Park Lawn Parents & Community residents: help stop hazardous changes to our park & children's playground

Park Lawn Parents & Community residents:
help stop hazardous changes to our park & children's playground

As parents and local residents, we were excited knowing that this summer would finally bring the new, widened pedestrian pathway to the green space behind Park Lawn JMS. We have been eagerly awaiting demolition of the old path and construction of the new pathway complete with lighting, seating areas, and trees lining both sides.

On June 9, a school parent and revitalization committee member contacted City of Toronto staff for an update. We were shocked to learn that without consultation of any kind, the City had made sweeping changes to the agreed-upon plan.

To accommodate the baseball users during the summer months, the City has decided to scrap all the trees on the north side of the path and replace them with a 250 foot long, 5 foot high, black chain link fence. This fence extends almost the entire length of the playground. There will also be a 13 foot high foul pole and a 12 foot wide limestone warning track that is 250 feet long. 

These changes are unacceptable and the fence, in particular, poses huge safety hazards to our children:

• Because of its location, it will be tempting for children to use it as a climbing wall

• It completely reduces visibility to teachers on duty supervising students

• It essentially divides the playground in two

• Not only will it have an impact on our daily school activities but also school sports teams, full school events and community events (such as cross country, spring fair, track and field, play day)

How you can help: 

• Sign this online petition to MPP/Councillor Milczyn, council members of the Etobicoke York Community Council, and Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/482/848/847/stop-a-high-chain-link-fence-from-being-installed-along-park-lawn-parks-pedestrian-path/

• Tell friends and community residents 

City staff and the Councillor had booked a meeting to address community concerns over these changes. We were notified that the meeting was cancelled and that this new plan will be implemented once the school year is over.

These changes will irreparably damage our schoolyard and park.  

Thanks for your support, please let us know if you have any questions.

Tanis Michelsen bretan@rogers.com and Andrea Hynes ukaliki@gmail.com

SAC Co-Chairs

Join us for the 2014 KPRI Annual General Meeting March 11 @ 7:30

On Tuesday March 11th, the Kingsway Park Ratepayers will be hosting the Annual General Meeting at the Old Mill in the Home Smith Bar at 7:30.

If you are not a current member, bring $20 to update your membership.

Looking forward to seeing you!

Application for a 9 storey residential building at Bloor and The Kingsway

NOTICE OF APPLICATION(S)
(Under the planning Act)

The city has received the following application(s) under the planning Act:
ETOBICOKE YORK COMMUNITY COUNCIL AREA:
City Clerk, attention: Rosemary Mackenzie, Administrator
Etobicoke civic centre, Main Floor, 399 The west Mail, Toronto, oN, Fax: M9c 2y2 416-394-5600; E-mail: etcc@toronto.ca


2800 Bloor Street West
To permit a 9-storey residential building.

North side of Bloor Street West, west of The Kingsway

If you are interested in further information, please contact Ms. Mackenzie at the contact info above.

The Humbertown Fight Continues - a note from Councillor Gloria Lindsay Luby

Although we were successful in defeating the Humbertown application at Etobicoke Community Council and at Toronto City Council, the developer has appealed this decision to the Ontario Municipal Board.  The City will be sending a lawyer to fight the application as will the Humber Valley Village Residents Association.  The Ontario Municipal Board is a Provincial body, and we will continue to argue the application does not fit with the existing neighbourhood as it is too big, too tall, and too dense.

If you signed the register at the Etobicoke York Community Council meeting, you may have received notice from the developer's lawyers, Aird and Berlis, regarding this matter for the pre-hearing date at the OMB for September 5th.  The Province requires the appellants to send out these notices so the cost will not be borne by the City, Province, or the OMB.

The details of the notice are as follows: OMB Pre-Hearing Conference on Thursday, September 5, 2013 at 10:00 a.m.  The OMB office is located at 655 Bay St., 16th Floor.

On September 5th, the parties to the hearing will identify themselves and agree on a hearing duration and a hearing date as well as the terms of a Procedural Order. People who intend to speak as interested residents at the actual hearing are welcome to attend, but they do not have to. 

There are two types of status that individuals and organizations can seek at an OMB hearing. The first type is that of a Party. A Party is by far the more onerous status as Party status requires the individual or group to be present for the entire duration of the hearing which could be a month long.

Parties are able to call witnesses, cross examine another party's witnesses and present legal arguments at the close of the hearing.  Parties are also potentially subject to an award of costs against them if they say they have an issue or a witness on a given topic but then do not call any evidence on that issue, thereby causing the proponent to expend costs for no reason. 

The other form of status at the hearing is that of Participant. A Participant is a much less onerous form of participation at the hearing. A Participant will be eligible to attend the hearing whenever they want to observe what is going on but they are not permitted to ask the witnesses any questions or to make closing argument. They are permitted to give their own testimony and to raise their own concerns with the proposal as a witness themselves. There will likely be a special block of time set aside for Participants to present their evidence to the Board possibly even in the evening to accommodate their schedules. Participants will be asked to swear an oath or affirm on their conscience before testifying and they will be subject to cross-examination after they testify. However, they are not required to be at the hearing the entire time and they are not expected or permitted to call witnesses other than themselves and they are not subject to any potential cost award being sought ag

ainst them. 

If someone is seeking Party status then they or their legal representative has to attend at the OMB on Sept 5th. If someone does not intend to be a Party but would like to address the Board at the hearing as a Participant then they do not have to attend the pre-hearing on the 5th. 

To be a participant in this process, I will let you know in advance of the start of the actual hearing and when it is scheduled so you can know when to attend and present your own evidence to the board.  I will encourage as many of you as possible to take this step.

I want to thank the entire community for your hard work and support to stand up against this development since they first proposed it in 2011.  Although the Ontario Municipal Board is a Provincial body, I will monitor the hearings daily and will try to update you when matters progress.  I will also continue to work with and provide support to the Humber Valley Village Residents Association and I urge you to do the same.

Yours truly,

Gloria Lindsay Luby,

Toronto City Councillor,

Etobicoke Centre – Ward 4.

LEAF's subsidized Backyard Tree Planting Program

It’s spring! Consider planting native trees around your home through LEAF’s subsidized Backyard Tree Planting Program. Native shrubs and garden kits are also available to help you build biodiversity and attract songbirds, butterflies and other pollinators to your yard. Help protect and improve the urban forest. www.yourleaf.org

Thank you for helping us to build the urban forest.

Follow us on twitter @LEAF and use the hashtag #urbanforest 

Like us on facebook @LEAF - Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests