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

Please see attached meeting minutes from the November Pilot Project Community Consultation for the properties located at 69 Wilson Park, 54a Galley, 157 Cowan Ave.

november-19-2008-community-consultation.pdf

Jameson Avenue is currently in the middle of a major reconstruction. Many of you have asked why the project appears to be quiet and at a stand still.

While road resurfacing and sidewalk construction will be completed in the Spring of 2009, underground water main work will still be going on during the winter season. The section between Springhurst and King which is almost complete will be opened as soon possible to help alleviate congestion. The contractor will then start the section between King and Queen in December and it will take until January/ February 2009 to complete. This section will be opened for one way traffic only during this time.

I am anticipating that from mid February to mid April, traffic will be totally opened between Springhurst to Queen until the road/sidewalk work begins in late April.

As part of this project, a community art presented is in the works which may include decorative tree planters, and art installation in sections of the sidewalk. This project is still at the very preliminary stages.

The City of Toronto has undertaken a study to create a Master Plan for the Western Waterfront. The Master Plan will guide decision making within the defined area by recommending the type and location of park facilities that meet a range of community needs, as well as improvements to the transportation, transit and pedestrian links with surrounding neighbourhoods.

The study area covers a 4 km-long stretch of the Western Waterfront and is bounded by the Humber River to the west, Marilyn Bell Park to the east, Lake Ontario to the south, and the Lake Shore Blvd W./Gardiner Expressway/Queensway corridor to the north (see Map).

The next scheduled public meeting is December 9th, 2008. The meeting will be held at St. Joe’s Health Centre, 30 The Queensway. See attached invitation.

I look forward to discussing this very detailed, comprehensive and exciting plan for our waterfront.

08-12-09-public-meet-notice.pdf

I want to remind all Ward 14 residents that Toronto Hydro, the Roncesvalles Village BIA, the Parkdale Village BIA and my office will be hosting light exchanges this year in two locations!! I am pleased to announce that this very special opportunity will take place on Saturday November 22^nd, 2008 between 2-4 pm in front of the Polish Credit Union, 220 Roncesvalles Avenue and at the Parkdale Town Square, corner of Queen Street West and Cowan Avenue.

I have attached the flyer, please feel free to circulate widely.

All residents of the City of Toronto can participate in this great event by bringing two (2) old strings of incandescent (traditional) seasonal lights and exchanging them for one (1) set of energy-efficient LED seasonal lights. Please note that this offer is available to the first 500 families and is limited to one exchange per family.

microsoft-word-led-flyer-2008.pdf

Please find attached notes for the November 5th Local Advisory Committee (LAC) meeting that was held at Loyola Arrupe, 1709 Bloor Street West, 6:30pm. These notes were prepared by the consultant’s team and reviewed by City Planning. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office, or you can call Senior Planner Corwin Cambray at 416-397-0244 or by email at ccambra@toronto.ca.

A copy of the notes will be posted under the “What’s New” section on the web page for the Bloor Dundas ‘Avenue’ Study – www.toronto.ca/planning/bloordundas.htm

lac-3-meeting-notes.pdf

Here’s a follow-up on the West End Bikeways project, launched in Wards 14, 18 and 19 in mid-October. The goal of the West End Bikeways project is to address gaps in the bikeway network in the downtown west end (from south of Bloor to the Gardiner, and from Parkside to Bathurst) by identifying short-term projects that can be completed in 2009 and 2010.

As part of the project, City staff put out a call for submissions to cyclists requesting their ideas for bikeways in the study area. The deadline for submissions was November 5th, and I understand that staff received responses from nearly 70 cyclists in the downtown west end. Staff are currently reviewing the responses and preparing a summary of all submissions.

In an effort to continue engaging people who submitted their ideas, the project is hosting a follow-up meeting and workshop specifically with those respondents. The meeting will be hosted by Transportation Services in partnership with the Toronto Cyclists Union, and will be held on Thursday November 27^th, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Parkdale Public Library (located at 1303 Queen St. West).

At the meeting, city staff will present an overview of the project and a summary of ideas submitted by members of the public. They will also be soliciting feedback on a preliminary short-list of bikeway projects drawn from a review of the submissions.

Cyclists who attend the evening meeting will be invited to sign up for an afternoon workshop to ride short-listed routes and ground-proof them with staff. This afternoon workshop is scheduled for Saturday November 29^th from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. (location to be confirmed).

