A virtual workshop is being held on February 1 for a new community park soon to be constructed on The Queensway near the Cineplex theatre.

A design team has been hired and details are being worked out for the park to be built in the fall next year at 1001 to 1037 The Queensway.

The park will sit between four condo towers, where restaurants once occupied, along The Queensway edge of the Cineplex Queensway theatre.

The upcoming 1,849 square metre park will be part of a mixed-use development project near Islington Avenue and The Queensway, called the Islington-City Centre West neighbourhood.

“The park design will be developed with the help of community and stakeholder feedback in order to meet the needs of the growing community,” according to a project report.

An online survey was launched last October to November 2022 to seek feedback from the community on what they would like in the park.

Nearly 500 responses to the survey will help inform future draft design options for the new park,” according to the report.

Some of the feedback called for the park to have open green multi-use space that can be used for various programming and play interests by residents.

Some wanted diverse seating options, open air markets, trees, public art and performance space.

“Community members shared their excitement and ideas for this new park district,” the survey stated. “Feedback received regarding park maintenance will be shared with the appropriate City Staff.”

“The park should allow for community events,” one person said. “With a large number of condo towers, a park is essential to build community among neighbour.”

Another person said because The Queensway is so busy he would like to see colourful plants to form a relaxed space so people can get out of their condos and enjoy nature.

One resident said the area is so noisy and busy that a separation wall of greenery would ‘create an oasis of calm.”

The area is now a hive of construction activity as two sets of paired buildings are being constructed at the corner of The Queensway and Islington.

There will be two residential rental towers of 10 and 17 storeys that will rise from a shared podium. To the west will be towers of 9 and 10 storeys.

The park will sit between them, next to the private road that enters the site.

The receivership of developer Vandyk Properties earlier in January will cause major delays of the Mimico GO station and a number of condo complexes in the area.

Metrolinx was notified last November of a receivership application against Vandyk Properties for their lands adjacent to Mimico GO Station, according to reports.

It means developments at 23 Buckingham Street, 39 Newcastle Street and 327 Royal York Road, that was meant to create more than 2,000 new housing units will also be placed on hold.

Upon notification of the receivership filing, Metrolinx took immediate steps to protect public lands and all associated infrastructure and exercised their right to terminate the agreement with Vandyk.

While this termination will end the current arrangement with Vandyk and their obligation to deliver transit facilities on behalf of Metrolinx, it gives Metrolinx flexibility to re-negotiate an agreement with the future owners the adjacent property.

Metrolinx will continue to explore options to deliver new and improved transit infrastructure benefits at Mimico GO Station with a third party through the transit-oriented communities’ program

2495065 Ontario Inc., a real estate holding company which is part of the larger Vandyk Group and owns development property located in the Mimico neighbourhood, was placed into receivership on January 8 on application by Otéra Capital Inc., owed approximately $73 million.

That same day various other members of the Vandyk Group, which own lands in Mississauga, Brampton and Etobicoke intended for residential development projects, were placed in receivership on application by KingSett Mortgage Corporation and Dorr Capital Corporation, owed approximately $183 million.

The companies have defaulted on numerous mortgages for the properties they are developing, including by allegedly diverting millions in funds, failing to pay property taxes and failing to pay principal and interest when due.

Mimico is one of Toronto’s priority “Regeneration Areas,”and the reinvestment and intensification will open up new residential and employment opportunities in the community. Vandyk Properties has invested in the Mimico Triangle as majority owners.

Grand Central Mimico is a master-planned, transit-tailored community comprising over 2 million square feet of mixed-use development. Anchoring the community is a ground breaking partnership with Metrolinx, securing the build towards a brand new Mimico GO Station.

The development spans four city blocks and would have created over 1.85 million square feet of new condos. It would have been designed as a high-energy district characterized by connectivity, open public space, winding parks, and modern lifestyle amenities.

The proposed development on the site spans two blocks with a total of six towers with heights of 22, 30, 34, 35, 36 and 36 storeys.  Phase 1 applies to 315-327 Royal York Road and includes two towers and a new main entrance and amenities for Mimico GO station.

Phases 2 and 3 apply to 27-39 Newcastle Street and includes two towers in Phase 2 and two towers in Phase 3, as well as a new secondary entrance and parking for Mimico GO station .

A total of 2,078 dwelling units are proposed with a unit mix of 135 studio units, 781 one bedroom units, 718 two-bedroom units and 210 three-bedroom units.

Also in jeopardy is a new pedestrian-cyclist bridge promised by Vandyk to run across Royal York Road, connected to the Mimico-Judson Greenway.

A plan to cancel a popular Etobicoke Winter Windrow Clearing Program due to budgetary cutbacks has angered many people.

The program, which is offered to more than 260,000 homeowners in Etobicoke, North York and Scarborough, will require residents to find other ways to clear the heavy snow at the end of their driveways.

Windrows are the large dunes of snow left behind by plows when they clear residential roads. The city currently clears them. But the city in its proposed budget said they will save $16 million by cutting the program.

Etobicoke Ward 2 Councillor Stephen Holyday said the community has a large amount of seniors who depend on the service, otherwise their driveways will not be cleared.

The windrows are made up of compacted snow moved by snowplows from the road which is heavy to shovel and can lead to issues to people with heart problems.

“We have a lot of seniors and disabled people living in the community who depend on the service,” Holyday said. “They will be the most affected.”

He said ambulances or other personnel will not be able to get close to homes in emergencies due to a mountain of compacted, heavy snow at the tip of their driveways.

People in the suburbs have large driveways and require their vehicles to go to their doctors, or shopping or to the bank.

“A lot of suburban constituents are in favour of this program,” Holyday said. “Some residents will not be able to leave their homes after a snowstorm.”

The City said it does not have any ‘statutory obligation’ to provide this service under the provincial standards.’

“Adoption of this budget would result in Transportation Services no longer providing windrow clearing as a service in the City,” according to the budget proposal.

The City said if the cut is approved the service will continue until the end of this winter and end next year.

Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie said she was told “loud and clear” at a town hall meeting that people in her Scarborough Rouge Park also do not want to see the program axed, since roughly 20 per cent of residents in her ward are seniors.

“They consider the windrow clearing an essential service provided to them and it ensures that they have accessibility throughout winter and they’re able to age in place and live in their homes,” McKelvie said.

She said seniors in her community, like in South Etobicoke, are reliant on their cars and in many cases have to drive to take transit like the GO Train.

She said eliminating the program will unfairly impact seniors.

City staff are proposing a 10.5 per cent tax for property owners as Toronto tries to plug a $1.8 billion budget deficit. Staff are also proposing an extra six per cent levy if the federal government does not provide $250 million to shelter refugees and asylum seekers.

The budget Committee wrapped up its deliberations on January 26. It will be presented to City Council for a vote on February 14.

The Toronto Police Mounted Unit which is 138-years-old may soon be gone if City Council has its way.

The City budget committee has sought a report on the Unit to determine its cost and if is worth keeping as they grapple to raise $1.8 billion to pay its deficit.

The budget will be voted on by City Council on February 14.

A police report said the Mounted Unit, with a budget of $5.9 million, is the longest serving unit in the history of the force.

“Its rich history and tradition is entwined with that of the City and the Service,” according to a report prepared for a budget committee. “The Mounted Unit provides support services to the front line members in the areas of crowd management and community patrol.”

The unit has about 40 officers and 24 horses which are stabled at the Horse Palace on the Exhibition Grounds.

“From their elevated vantage point on top of the horse, the officer can anticipate threats in the crowd, monitor crowd dynamics, communicate directions or observe for missing persons,” the report stated.

It said the use of horses are recognized as the most effective nonviolent way of moving a large crowd and is equal to having at least 10 officers on the ground.

“Mounted Unit is a vital component of the Public Order Unit when responding to large planned or spontaneous demonstrations, sporting events or celebrations,” police said. “A horse is a large animal that people at crowded events will make way for without any elevated use of force or struggle.”

They provide an effective de-escalation tool for crowds in light of a recent marked increase in crowd management resources brought on by COVID protests and demonstrations in response to the Middle East conflict.

Police said when the FIFA World Cup arrives in Toronto in 2026, the Mounted Unit is expected to play a significant role in crowd management as events are expected to draw large crowds.

The horses help remove or breakdown the barriers that prevent the youth or children to feel comfortable to approach and interact with police as the unit attended 143 community events in 2023.

