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Citizens Concerned About the Future of the Etobicoke Waterfront

Updated: Dec 1, 2024

What's Up - 2011 Archive

What’s New

Shoreline Rehabilitation at CSSP Construction Update

Report & Photos from our November Bird Walk

Humber Bay Park East Update

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October 30, 2011  Updated Nov. 30th

Toronto Parks Plan

The City of Toronto is developing a new Parks Plan and is seeking public input.  The closest public meeting for South Etobicoke is Thursday, December 1, at Amesbury Community Centre, 1507 Lawrence Ave. W. (Apparently there is an effort to get another meeting closer to this part of the city.)  In the meantime, you can take the online survey.  They say it should take no more than 15 minutes to complete, but there is a section that asks you to select from a list, the parks you have visited in the past year.  It is a huge (alphabetical) list, so if you’re a heavy park user, or just someone who visits places like “Rotary Park”, you will have lots of scrolling and selecting to do.

The “Development of a City-wide Parks Plan” Staff Report recommendations states:

The General Manager of Parks, Forestry and Recreation recommends that City
Council approve the development of a City-wide, multi-year Parks Plan guided by the
following principles:

    1. Parks and Trails as City Infrastructure
    2. Equitable Access for All Residents
    3. Nature in the City
    4. Place Making
    5. Supporting a Diversity of Uses
    6. Community Engagement and Partnerships
    7. Environmental Goals and Practices

The survey reflects those principles in questions around the importance people place on various park services, ammenities and attributes.  Taking the survey should be a worthwhile exercise for anyone concerned about our parks and their future.

Note: the online survey will be ending on December 16th.  Do it today!

Toronto Parks Plan Web Page

Click here to take the survey.

Click here to read the Staff Report.

If you don’t have time to do the whole survey, down load this pdf Parks Features Feedback Form and fax it to 416-392-8565

October 26, 2011

The TRCA have just published a new Fall 2011, Mimico Waterfront Park Community Newsletter, on their website.  It outlines the contruction plan for the next few months and still lists completion as the fall of next year.

You can find out more about the park and it’s history on our Mimico Linear Park page.

October 15, 2011   updated October 31 for date correction

Another of the Park Lawn Road condo developments is coming up for a public meeting on November 8th.  The OMB have already approved high densities on all these sites, but CCFEW’s main concern is the creek and ensuring that a trail system is built in the creek valley.

 Community Consultation Meeting

Tuesday November 8, 2011

7 to 9 pm

Polish Alliance Hall

2282 Lake Shore Blvd. West

Planning application for: 42 PARK LAWN RD42-ParkLawn

The proposed development is a mixed use project consisting of a 41 storey residential building containing 345 dwelling units and a separate 2 storey commercial building adjacent to Park Lawn Road. Access to the site will be from an internal road connecting to a new signalized intersection at 10 Park Lawn Road to the south. A total of 325 parking spaces in four levels of underground parking are proposed with visitor parking both on the surface and in the underground garage structure.

Click here for the official meeting notice.

Click here for the Staff Report.

September 2011

The 51 Lakeshore Drive saga is apparently over (for now).  Dunpar Developments have withdrawn their OMB application to redevelop the site.

OMB Notice

September 2011

Sherway Trail Update:  We have been pushing for months to determine exactly what is holding up approvals for the Sherway Trail extension.  Our efforts to arrange a meeting with MTO have been unsuccessful, but A letter from the Etobicoke-Mimico Creeks Watershed Coalition (of which CCFEW is a member) did receive a response.

The permit to extend the trail under the QEW is on hold pending decisions around widening the QEW in that area.

Letter from the Coalition (pdf)

Response from MTO (pdf)

June 20, 2011

On July 4, work will finally begin on Phase 2 of the Mimico Linear Park.  Today the TRCA officially acquired the final piece of shoreline to allow completion of the long-awaited park.

The construction entrance will be at Superior Ave.  The first phase of construction will be building the armourstone shoreline.  Once that is complete, they will fill the area between the existing shoreline and the armourstone.  The plan calls for the existing gazebo near Grand Harbour to be moved further into the lake and the public area around it to be enlarged.  The area will be closed to the public when work on this section begins later this summer.  Reconfiguring this area is intended to improve traffic flow and reduce pedestrian/cyclist collisions.  Accommodating the diverse needs of trail users and reducing collisions was the hot topic of this evening’s public meeting.  The waterfront parks are victims of their popularity:  there’s no escaping trail congestion on the busy summer weekends.  There’s not enough real estate to give all visitors as much room as they might like on busy days.

To learn more about the park and its history visit our Mimico Linear Park page.

