Thanks to everyone who came out on Saturday to help clean up Campbell Park, Erwin Krickhahn Park, and several nearby streets. Approximately twelve of us came out, including local residents, several children, and even City Councillor Adam Giambrone.

Wallace Junction Focus Area (Map)
The City of Toronto has distributed the following flyers throughout the neighbourhood:

Community Meeting

Wallace Junction Focus Area

Area bounded by Dupont Street, the GO/CNR/CPR rail corridor, Lansdowne Avenue, and Dundas Street West

Proposal
Focus areas enable municipalities to provide financial incentives to support improvement and rehabilitation of areas that have been identified as Community Improvement Project Areas (CIPAs). Generally, these are areas that are in need of assistance with regard to: declining building stock, conflicting land uses, barriers to improvement and redevelopment, as well as declining social, environmental and/or economic conditions. The Planning Act, the City of Toronto Act, 2006 and the Toronto Official Plan support the designation of CIPAs and the preparation of focus areas.

Purpose of the Meeting

The meeting will inform the community on the Wallace Junction Focus Area. The Community will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed plan prior to its consideration by Toronto and East York Community Council. If you cannot attend the meeting, you can still make your views known by sending an email to Councillor Adam Giambrone at councillor_giambrone@toronto.ca or call our office at 416 392-7012.

Date: April 23, 2008
Time: 6:30 to 8:30
Location: Wallace Emerson Community Centre, Abrigo Room

Please join us on Saturday April 19th, 1:00pm at Campbell Park for a community cleanup day!

Local residents will gather at Campbell Park playground, south side (map), and begin cleaning up the neighbourhood from here. Depending on how many volunteers come, we plan to clean up Campbell Park, Perth Square, Rankin Park, and the surrounding streets.

What to bring:

• Yourself, your friends, and your family. Kids too!
• Garbage bags and gloves (we will provide some, but it will be good have extras).
• Long pants and boots or sturdy shoes.

Some notes about safety:

• Pick up litter in your gloved hand and carry your bag in the other.
• Do not pick up strange articles that may be dangerous.
• Don't pick up anything that looks sharp (i.e. used needles).
• Do not take any risks attempting to reach litter in hard-to-get-to places (up a tree, down a steep incline, in rapidly flowing water, on slippery surfaces, etc.).

For more information about the cleanup efforts, please contact us by email or call 416-538-2296.

Apologies for the late notice about this meeting

This is the latest public consultation about developments in the Dundas/Bloor area. This meeting specifically addresses the re-zoning application of 1540 Bloor St. W., which is the north-west corner of Dundas and Bloor.

If you shop on Bloor St., use Dundas West subway station, use the Bloor GO station, or even just walk, cycle, or drive through the area, you may be interested in attending this session. Meeting info from the Friends of Dundas and Bloor website:

1540 Bloor West Rezoning Application

Community Input Meeting • City of Toronto Planning Dept

Your one and only chance to make your voice heard - officially – in the Tas DesignBuild rezoning application.

When: Tuesday, April 8th• 7:00 Pm – 9:00 PM
Where: Lithuanian Hall, 1573 Bloor W.

Can't Be There? Send Comments to:

Kevin Edwards, Planner, at (416) 392-1306 or kedward@toronto.ca
Or contact Councillor Gord Perks, Ward 14, at (416) 392-7919. councillor_perks@toronto.ca

Plenty more information about this and related developments at the Friends of Dundas and Bloor website.

According to Transit Toronto, GO Transit's Bloor Station no longer has a ticket agent on duty.

Starting Monday, April 7, you’ll have to use the automated ticket machine at the station if you want to buy single-ride tickets and day passes at Bloor. The machine only accepts credit and debit cards.

After today, you won’t be able to buy two-ride tickets, 10-ride tickets, and monthly passes at Bloor Station. You can buy these from ticket sales booths at all other train stations on the Georgetown line, including Union Station during regular hours.

Our city councillor, Adam Giambrone sent out his most recent Ward 18 newsletter a couple of days ago.

It's not posted on his own website yet, so for the benefit of anyone who doesn't receive these emails directly from him, I'm attaching it to this post. You can download the PDF document below.

Here is the table of contents. I have highlighted some of the neighbourhood-specific items:

• New Blue Bins Arrive in Ward 18 — City Works Toward 70% Diversion from Landfill
• Alternate Side Parking Program Expands on April 1st
• West Toronto Railpath Park Begins Construction this Spring
• Dufferin Grove Park Wading Pool Renovation Postponed until Fall 2008
• Development application: 1155 Queen Street West — Community Council Notice
• City’s New Lobbyist Registry is Now in Effect
• Art Lives Here! — A New Storefront Community Arts Centre on Dundas St.
• Keeping Toronto Clean and Beautiful — Upcoming Community Clean-Up Events (We will be organizing a cleanup event in our own neighbourhood Watch the website for details!)
• City to host Tsunami Relief Forum to showcase rebuilding efforts in tsunami-stricken communities
• City of Toronto 2008 Operating Budget Highlights
• Council Highlights — City Council meeting of March 3, 4 and 5, 2008

The Dupont Improvement Group is having their monthly meeting. Here are the details:

Tuesday April 8 @ 7pm

Ambrico Room, Wallace Emerson Community Centre

1260 Dufferin Street (west side, just south of Dupont)

There are 3 agenda items:

1) June 21 Big on Bloor festival
2) Dig In To Docs film festival
3) update on redeveloping the website

I'm not sure how I missed this article in the Toronto Star, dated February 26 2008. It has some interesting insight into the history and potential of the old industrial "skyscraper" on Sterling Rd. The photo that accompanies the article is fascinating too.

Quote from the article:

Opened in 1919 by the Northern Aluminum Co. – later the Aluminum Co. of Canada and then Alcan – it may have been Canada's tallest building until the Royal York Hotel opened in 1929. A second contender is a 12-storey tower built at King and Yonge Sts. in 1913 and now part of the 1 King West high-rise.

The ceilings at 158 Sterling are at least 4.5 metres high and Romano, president of Castlepoint Realty, thinks that could put it head and shoulders above the competition.

I would love to take a tour of this building! I'm glad it's being preserved as the area gets redeveloped.

DigIn - Monthly screenings of films in Toronto

Award-winning films about courageous people in challenging situations

DigIn, a community organization located in Toronto presents monthly screenings of NFB films focusing on social and environmental issues. Each screening will be followed by a discussion with experts on the films’ topics.

The event is pay-what-you-can, with a suggested donation of $4 per person and $8 per family.

Screenings at the Bloor Collegiate. 1141 Bloor St. West

Meeting announcement for the next DIGIN meeting, sent by Donna Cowan:

Hi everyone!

Please join us at the next DIGIN meeting this Tuesday.
(Agenda is attached).

Guests from the Toronto Drug Strategy Team who will be
giving a presentation on the new proposed
"Neighbourhood Team' project. Bloor Lansdowne is one
of two neighbourhoods in the city who will participate
in this proposed new initiative!
Come out and hear what it is all about!

As well your help is very much needed to make this