Dear Residents,
We have made a successful effort towards reforming Toronto's planning process. This past week my colleagues on the Planning Growth management committee supported our request to ask Queen's Park to free Toronto from the OMB. Please read details below. I'm also including a variety of updates and public meeting notices for your information.
- Remembrance Day – City of Toronto Ceremonies
- City Committee Unanimously Supports Abolishing the OMB
- Urban Forestry Planting in Roycroft Park
- Avenue Road Watermain Project Update
- Toronto Police 53 Division Annual Town Hall Meeting
- Heritage Town Hall Meeting – Official Plan Review
- Toronto Hydro Town Hall Meeting
- Movember
As always, this is a busy time at City Hall, and my staff and I may not be able to provide a personal response to each and every email we receive. But rest assured, I will read all correspondence you send me. Your feedback is always appreciated and valued.
Sincerely,
Josh
City Councillor
Ward 22 – St. Paul's
www.joshmatlow.ca
1. Remembrance Day – City of Toronto Ceremonies
Every year on November 11, we acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of those who served their country. City of Toronto ceremonies take place at City Hall and each of the Civic Centres across Toronto, as well as Fort York. I will be attending the ceremony at Toronto Old City Hall, and I encourage you to take a minute to reflect at 11:00 am. For those unable to attend an event in person, the Remembrance Day Service at Old City Hall is shown live on Citytv and broadcast live on the radio station Newstalk 1010.
East York Civic Centre - 10:45 a.m.
Memorial Gardens, 850 Coxwell Avenue
Program (PDF)
Contact: Nancy MacSween 416-392-4674
Etobicoke Civic Centre - 10:15 a.m.
Cenotaph - 399 The West Mall
Program (PDF)
Contact: Bev Kurmey 416-392-7805
North York Civic Centre - 10:45 a.m.
George Weston Recital Hall at the Toronto Centre for the Arts - 5040 Yonge Street
Program (PDF)
Contact: Annette Velho-Pereira 416-397-4158
Toronto Old City Hall - 10:45 a.m.
Cenotaph - 60 Queen Street West - Bay & Queen Streets
Program (PDF)
Contact: Idalina Matias 416-392-6745
York Civic Centre - 10:45 a.m.
York Memorial Collegiate - Auditorium - 2690 Eglinton Avenue West
Program (PDF)
Contact: RoseMarie Demarco 416-392-8191
Fort York National Historic Site/Strachan Avenue Military Cemetery - 10:45 a.m.
Garrison Common - 250 Fort York Boulevard
Program (PDF)
Contact: Richard Haynes 416-392-6907 x 223
2. City Committee Unanimously Supports Abolishing the OMB
The amended motion Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam and I submitted to free Toronto’s planning decisions from the purview of the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) was unanimously approved by the Planning and Growth Management Committee on November 8th. The 6 Councillors on the committee agreed that it is finally time to rid Toronto of this quasi-judicial, anti-democratic body that has final say over local planning decisions. This motion will be debated by full Council at the meeting scheduled for November 29th and 30th. Also, the committee approved our plan to move forward with a local appeals body for Committee of Adjustment applications
Thank you to all the residents that answered my call to make oral and written deputations – your voice made a difference! It is time to protect the fabric and character of our local neighbourhoods and allow our elected representatives to have the final say on the future of Toronto's neighbourhoods.
Please read the following articles in the Toronto Star and OpenFile for more information.
3. Urban Forestry Planting in Roycroft Park
Urban forestry will be planting a variety of native trees and shrubs in a wooded section of Roycroft Park near the entrance off Boulton Drive. This planting will follow the removal of several large invasive trees that took place earlier this fall, and is intended to be the next phase in a gradual replacement of undesirable non-native trees with more appropriate mix of native trees and shrubs.
Installation of Post and Paddle fencing is being proposed to closely follow the planting in this section of ravine, and will serve to protect young plants as they become established, while providing delineation to the natural area long term. Fencing style will be chosen to match that which is already present onsite.
A planting plan for this project can be found here.
