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Our neighbourhood in the news

Fuzzy Boundaries: The Globe and Mail

Fuzzy boundaries no more

West-end neighbourhood seeks to define and label itself, choosing from 10 names

ANNA MEHLER PAPERNY
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail Published on Wednesday, Mar. 10, 2010 12:00AM EST
Last updated on Wednesday, Mar. 10, 2010 5:59AM EST

What's in a neighbourhood name?

A lot - especially in a city defined by hundreds of differentiated municipal pockets.

And residents of one Toronto neighbourhood feeling left out of the name game have spent more than a year trying to come up with a suitable moniker.

Fuzzy Boundaries: Toronto Sun

The article's title is very misleading, as it calls our area the Junction.


Junction residents play name game


DON PEAT, Toronto Sun
March 7, 2010 8:01pm

What’s in a name?

For Kevin Putnam and his group, Fuzzy Boundaries, more than they thought.

Fuzzy Boundaries is almost halfway through a two-week voting period that is giving residents in the west-end Junction area a chance to vote on what their neighbourhood should be named.

Starting last May, the group has moved from initial discussions — online and at public forums — to a shortlist of the top 10 names for the neighbourhood.

Read the complete story.

"The John Doe of Neighbourhoods"

The Toronto Star has another article about the Fuzzy Boundaries neighbourhood naming project: The John Doe of neighbourhoods. Just in time for the final vote which starts on Monday March 1st and runs until March 14th.

Some highlights from the article:

The John Doe of neighbourhoods
The Wedge? The Triangle? Residents debate which name will make this junction function
By Mary Ormsby Feature Writer

Illegal dumping at Wallace Ave. crossing

Illegal dumping on tracks near Wallace Ave.: November 1, 2008Illegal dumping on tracks near Wallace Ave.: November 1, 2008

The Toronto Star's "Fixer" has another article about our neighbourhood. Unfortunately, articles from The Fixer don't usually shine a positive light on things. This article discusses the illegal dumping that frequently occurs along the train tracks around Wallace Ave., between Campbell and Lansdowne Avenues.

Illegal dump makes area an eyesore
By Jack Lackey, Toronto Star, 2010-02-17

Some selected quotes:

There are a lot of ways to disrespect a community, but strewing the landscape with junk that could be properly disposed of has to rank near the top.
We went there Tuesday and found an appalling amount of garbage likely dumped in the dead of the night. There was a couch, a mattress, old appliances and several bags of trash.
On a utility pole near the tracks was a sign warning that illegal dumpers can be fined up to $5,000, which sounds formidable but is obviously considered an empty threat.
STATUS: Markings on track equipment identified CN Rail, so we called its media rep, Frank Binder. He said CN did a major cleanup there a year ago, but has since sold the track to GO Transit. GO's Vanessa Thomas took down the details and promised to update us.
A swift cleanup will take place, Thomas said, "if it is determined that this garbage is located on GO Transit property."

Read the complete article online at The Star's website.

Erwin Krickhahn Park expansion

Today's Toronto Star has an article about controversial expansion of Erwin Krickhahn Park, at the corner of Rankin Cres. and Paton Rd.: Battle brewing: Garden or park space?

This issue has been posted and discussed several times before on this site, so please read those threads for background information before commenting here again.

A quick recap: In September 2009, City Council approved the expansion of Erwin Krickhahn Park into the dead and of Paton Rd. on the north side of the park. In the Fall, City work crews removed the asphalt and installed a new sidewalk adjacent to the new park land. Soil has been tested at the new park space and has been found to contain some "contaminants consistent with a roadway". Environmental remediation of these contaminants is expected to happen.

There are several options for using this new park space: It could be grassed over to expand the field area of the park, it could be planted with trees and other plants, a community garden can be installed there, or other options. The community garden proposal is the most controversial of these ideas. Councillor Adam Giambrone has promised to hold a community meeting this Spring so that residents and city staff can discuss these ideas and come up with the most suitable plan.

Fuzzy Boundaries in the News: What do you call this place?

The Fuzzy Boundaries neighbourhood naming group is in the news again this week. The Town Crier has a story titled What do you call this place?. Here are a few excerpts:

Name suggestions for the area unofficially known as the Junction Triangle are flooding in ahead of a Jan. 14 meeting where community members will name their ’hood — once and for all.

“There’s something like just over 200 names now on the website and so, we’ve just been taking those suggestions on the website and responding to comments that we get,” said Kristen den Hartog, a member of Fuzzy Boundaries, one of several residents groups dedicated to naming the area.

“I really just like hearing what people have to say and I like the idea of the community itself, deciding.”

Fuzzy Boundaries’ public meeting will be held Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. at 45 Ernest Ave.

Fiorito: Metrolinx diesels are dirty, ugly and NOISY

Toronto Star Columnist Joe Fiorito chimes in on the diesel debate. Of note, and not well understood by residents, is that "mitigation" of the diesel pollution and noise will mean large walls along the tracks. As usual, after looking at the details, this columnist comes to the conclusion that electric trains from day one would be the best option on every level.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/737504--fiorito-metrolinx-diesel...

Erwin Krickhahn Park in the news again

Here is yet another post about the closing of the Paton Rd. stump and extension of Erwin Krickhahn Park. This time, just a couple of links to media reports from this week.

On November 16th, a reporter from the Toronto Sun interviewed several local residents at Erwin Krickhahn Park and posted a video that evening. On November 17th, they followed up with an article.

On November 19th, our local paper The Villager / Inside Toronto reported on the situation again, after interviewing several residents.

West Toronto Railpath: Officially Open

 Photo from the "unofficial" opening parade in June 2009.Railpath: Photo from the "unofficial" opening parade in June 2009.
Not that this is really "news" to anyone in our neighbourhood, but as of October 30 2009, the West Toronto Railpath is now "officially" open.

I wasn't there to attend the official opening ceremony, but I heard it was well attended by the media, local residents, Friends of the West Toronto Railpath, as well as Councillor Adam Giambrone and various members of the City's staff who were involved in the project.

Here are some links to media coverage from the event:

West is best, as Wallace Ave. shows

Christopher Hume, the Toronto Star's "Condo Critic" had some nice words to say about our neighbourhood, specifically Wallace Ave., the Railpath, and the Wallace Station Lofts:

Wallace Ave., which no one would rank among the memorable thoroughfares in Toronto, is better than it looks. This mixed landscape of old industrial heaps and lowrise residential and apartment buildings can appear bleak, but the visitor soon realizes that this is a healthy and vibrant neighbourhood. The advent of the West Toronto Railpath, which passes beneath the Wallace Ave footbridge, will only enhance the area by making it more accessible and pedestrian-friendly.

Read the complete article online here.

For an interesting look back at the past, have a look at the picture on the bottom of this page at trainweb.org. It shows what is now the West Toronto Railpath and Wallace Station Lofts back in July 1985.

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