Mayor Olivia Chow and city officials last month with shiny shovels broke ground to begin construction of 725 new homes, including 218 affordable rentals, on City owned land in the Six Points area.
The project at 5207 Dundas Street West is the first Housing Now site to turn soil to create mixed income
communities that was a hot topic during the mayoral election campaign.
The plan would bring 24-and 17-storey mixed-use purpose-built rental apartment buildings to the
intersection, with towers featuring designs by Henriquez Partners Architects.
Their podiums would form a courtyard designed by acclaimed Montreal-based landscape architects Claude Cormier et Associés, best known locally for their work
on the dog fountain at Berczy Park.
“As the new Mayor, I’ve made building more affordable housing a top priority,” Chow said. “I welcome other orders of government to partner with us as we endeavour to build even more                        affordable housing for the people of Toronto.”
The City, in partnership with CreateTO, Kilmer Group and Tricon
Residential, is supporting the delivery of this project as part of the
Housing Now Initiative, which Toronto City Council approved in 2019                                                               to activate City-owned lands  to stimulate the development of affordable rental housing
within transit-oriented, mixed-income, mixed-use and complete communities.
The site will deliver 725 residential homes, including 30 per cent affordable rental homes,                       218 units, and 507 market rental homes. Rents for affordable homes will
range from 40 per cent to 100 per cent of the Average Market Rent (AMR).
“I’m excited to welcome this Housing Now site to Etobicoke-Lakeshore, and I know                                  this site will make lasting impact on our community. I can’t wait to
welcome our new neighbours into their homes,” said Ward 3 Councillor Amber Morley.
The development will include a mix of unit types from one-bedroom to four-bedrooms. It will also include retail uses providing amenities and services to support
residents’ needs and public spaces for community gatherings and events.
Long known as ‘Spaghetti Junction,’ the City invested $77 million to decommission                                    the former Six-Points Interchange, which was replaced by a new network of
streets, unlocking almost 18 acres of land and creating
seven blocks for redevelopment.
Also planned for the area is the new Etobicoke Civic Centre, a Toronto Public Library                         branch, gym and new
City parks. A nearby proposed Six Points Plaza Redevelopment will see 45, 43,41, 36, 25 and 8-storey
condos at Dundas Street West and Jopling Avenue.

First-term Ward 3 councillor Amber Morley (above) has been given a big promotion
by Mayor Olivia Chow who appointed the South Etobicoke native as deputy
mayor representing Etobicoke.
Morley was also appointed to sit on the powerful and influential Toronto Police
Services Board (TPSB).                                                                                                                                            Chow (below) said her appointments are intended
to reflect her commitment to a “deeply collaborative style of leadership and a
renewed purpose to deliver the kind of
change that the people demand.” Councillor Jon Burnside, a former cop,
was also named to the TPSB.

Morley stunned the community and made a name for herself in October 2022 by
defeating long-time Councillor Mark Grimes for Etobicoke Lakeshore.
Ausma Malik is the statutory deputy mayor of Toronto, Councillor Mike Colle
is deputy mayor for North York, Coun. Jennifer McKelvie, who served as former
mayor John Tory’s statutory deputy, is deputy mayor of Scarborough.
McKelvie is also chair of the Infrastructure and Environment
Committee and as a board member of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
(FCM), where she will push for more robust funding partnerships with other
levels of government, Chow said.
Malik was elected in 2022 and has been one of the most vocal opponents of the
province’s controversial plan for the development of Ontario Place, which is in
her ward of Spadina–Fort York.
All four deputy mayors will also sit on Chow’s executive committee, the city’s
most powerful committee that sets key priorities and discusses big-ticket items.
Coun. Shelley Carroll is chair of the budget committee. The city hall veteran
steps into the role as Toronto faces a nearly $1.5-billion budget shortfall and
projected deficits of billions of dollars in funding for state of good repair projects.
“I’m proud of this new Toronto team, a team that reflects the city it serves. One
team deeply and single-mindedly focused on the people’s priorities and
building a city that is more affordable, safe and caring — where everyone
belongs,” Chow said in a letter.
Morley for more than 20 years has been working on behalf of the residents of
Etobicoke-Lakeshore, while pursuing advocacy at all levels of government. She
used her voice to bring attention to issues such as poverty reduction, youth equity,
good governance and access to city spaces and services.
She was a former Director of the South Etobicoke Youth Assembly at LAMP
CHC for many years.