The Mounted Unit is routinely called upon to help with missing person searches involving the elderly, vulnerable persons, children and suicidal individuals. The horses were deployed to 66 searches for missing persons last year.

They are used to help officers control large unruly crowds during pandemic related lockdowns and at Woodbine Beach during the Canada Day and Victoria Day weekends that saw large groups launching fireworks at first responders and families.

The Mounted Unit annually participates in several parades throughout the City, including the Santa Claus parade and Warriors Day Parade at the CNE, police said.

“The Service’s Mounted Unit is the gold standard of operational Mounted Units in North America with several agencies often reaching out for counsel.”

The unit last year took part in 143 community events, 84 cases involving crowd management, 55 ceremonial events, 110 searches, 475 radio calls, 93 vehicle stops and 993 patrols.

“The Mounted Unit has an ability to effectively and safely manage crowds and is an integral part of the Service’s overall response to large scale events, demonstrations and protests,” police said.

“The Unit is able to successfully manage large scale events that could potentially turn violent,” according to the report. They “reduce the requirement for additional officers and costs and lowering the risk of injuries to officers and the public.”

The City of Toronto is looking at establishing a municipal lottery or taxing legal marijuana to help raise funds for our cash-strapped city.

The City manager is expected to present a comprehensive report to the budget committee on January 26 in regards to the lottery.

The report will detail “the necessary steps and governmental approvals required to establish a municipal lottery within our jurisdiction,” according to a budget agenda.

Etobicoke Ward 3 Councillor Amber Morley and Etobicoke Centre’s Stephen Holyday voted in favour of a municipal lottery being studied as a means of the city to earn cash, since it is more than $1.5 billion in debt.

The City Manager will “provide an analysis of the potential revenues that could be generated through the implementation of such a lottery.”

It is not known how or when the lottery will start but it first has to be approved by City Council. It is expected to generate millions for city coffers.

The committee will also consider the feasibility of introducing a potential tax levy per passenger for those using Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.

That too is expected to generate millions for the city if approved by City Council.

The Billy Bishop Airport is an important international gateway and a key driver to Toronto’s economy, which traditionally welcomes approximately 2.8 million passengers per year.

The airport is the ninth busiest airport in Canada, and the fifth busiest with service to the U.S.

City Councillors will also consider a levy or some sort of tax on the sales of legitimate marijuana at the hundreds of licensed stores in Toronto.

A tax on marijuana sales is expected to reap millions in cash for the city.

ales, or 12.7% of all regulated recreational cannabis revenue in Canada.

The Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) is the country’s highest-earning cannabis agency, with $234-million profit last year which easily topped the $95 million made by Quebec’s agency, the $18 million of New Brunswick’s and the $2.9 million of Prince Edward Island.

The OCS is the sole wholesaler to more than 1,500 authorized cannabis stores in the province.

The owner of a popular cannabis store in Toronto can earn $250,000 or more yearly.

Toronto businesses are slowly recovering following the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a City survey.

A Toronto Employment Survey in 2023 recorded 1,535,290 jobs post-pandemic citywide, which was an increase of 50.690 jobs, or a 3.4 per cent increase from 2022.

Total employment is approaching the pre-pandemic total of 1,569,800 in 2019, a difference of 2.2% per cent, or 34,510 jobs, according to the survey.

“Toronto’s economy continues to recover from the record-breaking job losses of 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the survey states.

This year, employment increases over 2022 were observed in Community and Entertainment sector, with a 12.4 per cent increase, compared to institutional, which rose 6.2 per cent, office work with 5.8 per cent and the retail sector with a 1.6 per cent rise.

The survey said there was a decrease in jobs of 1.6 per cent in the manufacturing category.

The survey counted 72,530 establishments in 2023, an increase of 730 establishments, or one per cent    from 2022. In 2023, 7,580 new establishments opened in the city.

The City has been conducting the annual survey of Toronto business establishments since 1983 and the data is used to monitor economic activity and provide information for policy and decision making, or planning municipal infrastructure.

It said there were 601,010 jobs in Toronto’s downtown in 2023, the highest employment count reported in the last five years.

“Downtown grew faster than the citywide average of 3.4 per cent, gaining 36,020 jobs, or 6.4 per cent,” according to the survey.  Since the loss of 47,350 jobs in 2020, downtown has been able to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic gaining 63,700 jobs.”

