Happy campers

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When Jocelyn Palm was a young girl, she dreamed of becoming a doctor, but in the mid-20th century that dream was almost impossible for women to realize. Since then, the Bayview resident has devoted herself — both as a dedicated volunteer at Women’s College Hospital and as the owner and director of Glen Bernard Summer Camp for girls — to helping young women realize their own dreams.

When Palm bought Glen Bernard in 1977, she says many were skeptical of her decision. But it was her dream to provide young girls with the chance to discover what they were capable of in a place they were free to be themselves, so she bought the camp, set herself up as director and continued to work her permanent job as director of the Lifesaving Society by correspondence. It was not easy, working by correspondence before the age of email and cellphones, but she doesn’t regret a moment.

“At camp, girls have a chance to learn who they really are,” she said.

During the winter months, Palm continues to devote herself to women’s causes and particularly women’s health. She is also the director of Women’s College Health Research, a charitable organization supporting research into women’s health. Last year, she was named a member to the Order of Canada by Governor General David Johnson for her work in women’s initiatives. But despite receiving one of the country’s highest accolade, Palm says she’s no where near finished working for women.

“The world is changing for women. It’s gotten better, but we’re not done yet.”

Celebrating North York public art

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Many of us are creatures of habit and often don’t notice the beauty on our streets and buildings, but public works of art are important aspects of our community. They bring people together, instill pride, improve our neighbourhoods and provide a sense of belonging.

Last year, the city started a program called Cultural Hotspot that celebrates community, culture and creativity by highlighting inner suburban communities across Toronto. Although it has yet to be launched in North York, we already have much to celebrate.

North York is peppered with murals and sculptures that tell the stories of our neighbourhoods, including pieces at the Baycrest and Columbus centres and Yorkdale subway station. Admission is free and always accessible. In an effort to showcase the beauty of public art, I began a project called Gallery15. Visit my website at www.joshcolle.ca to see images of my favourite pieces, and visit my Facebook page to share your own.

Public art provides great value to our communities, and I was pleased to be one of the many councillors who supported increased funding to the arts in the 2014 city budget. Recently, City of Toronto staff held a meeting to promote the public art program StreetArt Toronto. I was disappointed to learn that no meetings were planned outside of the downtown core so have since requested a similar meeting in North York to provide information on this city program.

The next time you are out in the community, I invite you to take a new route or look down a different alley and take a fresh look at the art and culture that surrounds us.

Line 9 pipeline list of ‘risk spots’ includes area park

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Enbridge’s proposed reversal of a 639-kilometre-long segment of its Line 9 — part of which runs through North York underneath Finch Avenue — to pump diluted bitumen from the Alberta tarsands to the east continues to attract controversy and concerns around community safety.

Last month, Enbridge released a map of areas in the GTA that they said would be most impacted in the event of an incident on the line. One of those spots is G. Ross Lord Park at Dufferin Street and Finch Avenue West.

Although Enbridge said these are not “risk spots,” advocacy group Environmental Defence said there is cause for worry.

“It shows that Enbridge is aware of the significant risks of the pipeline,” said Adam Scott, program manager, climate and energy for Environmental Defence. “But they’re trying to downplay that.

Enbridge said that identifying the spots is meant to spread information, not worry.

“There’s a big difference between risk assessment and actual risk,” said Graham White, manager of business communications and public affairs with Enbridge. “We pay very close attention to the segments of our system that are highly ranked due to the high consequence of any incident — a very unlikely event that would occur. The reason a park would rank very high is because there’s a much greater impact. It has nothing to do with the condition of the pipe.”

Citing previous incidents including a rupture in Kalamazoo, Mich., Scott said that it’s difficult to trust Enbridge.

“[They] spilled multiple times, [they] have a very bad track record,” he said. “To say, ‘You need to trust us’ is not enough. None of this gives me confidence.”

Last fall, Environmental Defence hosted a protest concert, Rock the Line, at Mel Lastman Square. Scott says that there will be a national day of action scheduled for May, but no date has been selected yet.

Thornhill Woods condo proposal leads to clashes

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The Islamic Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat (ISIJ) of Toronto, a Muslim organization serving the GTA, has applied to develop a condo complex at the Jaffari Centre mosque at 9000 Bathurst St. — and more than 5,000 people have signed an online petition opposing it.

