Fall recreational programming in our Ward
Posted on September 30, 2020
Register now for City’s Recreational Programs.
See below for the list of programming available at Holy Family Community Centre (141 Close Avenue), Masaryk Cowan Community Recreation Centre (220 Cowan Avenue), and Parkdale Community Recreation Centre (75 Lansdowne Avenue). Visit toronto.ca/rec for more information.
Holy Family Register Now flyerMasaryk Cowan
Parkdale CRC Fall 2020 Registration Flyer
Help the TTC plan transit service for 2021
Posted on September 30, 2020
TTC is preparing for their 2021 Annual Service Plan which will identify how they will serve customers in the coming year. As part of this process, they are seeking the public’s feedback on emerging priorities and proposed 2021 service initiatives, including RapidTO (Eglinton East and Jane Street Priority Bus Lanes), changes to the Express Bus network, and other service improvements. Feedback from the public is important and will help inform the TTC’s decision making about priorities and initiatives for 2021 service.
Take the survey at ttcannualplan.ca from September 25 to October 9.
Annual Service Plan Poster
Howard Park Construction Update
Posted on September 25, 2020
The Streetcar track renewal on Howard Park Avenue west Roncesvalles Avenue is complete, and construction crews are currently finishing some restoration work as part of Phases 1 through 5 of the project until September 27, 2020. Phase 6, the final phase of this project involves a full road closure of the intersection of Dundas Street West and Howard Park Avenue starting Monday, September 28 to October 25, 2020.
Residents/businesses who will not have access to their driveway or parking access are advised to contact Sr. Public Consultation Coordinator Paul Martin paul.martin@toronto.ca to arrange for a temporary parking permit. Please see important parking and traffic management information related to the project in the attached Construction Update.
Online reference to Construction Update #4: https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/data-research-maps/neighbourhoods-communities/ward-profiles/ward-4-parkdale-high-park/
Howard Park Ave Track-UpdateVirtual Community Consultation on the 1488 Queen St West Rezoning Application
Posted on September 24, 2020
City Planning is holding a Virtual Community Consultation Meeting on the 1488 Queen Street West Re-Zoning Application. It will be an opportunity to learn more about this application, ask questions and share your comments. Your feedback will help inform the City’s evaluation of the proposed development.
The application proposes a new 6-storey mixed-use building with commercial/retail uses on the ground floor and 29 dwelling units on the upper floors.
The property is currently occupied by a one-storey commercial building currently functioning as a Guardian Drug Store Pharmacy and a Canada Post outlet.
Information on the application is available on-line at the City’s Application Information Centre, https://aic.to/1488QueenStW
You can view a copy of the Preliminary Report providing background information at: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2020/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-148436.pdf .
The meeting will take place on Monday, October 5th, 2020 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. and will be online and phone-in only.
How to participate:
A link to the meeting is available online at www.toronto.ca/cpconsultations. Participants will be able to join the meeting either by phone or online as of 5:45 PM on the day of the meeting.
Note: Participants by phone will not be able to ask live questions during the meeting. Submit your comments in advance by contacting the City Planning Staff or the Councillor’s Office.
If you are unable to attend the meeting, please forward your comments to Patrick Miller, City Planner, patrick.miller@toronto.ca and Councillor Perks’ Office, councillor_perks@toronto.ca .
Virtual Community Consultation on the 3194-3206 Dundas Street West Rezoning Application
Posted on September 24, 2020
City Planning is holding a Virtual Community Consultation Meeting on the 3194-3206 Dundas Street West Re-Zoning Application. It will be an opportunity to learn more about this application, ask questions and share your comments. Your feedback will help inform the City’s evaluation of the proposed development.
The application proposes to amend the City’s Zoning By-laws with an eight-storey mixed-use building at 3194-3206 Dundas Street West. Information on the application is available on-line at the City’s Application Information Centre, http://app.toronto.ca/AIC/index.do .
You can view a copy of the Preliminary Report providing background information here.
The meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 20, 2020 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. and will be online and phone-in only.
