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In this issue:
1. Stelco Development - Meeting Nov. 30
2. Parkdale-High Park All Candidates Meetings
3. Community Event - "Ask the Arborist"
4. Healthy Community Survey

1. STELCO SITE DEVELOPMENT - Threat or Opportunity?
Consultation Meeting, November 30, 7pm Swansea Town Hall, 95 Lavinia Avenue.

We've mentioned this development before in our newsletter, and there is much more information on our website (www.world19.com or http://webhome.idirect.com/~jleeson/stelco_main.htm).

This would easily be the largest single development the area has seen. It involves 800-1000 housing units, consisting of low-rise town homes and some high rise (possibly 3 towers between 15 - 25 stories) with 2000 - 2500 people. It's bound to have far-reaching effects on our community, on everything from traffic, recreation, lakeshore access, schools & transit to aesthetic and other impacts on how we see the community. Most people are aware of other past issues that have resulted in wide spread public concern -- often after the fact. Meow Club, Bloor Street changes, the Ellis Park condominium, development on the shore of Grenadier Pond, etc. Now is an opportunity to influence something before it happens.

There have been a number of meetings with the developer (REON), the facilitator (TeleCommons) and some community members over the past few months. The developer plans to submit plans to the City in December. November 30 is the last community consultation meeting before then. (There will be other large public meetings in the new year).

The developer says they want this new neighbourhood to be a part of Swansea -- so the more we can let them know what this area is, and how it works, the more we can reinforce what we treasure about this area.

Many -- including world19 -- believe that diversity of housing style and size and price are what make successful communities, and are a tradition in the area. This is one of many issues to discuss.

We strongly encourage anyone interested to learn more about this development (from our website, or contacting the developer), and attend the Nov. 30 meeting. Below is a notice about the meeting from REON Development:

REON Development Corporation Stelco Swansea Works Development

COMMUNITY INPUT TO THE SWANSEA WORKS SITE DEVELOPMENT (REON Development Corporation - November 10, 2000)

REON Development Corporation has begun engaging community members in planning the development of the Stelco Swansea Works site on the Queensway between Ellis Ave and Kingsway South. This property is on the doorstep to the Swansea Community. To find out your ideas, you, the people living in Swansea, have been brought into the planning process for the site. A number of productive meetings have been held where many of you contributed excellent ideas to be sure that the site design reflects your Community values. This has provided valuable information for REON in the planning of the site.

You have formed Focus Groups to discuss specific site development issues important to the Swansea Community. These Focus Groups have been great, and you have captured important ideas that we can now incorporate into the planning process. For example, ideas on: - general site planning and design, - how to ensure the development blends into the existing Swansea Community, - details on landscaping/parkland/general street-scape design, - how to improve access to the lakefront, and - how to best handle the problems of growing traffic density, including street modifications and improving services of the TTC.

We know how valuable your time is, and that more meetings are not anyone's idea of fun. We are indebted to you for providing your valuable ideas and expressing your concerns. We look forward to more input over the next several weeks.

Now REON would like as many of you as possible to attend the Open Community Meeting at the Swansea Town Hall on November 30 from 7:00PM until 10:00PM. We want to listen to your ideas so they can be considered in the planning process. We would like your feedback on how the ideas you have given us have been incorporated into the development of the Swansea Works site.

This November 30 meeting is by no means your last chance to voice your ideas. In early December, REON will be submitting plans for the site to the City. Before we get comments from the City about the plans, two open community meeting will be held early in the New Year where you can see the plan submitted to the city, and have another chance for input.

In the mean time, if you have further ideas, or simply want more information about the proposed development of the Swansea Works site, please feel free to contact REON through either Mr. John Davies (416-961-5995) or Dr. R. Willes (416-565-9278, or by e-mail at rwilles@attcanada.ca). We need your ideas, and really want to hear from you.

Minutes from the Focus Groups are available on the World19 Website at www.world19.com. If you would like to receive the minutes by mail or FAX, please contact Helen Aitkin at 519-822-8385, Ext 265.

 

2. FEDERAL ELECTION:
Remaining Parkdale-High Park All-Candidates Meetings: Tue. Nov. 21 7:30pm, Fern Ave. Public School. 128 Fern Ave (east from Roncesvalles; 5 blocks north of Queen) Sponsored by Roncesvalles-MacDonnel Residents' Association.

Wed. Nov. 22 7:30pm, Humbercrest Public School 14 St. Marks Road. Sponsored by Warren Park Residents' Association

Thu. Nov 23, St. John's Anglican Church 288 Humberside Avenue

3. COMMUNITY EVENT
Bloor West Eco-Village & LEAF present a Free Workshop "Ask the Arborist" Tony Fleischmann Certified Arborist, Board Member of International Society of Arboriculture Supervisor of Planning & Protection, City Forestry, North District

Trees not only beautify our neighbourhoods, they also help save energy and improve air quality. Learn how trees function and how to minimize the stresses they face in an urban environment. Bring your own tree-related questions!

Tuesday, November 21, 2000, 7.00 p.m. Swansea Town Hall - Rousseau Room 95 Lavinia Avenue

This event will provide an opportunity for individual residents, as well as community groups, to learn how to protect and enhance the urban forest on their own property and in their neighbourhoods.

For more information or to pre-register (optional) call 416-413-9244 or visit www.leaftoronto.org

4. HEALTHY COMMUNITY SURVEY
We recently received an email questionnaire from Tanya Wylde -- a student doing an assessment of "what makes a healthy community". She is focusing on Bloor West Village. Since we always try to encourage community information and awareness, we thought we'd pass this questionnaire on. We can't print the full text in the newsletter, but we have it on our website (www.world19.com or http://webhome.idirect.com/~jleeson/healthy_community_survey.htm). If you want a copy of it in email form, you can get it from us, or from Tanya trwylde@hotmail.com.

The following is her introductory note:

Who I am, and what I'm doing..

I've recently graduated from Waterloo University with an Honours BSc in health. I'm now in my first year at the Canadian Naturopathic College of Canada. I'm carrying out a healthy community assessment as a course assignment and I chose the Bloor West area (borders Bloor/Keele-Bloor Jane including High Park). I went to Runnymede High school and really liked that area. So for this course assignment, the goal is to determine all the resources in the community that contribute to health and to determine all the things that have been or are detracting from this community's health.

So if you could answer these questions with your own opinion it would be great! Thanks so much!

Tanya Wylde trwylde@hotmail.com

For world19,
John Leeson

world19:
Supporting citizen involvement in our community and its future.
Phone: 416 766-8605
Fax: 416 766-0578
email: world19@world19.com
web: www.world19.com