The sky’s the limit

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COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS IN North Toronto are deciding whether or not to appeal a controversial decision made by city council in February.

The “Yonge Eglinton Focused Review” — a plan that outlines how the Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue intersection should be redeveloped — was approved by council on Feb. 24. However, amendments to the report that would prevent developers from building beyond a 40-storey limit on the southwest quadrant of the intersection were not approved.

“This confirms people’s worst views of the politicians,” Coun. Michael Walker said.

Walker wanted to strengthen the language with regard to the “strata” agreement within the report. A strata agreement divides lands horizontally above and below a fixed height. The city would be able to sell the land to a specific height and claim ownership of the airspace above that height.

Walker’s proposal to create a mandatory, rather than an elective agreement, was not carried through by council.

“That’s exactly what we don’t want because if it’s elective they can apply for more [height],” said Walker in reference to the future buyer of the property. “Even if the city says no, they can appeal to the OMB.”

Councillors who opposed the amendments were concerned that imposing a height limit on the property would limit the value of the site or that even stronger language wouldn’t prevent an appeal at the Ontario Municipal Board anyway, council documents said.

The Federation of North Toronto Residents Associations might appeal, said Michael Visser, a member of the the Oriole Park Residents Association.

Residents have worked hard to contribute to the review plan, but were not protected in the process, he said.

“It’s another example where the city set in place this whole community consultation process with the promise that people will have some say, and then they basically threw it out the window.”

Police hunt for suspects behind Annex swarming

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POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING a bloody attack that took place on St. Patrick’s Day in the Annex.

Three men, ages 19, 20 and 21, were walking in the area of Bloor Street and Bathurst Street when they were swarmed. According to police, they were approached by nine men and a woman. One of the suspects engaged the victims in conversation. A second suspect, yielding a knife, grabbed the 19- year-old male from behind and sprayed an unknown substance in his face, causing him to become disoriented.

The suspects punched and struck the 20-year-old male on his head with an unknown object. Another suspect held a knife against the victim’s throat, pulled him to the ground and rolled him onto his stomach.

The suspects then stole the victim’s wallet and threatened him with further violence.

The 21-year-old was stabbed in the abdomen with a knife.

The victims were taken to hospital for treatment.

Earlier that evening, three suspects are reported to have robbed a 17-year-old in the same area. They held a knife against the victim’s throat and demanded his knapsack.

Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to contact police.

Building a sense of community, one apple at a time

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AS A TOAST to Earth Day, a new farmers’ market is scheduled to open in the neighbourhood on April 23.

AppleTree Market, a non- profit venture, will be located at 200 Eglinton Ave. W., near Avenue Road.

Along with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, it will offer eco-friendly products and showcase the work of local artisans.

“This will instill a sense of community. People will come together and get to know each other once again,” says Leslie Stoyan, one of the masterminds behind the project.

Stoyan added that during these tough economic times the market will be a boon for local producers.

“Several farms can’t spare the manpower to come out, so retailers are purchasing produce from them, and representing them at the market. Then, the [retailers] will take the unsold goods back to their shops to sell. It’s a really nice fit,” she said.

AppleTree will be open on Thursdays, rain or shine.

Last year, a smaller version of the market was located on the lawn of Eglinton St. George’s Church.

Yonge and Deficient

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4:23 pm

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THE YONGE EGLINTON Centre could be expanding to include more retail space — but at the cost of enclosing a portion of the outdoor space at the intersection.

RioCan, whose offices are located within the building at 2300 Yonge St., made an application to the city to amend the zoning bylaw on the property, to allow the construction of a three-storey retail addition to the existing centre. That addition would extend into the existing outdoor space, adding more than 4,200 square metres of retail space.

RioCan’s application also proposes adding five storeys to the existing 22-storey tower and seven storeys to the existing 30- storey building on the site.

In recent years, the open space has become less welcoming to local residents, with fewer benches and bicycle racks. But that won’t stop local neighbourhood associations from fighting the application, which they say should be turned down because the neighbourhood has been identified as a parks- deficient area by the “Yonge Eglinton Focused Review,” a city report published this year.

“Look, we’re open space deficient here, and it should just be denied,” said Patrick Smyth, of the Avenue Road Eglinton Community Association.

Smyth worries that the city councillor for the ward, Coun. Karen Stintz, has already made a deal with the applicant, and that his and other organizations in the area will not have their say on the property.

