world19News #127 |
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world19News This e-mail is going to people on the mailing list for world19. If you don't want to receive further notices, please reply to this e-mail with "remove" in the subject. Let us know if you prefer to receive this in "plain text" format. Please forward this to anyone you think may be interested. In this issue:
1. HIGH PARK – Tree Planting invitation –
Sat. May 17 On Saturday May the 17th members of the High Park Citizens’ Advisory Committee will be hosting a tree-planting event in High Park. With the generous support of the ‘Toronto Parks and Trees Fund’ we have been able to purchase over 50 trees and shrubs to help restore a small area of the park. We would like to invite you to participate in this planting event that will take place at the corner of Parkside Drive and Bloor Street West behind the old water fountain between 10:00am and 1:00pm. The event will require lots of digging and will run “rain or shine”, so please come prepared and dressed accordingly. Tools and refreshments will be provided. If you have any questions or concerns, please call Scott at: 416-604-4074
2. JAMIE BELL – Playground renaming ceremony
– Sat. May 24 You are cordially invited to attend a commemoration in memory
of Jamie Bell: The High Park Citizens’ Advisory Committee, Toronto
Parks and Recreation, and Toronto City Council will be renaming the Adventure Playground The Ontario March of Dimes will also be unveiling its first Access Ability Table, a universal picnic table designed to increase accessibility and community participation for all Ontarians. Following the commemoration, the annual maintenance day event for the Jamie Bell Adventure Playground will take place. If you wish to help out, please bring a rake, shovel and gloves. This year we will be moving and raking wood chips throughout the playground.
3. COMMUNITY & PUBLIC SPACE The column cites the apparent increasing tendency of residents to litter, and to belittle the seriousness of it. It concludes:
We [world19] also wonder about the role of our corporate citizens and their contributions to belittling respect for our shared public spaces. Three very recent examples:
b) Caring for public space “This morning, on my way to work, I noticed lot of mess (wet slush) on the sidewalk near [restaurant name]. Most people opted to walk around going on the street. I went inside to talk to the manager who first said that this was someone else that spilled something. However, this is exactly where their truck unloads and all the dirt lead to the back door of their building. Subsequently, the manager was not interested in addressing this problem indicating that she had no detergent to wash it off and that she had to be inside to service customers (which were very few). A subsequent phone call to their head office seemed to get
attention. They promised to address the issue right away. Lets hope for the best.” c) Abusing public space
4. MEGACITY – CITIZEN (UN) INVOLVEMENT While this was going on, over the last couple of months, world19 has been in touch with a group discussing some of the same that problems the city and its citizens have been experiencing since the introduction of the Megacity. The group recently prepared for the same Committee a brief containing three recommendations which centred around: -- The new Council elected this fall should appoint a public commission to review the structure of local and citywide government in Toronto. -- Actions to foster more independent (less political) management of city departments. -- Improvements to Council process. The key to the first recommendation – unlike the little-known city report -- involved a high degree of public involvement and consultation. Outside of financial problems resulting from downloading, the reduction in citizen involvement and distancing of city government have been the biggest negative of the Megacity structure. Based on the above, it doesn’t appear ithat there are local improvements in the offing.
5. ELECTION(S) NOTES The NDP candidate is Margo Duncan : http://www.publicpower.ca/election_2003/duncan.htm; the Green Party candidate is Neil Spiegel. b) City
6. TWO ST. LAWRENCE CENTRE PUBLIC FORUMS ON THE CITY a) “Edifice Complex: Why we care about
Toronto’s architecture” Leading into the 4th annual “Doors Open Toronto”
event (see below). “The good, the bad and the ugly - buildings create the shape of our city. The best architecture reflects design traditions and innovations over centuries and defines our sense of place, pride and well-being. Bad architecture feels like a wasted opportunity” With
b) “Save Our Cities” “Canada's cities are in crisis! Civic leaders say Toronto and other major cities are effectively being starved by senior governments of the financial resources they need to meet their responsibilities and to successfully compete in the global economy.” With:
7. OTHER EVENTS: b) Bloor West Village Art Tour, May 30 – June 1 See http://arttour.info c) Gerard Kennedy public meeting on health care Tue. May 20,
7-9pm Parkdale-High Park MPP Kennedy is sponsoring a public meeting, “Fixing Health Care For Good” with Dr Richard Schabas, MD, former Chief Medical Officer of Health for Ontario, York Central hospital chief of staff and a community panel For more info, 416 763-5630
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