Acclaimed young people’s arts provider, UrbanArts, has outgrown its storefront premises at 19 John Street so they are moving in early July to a new location on Bartonville (off Weston, east of Jane). This is a move of more than 2km. Marlene McKintosh told WestonWeb that she has no idea who will move into the space as, “it’s up to the landlord”.
Unfortunately this will add to the ample supply of empty storefronts in Weston.
Metrolinx has cut down 167 large trees along the Georgetown South corridor, and, though they are replacing them 3:1, residents south of here are upset, according to BlogTO.
I know, because I got a C+ in one forestry course, that the devil is in the details for things like this; replacing trees can be like comparing apple (trees) and orange (trees). Replacing large mixed hardwoods with three times the number of small pines is hardly reforesting.
Moreover, the trees will not be planted along the tracks:
planting of the replacement trees [will be] away from the rail corridor, though the location couldn’t be confirmed at publication time. The trees can’t be returned too close to the new tracks because safety rules require train drivers to have a clear view at all times.
A long needed demolition and repaving of Weston Lions Arena parking lot is under way. The parking lot has closed and parking restrictions have been eased between 8 am and 11 pm on Hickory Tree Road for the duration of the work, which is expected to be completed by the end of June.
As an interesting aside, when Weston Lions Arena was proposed in 1948, raffle tickets were sold to raise some of the cost. Most of us have seen the prize; it’s the recently renovated house on the south-east corner of Scarlett and Lawrence. The original owner of 2205 Lawrence paid only a dollar. It was recently on sale in the $740,000 range.
This house cost only a dollar in 1948.
York Weston Tennis Club will have its courts repaved later this summer. The club will close August 15 for the work. The city will pay for the repaving while club members will be on the hook for the $30,000 – 50,000 costs of the acrylic finish which gives courts that classy green surface.
The Clean Train Coalition has been quiet over the winter, but the anti-diesel train group has had two notable successes this week.
First, they got together with citizens to the south of us to “make electrification the election issue”—anticipating an election sometime soon—according to InsideToronto.
Residents in Roncesvalles Village are drawing a line in the sand and vowing to make electric trains the hot button issue during the next provincial election.
At a meeting of the Roncesvalles-Macdonell Residents’ Association (RMRA) on March 26 Doug Bennet, the director of the Clean Train Coalition and the Chair of the Wabash Building Society, gave the nearly 50 residents in attendance an update on the issue.
The group also posted a letter from six city councillors—including Frances Nunziata—asking the Minister of Transportation to “announce secure and dedicated funds for the electrification of the GO Rail system as soon as possible.”
There will also be a celebration this Friday in support of the CTC at the Davenport Perth Neighbourhood Centre at Davenport and Symington. It’s a pay-what-you-can event.
As part of Phase 1 of the Mid Humber Trail Project, a 600 metre extension will link the northern end of the Humber Trail – currently at Cruickshank Park to the Mallaby Park steps. This 3.5 metre wide pavement (matching the rest of the trail) will be placed over the current dirt path.
End of the trail, Cruickshank Park looking north.
Location of the next paved portion of the Humber Trail.
The construction is expected to last 4-6 weeks beginning in ‘early summer’ and contractors will operate from the parking lot at Lawrence and Little. More information on the construction can be found here as well as during a drop-in session at the Weston Library March 6, between 7 pm and 9 pm.
For Phase 2, the city is currently looking at options to extend the trail from Mallaby Park to Fairglen Crescent where the trail continues.
Sometimes no news is bad news. The non-news event of non-insignificance was the passing-over of York South–Weston by the YMCA. Last week The Y announced five new locations, but none near here.
Much was made in the Toronto Star of the organization’s ability to transform neighbourhoods; one of the Y’s staff said, “We’re definitely thinking about the determinants of social health — such as targeting poverty and increasing social inclusion, but it’s really about bringing change to the whole community”
Alas, though we could certainly do with less poverty and more inclusion, the nearest Y will be built at Kipling and Bloor. In response to an email, Frances Nunziata’s staff said, “the Councillor continues to work with the YMCA to see that they establish a location within in the Ward. This would be a great opportunity for the community.”
Thanks to Connie for the tip.
From “Infographic: Bold New Five”, The Toronto Star.
Dany Morin, the MP from Chicoutimi, visited Weston CI this week to learn from its innovative anti-bullying programs. Morin was hosted by MP Mike Sullivan.
Morin said:
In the last year and a half, there were at least five high-profile young Canadians who committed suicide. You mention Amanda Todd and Jamie Hubley, but Jenna Bowers Brenton, Marjorie Raymond in Quebec, and Mitchell Wilson, also in Ontario…. It’s heartbreaking. How can I not do something about it? I was bullied as a teenager between the ages of 10 and 15.
Where is the federal government in all this? Where is the federal leadership? Yes, bullying in the schools falls under provincial jurisdiction, but cyber bullying falls under federal jurisdiction through telecommunications. So sending text messages, emails, Facebook—all those things is the responsibility of the Federal Government.
Morin had put a motion in the House that asked for a national cyber-bullying strategy, but it was defeated by the Conservatives in November, only a few days before the (Conservative-dominated) Senate released a report asking for a—you guessed it—coordinated cyberbullying strategy. The irony was not lost on Morin.