How to participate:
A link to the meeting is available online at www.toronto.ca/cpconsultations. Participants will be able to join the meeting either by phone or online as of 5:45 PM on the day of the meeting.
Note: Participants by phone will not be able to ask live questions during the meeting. Submit your comments in advance by contacting the City Planning Staff or the Councillor’s Office.
If you are unable to attend the meeting, please forward your comments to Carla Tsang, City Planner, carla.tsang@toronto.ca and Councillor Perks’ Office, councillor_perks@toronto.ca .
City of Toronto invites residents to become Neighbourhood Climate Action Champions
Posted on September 24, 2020
The City of Toronto invites residents and community leaders to help inspire climate action by becoming a Neighbourhood Climate Action Champion. Participants in this new City program will receive virtual training and support to empower them to support residents in developing innovative climate action projects that reflect the needs and values of their communities.
Participants must be willing to commit four to five hours per month (minimum 50 hours per year) to engaging their community in developing and implementing neighbourhood-based projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Participants will receive an honorarium of $500.
Applicants must be at least 18 years of age, live in Toronto, and have strong interpersonal and leadership skills. Priority will be given to applications from community leaders and residents from communities experiencing social, economic and other barriers, including people of colour, newcomers, LGBTQ2IAA persons, women, Indigenous peoples, and people with disabilities.
In October 2019, Toronto City Council declared a climate emergency, accelerated the TransformTO: Climate Action for a Healthy, Equitable and Prosperous Toronto strategy, and adopted a stronger emissions reduction target for Toronto – net zero by 2050 or sooner. The largest sources of local emissions in Toronto are homes and buildings, transportation and waste.
Applications for the Neighbourhood Climate Action Champions program are now being accepted. Residents can learn more and apply online at https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/water-environment/live-green-toronto.
First Story hosting walking tours at Colborne Lodge
Posted on September 24, 2020
Colborne Lodge is excited to welcome First Story to host exterior walking tours Saturday, September 19th, 26th & October 3rd & 18th.
Anyone that may be interested in learning more from the Indigenous community is encouraged to join!
The tour will be 90 min not 60 min as outlined online and approved by Public Health.
Register for pre-screening and tickets here
Commonly asked questions on the Quiet Streets Program
Posted on September 24, 2020
A reminder that the Quiet Streets Survey will close on September 30, 2020.
Visit the City’s website for more information or to participate in survey.
Can the Quiet Street material stay in place?
The signs and barricades were designed to be temporary, making use of readily available materials. The program cannot be sustained in its current form as the City prepares for the winter season.
Can the Quiet Street material be upgraded/made permanent?
Quiet Street materials were installed without the analysis and public engagement that is expected before permanent changes are made to the roadway. Staff will be reviewing the feedback from the Quiet Street survey, email correspondence, and traffic data to learn where the program had the most significant impacts to guide proposals for future interventions.
Will the program come back if COVID is still with us in the spring?
A report is being prepared to share lessons learned from ActiveTO, including the Quiet Streets, and other COVID response programs on Toronto’s streets including CaféTO. The report will discuss options for reintroducing these programs, with modifications, in the future. The report is expected to come before City Council in January 2021.
What happened to the suggestion I made of a street that should become a Quiet Street?
As a COVID Emergency Management program, Quiet Streets did not operate as a request-based program. The ActiveTO team has tracked all suggestions for streets that could be considered in future, if the Quiet Streets program continues or evolves into a program with broader aims beyond pandemic management.
Can I suggest a street for next year?
As a COVID Emergency Management program, Quiet Streets did not operate as a request-based program. Quiet Street locations were chosen based on the role a street plays in the road network. Several factors were considered including, but not limited to, serving areas of high population density with limited access to personal outdoor space, providing alternative to congested parks and trails, providing connections to essential services, parks, beaches and other attractions, as well as operational considerations (e.g. traffic volume). A report is expected to come before City Council in January 2021 that will discuss options for reintroducing these programs, with any modifications, in the future.
