I have been working closely with our community and City staff on the Midtown in Focus study to create a framework for coordinated improvements within the Yonge Eglinton area. The Midtown in Focus Parks, Open Space and Streetscape Master Plan adopted at City Council on August 25, 2014 can now be found here.
February 13, 2015
City Centre Mirror
Justin Skinner
Faced with a dwindling congregation and a surplus of space, Manor Road United Church has decided to put the Davisville Village community first.
A couple of years ago, the church decided to sever its land and sell a portion off to help renovate its sanctuary space. Rather than automatically looking for developers to buy it up, the church is working on a deal with the City of Toronto that would see the land converted into green space.
“We could have sold the land to developers for housing for seniors, condos or townhouses,” said Manor Road United Church Reverend Debra Schneider. “Councillor (Josh) Matlow had a meeting regarding the (Manor Road) Lawn Bowling Club and we had a couple of members there. They became aware councillor Matlow had funds available for park land and we started discussions from there.”
The church, at Manor Road East and Forman Avenue, will use the money to revamp its 90-year-old sanctuary space. The funds from the city will help make the space accessible and will allow for the installation of glass partitions to help convert it into a mixed-use space that can be rented out.
Dear Residents, Keeping you updated regarding community and City Hall issues is a top priority to me. When there are emergencies such as last winter's ice storm or today's power outage, I work to ensure that you have current information on what actions are being taken. Since learning of the power outage this morning, I [...]
Dear Residents, At 10:30 am today, power went out from Eglinton south to Wellesley and Spadina east to Yonge. With the extremely cold weather that's been forecasted for this weekend, I was very concerned and immediately contacted the Office of the President of Toronto Hydro for an update. I've been advised that both Toronto Hydro [...]
February 10, 2015
The Globe and Mail
Oliver Moore
An attempt to get more information about the controversial subway proposal for Scarborough was quickly squelched at Toronto city council Tuesday.
Councillor Josh Matlow had put forward a series of "administrative inquiries" asking about costs, ridership projections and other key issues. Some of the answers he got from staff fell short, he argued, and he sought to have the questions referred for further debate.
February 10, 2015
CBC News
Toronto city council voted this morning not to send questions asked by Coun. Josh Matlow about the Scarborough subway extension back to the executive committee, effectively ending any possibility of reopening the debate.
Late last month, Matlow submitted the questions to city staff and council, which focus largely on the sunk costs of the project and how Mayor John Tory's SmartTrack plan might affect ridership.
Council could have voted to forward the information to the executive committee, who could have then theoretically decided to reopen the debate about the controversial project. Instead, they voted to receive the information, essentially meaning it will go no further and will remain shelved.
One thing John Tory said he didn’t want to see happen in 2015 was a rehashing of the 2013 debate over building a subway in Scarborough.
But that is what is likely to happen this week if St. Paul’s Councillor Josh Matlow gets his way.
Matlow was one of the most vocal opponents of council’s 2013 plan to scrap a provincially funded light rail line to replace the crumbling Scarborough RT line running east from Kennedy Station with a three-stop subway line.
Matlow had questions about the plan then, and in 2015, after the election of pro-subway Mayor John Tory, Matlow has more. Broadly speaking, five more.
February 9, 2015
Toronto Star
It’s widely understood that Toronto’s planned Scarborough subway extension is a bad deal for the city. But residents don’t yet know how rotten it really is. It’s time they found out.
Councillor Josh Matlow is endeavoring to fill in the blanks at a city council meeting starting on Tuesday. Relying on a rarely used provision in council’s rules, he has submitted five “administrative inquiries” demanding answers from staff on key subway-related questions. The public would be well-served if Matlow succeeds.
It’s remarkable how much still remains unknown about an ill-judged decision that had a fully funded, ultra-modern, seven-stop light-rail line replaced by a three-stop subway that will cost the average Toronto household a total of at least $1,200 in additional property tax.
February 9, 2015
Toronto Star
Jennifer Pagliaro
More than year after council voted to build a subway instead of light rail in Scarborough, it remains unclear how many people will actually ride it and what it will cost to operate.
But on Monday, Mayor John Tory said he wants stay the course on the subway plans, brushing off questions over a lack of information ahead of s council meeting this week.
“I’m committed to is the present plan for the Scarborough subway, I believe it is the right thing to do,” Tory, who promised to make the subway a priority during the campaign, told reporters after touring a TTC maintenance facility Monday. “I don’t want to re-open this debate and go back to do what we do so well in this city — which is debate things to death.”
February 5, 2015
Toronto Sun
Shawn Jeffords
TORONTO - The controversial Scarborough subway project will be back on the docket at city council next week, with one of the project’s opponents demanding answers to key questions about ridership and financial viability.
Councillor Josh Matlow, who represents Ward 22 (St. Paul’s), has asked for clarification on a number of aspects of the planned project from city staff in a series of five so-called “administrative inquiries.”
He said he hopes that those questions will help provide councillors with key pieces of information on the three-stop subway project.
“Let’s get real,” Matlow said. “Let’s have this conversation based on facts and then take action based on facts. So my intent is not to re-open this debate. My intent is to get transit to as many Scarborough residents as possible at the quickest possible date.”
