers, and local food producers at the Sorauren Park Farmer’s Market Grand Opening, Monday July 21st from 3 to 7:30pm.

See the attached poster for more details: grand_opening.jpeg

Sorauren Park Festival

Come out and join your neighbours on July 19th for the Sorauren Park Festival.

See attached Flyer for more details : websorauren.jpg