Junction Triangle

2010 Community Cleanup: Edwin Ave. cleanup. Photo by Craig Charnock
On Saturday April 16th 2011 the annual Community Clean-up Day happens in neighbourhoods all across Toronto.

Several local cleanups are being organized again this year. If you would like to organize or participate in a cleanup event on Saturday April 16th or any other day, please get in touch or post a comment below. You should also register your cleanup events with the City so that they can pick up the litter that you collect.

Here is a list of local cleanup events:

• South Perth and Sterling Rd.: Meet at 9:00am. Snacks and beverages are being provided by Castlepoint. Garbage bags, brooms and gloves are provided by Rio Tinto Alcan. Please confirm attendance by emailing Philip at toward18@yahoo.com or leave a voicemail at 416-516-4583
• St. Luigi's / Perth Public School grounds cleanup, with Councillor Ana Bailão: Meet at 10:00am. "I welcome everyone to join me in a Ward 18 Clean Up on April 16th. We will be meeting at St. Luigi's School and cleaning some of the more neglected green spaces we have in the ward."

Maybe some of you have seen this, but I found these conceptual drawings on the 243 Perth church --> loft project: http://golbourad.com/work.pdf They call the project "Sanctuary Lofts" while @Urbanation refers to the project as "Cornerstone Lofts."

Personally, I don't think much of the proposed addition... Looks a little like a bad-guy's-lair-in-a-sci-fi-flick; doesn't do much for the existing building either.

Editor's note: Closing comments on this thread. Other discussion of this topic can be found here.

The following meeting notice regarding the former Tower Automotive lands on Sterling Rd. is from Philip at the South Perth and Sterling Road Residents Association:

Castlepoint Developments
& The South Perth and Sterling Road Residents Association
invite You to Attend an Important
Community Meeting for The Sterling Road Redevelopment Project

Please join us on April 20th for a community update on the redevelopment of 158 Sterling Road

Location: Church of the Firstborn, 72 Perth Ave.
Time: 6:30 – 9:00 pm

Agenda

• Drop in open house 6:30 – 7:00 pm
• Presentation 7:00 – 8:00 pm
  • Welcome and Introductions (John O’Keefe, Castlepoint)
  • Project Overview and Update (Pino Di Mascio, Urban Strategies)
  • Master Plan (Gianni Ria, Page and Steeles Architects)
  • Summary and Next Steps (Alfredo Romano, Castlepoint Principal)
  • Question and Answer and Review of Panels 8:00 -9:00 pm

*Snacks and beverages will be provided*

You may also be interested in seeing the notes and discussions from the January 2010 meeting.

The Just Kid N Around family play and learn centre, at 1615 Dupont St., would like to share the following list of events during the month of April:

April Events

April 1, 8, 15, 29: Family movie Night, 6:30pm – 8:00pm
April 2, 16: Parents Night Out, 6:00pm – 10:00pm
April 23: Easter EGGstravaganza, 11:00am – 1:00pm
April 30: Fantasy Tea Party, 11:00am – 1:00p

Announcement from Ana Bailao. You can download a PDF copy of this announcement here.

COMMUNITY MEETING

On Transit in Toronto

Have your say, Tuesday, March 29, 2011 7:00pm - 9:00pm
St. Helen Catholic School - Gymnasium
1196 College Street

Dear Friends and Neighbours,

I am writing to invite the residents of Ward 18 to a public meeting to discuss the state of transit in Toronto.

It is my intention to use this meeting as an opportunity for local residents to share their thoughts on public transit and other methods of transportation, what local services and programs need to be maintained and/or improved.

As I promised last fall to continuously engage local residents on important matters, I am very pleased to host this meeting that will include city staff. Please come with your thoughts and ideas on how we can make our community a better place to live and work.

Sincerely,
Ana Bailão
City Councillor
Ward 18, Davenport

Discussion point: What are some of the public transit / transportation priorities for the Junction Triangle?

You may have noticed that construction of a new railway bridge span over Bloor St. for Metrolinx's Georgetown South Service Expansion Project has started this week. This new bridge span is being erected between the West Toronto Railpath bridge and the existing GO Transit Georgetown tracks.

Currently, the road has been narrowed to one lane in each direction as workers prepare the median for a new pillar.

Oddly, there was no real notice given for the start of this construction, except for a few signs installed nearby recently. This was originally planned to happen earlier this year, but was postponed to a date "TBD". I assume that when they are ready to install the actual bridge span, there will be a complete road closure, like there was on Dupont St. in December.

In the meantime, it's probably best to avoid Bloor St. during rush hour or any other busy times.

Announcement from Freehand Books:

APRIL 19: Freehand Books launches new titles from Kristen den Hartog, Michael Murphy, and Ian Williams at the Gladstone Hotel.

A seven-foot-tall girl who towers over adults struggles to fit in with the other kids in her small town. A Choose-Your-Own-Adventure-obsessed teenager roams the streets of Toronto during the 2003 blackout searching for signs of the coming apocalypse. A pair of university students study homemade Korean flashcards; the loser has to strip.

Swing by the ballroom at the Gladstone Hotel on April 19 to hear these stories and more. Freehand authors Kristen den Hartog, Michael Murphy, and Ian Williams will read from their new books, and the ubercool ladies of Bangs&Blush will be on hand spinning the best in Motown, soul, and 60s rock & roll. There will be free snacks, a cash bar, and a few games to boot. Not too shabby for a Tuesday night...

New Fiction from Freehand
launching And Me Among Them by Kristen den Hartog, A Description of the Blazing World by Michael Murphy, and Not Anyone’s Anything by Ian Williams
The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen Street West (ballroom)
Tunes by Bangs&Blush
Doors at 7:00 p.m., readings at 7:30 p.m.
Free

Meeting notice from Metrolinx:

PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE

DUNDAS WEST-BLOOR MOBILITY HUB STUDY

Metrolinx, an agency of the Province of Ontario, is helping transform the way the region moves by championing and delivering mobility solutions for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA).

Background

The Big Move, Metrolinx’s Regional Transportation Plan for the GTHA, imagines a future in which key transit stations become mobility hubs. Mobility hubs consist of major transit stations and the surrounding area. They serve a critical function in the regional transportation system as the origin, destination, or transfer point for a significant portion of trips. They are places of connectivity where different modes of transportation – from walking to riding transit – come together seamlessly and where there is an intensive concentration of working, living, shopping and/or playing.

The Dundas West-Bloor Mobility Hub Study

We are conducting a study on the proposed Dundas West-Bloor Mobility Hub. The study includes the development of a plan to better integrate existing GO Transit and TTC services, as well as provide a design foundation for future major upgrades to GO Transit and TTC service, and a stop on the Union-Pearson Air Rail Link.

The study builds closely on the findings of the Bloor-Dundas Avenue Study prepared by Brook McIlroy and commissioned by the City of Toronto in 2009.

The Open House

You’re invited to attend our open house to find out more about this study.

Date: Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Venue: Lithuanian House, 1573 Bloor Street West

This is to let you know the Davenport West Bike Project fundraiser is happening on Friday April 8 at DPNC (1900 Davenport Rd) in the Sanctuary. There will be great food and music.

The Davenport Perth Community Ministry is organizing the Coffee House to help us share the project with the community and to raise funds for helmets and locks to help community members protect their bodies and their bikes.

Karen Williams has some great friends who will be performing: North of Queen (bluegrass/folk) and Thane (R&B). One of the bike project volunteers, Gustavo, will be performing some traditional South American Music, Equadorian Amistad. There will be an opportunity to make some interesting jewelry out of bike parts (small ones). The event is pay what you can and family friendly.

Attached is a flyer for the party (BW is black and white). Please share the information to your contacts. We are looking for volunteers to bring food for the event. We will also be accepting used bikes in good working order.

Here are a few links to local news items that appeared online in the last few weeks:

• Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club refocusing energies on serving youth, The Villager / Inside Toronto, February 15, 2011 (Note: Discussions are here).
• $27,500 auto break-in spree nets suspect 75 charges, Toronto Star, February 18, 2011.
• Man faces string of charges in thefts from 60 vehicles, CTV News, February 18, 2011.
• Worst intersections: Georgetown rail corridor, Globe & Mail, February 20, 2011
• The Junction Triangle: A few pointers, EYE Weekly, February 22, 2011.
• Axe throwing league looking for members, The Villager / Inside Toronto, February 26, 2011.
• Ontario sees surge in gaming industry, Toronto Star, March 4, 2011.