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December 2008
The proposal to redevelop 51 Lake Shore Drive was soundly denounced at the November 28th public meeting. The City Planners made it very clear that they would not be endorsing the plan for 7 new townhouses, but the proposal is still likely to go to Community Council in January. Councillor Mark Grimes also stated that he opposes it and would not support it at council. He further stated, when asked, that he would not support any revised proposal without first referring it back ti the Planning Department.
You can view a pdf of the plans here. It is interesting to note that the drawings are dated April 26, 2007. 6 months before the same developer told us at a public meeting that he had no intention of building townhouses there.
You can find more background o the development further down this page, or at http://www.fiftyonelakeshoredrive.blogspot.com/
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November 18, 2008
Yesterday the Toronto Board of Health unanimously voted to recommend to Council that a Right to Know by-law be passed for Toronto. The issue now goes to Executive Committee and Council and Toronto Env. Alliance are drumming up support!
ACTION ALERT: Tell your Councillor to vote YES to a Community Right to Know Bylaw
Your support is urgently needed by Friday, November 28, 2008 for a precedent-setting initiative in the City of Toronto that will prevent pollution of the environment, neighbourhoods and workplaces while improving the health of its residents.
The Board of Health just voted unanimously in favour of sending the Community Right to Know Bylaw to the December City Council session.
We are now one vote away from a precedent-setting bylaw that would require businesses to publicly report what toxic chemicals they use and release.
This will make the City of Toronto the first government to recognize that community right-to-know (CRTK) leads to health protection. CRTK has been in place for decades in progressive US jurisdictions. It has led to pollution prevention, transformation to green industries, improved emergency response, cost savings for businesses and avoided health costs.
Please send an email to your Councillor urging them to vote YES to right to know.
For your Councillor’s email address or to find out who your Councillor is go to: http://app.city.toronto.on.ca/im/council/councillors.jsp
Here is an email sample letter that you can use:
Dear Councillor,
As a resident in your ward, I urge you to support the public’s basic right to know what toxic chemicals are being used and released in our communities.
In December, vote YES for the Environmental Reporting, Disclosure and Innovation Program.
Thank you.
Background Information:
For Toronto Public Health reports on the bylaw go to: http://www.toronto.ca/health/hphe/enviro_info.htm
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October 30, 2008
CCFEW’S REQUEST TO THE MINISTER OF THE ENVIRONMENT FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF THE CITY’S PROPOSED ICE SKATING TRAIL IN COL. SAM SMITH PARK
As many of you will know CCFEW has asked the Minister of the Environment to designate the proposed ice skating trail in Col. Sam Smith Park as a project to which the Environmental Assessment Act should apply. Our submission is posted on this website and clearly points out the reasons why the City should not proceed.
The Minister is still considering our request and we would like supporters of our position to write to him and tell him why you oppose the skating trail. It is important that letters and emails go to Minister Gerretson as quickly as possible. Please quote the following file # ENV 1283MC -2008-3481 and a copy should go to jeffrey.dea@ontario.ca
Letters should be addressed to:
Hon. John Gerretson, Minister of the Environment
12th Floor, 135 St. Clair Ave. West
Toronto M4P1V5
To email the minister you have to go to www.ene.gov.on.ca/feedback/email_minister.php
But please email a copy of your letter to jeffrey.dea@ontario.ca
(It helps us track support if you send CCFEW a copy as well.)
Plenty of verbal and written support has come to us, but to make it count, it has to go the the Minister of the Environment!
Thank you for your support!
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November 18, 2008 Update
Now we have made it easier to send letters of support!
We recognize that not everyone has the time to compose their own letter of support. While an original letter is best, a copied letter is better than nothing. We have taken pieces from some of the many letters we have received to create a template. You can modify it as you see fit, or just add your name and send it as is. Click on one of the links below to download the template in the format of your choice:
MS Word (.doc)
Rich Text (.rtf)
OpenOffice Text Template (.ott)
HTML (.html)
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October 28, 2008
Trick or treat? There is a new development proposal for 51 Lake Shore Drive. After the proposal to build a huge single family dwelling was withdrawn earlier this year, we assumed it was only a matter of time before a new proposal was submitted. The new proposal is for a 7 unit, 4 story townhouse. There is no Staff Report yet, so the only way to see the whole proposal is to view it in person at the City Planner’s office.
What we know is that it would require both an Official Plan amendment and zoning change. It also involves a modification to the shoreline, which would require a permit from the TRCA. The most significant is probably the Official Plan because 4 of the 7 units are proposed within an area designated as “Parks and Open Space Areas - Natural Areas”. Building homes within these areas is completely contrary to the plan. If this proposal is allowed to proceed, then the Official Plan is meaningless when it comes to protecting natural areas or our waterfront.
The first application got people’s attention, so there is already considerable concern and opposition:
Councillor Mark Grimes has written that he opposes it.
The TRCA comments are strongly opposed to it.
There is even a new blog devoted to it!
To keep informed about the status of this proposal, keep your eye on this site, visit the blog, or contact the Planner,
Update: There will be a public meeting on November 27.
Below is an aerial photo of the site, stitched together from Google Maps images. The site is highlighted in pink.
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October 26, 2008
Two years after it went from being a top priority to the project no one at the City wanted to talk about, a skateboard park for south Etobicoke, is back in the planning process. It will be kicked-off with a public meeting on Monday, November 3rd.
