The following notice was issued by the High Park Community Advisory Council - June 27, 2008

There have been numerous reports in the media this week about several dogs becoming sick, and two dying, from poison that they are believed to have ingested in High Park over the past weekend. This is a disturbing and tragic incident, and our condolences go out to the families whose pets were affected.

The following note from John Cleary, Co-Chair of HPCAC's K9 Committee, provides an update on the most recent developments.

Thanks to John and others for their time and dedication in addressing the needs of the police, the media, City agencies and the public during this difficult period.
 

Update from the K9 Committee, June 27/08
The off-leash area is open and awaiting your return.

The police have officially opened the off-leash area today and the tape has been removed from Dog Hill. I attended the opening and my dog, Caeli, was the first to enjoy a relaxing romp around Dog Hill and a cool drink from the water fountain. I believe, but ultimately it is up to the police to determine, that dogs were not the intentional target in this incident. The bread was located a great distance from Dog Hill, in a heavily wooded area outside of the off-leash area that was unfortunately not fenced off at the time. The area is now completely fenced off and our group swept the off-leash area and surrounding woods finding nothing suspicious. Our dog, Caeli, means the world to my wife and I and I would not have let her back into the off-leash area if I thought she was in any danger. When you and your dog return to High Park, I would simply ask that you keep on eye on your dog and use caution.
 

Raccoon deaths
I cannot emphasize enough that these deaths occurred over the last two years and, with rare exception, could equally have been due to natural causes. We merely brought these incidents up with police and Animal Services so that in the future they could be dealt with promptly and properly investigated. High Park is home to innumerable wildlife, including coyotes, foxes, skunks, squirrels, chipmunks, hawks, rabbits, groundhogs and even deer. These species continue to thrive in the park and when you return I hope you have the opportunity to observe these wonderful creatures.
 

Helping those affected by this tragic event

1. Donations to help offset the veterinarian bills for those dogs poisoned recently in High Park can be made:
   At any Toronto-area CIBC branch by providing the branch # 09622 and account #:85-40489
2. By cheque or money order, made out to "High Park Dog Memorial Fund" 165 Vine Ave. Toronto, Ontario, M6P 1V9
3. At the July 6th Fundraiser and memorial walk - check out the K9 webpage for more details (go to www.highpark.org and click on the K9 link)
   

Healing the wounds

Despite the recent media hype blaming one group and then another for this incident, I would strongly caution anyone from pointing the finger at another group in High Park. We are a close knit-community. I don't think any particular group is responsible and these types of allegations seriously harm our chances of building a better park for everyone involved. Furthermore I am confident that the police will investigate any and every possibility.

Let us now focus our energy on comforting those who have lost a valued member of their family and towards building a sustainable off-leash area for future two and four-legged generations to enjoy.
 

HIGH PARK COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCIL
For up-to-date information on various park programs and volunteer opportunities, contact...
* infoline: (416) 392-1748
* website: www.highpark.org
* email: info@highpark.org

 

BLOOR STREET DEVELOPMENTS (updated June 17/08)

(Note: we have begun collecting some of our articles on Bloor development on this page).

Update: June 28/08
We have confirmed that the company planning to develop the large property belonging to the Old Mill car dealership (and the office building between the two car lots) is Tridel. It appears they will be looking for some ongoing community consultation regarding this site, and world19, along with others has been invited to an initial meeting in early July.  We will be providing updates...

June 17/08:
Earlier this year, we noted that the "Humber Odeon block" of Bloor had been acquired by a single buyer. The still-mysterious new owner, Claude Bitton, was a former partner with the Wynn family (as Wynn Bitton Inc.) in the original development proposal for the theatre site. Since then, he has apparently taken sole possession not only of the former Odeon site and all the properties west to Riverview Gardens, but he's also active on the east side of the Village as well.

The two story medical building at 2150 Bloor St. W. (immediately east of the Runnymede Library) was recently purchased by the same Mr. Bitton. At this point, we don't know the ownership or sales status of properties constituting the remainder of that block that runs east to Kennedy Park Rd, but it also appears ripe for redevelopment.

Mr. Bitton's plans for the Humber block and for 2150 remain unknown - as do his background and development history. Enquiries made to Councillor Saundercook about Mr. Bitton and these properties have revealed nothing. Despite the fact that it was the Councillor's office who first informed us of the buyer's name, the response we recently received from Mr. Saundercook was that "All of the information currently available was conveyed at the community meeting which my staff attended on April 30th." [The reference is to the BWVRA public meeting]. However, no information at all about the buyer or his potential plans in fact were conveyed at that meeting. The Councillor knows more than he seems willing to pass on.

(It should be noted that to this point, no new development application has been filed; the only proposal with the City is the original condominium plan for the Odeon Humber site).