The proposal includes two 17-storey buildings, 61 townhouses and sports and recreation facilities.

In the relatively low-density neighbourhood of Thornhill Woods, some residents are concerned about the appropriateness of the development. A public hearing was held last month to seek public input on the development, and the City of Vaughan has formed a task force to help gather suggestions to make the development more appropriate. The task force will consist of residents, city and regional representatives and members of ISIJ.

Elena Serebryany, interim vice-chair of the Preserve Thornhill Woods community group, said that this is too dense of a development for her liking.

“The main issue would be the two high-rises. This area has been decided that it’s not part of an intensification area and should remain low-rise,” she said.

Though Serebryany did not comment on the cultural aspect of the development, area councillor Sandra Yeung Racco said that she has witnessed concerns about the religious element of the development.

“At the public hearing, there’s been some underlying tone about the religious factor,” said Yeung Racco. “People have suggested that they’re trying to keep it segregated and that there’s human rights issues.”

However, Yeung Racco said that there is nothing she can do as a city councillor about these issues. “We can’t touch that. That’s not our duty. If they feel that there’s a human rights issue, they would need to go to a body that governs that.”

The online petition platform Petition Buzz, where the petition opposing the development is hosted, has attracted a number of anti-Islamic comments alleging that the complex would not be open to non-Muslims.

ISIJ outreach chair Safiq Ebrahim said this could not be further from the truth. “The reaction in the community is incorrect,” said Ebrahim, adding that ISIJ’s goal is to eventually be inclusive and open to all in the surrounding community.

ISIJ president Shabbir Jeraj echoed this. “Our intention is to design the development with the broader community in mind,” said Jeraj. “Many parts of the development will be open to all residents of Vaughan and the surrounding areas.”

Yeung Racco wants the parties to come together and hopes that they can come to a consensus together rather than taking the conflict to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB).

“We’re not siding with anyone,” said Yeung Racco. “But for me, my residents are my responsibility.”

Serebryany’s concerns were the same. She said that, in the event that planning staff finds the development inappropriate, she hopes that ISIJ does not appeal to the OMB before the task force can come up with a better alternative.

“I think it’s going to be a long process, but we’re going into this process with open minds and good faith.”

Martow heading to Queen’s Park

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Local optometrist and community advocate Gila Martow is Thornhill’s newest MPP. She was voted in Feb. 13 in a byelection following former Conservative MPP Peter Shurman’s resignation. Martow, also a Conservative, beat out Vaughan councillor and Liberal candidate Sandra Yeung Racco and the New Democratic Party’s Cindy Hackelberg.

Both Yeung Racco and Martow had their advantages going into the race — Yeung Racco’s husband, Mario Racco, was a one-time MPP for the riding, and Martow belonged to the incumbent party. Both are well-known in the community, but Martow said her endorsements may have helped her.

“I had not only the endorsements of Conservatives but from some high-profile people who were Liberal as well,” said Martow. Some of those supporters included former Thornhill Liberal MP Susan Kadis.

“Over the last number of years, I’ve seen first-hand her dedication and commitment to our community,” said Kadis. “Gila is the obvious choice to represent Thornhill and will do an outstanding job.”

With many anticipating a provincial spring election, Martow said she plans on running again. “To me, this is just phase one,” said Martow.

Though she has big goals for her time in Queen’s Park, Martow said she’s going into the job with a dose of realism.

“I wish I could wave a magic wand and make changes, but my party is still in opposition,” she said. However, she does believe strongly in PC leader Tim Hudak and his Million Jobs Act. “Jobs are leaving the province at an alarming rate,” said Martow. “There’s no point in even talking about building new hospitals and improving care for seniors if our economy is tanking.”

Yeung Racco said she’s moving on from the loss. “Sometimes there are forces against you that you have no control over, but we did what we can,” she said. “Winning is one thing, but getting my voice out there is the point.”

But she’s unsure if she’d run again. “I’d like to have a little bit of time to breathe a little before I make that next decision,” said the current councillor.