4. Avenue Road Watermain Project Update
My office received the following update from City Staff regarding the Avenue Road watermain project. Work currently underway starting at the south end of the project and going north is as follows:
- They are backfilling the tunnel shaft on Cottingham St. just opposite the High Level Pumping Station.
- They are installing watermain pipes within the tunnel between Cottingham St. and Rathnelly Ave.
- The dewatering system is still operating at the intersection of Oriole Parkway and Frobisher Ave. They are still installing watermain pipes within the tunnel on Oriole Parkway from Kilbarry Rd. to Chaplin Crescent.
- They have almost completed the digging of the last tunnel section of the entire project which is along Chaplin Crescent. They will spend at least the months of November and December to install the watermain pipes within that tunnel.
- The dewatering system is still operating at the northwest corner of Avenue Rd. and Chaplin Crescent. This dewatering system as well as all of the yellow road plates along Chaplin Crescent are scheduled to be removed from November 14 to 25. This will require the closure of Chaplin Crescent to westbound traffic for that time period.
- An emergency repair of a combined sewer located on Avenue Road between College View Avenue and Eglinton Avenue has begun. It will require a lane closure on Avenue Road at this location. This work should only take about a week.
- They are doing asphalt line painting on Avenue Road just on the north side of Eglinton Avenue in preparation to re-open this closed lane from Eglinton Ave. to Willowbank Blvd. this evening.
- There is a closure of the northbound curb lane from Willowbank Blvd. to Roselawn Avenue. This area is being used to store equipment and supplies that are used on a daily basis for work all along the stretch from Eglinton Avenue to Caribou Road.
5. Heritage Town Hall Meeting – Official Plan Review
Date: Thursday December 1, 2011
Time: 6:00 to 9:00 pm
Location: Room 308-309 Metro Hall, 55 John Street – SE corner John St and King St
The City is reviewing its Official Plan. As part of this review we are doing a full examination and updating of the Official Plan's Heritage policies with the assistance of a team of consultants and a Citizen's Heritage Advisory Committee.
Please come join the conversation on new heritage policies for Toronto's Official Plan.
For the full story of the Official Plan Review and our public consultation to date please visit the website at: www.toronto.ca/opreview.
For further information contact Scott Barrett - [email protected] - 416-338-1083 or Paul Bain - [email protected] - 416-392-8781.
6. Toronto Police 53 Division Annual Town Hall Meeting
Date: Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Time: 7:00 to 9:00 pm
Location: Dunfield Retirement Residence – 77 Dunfield Ave (East of Yonge, South of Eglinton)
The annual 53 Division Town Hall is an opportunity to learn about the work of 53 Division, meet the new Unit Commander Heinz Kuck and get your questions answered. Topics that will be covered are traffic safety, crime overview and crime prevention tips. All are welcome.
7. Toronto Hydro Town Hall Meeting
Please join Toronto Hydro at one of their upcoming town hall meetings to discuss the current state of our electricity system and some of the improvements they are making to serve you better.
Toronto Hydro team members will be on hand to tell you more about work Toronto Hydro is doing in your community. The meetings will also give you an opportunity to learn more about Toronto Hydro and speak directly with members of our staff about:
* Key Construction Projects in your Area
• Power Outages
• Smart Meters
• Billing
• Time-of-Use Rates and Conservation Programs
• Workforce Renewal
Town Hall Locations and Times
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Toronto City Hall - 100 Queen Street West
6 pm - 8 pm
Thursday, November 17, 2011
North York Civic Centre - 5100 Yonge Street
6 pm - 8 pm
Monday, November 28, 2011
Etobicoke Civic Centre - 399 The West Mall
6 pm - 8 pm
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Scarborough Civic Centre - 150 Borough Drive
6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
For more information, visit torontohydro.com/townhallsessions.
8. Movember
On November 1st, I had clean-shaven face. Since then, I've been growing a mustache for the first time in my life and have become a billboard for the 30 days of "Movember" to raise awareness, and raise much-needed funds, to combat prostate cancer.
If you wish to support this important cause, I encourage you to visit my page as a member of the City Hall Councillors and Staff Team participating in Movember - http://ca.movember.com/mospace/2010970. Please donate to me, and my mustache, today!
