The new agreement will see the rink open for community hours starting at 11:30am (rather than 4:30pm) every weekday. City Staff have told me that they expect the new, expanded hours will start within a couple of weeks. I'm grateful to Trustee Shelley Laskin for her strong support and assistance.
I have also asked City Staff to update, the very out-of-date, rink website as soon as the changes are operational.
Majority of Glebe Manor Lawn Bowling Club to, yes, Become a New Public Park!
As many of you are aware, a developer purchased the Glebe Manor Lawn Bowling Club property (196 Manor Road East) from the Club’s Board, with the intent to build townhouses on the site. I am delighted to report that my motion directing Parkland Acquisitions staff to negotiate with the owner to purchase the property for the City has been successful. While the City was not able to acquire the entirety of the former lawn bowling club, 4/5ths of the site (1,138m2) will now become a public park with only one proposed townhouse.
Keeping this space green is very important to our community. That's why I worked closely with local residents and City Staff to acquire this property since this issue came to my attention two years ago. This has been a very difficult challenge but we were resolved to create a park.
I look forward to continuing to work with the local neighbourhood residents to design the park later this year. I'll send out a notice when we're ready to proceed with the creative design phase!
Today’s announcement is part of our strategy to address the dearth of green space in our growing Midtown community. This includes the acquisition of a new park last year at Manor Road United Church (240 Manor Road East), which also avoided another townhouse development on local green space.
Glen Edyth Park Playground Improvements Public Meeting
Please join me on Wednesday, January 13 at 7pm to discuss exciting, new playground improvements for Glen Edyth Park.
The meeting will take place in the Theatre Room at the Toronto Archives (255 Spadina Road) and will give you a chance to review several new playground design options with myself and Parks, Forestry & Recreation staff. I hope to see you there!
Free Toronto from the OMB Town Hall Meeting
The Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) is a quasi-judicial, un-elected and un-accountable provincial body that has the final say on all planning decisions in the province of Ontario. The tribunal's powers to overrule decisions made by our elected municipal representatives are anti-democratic and often lead to planning decisions that support the interests of the development industry over those of our communities and our city's Official Plan.
As you are aware, our Midtown neighbourhoods are facing an unprecedented number of development applications. While our community understands that a reasonable amount of intensification is appropriate, developers are proposing new condominiums that are too high and dense for the neighbourhood and, in many cases, appealing to the OMB at the first opportunity. The provincial government is mandating higher densities in areas such as Yonge & Eglinton but they are not taking into consideration the added stress on fully-enrolled schools, narrow streets and sidewalks, and an already over-crowded subway system.
On Tuesday, January 26 at 7pm I'll be hosting a town hall meeting to discuss - and take action on - this important issue facing our community and city. The meeting will take place at North Toronto Collegiate Institute in the Commons area (ground floor, north end).
The event will consist of a panel format, with time reserved for Q&A with the audience. Aside from myself, panelists will include:
- Peter Baker (former Co-Chair, Federation of North Toronto Residents' Associations)
- Peter Milczyn (MPP, Etobicoke-Lakeshore; former Toronto City Councillor)
- Kerri Voumvakis (Director of Strategic Policy & Analysis, City Planning)
I hope to see you there! In the meantime, you can learn more about my efforts to free Toronto from the OMB, and how you can help, here.
SAVE THE DATE: Councillor Josh Matlow's 2016 City of Toronto Budget Town Hall Meeting
On Thursday, February 11 at 7pm, I will be hosting my 2016 Budget Town Hall for Ward 22 residents. The meeting location is still to be determined. I will update you on full event details in an upcoming e-newsletter.
The City of Toronto's budget will affect virtually every City service and your feedback is very important to me. I hope you will be able to attend.
If you would like more information on the proposed 2016 City of Toronto Budget in advance of my Town Hall meeting, please click here.
Community Skating Party with Josh Matlow, Rob Oliphant & Carolyn Bennett!
I'm excited to be co-hosting a community skating party with our local MPs, Rob Oliphant and Carolyn Bennett at Hodgson Ice Rink (East of Mt. Pleasant, on Davisville behind Hodgson school). Please join us from 1pm to 3pm on Sunday, February 7 for a fun, family-friendly afternoon with free coffee and hot chocolate.
I look forward to seeing you there!
