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"For a dose of
reality, visit world19.com"
(New, Jan. 20, 2008)
As a result
of our
public forum on Toronto held last October,
world19 received media
coverage in the Globe & Mail, and on CIUT, and CBC radio, among other
outlets. Recently (the January, 2008 issue), the Bloor West Town
Crier's columnist, Greg Hamara wrote a column about us entitled "Web folk back in action here".
He
began, "world19.com is back in orbit, and not a moment too soon for
residents and neighbourhoods of west Toronto". He discussed our
recent public forum, our history and other activities, as well as our
"pioneering" use of the Internet for communication.
"They are not a single-interest organization out to stop something --
unless by stopping, we mean public apathy about issues affecting our
familiar neighbourhoods, as well as the sprawling urban mess stretching
beyond".
He
concluded by warning residents about putting much stock in political
handouts and glossy newsletters from local politicians. "Don't be
fooled by their spin. For a dose of reality, visit www.world19.com".
Click here for the full article (PDF
file - about 500K - requires Adobe or Adobe reader) |
Update, Nov. 2:
Annette Bike Lanes PASS at City Council, Oct. 30:
See our
Annette page for more info, including a
report from that night's City Council meeting. Councillor Bill
Saundercook still believes the community wants something it doesn't
want!
On this page:
Bloor Street Developments:
- Tridel (2500 Bloor) site: Public input sought on potential development
scenarios (Update, Nov. 2)
- Tridel site: meetings Nov.
4 & 6
- The Humber block: meeting Mr. Bitton (Update: Sep.
10)
Jane St. LRT Proposal: updates
(updated Sep. 10/08)
New residents group (north of Bloor,
west of Jane) (Update Aug 27)
Update on High Park Poison Incident (new,
June 28/08)
Earth Hour in the Village
(updated Apr. 16/08): report
& photo gallery
A tree in the Village
(Apr. 26/08)
world19 & Toronto's fiscal crisis
(Oct/07): our public forum
Don Jennison 1927-2005 (Apr/05) one of world19's
founders
Bloor West Village Urban Design Study
(May/05)
BLOOR STREET
DEVELOPMENTS
Old Mill car dealership/Tridel development
(2500 Bloor)
(updated Nov. 3/08)
Public Input sought (new, Nov. 2)
This coming
Thursday, November 6th will be the fourth and final meeting of the Tridel
working group regarding the development of the Old Mill car dealership at
2500 Bloor St. (See notice below). The purpose of this meeting is to discuss
community feedback on four proposed building scenarios. You can find these
scenarios that basically depict four different types of 'massing' in the
"Meeting Three Presentation" document, along with an "evaluative toolkit" on
this page of the 2500 Bloor website. Also see the "Meeting Three
Notes" for details of the working group discussion, including specification
of height detail.
As many of
you know, this relatively large development site sits rather strategically
between the Humber River valley and the commercial activity of Bloor West
Village, making it an important transition point between these two very
different environments. It is otherwise neighbour to several low rise
apartment/condo buildings and marks the south end of a continuous flow of
single family houses to the north. It is also at a point on Bloor St. marked
by already difficult traffic flow features around the Jane/Bloor and S.
Kingway/Bloor intersections.
These are
some of the key macro features of the site context that we think are
important to keep in mind throughout your consideration of the scenarios.
You will find these points and all other information previously discussed by
the working group on the 2500 Bloor web site.
Your ideas
and opinions matter. This is your chance to be heard prior to Tridel's
submission of a development application to the city. This type of
opportunity for community input early in the planning process is still
relatively uncommon and we encourage you to take advantage of it.
We do
apologize for the short notice, but please send us your comments asap and
we will carry your voice to the November 6th meeting. We will be pleased
to receive any and all comments whether or not they are based on the
evaluation categories suggested in the toolkit. In fact, it would be useful
to know if you think there are evaluation categories or criteria that are
missing from the toolkit as it stands.
As you'll see
in our 'events' section, the Swansea Area Ratepayers Association is
consulting with their community via a meeting on November 4th at the
Townhall. All community members are welcome to attend. And we remind you
that all community members are welcome as observers at the final Tridel
working group meeting on the 6th, again as noted in the 'events' section.
We hope to
hear from you soon!
2. Meetings: Nov. 4 & 6
There will be two meetings this week on the development:
a) The
Swansea Area Ratepayers Association (SARA) is hosting a public meeting
to collect community input on the scenarios posted by Tridel (see above
item).
SARA also
sends the message, "We Need Your Participation!"
Tuesday, Nov.
4, 7:15pm
Swansea Town Hall, 95 Lavinia Ave
Council Chamber (2nd floor)
7:30-8:00:
Brief Presentation of Development Options
8:00-8:40: Breakout & Feedback Sessions
8:40-9:00: Consensus Summary
b) Tridel
Working Group Meeting: Nov. 6
The final meeting of the group mentioned above will be held on Thursday,
Nov. 6, 7pm at the Old Mill Inn. Room TBA. Meeting participation is for the
Working Group, but everyone is welcome -- and encouraged -- to attend.
Background
Tridel
plans to develop the large site currently occupied by
the Old Mill car dealership and the office building between the two car
lots, although there are no detailed plans yet announced. The
formal site application will be submitted this fall, which will be
followed by at least two city-required public meetings.