May 17, 2011

Work on Marie Curtis Park Revitalization to Begin This Week

Starting this week, construction of the master plan at Marie Curtis Park West will begin. Construction vehicles will use the existing park road, however access to the park will remain open.
This first stage of construction will include the permanent closure, removal and restoration of the southwest parking lot.  The southeast parking lot will remain open and access to it will be maintained during construction activities.
In the interest of public safety, the construction site will be restricted to authorized personnel only and will remain closed to public access until construction is completed.

The Waterfront Trail will remain open throughout the construction.

You can view the revitalization plans on our Marie Curtis Park page.

May 11, 2011  (edited May 17)

On Monday, there was a public meeting to discuss the latest redevelopment proposal for 11 Superior Avenue (The corner of Superior and Lake Shore Blvd. W.).  We weren’t at the meeting (it coincided with our Annual General Meeting), but from what we’ve seen it appears to generally reflect the vision of the Mimico 20/20 process.

The development is still larger than what is permitted and what many residents feel is appropriate. Click here to view a presentation of an alternative plan.  (2MB pdf)

May 11, 2011

On Monday, in addition to having our Annual General Meeting, CCFEW was honoured as a “Gem of the Lakeshore”!CCFEW-GEM

May 9, 2011

CCFEW’s April Newsletter is now available on-line.  The newsletter was mailed to members last month.  You can read it here.  To get your own (electronic or hard) copy a bit earlier, consider becoming a member.  You’ll also be helping cover the cost of our work!  (We are 100% volunteers, but it still need to spend money on printing, postage, and maintaining this website.

March 10, 2011

LEAF – Local Enhancement & Appreciation of Forests

Full Service Backyard Tree Planting Program

LEAF is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the protection and improvement of the urban forest. Since 1996, LEAF has helped citizens plant over 16,000 native trees and shrubs in their neighbourhoods.

Their Backyard Tree Planting Program offers native trees and shrubs to homeowners at a subsidized cost through the contribution of their supporting partners. Their certified arborists will help you make an educated decision about the type of tree that best suits your property, and where it should be planted.

Their service includes:

·         30-minute site consultation with our arborist
·         5 to 8 foot tall native tree
·         Between $150 to $200 per tree
·         Full planting service

Native shrubs are available for $25.

To book a consultation or to order shrubs visit www.yourleaf.org or call 416.413.9244
Leaf_BYTP_Feb2011
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March 9, 2011

HIGH WATER SAFETY BULLETIN

Toronto and Region Conservation advises that Environment Canada is

forecasting a weather system that may bring significant rainfall amounts to the

Greater Toronto Area. Snow will begin this afternoon, but will quickly turn to rain

and will continue through to Saturday morning.

Expected rainfall amounts will increase water levels in rivers and streams and

cause them to become fast flowing, creating dangerous conditions. In addition,

most of our ponds and small lakes are still covered or partially covered with

melting ice. Slippery and unstable stream banks and the extremely cold water

temperature can lead to very hazardous conditions close to any water body.

Please be aware of unsafe conditions, and exercise caution in areas near

streams and rivers. Please alert any children under your care of these dangers

and supervise their activities.

This High Water Safety Bulletin will be in effect through Sunday, March 13, 2011.

For more information please contact the on-call Flood Duty Officer at 416.661.6514.

February 13, 2011

lakeviewPlans for Inspiration Lakeview will be presented this week.  These are the plans for the waterfront immediately west of Marie Curtis Park.  There were several complaints at the meeting in November, discussing proposed enhancements to Marie Curtis Park  that we weren’t seeing what was planned for the Arsenal Lands next door.  Although a master plan was developed and approved several years ago, the scope of those plans has increased through the Inspiration Lakeview process.

February 12,  2011

Creek Time, the newsletter for the Etobicoke Mimico Creeks Watershed Coalition has gone electronic!  Click on the image below to check it out.
CreekTime

February 11, 2011

Not sure exactly when it happened, but Google Maps now gives directions in Toronto for TTC, cycling, and walking.  The public transit option has been there for a while, but it finally works in Toronto!

February 6, 2011

Have you ever wondered why wetlands are important?  Have you ever wanted to explain it to someone else?  Do you want to learn more about wetlands and the water cycle in a clear, easy to understand format?  Conservation Ontario has a great series of graphics and animation on all of these subjects on line.  Click on the image below to start learning!
Wetlands

January 20, 2011

This just in from the City of Toronto Planning Department:

    City Planning is pleased to announce the return of Urban Strategies Inc. to complete the final "vision-to-implementation" phase of the Mimico 20/20 Project.  As many of you now know, Urban Strategies is an award winning Toronto based, internationally respected planning and urban design firm that has once again assembled an impressive multi-disciplinary team to complete this latest critical task.  You are invited to explore some more of Urban Strategies' work here.
     
    Over the coming months as work progresses, please stay tuned for public events, and you can monitor updates on the Project homepage:    http://www.toronto.ca/planning/mimico2020.htm

You can also find background on this project on our site here.