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

Yesterday, the City of Toronto announced that the ActiveTO major weekend road closure along Lake Shore Boulevard West will be in place for the first time in 2021 this weekend.

Weekend road closures to vehicles will also be in place along Lake Shore Boulevard East, Bayview Avenue, and in High Park to make more space for people.

By opening Lake Shore Boulevard West this weekend for people to be active, the City is taking advantage of lower than usual traffic volumes while the provincial Stay-at-Home order is in effect.

City staff will actively monitor traffic congestion on all routes this weekend. Work is already underway to plan and adjust signal timing at the intersection of Windermere Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard West, as well as at the intersection of Leslie Street at Lake Shore Boulevard East. Paid duty officers will be positioned at key intersections along Lake Shore Boulevard West to allow for safe access to roads on the southside of the roadway.

The following closures will be in place beginning Saturday, May 15 at 6 a.m. until Sunday, May 16 at 9 p.m.:

• Lake Shore Boulevard West (eastbound lanes only), between Windermere Avenue and Stadium Road
• Lake Shore Boulevard East (eastbound lanes only), between Leslie Street and Woodbine Avenue
• Bayview Avenue, between Front Street East and Rosedale Valley Road, as well as River Street between Bayview Avenue and Spruce Street
• Roads through High Park remain closed to vehicle traffic each weekend to allow people to explore the park while practising physical distancing. (Please note this takes place from Friday at approximately 11 p.m. until Monday at 7 a.m.)

ActiveTO routes are closed to vehicles, but open to people on bikes and pedestrians. Residents planning to use ActiveTO routes or visit High Park should do so only with members of their own household and are asked to access them by bike or on foot because due to limited nearby parking and no on-site parking available.

City staff are planning a closure of Allen Road on June 5 as well as reviewing the potential for other weekend closures along Black Creek Drive and roads within the Exhibition Place.

Residents continue to be encouraged to stay close to home and explore the many paths, ravines, and hydro corridors with trails throughout Toronto that are open and available every day for fresh air and exercise.

Bike Share Toronto stations are available along ActiveTO routes. Enjoy unlimited 30-minute station-to-station trips, while your pass is active. Download the PBSC app for a contactless way to get started.

ActiveTO was designed in response to COVID-19 to provide more space for people to practise physical distancing while outside, support the overall wellbeing of residents and to quickly connect and expand Toronto’s cycling network by installing safe, separated temporary bike routes that mirror major transit lines.

Learn more about ActiveTO at www.toronto.ca/ActiveTO.

WTJHS is a volunteer organization of local history enthusiasts. This year the WTJHS is celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Society’s incorporation as a non-profit charitable organization.  It is led by the Executive which includes all standing committee chairs and six elected executive officers: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Recording Secretary and Correspondent Secretary.  At this time they have 3 vacancies on the executive – President, Treasurer and Membership Secretary

For additional questions about any of these roles, please reach out to the Nominating Committee at junctionhistorical@gmail.com.

The City of Toronto is developing regulations to allow residents to build garden suites on residential properties in the city.

A garden suite is a housing unit, usually located in the backyard of an existing house, but separate and detached from the main house. Garden suites, like laneway suites, are generally smaller than the main house on the lot and are intended to function as a rental housing unit.

The City is gathering input from the public and industry stakeholders about how to best allow the construction of garden suites in Toronto. As part of the City’s work developing appropriate regulations for garden suites, matters related to privacy, shadowing, parking requirements, and protecting trees and green spaces are among those being considered.

Public input from current and potential future residents of low-rise neighborhoods, as well as from other stakeholders, is important to better understand these and other matters.

The public can learn more, ask questions, and provide their input on garden suites by attending a virtual meeting or taking an online survey. The following three identical virtual meetings will be held:

• Tuesday, May 11, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Call-in access code: 133 839 0853
• Wednesday, May 12, 1 to 3 p.m., Call-in access code: 133 604 7460
• Thursday, May 13, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Call-in access code: 133 919 6218

Participants must register in advance to attend one of the virtual meetings. To register, visit the “Meetings & Events” section at www.toronto.ca/gardensuites. The public can also attend these meetings by phone by calling 416-915-6530 and using the call-in access code for one of the meetings.

The results of this study and public input will inform regulations and recommendations to City Council to permit garden suites across the city.

The Garden Suites study is one of several studies that the City is leading through its Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods initiative.

The initiative is to facilitate more low-rise housing in residential neighbourhoods to meet the needs of our growing city.

The City is working to expand housing forms in Toronto, ranging from duplexes to low-rise walk-up apartments. All these housing types can be found in many parts of Toronto today; however, there are currently limitations on where they can be newly built. The initiative is one solution among a range of City initiatives to increase housing choice and access and create a more equitable, sustainable city.

Join me on Monday, May 17 at 6:00pm as we discuss what is happening in the Junction and Runnymede North community

To attend please register at: bit.ly/2QIMKUl

Dear friends and neighbours,

Despite the hardships our city, world, and community currently face, the Junction community is continuing to grow.  New developments have been proposed, transportation changes are coming into effect, and our parks and gathering spaces are playing new roles as we look towards our post-COVID future.

