world19News #135
November 13, 2003

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A few post-election notes:

In this issue:
1. Electoral congratulations
2. Swansea Library: borrow-a-book day, Nov. 15
3. REON public meeting, Nov. 19
4. Bloor West Residents Association
5. Sarmite's challenges

1. ELECTORAL CONGRATULATONS:
Hearty congratulations to our new Mayor, David Miller. In the days since the election, we continue to see and hear the excitement and hope that many people are feeling. It has been a difficult year for Toronto -- it has been a difficult several years for Toronto. We wish Mayor Miller and the new City Council, good wishes.

(Note: some people are planning to publish an advertisement in the next Village Gleaner congratulating the new mayor, to be signed by supporters from his old neighbourhood. If you, or someone you know would like to join in, you can email us).

Congratulations also to the other successful local candidates: new City Councillors Bill Saundercook and Sylvia Watson, re-elected public school trustee Irene Atkinson, and separate school trustee Barbara Poplowski.

2. SWANSEA LIBRARY: USE IT OR LOSE IT - Nov. 15
Swansea area residents know of the on-again, off-again threats to close the Swansea Memorial Library. Budget discussions will begin in January, so once again, the smaller neighbourhood libraries may be viewed as cost-saving targets. This week is the week of Remembrance Day, and readers probably know that the library is a memorial to Swansea residents who died in the world wars.

Library supporters have been urging residents to adopt the philosophy "Use it or lose it". Any library item can be requested through your local library -- so walk on in.

We received the following notice this week:

Borrow-A-Book Day
Saturday November 15, 10am to 1pm
Swansea Memorial Library Main floor,
Swansea Town Hall, 95 Lavinia Ave.

Special Swansea guests will read from our favourite children's books

- sale of new & used books
- Bert & Gert will share their Stay Alert Stay Safe safety message
- the 155th Brownies will sell their NEW chocolate mint cookies

3. REON DEVELOPMENT: Public meeting Nov. 19
We received this notice yesterday:

REON (developer of the former Stelco site) is proposing to increase the height of its East Tower by seven storeys – from 23 to 30.

Your input and views are important. Plan to attend and voice your concerns

Reon has been invited to make a presentation

Time: 7:30 PM Wednesday Nov. 19th Place: Swansea Town Hall, 95 Lavinia Ave.

Sponsored by the Swansea Area Ratepayers Association

4. BLOOR WEST RESIDENTS' ASSOCIATION
We recently mentioned one reader's interest in forming a residents' association north of Bloor. We've heard from a few people interested, and we hope this will get off the ground. If you would like to get in touch about this, drop us a line.

5. SARMITE'S CHALLENGES?
We reported recently (newsletter #132) about the rumoured intentions of soon-to-be-former Ward 14 Councillor Korwin-Kuczynski challenging MP Sarmite Bulte for the Parkdale-High Park federal Liberal nomination. We continue to hear that KK is interested (perhaps the two of them discussed it while mainstreeting with John Tory last weekend), but we've also heard that Ms Bulte may be more worried about a challenge from the Paul Martin side.

As local readers know, Ms Bulte owes her nomination to Jean Chretien's selection of her in 1997. She has been a Chretien loyalist, and in the leadership campaign, has remained a supporter of Sheila Copps. However, reports are that the Martin camp seems eager to control as much of the Liberal Party as possible, so Ms Bulte may be in double-trouble. (Recently, there had been a fight over the PHP Liberal Association presidency, between a Bulte loyalist (who won) and a Martinite). As well, she is still considered by some in the riding as a parachute candidate with tenuous roots locally.

So, the name we've heard as a potential riding candidate could provide some interesting opposition: Borys Wrzesnewskyj, owner of Future Bakery. He's also president of the Etobicoke-Lakeshore Liberal Association (well, it's closer to PHP than Forest Hill...), as well as Chair of the Ukrainian Canadian Liberal Committee -- and a vocal Paul Martin supporter.

As a final related note, readers may have seen some media reports about Ms Bulte's greeting to the Prime Minister at his Parliamentary farewell. Some in the vicinity were surprised to hear her comments made in front of the media. As reported in the Nov. 6 Globe & Mail she thanked the PM for "asking her to run and protecting her nomination”.

There may be interesting doings in the next few months.

For world19,
John Leeson

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