However, in advance, Tridel has
initiated some community consultation
regarding the site, creating a Working Group consisting of area organizations: world19,
Bloor West Village Residents Associations, Swansea Area Residents
Association, Old Millside Residents Association and the Bloor West
Village BIA, as well as a new residents group
(Bloor-Jane-Humber Residents), covering the area between Jane, Bloor, Humber River and Humberview. (See
note below). The City Councillor, city
staff, and other resources are also participating; it is being
facilitated by Office for Urbanism who did the same for the 2004/2005
Bloor West Village Urban Design Study.
Although official participation
in the Working Group is limited to representatives of these groups, the
public is welcome to attend as observers. We encourage anyone interested
in local development issues to do so.
Website for the
development:
Tridel has created a website (see links below)
that will document the proposal and process; you can
also sign up for email or RSS updates. It will be
updated as the consultation process continues.
The website includes
the document provided at the initial working group meeting (July 28),
with extensive background on the application process, relevant
development and zoning issues, notes about the site as it relates to the
City's Official Plan and the 2005 BWV Urban Design Study.
Links:
The Humber Block:
Update, Sep. 4: Meeting Mr. Bitton
(Updated
Sep. 10)
Visitors to this
website, and subscribers to our newsletter know that we have been
puzzled and concerned about the large-scale acquisitions along Bloor
(the Humber Block, the medical building at 2150 Bloor) by
a Claude Bitton -- about whom we had
been unable to find information, whether through Councillor
Saundercook, Tridel, or others. Our concern wasn't
over the acquisitions, or possible development plans themselves, but
around the apparent lack of information about the purchases or purchaser
or his plans.
As
well, the increasing shabbiness of the Humber block (a half-empty block,
"featuring" an increasingly grimy theatre, and Billy Bob's windows egg-splatterd
for weeks), as well as the loss of doctors' offices in 2150 Bloor (so
close to the Grenadier Retirement Home), were all cause for concern.
Another serious
issue, was the problem of dealing with the Tridel site in isolation,
when it's clear that we all need to know how both the Tridel and Bitton
properties will be developed, in order to deal with common issues.
Fortunately, at the
Sep. 4 Working Group meeting for the Tridel/2500 Bloor site, Mr. Bitton,
with several others from his company showed up as observers of the
process. We met and talked with Mr. Bitton, both at
the meeting, and subsequently. He does plan to attend the subsequent
Working Group meetings, and professes interest in the public process.
We
will provide more updates and news very soon...
Meanwhile, for some older notes on these and other development sites
along Bloor, see our
Bloor develpment page.
JANE STREET LRT PROPOSAL
(updated Sep. 10/08)
The city has proposed a Light Rail Transit (LRT)
route for Jane St., to run from Bloor to Steeles. It is part of Toronto's planned "Transit City" network.
(See
map of full plan). The Jane route would intersect with the Bloor
subway, and other proposed LRT routes along St. Clair (extending the
current route), Eglinton and Finch, and terminate at the planned
northern extension of the Spadina subway at Steeles Ave.
This route would likely be served by
new, longer streetcars, although most details are not yet decided
(e.g., location, frequency of stops -- a balance between
speed/efficiency and ease of access to stops). Given the
narrowness of the roadway, and minimal frontage on the southern end of
Jane St., running part of the LRT underground is one option.
The city is in the midst of extensive
analysis of options over the next several months. There were two recent
Open Houses held regarding the Jane proposal. See links below for
details of the presentation.
Public information/feedback:
City staff is soliciting feedback as a result of the Open Houses.
Comments are to be returned by Sep. 12. (See last page of the panels
linked below).
Another open house will be held Sep.
22 at the Centennial Recreation Centre West. This will focus on the Jane
and Eglinton LRT's. See the Jane LRT webpage below for details. The next
Jane LRT Open House will be held this fall, partway through the City's
evaluation of options.
Links:
A NEW RESIDENTS GROUP
Covering the area north of Bloor, between Jane & the
Humber River: (tentatively: The Bloor-Jane-Humber Residents)
Update from our
Aug. 27 newsletter
Our last newsletter
http://www.world19.com/newsletters/?p=3
noted the upcoming development (by Tridel)
of the existing Old Mill Pontiac-Buick site and the consultation
process recently established with various
community organizations. We also reported a notable gap in that process:
the residents in the area immediately surrounding the development site
weren't part of the consultation process, which
was specifically oriented to community organizations. As there
was no residents association established in that area, that
neighbourhood wasn't at the table.
world19 raised that issue with the other
members of the working group, and with support from some
others in the group, blanketed the area with flyers recently, and
connected with a large number of residents interested in the issue. As a
result, a group of area residents has now come
together, established an email communications network and are preparing
to join the existing members of this working group.
The resident group that met
this week is interested and enthusiastic about
working together on the issue. For more information, or if you
would like to be connected with them, you can email them at
bloorjane (at) gmail.com. (Note: this is to cover the area north
of Bloor, and between Jane and the Humber, outside of the Langview /
Humberview / Humbercrest "triangle" area
which
are part of the Old Millside Residents
Association area).
UPCOMING
EVENTS:
HIGH PARK:
Update on High Park Poison Incident
(new, June 28/08)
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
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
- By cheque or money order, made out to "High Park Dog Memorial
Fund" 165 Vine Ave. Toronto, Ontario, M6P 1V9
- 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
EARTH HOUR IN THE VILLAGE
 March 29th
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 4th
to discuss the possibilities. If you
would like to join us then, or just stay
connected, contact Christopher Holcroft
at Chris Holcroft
(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.
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.
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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
significant 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
SAVE THE
VILLAGE
Information & background on this 1999 campaign.
WORLD19
More about us & our activities.
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