Stintz said she has not made any such deal and that planning for the site is in the very early stages.

“Many people in the community want to be involved, and they certainly will be,” she said.

“It is a privately held piece of land, but it has been open and accessible to the public. The current owners want to work with the community.”

The Avenue Road Eglinton Community Association would like the space developed in a way that maintains the outdoor, accessible nature of it and will be making their case at a community meeting on June 11.

North York parks to get major makeover

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THREE NORTH YORK parks will see upgrades after a recent funding announcement.

Bayview Village Park, Lillian Park and Saddletree Park are among the recreational facilities that were identified.

Each of the three Bayview parks will receive up to $33,000 in provincial investment and up to $33,000 in federal investment for playground improvements.

The capital will come through the joint efforts of the federal government’s Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program and the Ontario Recreation Program.

“Working together across ministries and across all levels of government is the key to providing the infrastructure projects that all Canadians need,” said Willowdale MPP David Zimmer in a prepared statement.

“Our joint federal-provincial efforts to ensure adequate facilities for sport and recreation are central, not only to improving rates of physical activity, but ultimately to improving health.”

It’s a small world

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WHEN GAIL MOORE and her husband Hugh boarded the luxurious Rovos Rail train in South Africa last year, riding from Pretoria to Cape Town, they didn’t expect to meet any Canadians — let alone any neighbours.

But that’s exactly what happened. Sitting in the observation car of the train, a couple introduced themselves to the Moores and asked where they were from.

“They said, ‘Where are you from?’ And we said, ‘Canada,’” remembers Gail. “And then they said, ‘Where in Canada?’ And we said, ‘Toronto.’ And then they asked, ‘Where in Toronto?’ And at that point, I thought, ‘Well, good grief ! What does it matter?’”

Well, it mattered because, as it turned out, Ulla and John Leckie are very close neighbours — both couples live in the York Road area near Bayview Avenue and York Mills Road.

“They literally live around the corner,” Gail says. “We’ve actually lived here for 37 years, and John and Ulla had been here 15 years, and we had never met.”

The two couples decided then and there that the situation must be remedied. They recruited neighbours to help plan a street party in an effort to get neighbours out of their homes to meet each other and to start to build a sense of community.

Last month, they celebrated the first York Road street party, with more than 200 attendees.

Police and firefighters blocked off the street at Fenn Avenue and Birchwood Avenue. Local residents borrowed vintage cars for everyone to admire. Local shops donated gift certificates and goods for a silent auction. Neighbours volunteered to barbecue and donated prizes for contests. For kids, there was a magician, games and toys.

But for John Leckie, the best part was knowing he was helping to get his neighbours together to help build a sense of community in the neighbourhood: “It exceeded my expectations in how much people interacted,” he said. “It was just so interesting to see people interact. It’s human nature, and that’s what humans do when they’re given a chance.”

And despite all of the hard work, the organizers agreed that they are committed to creating another event for next summer.

“We’ll do it again,” John Leckie said. “The first one’s harder, but we’ve learned the ropes.”

Police coming to Earl Haig

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A BAYVIEW SCHOOL is the next in line to be part of a program that puts police officers in Toronto schools.

At a press conference on June 29, Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair announced that Earl Haig Secondary School will have a uniformed officer stationed in the hallways beginning this fall.

An additional 19 schools in Toronto will see an officer in September, bringing the total number of schools involved in the program to 50.

“I am very proud of my school resource officers,” Blair said in a statement. “These officers have approached these assignments with insatiable energy and dedication. As a result, we have created new relationships with young people all over Toronto. They, in turn, have come to respect police officers on an entirely different level.”

Mari Rutka, the school board trustee for Willowdale, said she is not opposed to the program and agrees that the goal is to shift the perception of police officers and their role within the community.

“ These officers have approached these assignments with insatiable energy. Students have come to respect police officers on an entirely different level.”

“I think the idea here is to change the nature of policing so that it is a proactive force rather than a reactive force,” she said. “It’s about trying to build a different kind of relationship.”

Despite having initial reservations, trustee James Pasternak said that the feedback he’s received about the experience has been positive.

“I was one of the skeptics when this idea was first presented to the Toronto District School Board,” said Pasternak, who had an officer within Downsview S.S. over the last school year. “I wasn’t keen on uniformed officers being in the school.”

