Glebe Manor Square and the Belsize Parkette will be receiving improvements such as tree planting (to increase forest canopy) and regenerating the well worn paths. A second community consultation meeting for these parks was held in Spring 2014.
The Hodgson artificial ice rink was closed this year as a result of two ammonia leaks in two years. The Hodgson rink was over 30 years old and there is no doubt that it’s infrastructure needed to be completely replaced. With the rink closed, I worked closely with many dedicated parents to build a natural ice [...]
I’m delighted to report that my motion was approved to name the playground at June Rowlands Park in honour of the celebrated, Toronto-based children’s music and entertainment trio, Sharon, Lois & Bram. The official playground sign was appropriately created in the shape of an elephant. On May 10, 2014, we celebrated the playground naming ceremony [...]
Our community's campaign to stop unfair rent increases has kicked into high gear. My motion to request the province to eliminate Above the Guideline Increases (AGIs) for basic upkeep and repairs passed Council in February 2014. Please read this Toronto Star article for more information and to learn how you can take action against spiraling rent increases [...]
Update on Addressing the Roots of Youth Violence: I am pleased to announce that, after nearly a year since I first moved a motion at Council to create this strategy, the final report to address the roots of youth violence, titled the Toronto Youth Equity Strategy, was supported unanimously by my colleagues at Council in February [...]
July 22, 2014
Mark Byrnes
CityLab at The Atlantic
A huge flashing sign from a shuttered record store in Toronto gets a new home after a lengthy preservation battle.
A 2009 photo of Sam the Record Man's flagship store just before the building was demolished and the signs were put in storage. (Mark Byrnes)
Surrounded by buildings as tall as they are often uninteresting, few places in downtown Toronto attracted as much attention as the stand-alone record store that once stood at the corner of Yonge and Gould Street.
Since selling its final CD in 2007, Torontonians have been waiting to find out what would happen to the flashing neon discs that used to lure them into Sam the Record Man's flagship store for nearly 40 years. The property's new owners initially agreed to incorporate the storefront into their construction plans. After reneging on that promise, city officials were able to finally secure the storefront's fate earlier this month—on top of a mid-rise tower one block away.
A nationwide chain, Sam's was ubiquitous across Canada while it lasted. Founded by Sam Sniderman (who helped create the Junos, Canada's music awards), the company started with a single location in Toronto in 1937 before eventually growing to more than 100 stores across Canada by the 1990s.
July 11th, 2014
Metro News
Mayor Rob Ford and Councillor Doug Ford attempted Friday to trash the Eglinton Connects streetscape plan as a “war on the car,” despite a move to ease the impact of the remodel on motorists.
The brothers’ arguments failed to gain traction with council, which voted 26-7 for the plan.
It calls for wider sidewalks, more trees, bike lanes and other amenities, while shrinking through traffic to one lane in each direction between Mount Pleasant and Avenue Rds.
The makeover would take place as the $5 billion Eglinton Crosstown LRT line, now under construction, opens in 2020. The line will run for 19 kilometres in total with 11 kilometres underground.
Council was told the LRT eliminates the need for nine bus routes that now travel on Eglinton to the Yonge subway, opening up more space on the street for cars while encouraging more people to use transit.
July 10th, 2014
Shawn Star
Town Crier
A midtown mutiny might be in the works as eight shareholders of the Glebe Manor Lawn Bowling Club look to oust the club’s board in an attempt to stop the property from being sold to a developer.
The group, which includes three past presidents and a former board member of the 91-year-old Eglinton Avenue East and Mt. Pleasant Road area club, say they are prepared to go to court after president Phil Foubert failed to call a shareholders meeting by the July 8 deadline demanded in a letter sent on July 2.
Past president and current shareholder Wally Raynor, one of eight signatories on the letter to Foubert, said a lawyer retained by community members to fight a suspected but unverified sale of the club property to developer Michael Volpentesta will likely be seeking “to have an injunction placed on the sale of the property.”
NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING WHEN: Tuesday, July 29th, 2014 at 7pm WHERE: Grace Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Road SUBJECT: Proposed Re-development at 377 Spadina Road Dear Resident, As your local councillor, keeping residents informed and engaged is a priority for me. I have heard from many residents who are interested in receiving more [...]
Eglinton Connects As you know, work has begun on constructing midtown's underground Crosstown LRT stations. Today, Council approved Eglinton Connects, a long term plan to beautify Eglinton with wider sidewalks, new planters and well-designed public space. Council also considered changes to the Official Plan to facilitate redevelopment in areas such as the West Mall and [...]