There were declines at some of the major centres, including a loss of 530 jobs at the Yonge-Eglinton Centre, followed by Scarborough Centre with 400 jobs and Etobicoke Centre, which lost 180 jobs. The North York Centre gained 1,000 jobs.

In 2023, establishments surveyed reported 14.2 per cent having active employees working remotely, with 309,570 jobs reported as remote. This is 10.1 per cent of all Toronto establishments, and 20.2 per cent of employment in the city.

Most of the remote workers, or 74 per cent, were employed in the office sector.

“The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have slowed employment growth,” according to the study.

The survey, which was taken from May to October 2023, was conducted in-person by a team of surveyors, allowing for visits to all businesses across the city.

Emergency calls for police service went up 18 per cent between September 2022 and 2023 and it takes on average 22 minutes to respond to the highest priority call, according to the Toronto police association.

Association president John Reid said the wait time is longer in 18 of 25 wards in the City of Toronto.

Reid said things are so bad on the force that some units may have to be disbanded and most of the time there are longer waits for 911 calls.

“Sixty per cent of the time, there are no units immediately available to respond to an emergency,” he said.

“A recent poll by Abacus Data found that more than half of Torontonians believe the current level of policing does not meet the city’s safety needs,” Reid told a budget committee as he requested more funding for police, which has a budget of $1.17 billion.

He said almost 70 per cent of city residents believe that increasing the number of frontline officers is key to enhancing city safety and 71 per cent want a properly-funded and well-resourced police service.

“The residents of Toronto deserve better and without the appropriate investment in policing, the current situation will get worse,” Reid said.

He told the committee that police underfunding has led to the disbanding of most Divisional Community Response Units and the Drug Squad.

“Next may be traffic enforcement and neighbourhood officers,” he said. “Our current staffing levels are unacceptable.”

Reid said since 2010, Toronto has grown by 460,000 people, which is a 13 per cent increase in the population while the number of police officers has declined by almost 600.

The association said when residents call 911 many times they are placed on hold.

“And even if they are not on hold – imagine having to wait 22 minutes for someone to show up,” he said. “This is the reality in Toronto today and the criminals know it.”

He said more cops are needed to deal with the record number of hate crimes, protests and car thefts taking place in the city.

Association spokesperson Meaghan Gray said Toronto Police requested a budget increase of $20 million, which was approved by the Police Services Board on December 19.

“The City has put forward its budget proposal which includes an increase of just under $8 million for police, almost $13 million shy of what the Service requested and the Board approved,” Gray said.

The association represents almost 8,000 police and civilian members of the Toronto Police Service.

 

 

The city has decided to allocate some $152 million of the proposed 2024 budget for community safety,  transit and more shelter beds.

The budget proposes a 10.5 per cent property tax hike, with another 6 per cent pending, if the federal government does not pick up the cost of refugee shelter beds.

Some $39 million of the allocated sum will be used to hire 52 new Toronto Fire Services firefighters and 62 Toronto Paramedic Services paramedics.

Funds are also budgeted to expand the Toronto Community Crisis Service citywide, and hire additional 911 call takers and dispatchers.

There were some funds allocated to Toronto Police Service despite appeals by the Chief Myron Demkiw and the Police Association to the budget committee.

Meaghan Gray, of the Toronto Police Association, the City has put forward its budget proposal which includes a budget increase of just under $8 million for police, almost $13 million shy of what the Service requested and the Board approved.

Toronto police remains one of the largest line items in city staff’s proposed net budget, coming in at just over $1.17 billion.

Mayor Olivia Chow said there will be millions of funding available to police.

Some $82 million is being allocated for housing and shelter, which will include 450 dedicated shelter beds for refugee claimant response, a winter warming response plan, multi-tenant housing program, community housing agency support and a homeless prevention program.

The City also plans to spend $30 million on transit programs, which will include passenger safety and well-being, high visibility staff presence and incident management.

Funds will also go to TTC people strategy, including trauma assistance and mental health training.

Funding will also go to a Toronto Public Library open hour implementation plan, development of emission performance standards and home energy ratings and disclosures.

The city said more than 10,000 survey responses were received and 11,600 ideas shared by residents during the city-wide hearings to give input into the 2024 budget.

“You told us that housing and shelter, transit, and making Toronto safer were your top priorities for Toronto in 2024,” City officials said in a release.