Willowdale’s new sports fields

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As many of you know, soccer is a very popular sport in our community, and in recent years this popularity has grown.

Children, parents, coaches and fans have all identified the need for quality sports fields to meet this increased demand.

I have been working hard to meet those demands in time for the arrival of warmer weather.

On your behalf, I worked with city staff, and the 2014 city budget now includes upgrades for the McNicoll sports field at McNicoll Park near Don Mills and Finch.

The renovated field will feature a new artificial turf allowing for more competitive play, lower maintenance costs and a better recovery from extreme storms that have damaged the field in the past.

The upgrades will also improve the lighting and bleachers.

Renovations for the field will begin this year as soon as weather permits (don’t worry — spring will eventually come).

These improvements at McNicoll Park are in keeping with last year’s upgrade to the children’s splash pad.

There are also big plans for a new sports field, park and community centre on Sheppard Avenue East beside the Bessarion subway station.

This location is going to be a significant destination for the entire Willowdale area.

Plans for this huge park include a central piazza for public gatherings, play areas, skating opportunities, a farmers’ market and much more.

For more information on these projects, to get involved in future planning opportunities or to attend community meetings, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].

The renaissance of our local parks

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Toronto has always been proud of its parks, and Ward 27 is lucky to boast several renowned green spaces and a robust ravine system. With growing populations across the ward, several of the city’s best-known parks continue to undergo renewals. The ice storm damaged many of Toronto’s 20 million trees, but it’s time to turn over a new leaf and plan for a green summer.

Ramsden Park is receiving a lot of attention through an extensive redesign. Community consultations begin on March 17 and will be followed by two further consultations and two site visits. The meetings are an ideal opportunity for residents and business owners to share how this multi-million-dollar project will transform a much-loved park. I am looking forward to rehabilitating tired infrastructure, like the tennis court, and installing dynamic lighting.

Another exciting park improvement is the replacement of 25 end-of-life pine trees in the award-winning Village of Yorkville Park. After numerous site visits and meetings by councillors, the trees are set to be replaced this summer, bringing a fresh look to a popular urban park.

Chorley Park in historic Rosedale is also receiving attention. In consultation with residents and the ratepayers’ association, the Chorley Park Switchback Trail will also be constructed this summer, protecting the endangered butternut trees and preventing erosion of the landscape.

As an advocate for expanding Toronto’s parkland and a member of the Board of Health, City of Toronto, I encourage the health of flourishing green spaces. The year 2014 in Ward 27 will truly be the beginning of a magnificent park renaissance.

Richmond Hill versus Canada Post

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In December, Canada Post announced that door-to-door postal delivery was to be discontinued within the next five years. That’s quite a change in our standard of service. Many seniors contacted me with concerns.

As a director with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, we immediately contacted Canada Post and reminded them that any implementation plan would have to involve municipalities. Municipalities need to plan for the impact of any community mailbox installation in established neighbourhoods. We need to mitigate any impact on traffic, trash, access and location.

No one wants a “super mailbox” installed on, or near, their property.

The Richmond Hill Chamber of Commerce polled business members, and again, there was concern voiced about the impact to the small business community in the GTA.

Canada Post CEO Deepak Chopra responded, “The vast majority of business addresses will continue to have mail and parcels delivered to their door and will experience no change.” However, those businesses must be located on main streets or “business corridors.” This will affect home businesses, which comprise the majority of businesses in Richmond Hill.

As for seniors, Chopra said, “We are developing alternative approaches for people with … mobility challenges.” Those in apartments, seniors’ homes and condos that already have mail delivered in the lobby will see no change.

The responsibility of “sensitive” implementation will fall to the local government. Of course, the problem with that is the tight five-year timeline.

High-density Bathurst proposal

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On Feb. 4, there was a public hearing to receive comments on a high-density application for two 17-storey towers at 9000 Bathurst St. The meeting was well attended. Afterwards, I received many inquiries as to why council did not reject the proposal immediately, and I would like to clarify what elected officials can and can not do.

Under the Planning Act, the city is required to follow a process when dealing with any application. Public hearing meetings are the first step to this process. We heard from the community on issues that you felt would impact your neighbourhood, and those issues were noted by council, planning staff and by the applicant’s planner.

