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We always encourage people to send us comments, ideas, as well as information
about events or issues affecting our community.
We haven't published a newsletter in about a month, and
meanwhile, our "news desk" has been piling up. We thought of clearing out the
outstanding 2002 items in a catch-up issue, but a few items will have to wait for our
first 2003 issue.
But first, best wishes to all our subscribers for a happy,
healthy, safe and peaceful 2003. We hope everyone enjoys whatever holidays you may be
celebrating this season. And thanks to everyone who has sent us news, comments and ideas
over the past year(s).
In this issue:
1. Hopeless happenings at City Hall
2. High Park: make a gift to the Park
3. Political notes:
- 2003 happenings, mayoral race
- Holiday gatherings
4. Medicare/Romanow
- online petition
- Jan. 22 public meeting
5. Developments: REON & Southport
6. Local music club gets noticed
1. HO HO Hopeless? (Horrible?)
The Toronto Computer Leasing Inquiry is on break, and resumes hearings January 7.
For those interested in the goings-on at City Hall, eye-opening details are available,
verbatim at www.torontoinquiry.ca.
For those who care about how this City works, this inquiry
has been a sad peek at how shabbily we all have been treated. From Mel's opening
performance ("Too stupid for words", said Tom Walkom in the Toronto Star),
to the sales methods of MFP, it all makes fascinating reading.
Perhaps most depressing is how this "leadership"
has been foisted on us by the long-standing backroom pupeteers of Toronto, including Paul
Godfrey, and super-lobbyist Jeffrey Lyons. (Lyons has so far evaded the police net for his
role in this scandal, and his apparent election finance violations; however a number of
councillors have written to the Ontario Attorney-General, and to the chair of the Toronto
Police Services Board demanding an investigation into how the OPP decided Lyons' actions
constituted only a "technical" violation of the law).
We may have more comments in the New Year.
2. HIGH PARK
a) Make a gift to our community
The busy gift-giving season may be over for many people, but here is an idea you
may want to consider: a gift to help sustain one of our community's treasures. The note
below was sent to us by the High Park Citizens' Advisory Committee:
We are pleased to announce that the High Park Citizens'
Advisory Committee has been designated a Charitable Organization and granted tax exempt
status as a registered Canadian charity. This means we can now issue tax receipts for
donations.
The HPCAC operates a number of programs in High Park,
including Walking Tours, the Volunteer Stewardship Program, the Nature Centre, the HYPE
youth program, Park Watch and Children's Events.
Currently our main funding priority is to support the
first-ever winter program at the Nature Centre, which will be targeted at students from
Grades 1 to 7 and high school groups. Judging by the success of our first fall program
(served 2200 students and planted 7000 acorns), we are confident that the winter program
will meet a real need for easy-to-access, high-quality outdoor education within the City
of Toronto.
The Nature Centre staff, with support from our Committee, are
in the process of submitting applications to various foundations and other funding
sources. However, until these efforts yield results, we need to ensure that we can meet
our payroll costs and other operating expenses over the next few months.
If you would like to make a donation, please send a cheque
payable to: High Park Citizens' Advisory Committee
and send it to:
High Park Citizens' Advisory Committee
95 Lavinia Avenue, Box 108
Toronto, Ontario M6S 3H9
Be sure to include your full return address so that we can
send you a tax receipt.
Your donation will be put to immediate good use in helping to
secure our new winter program at the Nature Centre. If you prefer, you may request that
your donation be directed to another program area.
** Please pass this message on to others who may be
interested in supporting our work in High Park.
b) High Park Walking Tours
The HPCAC has published their schedule of winter walking tours, held most Sundays
at 1:15pm, beginning January 12, and running until April 13. We have it posted at www.hpcac.world19.com, or see the
next item:
c) New High Park website
The High Park Citizens' Advisory Council now has their own website. Visit www.highpark.org.
3. POLITICAL NOTES
2003 looks to be a banner year for those interested in politics: 3 federal
leadership races, plus a municipal and (probably) provincial election. For those in Ward
13, we'll get a close look at the mayoralty race (David Miller is expected to formally
declare his candidacy in January), and therefore also a possible wide-open race for his
Council seat.
Co-incidentally or not, Councillor Miller has created a new
website (www.davidmiller.org). (The other,
all-but-declared candidate Barbara Hall has her own website: www.friendsofbarbarahall.com. It's a
"non-campaign campaign" website). The current issue of Toronto Life has
an article by John Lorinc about the conflicting campaigns of Miller and Hall.
David Miller's site has link that will allow you to subscribe
to his email newsletter. http://www.davidmiller.org/newscity.asp
The most recent newsletter contains an invitation to his "New Year's
celebration" on January 8, at the new Bambu restaurant (owned by one of the owners of
the now-departed Bamboo on Queen).
Wed. Jan. 8, 7pm, 245 Queen's Quay West.
Closer to home, MPP Gerard Kennedy is holding his annual New
Year's Levee:
Sat. Jan 4, 1:30-3:30pm
Parkdale United Church, 171 Dunn Ave.
For more info, 416 763-5630.
[NOTE: The following notes were sent in a
subsequent newsletter (Jan 2)]
First, re: Gerard Kennedy's New Year's Levee: This year, the
event will also include presentation of Queen's Jubilee Medals to "several
outstanding and often unsung members of the Parkdale-High Park community".