It is truly bizarre how a project touted as a priority for the youth of south Etobicoke completely disappeared for two years after it was decided that it shouldn’t be built at Colonel Sam Smith Park. Back in May of last year CCFEW, along with several other community groups, wrote to the General Manager of Parks, Forestry, and Recreation urging her to to restart the site selection process. We have never had a response. It certainly makes one wonder whether the priority was in fact the skateboard park, or simply building an attraction in Sam Smith Park. That suspicion is only reinforced by the fact that there was $2,000,000 in this year’s capital budget for an ice skating trail at Sam Smith Park. The skating trail is an idea that first appeared in the mid 1990s. Most people had forgotten about it until it showed up encircling the skateboard park in the plans presented in 2006. The skating trail didn’t get much attention at that time, but remarkably, it’s the project that got renewed funding in the capital budget.
CCFEW argued (unsuccessfully) at last year’s budget committee, that this was not a project on which we should be spending money. Part of the argument was that Etobicoke is second only to the former City of Toronto in its per capita supply of outdoor recreational ice. Since there are no skateboard parks in Etobicoke, the mathematics says it would be an infinitely more worthy project.
Hopefully this time, there will be genuine consultation, and the skateboarders will get the kind of facility they were promised three years ago.
For all the details on the public meeting, visit our Activities Page.
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June 18th, 2008
Amos Waites Park Expansion
Last Wednesday, June 11th, there was a public meeting at the Mimico Centennial Library to present preliminary plans for the expansion and enhancement of Amos Waites Park. (This is the small waterfront park at Mimico Ave. & Lakeshore Blvd. W.) The impetus for the meeting is that the City of Toronto has finally acquired the last two properties that separate the east side of the park from Lakeshore Blvd. W. They plan to level these buildings, which will double (or more) the park’s street frontage.
The plan presented was a bit confusing to look at without some explanation, and is sure to change substantially before we see it again. What they are planning in this phase is actually just the section from the street to roughly the end of the existing parking lot. There is a hard surfaced plaza at the street from the existing driveway to Birds & Beans. Directly between the plaza and the lake is a parking lot stretching the same width accommodating approx 33 cars (4 rows). Playground and pool area improvements are further in the future. (I know where there's $1.9 million to do it sooner!)
The clear message from the (surprisingly large) crowd was, "don't put that monstrous parking lot there!" Otherwise, people were happy that something was happening. The City wants to maintain access at the lights, and provide wheelchair accessible parking for Storefront Humber. Councillor Grimes clearly doesn't want to challenge their right to stay in that building, but the question needs to be asked, “Is that the best place for Storefront Humber?” While no one is questioning the value of Storefront Humber, the value of them remaining in that location versus the community benefit of opening more of the park (and the waterfront) to the street should be assessed.
Amos Waites directly adjoins the central portion of the new Mimico Waterfront Linear Park, set to open later this summer.
The key issues for now are how much, if any, parking should be provided on site, and where it should go.
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June 4th, 2008
Here we go again?
Tomorrow, June 5th, there will be a meeting at Father John Redmond Secondary School / Ken Cox Community Centre, where City of Toronto staff will present concept plans for the skating trail at Colonel Sam Smith Park. This is the trail that was mentioned in the Park's Master Design Plan back in 1996, and resurfaced again two years ago encircling the proposed skateboard facility. It's back again, this time without the skateboarding component.
We argued against spending money on this project when we appeared before the budget committee last year, and the reasons are still valid:
- We have repeatedly been promised a citizen's advisory committee for the park. Why are we planning to build more before that committee has been formed?
- It's the wrong project at the wrong time.
- We already have an oversupply of recreational ice in this area.
- The city can't afford to operate the ice we already have. (Remember that the rinks would have opened late last season without a last minute corporate donation.)
- Let's fix the crumbling infrastructure we have before we invest in more capital projects with large (and undisclosed) operating expenses.
- Let's work on higher priority parks like Amos Waites or higher pay back ones like the Arsenal Lands (Mississauga is putting up the largest portion of the cash).
Another concept that we didn't talk to the budget committee about is the idea of building on our strengths. Colonel Samuel Smith Park has developed a reputation throughout the GTA as a place to view wildlife. It is best known for the many species of birds that visit, particularly during migration, but those who come for the birds quickly discover the butterflies, beaver, wildflowers and foxes to be found there as well. The park was designed to contain a wide variety of ecological features and habitats within a very small area. Even the TRCA staff who
designed and built the landfill section were amazed at how quickly areas like the wetland were populated with fish and amphibians. Shouldn't we be building on those strengths and successes rather than fighting them?
One rationalization we have heard for the skating trail is that it will be a means of drawing people to support local businesses. That's a good idea, but again, it's the wrong location. Think about it: it's winter, it's cold, there's not restaurant or store in sight, so you get into your car. Once you're in your nice warm car, you're as likely to drive for 25 minutes as you are to drive for 5. Where you stop is as likely to be halfway across the city as it is to be in the neighbourhood. For that concept to work, you need the businesses to be within sight of the skating area or the parking area.
So, we think the whole concept is a poor use of our tax dollars, and would degrade the park rather than enhance it. Unfortunately, the project can proceed without our agreement, or that of anyone else in the community. It's all City owned land, and it's in the Capital Budget. We'll be there tomorrow to see exactly what is being proposed, to voice our concerns, and to listen to the views of others. We encourage everyone who cares about the park, the community, and the use of tax dollars to come out too. Thursday, June 5th 7:00 pm at Father John Redmond Secondary School / Ken Cox Community Centre.
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