Despite his initial reservations about the program, Pasternak said that the feedback he had received regarding the experience had been positive.

“All the indications that I have and the report I’ve gotten from the principal is that the experience was an extremely positive one.”

In addition to helping change the public perception of police, Pasternak also described the practical use of the program.

A robbery attempt near Downsview last year was thwarted after student witnesses relayed information to the school resource officer. As a result, an arrest was made and the victim’s property recovered.

Beverley Ohashi, the principal at Earl Haig S.S., and superintendent Sue Pfeffer, of the Toronto District School Board, declined to comment on the matter, stating that they had not yet had a chance to discuss the program and will do so before speaking to the issue.

Rutka said that the program should not be viewed as a replacement for regular disciplinary policy or education within the classroom. But she said that the school board is happy to have assistance from police services.

“I don’t think having school resource officers is the whole answer, nor will it ever be,” Rutka said.

“But on the other hand, if the police are willing to pitch in, in terms of trying to help kids and support them in positive, proactive ways, I think that’s a good thing. And I think it’s a good direction for the police to go in.”

Shops at Don Mills to address noise complaints

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REPRESENTATIVES OF CADILLAC Fairview said they will make an effort to keep noise to a minimum this summer, after receiving several complaints from residents who live adjacent to the Shops at Don Mills.

Local residents have complained that, since the centre opened this spring, they’ve found the concerts and events too noisy and that they aren’t warned in advance when a concert is planned.

“Several Don Mills residents have complained about the unacceptable noise level from concerts, as well as from piped-in music, at the Shops at Don Mills,” said Simone Gabbay, the founder and communications liaison of the Friends of Don Mills group.

In a letter to Coun. Cliff Jenkins, the shopping centre’s general manager outlined a list of items designed to minimize noise disruption in the area.
“We will undertake sound checks prior to the performance, test sound levels and make such adjustments as may be required,” said general manager Alexandra Whyte.

She also outlined that the company will be working with sound engineers to ensure that sound will not be able to travel as far during future events and that future concerts and festivals will be advertised in local community papers and shops.

Coun. Cliff Jenkins has asked that local residents create a log to record when they are disrupted by noise coming from the mall.

That way, he will be informed about whether to take measures to enforce the noise bylaw at upcoming concerts.

Major makeovers coming to Bayview parks

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12:00 am

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THREE BAYVIEW PARKS will see upgrades after a recent funding announcement.

Bayview Village Park, Lillian Park and Saddletree Park are among the recreational facilities that were identified.

Each of the three Bayview parks will receive up to $33,000 in provincial investment and up to $33,000 in federal investment for playground improvements.

The capital will come through the joint efforts of the federal government’s Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program and the Ontario Recreation Program.

“Working together across ministries and across all levels of government is the key to providing the infrastructure projects that all Canadians need,” said Willowdale MPP David Zimmer in a prepared statement.

“Our joint federal-provincial efforts to ensure adequate facilities for sport and recreation are central, not only to improving rates of physical activity, but ultimately to improving health.”

School pools thrown a lifeline

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TWO AREA SCHOOL pools slated to close were given new life recently.

The pools at Allenby Junior P.S. and Forest Hill C.I. will stay open, although the decision is contingent on the Toronto District School Board’s agreement to continue covering operational expenses.

At a board meeting on June 29, school trustees agreed to keep a total of 20 school pools open previously set for closure. Thirteen additional pools, including the one at Winona P.S., will be closed Aug. 31, but will remain undrained until Dec. 31. It will be reopened if sufficient operating revenue is found. The pool at Oakwood C.I. will be permanently closed.

The Ontario government announced that it will invest up to $15.8 million over the next two years, through the Toronto Lands Corporation, for capital repairs for up to 32 TDSB pools, beginning this summer. The investment supports the recommendation of the Aquatics Working Group led by former mayor David Crombie.

“If the government hadn’t made this announcement, I don’t believe that we would have saved the 20 pools that we did save this year,” said Josh Matlow, trustee fpr St. Paul’s.

“Even if we found the operating costs, it still wouldn’t have been feasible to keep a lot of these pools running.”

The decision comes as welcome news to the organizations that use the facilities.

“Every child needs to learn how to swim and practise life-saving skills,” said Zoe Sher of Swimsmart. Operating for the last five years at Allenby Junior P.S., the non-profit organization offers swimming programs that accommodate 100 children, aged four to nine, each year.

