Community Update for July 15, 2015

Update on Midtown Power Outages


I've heard from many of you that recurring power outages over the past several months have been disrupting your daily lives, from resetting alarm clocks to damaging electronic devices. My family and I have also been affected by these outages and share your frustrations, not only about the inconveniences they can cause but also the dramatic increase in the frequency at which they are occurring compared to past years.

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I have made repeated requests to Toronto Hydro, asking them to share all information available about the cause of these outages and what is being done to reduce their frequency. Toronto Hydro has been slow to respond to my inquiries but I will continue to demand answers and action on behalf of our community.


Yesterday, I spoke directly with staff from the Office of the President at Toronto Hydro, who informed me that they too are “concerned” about this situation. However, they told me they don't know the cause of many of the recent outages, and even suspect their reporting system for service interruptions may not be reliably identifying all incidents.


I have made it clear to Toronto Hydro that this answer is unacceptable.


As a result, senior Toronto Hydro staff are now mobilizing crews to investigate this matter further and hopefully provide more helpful information shortly.
I will be sure to share their next update to me with you via my e-newsletter and website.


If you continue to experience outages in the meantime, please contact Toronto Hydro directly at 416-542-8000.


Help Support a New Davisville Community Hub


As mentioned in my last newsletter, The TDSB is looking to rebuild Davisville Public School but is required by the provincial Ministry of Education to generate the funding needed to pay for the new facility through a land sale on the current site. I have been working closely with Davisville parents and local residents on a plan to transform this site into a Community Hub.


Please see the note below from local parents and community members to learn how you can get involved:

Davisville Public School is a TDSB priority to be rebuilt in 2020 and they plan to sell an acre of land to fund it.

Davisville Hub is a new community group working together with a mandate to ensure that this land is developed to serve and meet our community needs rather than to build more condos. The Davisville Hub community group is connecting with all levels of government and private funders to encourage them to partner and invest in a community hub.

The group is seeking your input for Ward 22 as it is the only ward without a community centre, yet have the highest number of tenants.

Your input would be greatly appreciated to identify the programs and services that would best benefit you and your family. Thank you!


The survey can be found at:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LBBHYL8


-       Davisville Hub Community Group


Thelma/Spadina (Forest Hill Village) Parking Lot Update


From July 13th through mid-September, the Toronto Parking Authority will be doing work at their surface lot at the corner of Thelma Ave and Spadina Road. They will be demolishing the home just to the north of the lot and will be rebuilding the entire site to provide an additional 11 spaces. Also, there will be some streetscape improvements that are being cost-shared with the Forest Hill Village BIA.


Alternative parking options include the Heathview Condo parking lot on Heath Street, west of Tweedsmuir.


For additional information please contact the Toronto Parking Authority at 416-393-7275 or go to the Forest Hill BIA website at http://foresthillvillage.ca


Roycroft Park Trail Improvements


Parks, Forestry and Recreation are beginning improvements to the trail and main entry at Roycroft Park. The following improvements will rejuvenate the park and trail running from Winston Churchill Park to Boulton Avenue:

  • Restoration of the existing trail, including better drainage to improve walking conditions;
  • Repairs to the current fencing that protects the restored wetlands and new restoration plantings along the southern edge of the trail;
  • Installation of new fencing in other areas as required;
  • Enhancement of the southeastern entrance to Roycroft Park off Boulton Drive; and,
  • Improvements to ensure emergency and maintenance vehicle access.

For more information, please click here.


Interactive Map of Ward 22 Heritage Properties


I'm pleased to announce I have developed the city's first interactive map of heritage properties. This particular map shows all heritage properties located in Ward 22, according to the City of Toronto's Inventory of Heritage Properties
. I hope you find my map enjoyable and informative as a glimpse into our community’s built history and cultural past.


For more information on my efforts to preserve our city’s heritage, please see this article
.

Have your say on Toronto's Long Term Waste Management Strategy


Don't miss this opportunity to share your ideas on how the City should manage its waste in the future:

The City needs and welcomes your input. Find out what the Waste Strategy is all about by visiting www.toronto.ca/wastestrategy.


The Local Dish – help create Toronto's largest collection of local food recipes


A new City of Toronto initiative called The Local Dish invites residents to share their favourite local food recipes and help to build Toronto's largest collection of recipes online. The collection, called The Local Dish, is hosted on Pinterest, a social media platform that makes it easy to share recipes and photos.


The goal is to encourage residents to choose local food more often, and to educate people about the abundance of fresh and delicious food that is grown in Ontario. The Local Dish also highlights the additional benefits of choosing local food, including support for local jobs and local farmers, and helping to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with food travel.


Each month, The Local Dish will select an "all-star" veggie or fruit – one that is abundantly available in Ontario at that time – and invite residents to share their favourite recipes that feature the ingredient in a prominent way. Residents who submit recipes will be eligible for monthly prizes.


The all-star for the month of July is zucchini.


The Local Dish is also engaging some of Toronto's top restaurants and their chefs who are passionate champions of local food.


Please visit www.livegreentoronto.ca to find out how you can get involved in helping to build Toronto's largest local food recipe collection.


Help Improve Toronto's Municipal Legislation!


Every five years, the provincial government reviews the following key pieces of legislation:

  • The City of Toronto Act, 2006 (COTA)
  • The Municipal Act, 1990
  • The Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, 1990 (MCIA)
  • The Municipal Elections Act (MEA), 1996

These laws set the rules and governance structure for our local governement. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is leading this year's review to assess and identify areas for improvement. An important part of the review process is the consultation process and receiving feedback from the public. For more information and to share your feedback, please visit:


Live Green Toronto Community Grants - now accepting applications!


The Environment & Energy Division is now accepting applications for Live Green Toronto Community Grants.The deadline to submit an expression of interest is September 25.


Eligible applicants include resident associations, parent councils, community groups, not-for-profit organizations and Business Improvement Areas. Please note that individuals and businesses are not eligible to apply.


To learn more, please visit livegreentoronto.ca.


Upcoming Toronto Youth Cabinet Training Session


The Toronto Youth Cabinet is hosting a training session for new members on Saturday, July 25. Youth 13 to 24 may register for the session by clicking
here.


To join the Toronto Youth Cabinet mailing list, where you can find out about youth events and opportunities throughout the city, please e-mail [email protected].


Property Tax, Utilities, and Parking Ticket Information Online


The City of Toronto has introduced three online tools that allow residents to conveniently and quickly access their accounts and profiles for property tax, utilities, and parking tickets. Information such as billing amounts, payment details and status of parking tickets are all easily accessible online. These new tools represent an effort towards more efficient service delivery and the modernization of the City.


Parking tickets can be paid online at toronto.ca/parkingtickets, however, property tax and utilities payments are not yet accepted online.


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.caClick here to read my previous city hall and community updates.

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At Executive Committee on Tuesday, January 28th, Councillor Jamaal Myers and I are moving a motion “Toward Municipal Autonomy and Effective Local Governance” and we need your help! Show your support for a charter city by signing our petition, registering to speak, and submitting written comments for the committee meeting. 

It’s time to start fighting for Toronto’s future. You can register to depute or submit written comments at Executive Committee on January 28th here and you can sign our petition to send a message to your local Councillor and Mayor here

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Every day, too many Torontonians find themselves stuck in traffic gridlock, this is unacceptable. While there are many reasons for this, such as a lack of much-needed transit expansion over generations, along with the continuing need to provide people with more options to get around. I am actively calling for change. Far too many of our city's curb lanes are occupied for 2 or 3 years at a time for construction staging. I don't believe this is acceptable and I am calling for change.

Please read this thoughtful Toronto Star story about this priority.

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