Here’s a follow-up on the West End Bikeways project, launched in Wards 14, 18 and 19 in mid-October. The goal of the West End Bikeways project is to address gaps in the bikeway network in the downtown west end (from south of Bloor to the Gardiner, and from Parkside to Bathurst) by identifying short-term projects that can be completed in 2009 and 2010.

As part of the project, City staff put out a call for submissions to cyclists requesting their ideas for bikeways in the study area. The deadline for submissions was November 5th, and I understand that staff received responses from nearly 70 cyclists in the downtown west end. Staff are currently reviewing the responses and preparing a summary of all submissions.

In an effort to continue engaging people who submitted their ideas, the project is hosting a follow-up meeting and workshop specifically with those respondents. The meeting will be hosted by Transportation Services in partnership with the Toronto Cyclists Union, and will be held on Thursday November 27^th, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Parkdale Public Library (located at 1303 Queen St. West).

At the meeting, city staff will present an overview of the project and a summary of ideas submitted by members of the public. They will also be soliciting feedback on a preliminary short-list of bikeway projects drawn from a review of the submissions.

Cyclists who attend the evening meeting will be invited to sign up for an afternoon workshop to ride short-listed routes and ground-proof them with staff. This afternoon workshop is scheduled for Saturday November 29^th from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. (location to be confirmed).

Apartments and condominiums currently recycle only 13% of their waste. To help multi unit dwellers and owners in their efforts to increase recycling at their buildings, the City is offering new in-unit recycling containers which you can order for free.

You have a choice of two different recycling container types designed to make it easier to recycle: a hard-shell blue box or a soft-shell blue bag. Residents can keep their new recycling container in a convenient location and use it to collect recyclables such as metal cans, glass bottles, plastic tubs and newspapers. Once full, residents can use the in-unit recycling container to carry the recyclables to your designated recycling area.

The new recycling containers will be delivered to building across the GTA over the next 12 months – for more information please contact your landlord. Your collection day remains the same.

Toronto Fire Services – Career Preparation Course

Please help us reach out to the community by posting the attached Career Preparation Course designed for persons 18 years and older who may have never seen fire equipment and want to have a better understanding of the Fire Services and its various career paths.

The Career Preparation Course is 12 weeks in length (one night per week for 3 hrs) and is comprised of in-class lectures with one practical day, held on a Saturday at one of the City of Toronto’s training centres. Training is delivered by Professional Firefighters.

Topics (covered at an introductory level) include:

. Self Contained Breathing Apparatus

. Toronto Fire Services

Complete and submit the Career Preparation Course Registration Form. Must be received no later than Noon, Friday, December 12, 2008.

Mail or deliver to:

Employment Equity, Employment Services

c/o Toronto Fire Services, Career Preparation Course

Metro Hall, 5th Floor, 55 John St.,

Toronto, Ontario M5V 3C6

The Career Preparation Course Registration Form can be downloaded at www.toronto.ca/fire/recruitment

Registrants selected to participate in the course will receive an Application Form from Toronto Fire Services by December 31, 2008. A fee of $235.00 is required with the completed and returned Application Form.

Please see attached for more details

cpc-feb-2009-description-page-with-border_1.pdf

At our last Local Advisory Committee meeting for the Bloor/Dundas Avenue Study, some of you had questions about the new Tim Hortons that will be going into the former “Galaxy Donuts” site at the above noted address.

As per a request put forward at this meeting, I had Buildings staff go out and investigate whether or not work being carried out was in accordance with a building permit issued for this site. Please note we have been advised by Buildings that Tim Hortons is doing interior alterations to the existing galaxy donuts and putting on a small vestibule entrance like most Tim Hortons have. So, because the addition is only that vestibule entrance and they’re not changing the use, this doesn’t trigger any planning review at all, or Site Plan Control. It is our understanding that they are also repaving the existing parking lot.

Toronto Building visited the site on Monday November 10th and carried out a detailed inspection with permit plans. I have been advised that work is progressing substantially in accordance to plans in as much as foundation work consisting of engineered slab on grade was being formed. Excavation is approximately 2-3 feet deep and site is fenced. The said fence was setback into the private property and inspected by John Richmond of Transportation Services.

I have asked staff to continue to monitor the progress of work at this site to ensure full compliance with the building permit requirements.

Please be advised that this Tim Hortons will not be a drive-thru location. This would alter the existing use and is prohibited by the current by-law. It does not permit any lot to be used for drive-thru’s if it closer than 30m to a residential use under by-law 779-2002. As the Keele Subway station and parking lot are zoned for residential, a drive-thru is not permitted as a residential zone is too close.