The next step requires staff to prepare a technical report to determine that the application meets appropriate planning merits.

I support the recommendation to form a task force because this will allow residents, the applicant and planning staff to work together to study issues and have the application align more with the current official plan and zoning bylaw. The report will need to address all concerns prior to coming to a future committee of the whole meeting.

At that point, council may vote to accept or reject the staff recommendation in the report. This is a very open and transparent process that takes place with all applications.

Council cannot simply reject an application outright without a technical report.

For more information, please contact my office at 905-832-8585, ext. 8342, or email me at [email protected]. Please contact my office to receive e-newsletter updates.

Upholding Bayview’s tree canopy

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Ward 25 has one of the largest tree canopies in the city with over 50 per cent forest cover. It is one of the main reasons our neighbourhoods are such desirable places to live.

I have been a long-standing advocate for trees, working alongside residents to save trees in Ward 25. That’s why it is devastating to see how many trees were damaged as a result of the December ice storm. Ours was one of the hardest hit. Many mature trees were heavily damaged and have been removed.

Some estimate that as much as 20 per cent of Toronto’s tree canopy was lost. This is a big setback for the city as it moves forward with a plan to increase Toronto’s tree canopy.

One way to achieve our goal is through Toronto’s tree protection bylaw, which could use a bit of fine tuning to make it more effective. That’s why I will be moving a number of motions to strengthen the protection bylaw and make it more transparent.

I will be requesting that the city improve the public notice and consultation process around applications as well as develop a communications strategy to ensure the public knows on what grounds applications are approved or refused.

My aim is to break down the silos at city hall between the planning and forestry departments and ensure tree protection is considered as early as possible in development and planning applications.

I will be introducing these motions to the parks and environ-ment committee this month.

If you have suggestions on how we can improve tree protection, please feel free to email me at [email protected], or give me a call at 416-395-6408.

Avenue Road wing king withdraws Ford support

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Bistro on Avenue founder and the “Louis” of St. Louis Wings Louis Nemes has removed the Rob Ford articles and memorabilia from his well-known restaurant. In 2010, Nemes was an influencial voice in the small business community when he endorsed the embattled mayor during his campaign.

Nemes put together a postcard series of Ford pictured with north Toronto small business owners and local taxpayers. Following Ford’s win, Nemes proudly displayed articles about his involvement on the walls.

But since the crack scandal, the pictures had to come down. When the story broke last October, Nemes wasn't sure what to do with the articles, but acting on advice from some of his customers — many of whom he says are lawyers and parents to young children — Nemes decided it was better to be safe than sorry. Now he and manager Cindy Stern are very happy that they went that route.

“That scandal was handled very badly,” said Nemes. “He could have handled it better, like Bill Clinton. He came out of his scandal well.”

“Well,” Stern said, “You have to remember that Bill Clinton was brilliant."

Nemes said he was initially attracted to Ford for his hardline, fiscal conservative views. But Ford’s recent behaviour, he said, has been “worrisome.”

“I’m hoping that another centre-right candidate gets into the race,” he said. “Just a few weeks ago I was telling a customer here, a former cop, that he should run for office, and he told me he would really think about it. We’ve got to get fresh blood out there.”

Shooting shocks locals on uptown Yonge

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Tuesday nights on in Yonge-Lawrence Village are usually a quiet affair, but on the evening of Feb. 3, the corner of Yonge and Teddington Park Avenue was riddled with the sounds of bullets. At around 9 p.m. a 26-year-old man, later identified as Peter Nguyen, was shot multiple times. Plainclothes Toronto police responded quickly to the shooting, and the suspects were seen wearing dark clothes and fleeing the scene on foot, heading west on Melrose Avenue. Nguygen was rushed to the hospital were he was later pronounced dead of multiple gunshot wounds.

Although police could not comment on the on-going investigation, Toronto Police Service spokesperson Const. Wendy Drummond said the crime was not in any way “area specific.”

One local business owner (who prefers to remain anonymous) said the shooting was frightening for everyone in the neighbourhood and that he feels less safe in Lawrence Park.

“If this neighbourhood isn’t safe any more, I don’t think any area in Toronto is,” he said.