There’s still time to share your feedback on the 2024 Budget to members of the Budget Committee, if you want. Just send an email to buc@toronto.ca

 

City councillors received an earful at a public meeting at the Etobicoke Civic Centre to discuss the upcoming proposed budget.

Many of the people who attended in person, or phoned in, were against the tax increase of 10.5 per cent this year as a number of others were in favour to upkeep the services we receive.

Members of a budget sub-committee held two three-hour sessions of meetings on January 23. One was held from 1:30p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and another at 6 p.m.

Sub-committee chair Gord Perks said thousands of people wrote in to let their voices be heard in the sessions, which will occur at City Hall, Scarborough and North York.

A vote by City Council on the fine-tuned budget will take place on February 14.

Resident Patrick Bernie said there has been little talk of cost reduction by the City.

“I have heard little comment about salary freeze or unpaid layoffs,” Bernie told the committee. “Refugees filling our shelters is the responsibility of the federal government.”

He and others said cutbacks are already underway citing the halting of mechanical collection of leaves in Etobicoke.

Paul Buttigieg said some City agencies like the TTC and Forestry Services are overstacked with layers of staffers and third party contractors who are expensive.

“In some agencies we have two parallel managers,” he said. “Places like the TTC should take a look at their staffing levels.”

Brad Dixon told councillors that street lights should be replaced with LED lights as they expire in a move that can save millions yearly.

Ward 2 resident Laura Lindberg is in favour of the tax increase since she is pleased with the City’s climate change plan that she wouldn’t mind paying for.

“The investing in climate change has long-term benefits,” Lindberg told the committee. “I support the funding of the City’s green initiatives.”

Elliot Woodenberg was concerned about how City funds were being managed with services already being reduced.

He too said many Etobicoke residents are not happy that the mechanized leaf collection program we enjoyed for years is now gone.

Long-time resident How-Sen Chong urged the city to do more to curb climate change, which he said, can cause floods and devastation as we previously experienced with Hurricane Hazel.

Adam Rogers cited the cyberattack at the Toronto Public Library and asked the committee to spend more on data security to protect hackings against City agencies.

“It is only time before another cyberattack will happen again,” Rogers said. “We need to increase the budget to do more to prevent our data from being breached.”

Olivia Blondin pleaded for social services to receive more City funding saying that as a child her family was evicted five times and moved between shelters and bus stations.

“No one should be on the streets freezing and starving,” Blondin said. “I am asking for some of the budget be put back into social services.”

Frontline crisis worker Diana Chan McNally said there should be more adult drop in centres and the budget has to give another $1 million to 32 centres that do not receive funds.

“Centers now have to provide hot meals for those who use them,” McNally said. “They are force to use their own resources with no help from the government.”

Beware of this woman who claims to have an autistic son in an online scam to rip people off.

Members of a South Etobicoke social media site are warning of a woman seeking support from generous residents by claiming to have an autistic son to sell hoodies online.

The woman claims her autistic son has learned design and set up an online store and she was the first to place an order.

“Please encourage him,” she asks.

Other people were quick to post the woman was a scammer and should be avoided.

“I ordered the shirt only to see that it is not a unique design but one that is massed produced,” one woman responded.

The black hoodies, is advertised for about $60 Canadian, and has Lakeshore, Ontario printed on the front. It has an anchor with smaller red letters ‘unsalted’ and ‘sharkfree.’

The seller claims the hoodies are made-to-order and ‘proudly printed with the best screen printing or print to garment processes available.’

“While we make every effort to provide a consistent product per run, hues and brands may vary due to supply chain availability but will be of comparable or better quality,’’ the seller claims. She then turned off her comment section.

Another resident warned ‘this is not a legit post. Don’t be duped.’

The seller’s post was later removed by the administrator of the website.

The page shows that 13 of the hoodies had been sold so far. It netted the seller almost $800 on this site alone. The sale may have likely been posted on other sites as well.

Residents are also warning of a bogus wedding officiant who takes the money from couples planning their weddings and then disappear.

Readers said the officiant seeks 50 per cent of the costs up front to book her. She refuses to hand over an Ontario officiant license and a prepayment is illegal.

Police have said never pay funds upfront and demand to see certificates or licenses of the person you are going to do business with online.