“The recent announcement to keep the Allenby pool open permits Swimsmart another year to complete these important goals,” she said. “[The] school is open and operating because it provides an essential service to the entire Allenby community.”

Matlow credited much of the success in keeping the pools open to the work of the community.

“I think it was largely due to the grassroots efforts of parents, students and residents that all levels [of government] really did respond in different ways,” he said.

Those involved with such grassroots organizations are also positive about the recent decision and what it means to their cause.

“I was very happy with that decision,” said Livia Hunter, a member of Let’s Make Waves, a community-based group who have worked to save school pools within the city.

For Hunter, the struggle to keep school pools open is a personal as well as professional endeavour.

A cardiovascular disease specialist, she grew up swimming in school pools, as did her three daughters.

“ I can’t imagine Toronto not providing that access, especially when it’s an existing resource. We have these pools and they’re in great shape.”

“In today’s day and age of increasing childhood obesity, to close a recreational facility that is such a healthy, active lifestyle resource … [it’s] remarkable that anyone could consider it,” she said.

“I can’t imagine an international city like Toronto not providing that [access], especially when it’s an existing resource. We have these pools and they’re in great shape.”

Condo controversy

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A CONTROVERSIAL APPLICATION to convert an historic Yorkville school is headed to the Ontario Municipal Board.

Developer Ken Zuckerman’s application to develop St. Basil’s School on Hazelton Avenue into a residential development could not be heard at a council meeting on June 23 because of the city strike. As a result, the applicant appealed to the provincial board.

The school, built in the neo- Gothic style in 1928, is located within the Yorkville Hazelton Heritage Conservation District. The application would add 38 units to the neighbourhood.

Residents banded together to form the Friends of St. Basil’s group to fight the application, saying the building must be protected because of its historical significance.

“Yorkville has had a long history of welcoming people who were not welcomed in Toronto,” said Jane Beecroft, a local historian. “Out of all the welcoming physical symbols that Yorkville once had, this building is the only one still standing.”

Beecroft said Catholics in Toronto wanted to build the school in the Annex, but the neighbourhood was largely Protestant, and it wasn’t allowed. Instead, it was built in Yorkville.

Zuckerman’s lawyer, Adam Brown, said the school was only included in the heritage conservation district as an afterthought.

“It was always about the Victorian homes,” he said. “This building is not part of the Victorian streetscape.”

Brown said that the integrity of the structure will be retained, and with large setbacks on upper storeys from the edge of the lower floors, the community will be none the wiser.

“They will not see the upper portions of this building at all,” he said. Brown is confident residents will like the finished product. “It’ll be fantastic.”

Phillip Gevik, who owns Gallery Gevik on Hazelton Avenue, said he opened his business on the street because he was attracted to its charm. He said he’s open to change but would like to ensure that whatever is developed on the site is in harmony with the existing architecture on the street.

“I don’t mind the development, but the changes, it doesn’t look good, and it doesn’t harmonize with the rest of the other ones that we have,” he said. “That’s what bothers me.”

A date has not yet been set for the hearing.

Imperial Oil office tower to get condo conversion?

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A HISTORIC OFFICE tower built in the 1950s is on the market and could be converted to condominiums.

The 20-storey tower, known as the Imperial Oil Building, is located at 111 St. Clair Ave. West. Built in 1957, aspects of the tower are heritage-protected, including the lobby, which is clad with Lorado Chioso marble, gold mosaic tiles and Tennessee marble. Two murals by Canadian artist York Wilson line the walls on either side of the hall from the the lobby to the elevator banks, that portray oil production throughout the course of history.

The exterior walls and roof-top observation deck are also heritage aspects of the building.

“The building will be sold as is, and anybody can do what they want with it,” said Peter Barnicke, the senior vicepresident of DTZ Barnicke. “A number of people have looked at it for residential conversion.”

The location is prime for residential development, with easy access to public transit and other infrastructure. Coun. Michael Walker would support the conversion, but there’s only one problem.

“It’s built like a tank,” said the councillor’s executive assistant, Chris Sellors. “There are two elevator bays; two huge, separate boiler systems that can still run now even though they’re 60 or 50 years old. It would be hard to retrofit.”

Barnicke said there is no listing price for the site.