Toronto Seniors Forum is Recruiting New Members - Get Involved!
The Toronto Seniors Forum is a diverse group of Toronto residents age 60 and above. The group is sponsored by the City of Toronto's Social Development Finance and Administration Division. The Forum is comprised of 22 members who meet monthly to examine, advocate, and advise on seniors' issues that matter to older Torontonians.
Experience opportunities to advocate for change on issues that matter, develop an age-friendly Toronto and network with other seniors organizations.
For more information, please visit the Toronto Seniors Forum website. You may also contact Tina Peach at 416-392-8630 or [email protected]
To complete the online application, please click here.
Help Decide the Future of the Gardiner Expressway East
Waterfront Toronto invites you to join them at an upcoming public meeting where you can comment on the results on the evaluation of the alternative designs for the Hybrid option for the future of the Gardiner Expressway East.
Waterfront Toronto and the City of Toronto are jointly carrying out the Gardiner Expressway / Lake Shore Boulevard Reconfiguration Environmental Assessment (EA) and Integrated Urban Design Study. The EA will determine the future of the Gardiner Expressway East and Lake Shore Boulevard East, from approximately Jarvis Street to approximately Leslie Street.
The Hybrid option was endorsed by Toronto City Council as the preferred alternative for the Gardiner Expressway East on June 11, 2015. The upcoming public meeting will present the results on the evaluation of the alternative designs for the Hybrid option, as well as urban design concepts for the study area.
You can attend the upcoming public meeting or participate online. If you are unable to attend the meeting in person, you can watch a live webcast of the meeting atwww.gardinereast.ca and submit your feedback on the same website.
Meeting details are as follows:
Date: Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Time: 6:30pm – 9pm, Open house begins at 6:30pm; presentations at 7pm
Location: The Bram & Bluma Appel Salon, Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street, Toronto (Bloor Street subway station)
Parking: Paid - parking lots on Cumberland Avenue, Asquith Ave and Church Street
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessibility is available at the main entrance
Please register at: http://gardinerexpresswayeastpublicmeeting5.eventbrite.ca
For more information or to be added to the project mailing list, contact
[email protected], or call (416) 479-0662.
To learn more about the project please visit www.gardinereast.ca or follow us on Twitter @GardinerEast
Parks and Recreation Facilities Master Plan
As the City works towards developing a Parks and Recreation Facilities Master Plan, City staff are working to engage residents in the process through an online survey. If you wish to provide your thoughts and opinions on Toronto's parks and recreation facilities, and to learn more and submit your feedback, please click here.
Recycling & Collection Calendars
All residents, whether you live in a house or apartment/condo will have received a calendar in December 2015. The calendars contain important information about proper waste disposal and include a pull-out recycling guide.
If you live in a house and have not received your calendar by mid-December 2015, please contact 311. If you live in an apartment/condo and have not received your calendar by mid-December 2015, please contact your Property Manager.
Here Comes the Snow!
With winter now upon us, we wish to share some information related to snow clearing on roads and sidewalks. Expressways and main roads are salted as soon as the snow begins, and plowing begins as the snow accumulates.
Local road plowing begins when the snow stops and if the snow accumulation reaches eight centimeters. During this time, snow service requests will not be taken by 311 and residents are asked not to call 311 during the storm to ask when their street will be plowed. Residents should call 311 to report urgent winter-related calls only.
The City has identified a priority network of bike lanes and cycle tracks in the downtown core that will receive enhanced winter maintenance this winter, including snow plowing and salting to improve safety for cyclists.
Finally, the City will clear snow from sidewalks on roads with high pedestrian traffic and on routes where it is possible to do so after two centimeters of snow has fallen. Property owners are required to clear their sidewalks of snow 12 hours after a storm has taken place. I am advocating for much better service on midtown sidewalks to improve accessiblity.
To learn more about sidewalk snow clearing,please click here.
Proposed Developments in Ward 22
To ensure that you are informed and engaged about development proposals that are being proposed for sites near your neighbourhood, I've created an interactive webpage with locations, staff reports and public meeting notices. Please click here to learn more about what you can do to help free Toronto from the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB).
For ongoing council and community news, my contact information, along with a calendar of events, please visit www.joshmatlow.ca. Click here to read my previous city hall and community updates.