More than 100 wild birds and animals were found dead and more are being
rescued from Mimico Creek following fire retardant entering the wastershed
from a massive six-alarm chemical fire in North Etobicoke.
Wildlife officials are warning area residents not to eat fish from Mimico
Creek or the waters of Humber Bay Park due to a thick chemical substance
floating on the waterways, which was in the process of being sucked up by
vacuum trucks.

“Mimico Creek has had a chemical spill from a fire as well
as fire retardant entering the watershed,” officials of them
Toronto Wildlife Centre said. “These chemicals can kill
fish and make fish toxic for consumption.” They said it
can take months before the fish is fit to be consumed by
humans. Centre volunteers have been rescuing birds and
animals which they wash and try to bring them back to life
after they were covered with chemical pollutants.

The fire
started at Brenntag Canada on Vulcan Street, in the Belfield and Martingrove
Roads area, on August 11 shortly before 1:15 a.m. and quickly
escalated. Crews arrived to find several trailers ablaze at the back of a chemical
wholesaler that deals in engine, transmission oils and vehicle fluids as
lubricants and solvents.
More than 100 firefighters battled the blaze for more than 12 hours. “The
run-off from the water used to Mimico Creek, Humber River and other waterways,”                              Centre workers said.                                                                                                                                                      “This potentially toxic substance, sitting about one-inch thick on top of the water,                                            could have a serious impact on local birds and other wildlife.”

 

 

The Jean Augustine Centre cordially invites you to our Look Up! Lift Up! Match Day event on Saturday, August 12th from 11 am – 2 pm at 101 Portland St. in Etobicoke.
Funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Social Development Partnerships Program, the Jean Augustine Centre’s Look Up! Lift Up! Peer Mentorship Program is designed to support the mental health and personal development of girls between the ages of 7 to 17 and young women ages 18 to 30 who identify as Black, racialized or belonging to an underrepresented community within the Greater Toronto Area.
The match day event will be an opportunity for members of the community to learn more about the Look Up! Lift Up! Program and meet the girls and young women who will be benefiting from this initiative.
We are thrilled to be unveiling this brand new program and would love it if you could join us! If you are able to attend, we ask that you please RSVP by emailing info@jeanaugustinecentre.ca no later than Tuesday, August 8.

FROM TORONTO POLICE SERVICE

A Toronto Police member has once again stepped up to help the worsening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine by lending his voice to a charity helping children caught in the crossfire of the war.
On July 25, a book launch was held for 47-year veteran Staff Sergeant Chuck Konkel’s third novel, Who Has Buried the Dead? at Headquarters.
For a month, all proceeds from the sale of the novel will go to Project Soniashnyk (Sunflower), a charity that funds trauma rehabilitation camps for those members of the Ukraine military – many who have been orphaned by the war.
Chief Myron Demkiw said this is another example of the efforts of Toronto Police members to help everyday Ukrainians, which have included gathering and shipping clothing and essential items to the country.

“Our Ukrainian population in Toronto, and indeed across the world, has been deeply shaken by this war and, of course, it has affected many children,” Demkiw said. “Protecting and nurturing children during this challenging time is so important. I’m confident these camps will give children the things that every child should have when they go to camp: a safe place to play, a chance to make new friends and an opportunity to develop as people and develop their leadership skills.”
The Chief noted that many talented Service members take up a variety of impressive hobbies and passion projects in their spare time, but it is remarkable that Konkel has now published a third novel.
…
The historical novel detailing Soviet Imperialism took Konkel nine years to research and write.
“This book turns on secrets,” Konkel said. “One secret is buried in the deep, dark forest of Katyn, Poland and the other is in the pages of a notebook – The Scottish Book – kept in a modest café in Lwow which is an ancient Polish city.”
Konkel, who is of Polish heritage, said he feels obligated to help out the Urkraine as so many other Canadians horrified by the suffering they’ve witnesses in news reports.
“There are innocent people suffering through this war,” Konkel said. “We want to help the victims of the war.”
Proceeds from the book will go to charity when purchased at the police headquarters gift shop (40 College St.) or online via www.whohasburiedthedead.com

The New Toronto Holiday Market is accepting vendor applications from August 9 to October 10. Proceeds from vendor table fees will go to support LAMP Community Health Centre. For more information, visit lakeshoregrounds.ca

Large market with vendors to be held at Mimico Square on August 12, starts at 10 a.m. All are welcome.

No one was hurt during a storm last week when a large mature tree fell on a car parked at Marie Curtis Park. Photo courtesy of Lorenda Reddekopp of CBC News.