The recipients will be (the notes below are from the press
release from Gerard Kennedy's office):
Irene Atkinson, over 30 years of community service as school
board trustee and advocate for students needs, former board member of Queen Elizabeth
Hospital.
Posthumously, the late James Bell, a devoted volunteer and
community activist in virtually all aspects of Swansea who officially was the manager of
the Swansea Town Hall Community Centre and unofficially the heart of the Bloor West
Village.
Dorothy Gray, who has extensively volunteered with the Metro
Toronto Police and especially with the Community Station on Queen Street and has done a
great deal of work with needy children and their families in South Parkdale.
Aurora Meliton, former chair of May Robinson Apartments
Tenants Association and the inspiration behind and driving force behind the creation of
the “Garden of Eden” for seniors.
Also receiving the medal are: Sargeant Catherine Bergeron,
member of the army reserve; Annette Blonski an exceptional volunteer with the Parkdale
Activity and Recreation Centre; Mitch Chuvalo, teacher at Western Tech and coach and
mentor to teenagers in High Park; Michael Foderick leader in the movement to create a Bike
Path through west Toronto, member of U of T’s “Metropass Task Force” to
decrease TTC fees for students; Mel Grief, 33 year teacher from Humberside C.I. and winner
of the 2001 Governor-General’s Award for Excellence in teaching History, Richard
Metzloff, disability rights activist; Sgt. Michael Moir member of the 48th Highlanders of
Canada for 28 years; Albina Polatunska, long time member of the Polish Congress and
community volunteer; Dianne Sullivan, exceptional teacher at Parkdale Collegiate; Luong
Tran, long time organizer in the Vietnamese community; Corinne Weisenberg, food program
organizer; and Ruslana Wrzesnewskyj active in international relief for children.
Again, the details of the levee are: Parkdale United Church,
171 Dunn Ave, Sat. January 4, from 1:30 to 3:30pm
The awards will be presented at 2:30.
4. HEALTH CARE NOTES
We've received several emails recently from subscribers regarding the Romanow
report and the possible federal and provincial responses to it.
First, a note about an "e-petition", and then a
local public meeting
a) Electronic petition
(The original of this note came from the Canadian Health Coalition)
Dear friends of Medicare,
Crucial decisions that will affect our future will be made in
the forthcoming First Ministers' meeting on health care planned for early 2003. Prime
Minister Chrétien and the Premiers must hear strong and loud the voice of Canadians who
are eager to strengthen Medicare.
We urge you to sign the online petition that we have created
demanding full implementation of the Romanow Report recommendations. It only takes a
minute! Please access the petition at: http://www.petitiononline.com/romanow
Please distribute this email as widely as you can - this is
the most important thing you will do today! If you host a web site, make sure to place a
link to the petition prominently in your homepage. For analysis and information about the
Romanow Report, go to: http://www.healthcoalition.ca/.
For inquiries about the petition, please contact: implement_romanow@yahoo.ca
b) Public meeting - Jan. 22
MOBILIZING FOR HEALTH CARE REFORM - Implementing the Romanow
Report -
Wednesday, January 22 at 7:30 pm
Speakers:
Thomas Walkom - Toronto Star columnist and expert on world health care
systems
Dennis Howlett - Healthcare researcher for KAIROS
Political representatives will be invited.
You are needed to send a message on MEDICARE at this critical
crossroads in Canadian history.
Sponsors:
St James United Church Justice Working Group and KAIROS (Canadian Ecumenical
Justice Initiatives)
400 Burnhamthorpe Road
Childcare will be available.
Directions: 1.5 blocks east of the 427, south side, turn in
at the Ladybug Daycare sign and park in the back. (First exit driving either south or
north on the 427 marked Burnhamthorpe
Subway: Transfer at islington stop to a Burnhamthorpe 50 bus
and ask the driver to let you off just before the East Mall (approximately a 10 minute
ride).
5. DEVELOPMENTS
Updates on 2 major developments
a) REON/Stelco
At www.stelco.world19.com, we have minutes of the most recent committee meeting
(Nov. 18). Information on development and remediation activity, sales progress, public
art, odour, dust and air quality concerns. Also, some photos taken of a model of the east
site development.
Note that there will be a public open house on the
development, Monday January 13, at Swansea Town Hall. Details to come.
b) Southport plaza
We have a report of the most recent committee meeting (Nov. 25). As are other
meeting notes on our website, this was written on behalf of the Ripley Area Residents
Group. As described in these notes, this consultation process started poorly, and has
deteriorated since then. According to this report, Georgian Homes has pulled out of the
consultation process. See www.developments.world19.com.
6. LOCAL MUSIC CLUB
Came across the following quote recently in the Globe & Mail about
local live music club, Hugh's Room (on Dundas, just south of Bloor). This was in a review
of a show by local group, The Henrys: "Such subtle variations would have been lost in
most Toronto clubs, but the attentive crowd and superb acoustics at Hugh's Room let them
be heard with perfect clarity. This has to be the best small room for music in the
city." Robert Everett-Green, Globe Dec 6/02
I can highly recommend the club; it has been open less than 2
years, but its reputation is spreading as an excellent venue for live music. Good
sightlines, acoustics, comfortable seating (they also serve dinner). The club began with a
focus on acoustic & folk music, but has developed a wider range of shows. See www.hughsroom.com. They also have a weekly email
newsletter.
For world19,
John Leeson
world19:
Supporting citizen involvement in our community and its future.
Phone: 416 766-8605
email: world19@world19.com
web: www.world19.com |