Throughout the City, communities are working together to bring new ideas to the table. Our own Junction Residents Association has reformed and expanded, and are looking to play a leading role in the future of our community.

I invite you to join me, and our friends at the JRA on May 17 for my next Virtual Town Hall. These rotating Town Halls are your chance to address what is happening in the community, and what changes you would like to see as we move forward.

Best regards,

Gord

We all have a responsibility to help reduce the single-use plastics that are damaging our world. Join us for a conversation about what our local governments, businesses and even individuals can do to play their part.

On April 20, Councillor Gord Perks and Parkdale High-Park 4 Climate Action presented a Ward 4 virtual
town hall and discussion.

Panelists for the event included

• Councillor Gord Perks
• Emily Alfred, Toronto Environmental Alliance
• Tina Soldovieri, Roncy Reduces
• Dipesh Shah, Canary and Fox
• and Adrianna Couto, Inwit

Here is the recording of the town hall –

The City of Toronto has recently concluded a trial to test the use of smaller sidewalk snow plows. The goal of the trial was to determine whether sidewalk snow clearing could be expanded to include areas of the city that do not currently receive mechanical clearing as part of the City’s winter maintenance program.

More information is available at toronto.ca/sidewalktrial

You can also learn more about the trial by attending a virtual public information event.

Event Details

Monday, May 10; 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Focus areas:

• Parkdale-High Park
• York South-Weston
• Davenport

Meeting access code: 133 155 7578

Register here for the event.

Multi-tenant houses are an important part of Toronto’s affordable rental housing stock, providing single-room accommodation to diverse communities including students, seniors, new immigrants and residents with low to moderate income.

The existing zoning and licensing regulations for multi-tenant houses have not been updated since amalgamation of the former municipalities in 1998 and as a result, are inconsistent.

The City is proposing the creation of a comprehensive city-wide zoning approach and enhancements to licensing and enforcement to enable regulatory oversight that will support safe, liveable, well-maintained and affordable multi-tenant houses across Toronto.

The City of Toronto is inviting members of the public to provide feedback on the proposed regulatory and compliance framework for multi-tenant houses, commonly known as rooming houses.

The public can provide feedback on the proposed framework by attending a virtual meeting on May 4 or 11, or by answering a questionnaire online or by phone.

The City is also inviting community organizations to host their own virtual consultation to collect feedback. Eligible groups can submit a simple proposal to apply for a grant to help cover the costs of the consultation. The deadline to apply for a grant is April 30, and a Do- it-Yourself Meeting Toolkit will be available for download online in the coming week.

The City will also be hosting workshops to get feedback from key stakeholder groups, such as tenants, owners and operators of multi-tenant houses, post-secondary schools and students, area residents groups and housing-related agencies and organizations.

For more details on how to get involved and the proposed regulatory and compliance framework, visit www.toronto.ca/MTHreview.

Nominations due Sunday May 16, 2021

Friends of High Park Zoo (FHPZ) is seeking inspired and motivated volunteer board members to oversee the activities of the organization for 2021 and 2022. 

Although High Park Zoo is temporarily closed due to COVID-19, they are moving forward with the Master Plan Zoo renovations. Recently, High Park Zoo has been awarded $2.6M in capital funding from the Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) to complete major infrastructure improvements. With other exciting projects on the horizon in greening the Zoo, public art, education, community outreach, partnerships, fundraising and charitable status, the Board is busier than ever!

In 2021, the Board is seeking candidates with experience in the areas of Graphic Design, Financial Acumen, Grant Writing, Development and Project Management (Construction), and Legal and Governance Matters to help realise FHPZ’s Master Plan, Fundraising and Community Outreach goals. Priority areas are explained in greater detail in the Experience section on our website.

If you are eligible and believe you align with the Vision, Mission and Values of FHPZ and have the passion and experience to be an effective Board member, please apply by submitting your resume and a cover letter by Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time. References may be requested.

All applications must be submitted electronically to: info@highparkzoo.ca

For eligibility and additional details, please visit our website.

ANXIETY – Friend or Foe?

Thursday, May 13, 7 p.m. Free Online Event, hosted by Windermere United Church

Join Andrew Poulos, M. Ed., for a conversation on understanding and addressing anxiety. Andrew is a Registered Psychotherapist who helps students and adults actively manage mental health challenges. In this one-hour conversation, Andrew will unpack anxiety, how it affects us, and share practical tools for its management.

Register to participate in the conversation by Zoom here: https://forms.gle/XKZ53o5stuxRmEGq7

Or watch as we broadcast the event live at Facebook.com/WindermereUC

The Garden Suites Study is one of several studies that the City Planning Division is undertaking to expand housing options in Neighbourhoods as part of the Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods (EHON) work program (EHON website), endorsed by City Council in July 2020.

Public engagement on Garden Suites is currently underway with the Garden + Suites Survey and a series of virtual community consultation meetings where residents can learn more, ask questions, and share comments about Garden Suites. Details below.

Meeting Details:

Tuesday, May 11, 2021; 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Wednesday, May 12, 2021; 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Thursday, May 13, 2021; 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

These meetings will be Online and phone-in only. To join pre-registration is required at http://www.toronto.ca/cpconsultations

Additional information about the Garden + Suites study is available at the study website.