In the short term, the prospects for Bitton-on-Bloor are not encouraging. The Humber block remains half-closed.  Billy Bob's and the Fan have now both closed their doors, although as we had expected, it appears that a new tenant will be leasing the location - at least until the block is torn down. To the west, the Old Mill car dealership will be moving to Jane/St. Clair in early 2009; the fate of its large property is still unknown, as is the future of the tenants of the office building located at 2490 Bloor, who have been told they MAY have to vacate by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, the medical future of 2150 appears shaky. Although there are banners advertising space for lease, some existing medical practices have had to leave, and we have heard that potential new tenants who have responded to the advertised availability have declined, based on quoted rental charges. A medical building without medical tenants is not feasible. The ground floor pharmacy's viability depends on those medical tenants, and the residents of the Grenadier retirement home a block to the east, depend on both the pharmacy and the medical offices in the building. This is not an encouraging scenario.

What will be happening along Bloor and when, and how can the community be involved? Those were some of the questions we asked in our April 27 newsletter (see below), and ones which were raised in the 2005 Bloor West Village Urban Design Study, which world19 participated in. (See link to study below).

In February, Etobicoke-York Community Council (EYCC) requested city staff to review that Study, and report back to EYCC regarding "how the study may be applied by City staff to redevelopment projects in the area, including the car dealership site west of Jane Street on Bloor Street West." (See background document here)

At the June 10th EYCC meeting the Information Report was received for information purposes only.

We will continue to pursue this issue, and promote public information and involvement in what may become major changes along Bloor Street.

See other items on our Bloor Development page

Update, June 28/08

The city has somewhat revised plans for the interchange, making some minor changes which will leave most of the ramps untouched, but which will likely make the site somewhat safer.

The ramp from the westbound Queensway to the South Kingsway would be moved and re-designed to make a "normal" 90 degree intersection with the Queensway, and the exit there from northbound South Kingsway to eastbound Queensway will have a stop sign.

Stop signs will also be installed at ramp from the Southbound South Kingsway to westbound & eastbound Queensway. There will still be free-flowing ramps from eastbound Queensway to the Gardiner and to South Kingsway.

The bus stop will be moved eastward from its spot under the South Kingsway and there will be a pedestrian-activated stop light there.

The Queensway will all be two lane, with bike lanes.

This design was presented, and debated at the recent (June 18) SARA Annual General Meeting. SARA will be suppporting this design.

At the same meeting, the issue of a potential stop light on the South Kingsway was discussed. Because of potential problems with turns to and from the proposed "link road" (see below), it may be that a stop light would be the only way to make that new intersection safe. However, the city has consistently turned down the idea -- likely because of impact to traffic exiting the Gardiner.
 

June 17/08:

Another issue which is nearing a critical decision point, and which has also, in the eyes of many, suffered from a lack of proper consultation is the question about a potential redesign of the above interchange.

City web page on the interchange (not updated since Oct. 2007)

Minutes of June 7, 2007 city Open House (PDF)

SARA notice for the July 17, 2007 public meeting, supporting the "Do Nothing" approach (WORD document)

Globe & Mail article about that July 17 meeting (PDF)

BIKE LANES ON ANNETTE & Other traffic issues (updated June 17/08)

Following extensive public support for the full Annette bike lanes, the proposed "St. Johns diversion" seems to have been taken off the table. The Public Works and Infrastructure Committee at its June 4 meeting approved bike lanes along Dupont and Annette from Lansdowne to Runnymede, but sent the question of Runnymede to Jane back to Councillor Saundercook for (proper) public consultation. The matter is to be brought back to the Committee at its October meeting.

See a detailed update plus background on our bike page, as well as copies of the many comments and deputations given to the Committee.

March 29^th  at 8pm was Earth Hour everywhere around the world and it was a definite success here in Bloor West Village with an estimated 500 participants powering down and joining in a candlelight walk along Bloor St. with friends, family and pets in tow.

Read our report of Earth Hour in the Village here, and check our photo gallery.
 

Want to get involved?
Following the walk, there was some discussion regarding possible follow-up initiatives that we might pursue in Ward 13. As a result, several of us are planning to meet on May 4^th to discuss the possibilities. If you would like to join us then, or just stay connected, contact Christopher Holcroft at Chris Holfcroft (at) yahoo.com or send us a message at world19.
 

A TREE IN THE VILLAGE (New: Apr. 26/08)

The Apr. 23 Globe & Mail featured a column by John Barber discussing two magnificent and ancient trees that have both (somewhat miraculously) survived the threat of living in a dense urban environment. One, a 300 year old white oak is located on Jane St. at Weatherell (2 blocks north of Bloor). Here is an article (PDF format) about it, written by local historian Madeleine McDowell.

An excerpt:

The oak was a sapling when the French built their second trading fort, Fort Toronto, in 1749 at the foot of the portage on which the tree stands. It was part of the forest canopy by 1764 when Alexander Henry passed by with a group of Mississaugas on their way to Fort Niagara. It was a maturing tree when fur trader Benjamin Frobisher traveled through the area recommending in a 1784 report that the Northwest Company use the Carrying Place as the preferred route to the West.
 

SPACING MAGAZINE (New: Apr. 26/08)

Spacing has just published its new issue, focused on the theme, “The Car & The City”. We continue to be impressed with the quality and content of this magazine which covers urban issues in general, and Toronto in particular.