Participate in City Virtual Engagement Events
Posted on September 17, 2020
The City is using the online tool Webex to support virtual public meetings, consultations and other engagement activities. The instructions outlined here are for Webex Events 
and will help residents join and participate in these City engagement activities.
If you need a disability-related accommodation to participate in a City online event, please let the organizing staff know as soon as possible to ensure they can work with you to determine a suitable accommodation.
For more information on navigating Webex, please visit https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/get-involved/public-consultations/participate-in-virtual-engagement-events/
High Park Community Alliance AGM & my views on where we stand
Posted on September 17, 2020
The High Park Community Alliance’s AGM will be held virtually on WebEx at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, September 23. Please click here just prior to the meeting to attend. For additional IT support or to join by phone, see the bottom of this letter.
Friends,
For a number of years the High Park North community has been confronted with serious development pressure. Working together with the City, community members rallied to confront the development pressure and protect the things that make the neighbourhood great.
Now, with most of the issues settled, it’s time to take stock and see how we did.
On Wednesday, September 23 at the High Park Community Alliance general meeting, the incredible leaders who emerged to work on this issue and I will be presenting a detailed review. For now, I have a quick summary of my thoughts on how our community did.
In December of 2016 the two largest property owners in the High Park North neighbourhood, Minto and Great West Life (GWL) submitted applications for additional towers.
In response, the community and City Planning worked to create the High Park Area Urban Design Guidelines (OPA 419), a blueprint for how the neighbourhood could grow while protecting the existing values of the community.
While we were working there was a bewildering series of changes in Provincial Planning law. First, in 2016, the Province improved the rights of municipalities by reforming the OMB. Then, the election of Premier Ford led to those improvements being overturned and planning law once again favouring developers. On top of that the Province stripped away some of the tools which gave the City and neighbourhoods a fighting chance. Of particular importance was the reduction of publicly administered mediation.
At every turn the developers took aggressive action.
Without any meaningful public consultation both developers filed appeals to the OMB. They did this days before the 2016 reforms came into effect. This strengthened their hand at the expense of the community.
Next, when the Design Guidelines were finalized both property owners went to the OMB to be exempted from those new rules.
Finally, as the deadline for the OMB hearings approached the developers would not participate in any further public meetings. In fact, GWL refused to make key concessions until the last day of the last Council meeting before the OMB hearing was due to start.
In those last minute negotiations City staff fought to get concessions that reflected the community concerns. We had mixed results.There are still more total units than we would have wanted. However, the number of buildings and the heights of buildings were reduced to be more in line with Design Guidelines. Finally, we were able to bring the proposals very close to Design Guidelines in terms how the ground level functions. The community mentioned again and again that the green space, and ecological function of the area was critical.
In specific terms the total number of units has been reduced by 315, with narrower buildings, all building came in lower, with one being removed altogether. We dramatically increased the amount of Parkland (up to the level in our Guidelines) and the separation distances between all the buildings was increased.
All, in all, with the deck stacked against us we got to a much better place than where we started. The lesson is that we need a Provincial planning framework that creates incentives for developers to better respect the community. We also learned that the many hours put in by community leaders to work with the City to develop our own vision lead to significant improvements.
There are two outstanding development issues in the community. Another application came in after Minto and GWL. This proposal at 299 Glenlake meets all the requirements in our Design Guidelines. Finally, one property owner at Oakmount and Mountview has appealed the Design Guideline as it pertains to their property. There is no development application for this property. City staff are working to settle this matter. I will keep you informed. The Guidelines are now in force for the rest of the neighbourhood.
If you’re joining through a computer, just before 7pm on September 23rd:
1) Visit this link to access the meeting.
2) Click on ‘Join from your browser’.
3) You will be asked to enter your name and email, and then should gain access to the meeting room.
We’ve found this video to be helpful to guide us through the process of joining:
https://youtu.be/fE5FnEUKtaE
If you’re joining through a phone, just before 7:00 pm on September 23:
1) Dial 647-484-1598.
2) Enter 132 601 8267# when asked for the access code.
3) Enter 4722# as the password.
4) You should be able to hear the meeting progress through the phone.