Its website (www.spacing.ca/wire) is an excellent source of information and discussion on the urban joys and reality of Toronto (they also recently launched a Montreal page as well). We highly recommend both the online and print publications. (Spacing’s publisher, Matthew Blackett was one of the panelists at our October public forum on Toronto).

Some notes from their website about their purpose:

Public space is at the heart of democracy. It’s where people interact, teach, learn, participate, and protest. …Imaginative and passionate city-dwellers worldwide — and in Toronto in particular — appreciate the endless possibilities that cities can offer…

We launched Spacing in December 2003 to cover the numerous political, cultural, and social issues affecting our lives in the public realm. We want the magazine to be an integral, independent, and unique voice that brings to life the joys and obstacles surrounding Toronto’s public spaces.

The magazine – now published three times per year – recently launched a campaign to double its subscription base, in order to increase its publishing frequency. We highly recommend the magazine, and encourage readers interested in Toronto and urban life and issues in general to consider a subscription.

Visit www.spacing.ca for more information. (Note: locally, the magazine is available at Book City).
 

Spacing is having an official launch of the magazine issue, May 4th at the Gladstone Hotel. Details here.

---

WORLD19 & TORONTO'S FISCAL CRISIS (updated Oct. 27/07)
 

Because of our long-standing concerns about Toronto, world19 jumped into the recent debate about Toronto's financial health. We brought the issue up in our newsletter, and while expressing our opinion about the proposed new taxes, we tied the issue to the more fundamental one about the ongoing sustainability of Toronto, and other Canadian cities, as well as the lack of public information and involvement

We wrote an open letter to Ward 13 Councillor Bill Saundercook, expressing concern about his July vote to defer a decision on the taxes, as well as his lack of information on his position on the issue. That letter attracted attention from residents and the media (but no response from the Councillor). (Our two open letters to the Councillor are posted on this page)

We contacted numerous organizations in the area and city, as well as media, and our efforts were covered in press and radio, and in mid October, organized our own pubic meeting on the issue to involve more of the community on these questions...
 

"How do we build a great city, and how do we pay for it?"

That was the theme of our public forum held on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 7:30 pm at the Swansea Town Hall.  A hundred people were present.  Mayor Miller attended the latter part of the meeting. A discussion amongst panelists was followed by questions and comments from the audience.  The evening concluded at 9:45 following impassioned words from the Mayor in support of the city and its future.

The purpose of the meeting was to provide information, stimulate thinking and start a discussion about Toronto and its needs and potential in the near and distant future.

Our panel featured;
Matthew Blackett, Publisher & Creative Director, Spacing magazine & spacing.ca
David Michael Lamb, City Politics Reporter, CBC Radio News
Neil Thomlinson, Chair, Politics and Public Administration, Ryerson University

Click here for the full meeting report,  and see our Toronto page for other related items.

---

 

NEWSLETTER

We first created the world19 email newsletter in early 1998, and have since distributed over 180 issues of the newsletter, keeping the community informed and involved, and often raising issues not addressed elsewhere.

Many of the newsletters published since 2000 are available here.

---

Some older world19 items:

 

DON JENNISON, 1927 - 2005

One of world19's founding members, Don Jennison passed away on Tuesday, April 26, 2005. A longtime resident of Swansea, and dedicated activist, Don's energy, passion and humour will be greatly missed. We have created a page in tribute to Don, with our memories of him, the text of the homily delivered at his memorial service, and statements of recognition from City Council and the House of Commons. There is also a link to the May 6 Villager column by Luigi Bennetton about Don, and as well, we have reproduced the fine article in the June, 2005 Village Gleaner (courtesy of the Gleaner). A fund raising project has been created at at Morningside-High Park Presbyterian Church in memory of Don, entitled "Don's Coffee Pot". Through this, Fair Trade coffee is available through the church. Proceeds will be used to build a schoolhouse in Kenya in memory of Don. Visit the church website for more information. We knew how strong Don's passion and commitment for social and community involvement was when he was here, so we're not that surprised to see how strong it remains.

---

 

BLOOR WEST VILLAGE URBAN DESIGN STUDY (May 23/05)

The final report of this study (originally referred to as a "Visioning Study") has now been produced. The study was initiated by Councillor Bill Saundercook, and was led by the Toronto firm Office for Urbanism. It involved members of the Bloor West Village BIA, and local residents groups (two members of world19 were part of the Steering Committee).

The purpose was to provide guidelines for future acceptable development along the Bloor corridor in the Village area. While it will have no legal standing, the expectation -- or hope --  is that it will be given signficant weight by City Planning staff and the OMB in future development applications -- including the Humber Theatre site.

 

We hope copies of the study will be made available in local libraries and/or on CD's. In the meantime, we have posted a copy on our website. Be warned however, it's a 9 mb PDF file (requiring the free Adobe Reader software). To download it from our website, click here

 

---

Information & background on this 1999 campaign.

More about us & our activities.

.