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Volume
29 Number I, Newsletter of the Swansea Area Ratepayers' Association January 2002 EXECUTIVE
MEETINGS Please
note that Executive meetings are public and held normally
on the third Tuesday of each month, excluding July
and August. There may be seating limitations, so contact
the Executive before you come to a meeting. Your executive is: V. Masnyk - President; G.
Dubauskas" Vice-president
& t.ouis Gri~ - Viee-presidoot ~- Membership;
J. Oreto - Treasurer; V. Vancas - Secretary;, Peter
Chant - Past President; Directors: Jamie Bell, R. Braun,
Ritvars Bregzis, L. Clay, M. Fenner, Bill Haines, M.
Hudson, Peter Keefe, M. Lalonde, J. McMullen, William
(Bill) Roberts, L. Volpe and S. Wilkinson. John Meijer
is helping out as our web-master. GARDINER
LAKESHORE TASKFORCE SARA
continues to monitor this committee's work. Bill Roberts
is our contact on this body, and S. Wilkinson is the
alternate. SARA has written the City wondering why this
body that has over a decade's experience with transportation
issues along the waterfront has not been called
to meet and discuss the "Part II Plan" for the waterfront.
The task force was supposed to hold a public meeting
this past summer at the CNE to get input from the
public on burying the Gardiner. Since last Spring the committee
has not met. This resembles the worst days of Harbourfront
when the City did not call meetings of the Harbourfront
Review Committee. Is this an issue of no one
wanting an experienced committee questioning the "experts"
and testing the theory? We have already seen how well
the City did with its computer deal.
Who knows, but SARA
has written to the City asking "Why.. (Ed. note: Strangely
enough, after SARA wrote, a meeting was called.) MEMBERSHIP If you
have not done so yet, renew your membership for 2002
now. THE
FOLLOWING ARE THE FEES FOR 2002: Single
membership $10.00 Family
membership $12.00 Business
membership $14.00 Please
contact L. Gris at 416 - 766 - 2792 to renew." Membership
inquiries may be sent to Swansea Area Ratepayers'
Association, c/o Swansea Town Hall, Box 103, 95
Lavinia Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M6S 3H9. FUND
RAISER Once
again several members attended the Village Players Play
and the event helps to generate some income to assist our
ongoing operations. HOURS
OF OPERATION OF GAS BARS SARA
continues to press the City to enforce its bylaw. There
are settlement discussions going on at this time that may
produce a resolution on the reduction in the hours of the
operation of the gas station at 8 South Kingsway. MEGACITY
COMMUNITY COUNCILS SARA
continues to press the issue of why City staff does not
hold public meetings at the Humber York Civic centre. It
seems the politicians have failed to notice the staff is manipulating
the public hearing process by holding City-wide
public meetings at only four of the old civic centers
(Toronto, North York, Scarborough and Etobicoke)
which clearly means they continue to favor four
departmental divisions instead of divisions based on the six
community councils approved by Council, thereby undermining
the role of council and setting de facto policy. HIGH
PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE Jean
McMullen is our representative. STELCO SARA
has three representatives on the WINDERMERE BY THE
LAKE COMMUNITY LIAISON COMMITTEE. The
committee is structured to allow communications between
Reon and the community. SARA, before becoming
part of the committee, insisted that the committee
not be a decision making group, but be in addition
to any Public Hearing process. MEOW
CLUB We
remain concerned that there may be an attempt to erect high-rise
condominiums on this site. In that light we supported
the Friends of Fort York who were left on their own
without support from the City to protect the Official Plan
policies, not five years old, that stated buildings around
Fort York should be of a lower scale. In light of the new
corporation and the proposed Waterfront Plan, there
are no assurances the City will not support 30 plus towers
from Yonge Street to the Humber River. For updates
please contact J. Bell at 416 - 604 - 7421. TRAFFIC
CALMING. We
continue to follow this matter. COMMUNITY
POLICE LIAISON COMMITTEE. Bill
Haines is our representative on this committee. We express
our condolences to Bill, and to L. Volpe who each have
lost a parent recently. JOY OIL
STATION SARA
continues to watch this situation. It appears that toxic
soil remains under the gas station which is preventing the
project from going forward. One solution is to move the gas
station and the other is to sell the land and use the monies
therefrom to find a different and better site for the social
housing (perhaps as part of the Reon project). HUMBER
RIVER PEDESTRIAN/CYCLING TRAILS It
appears the City staff has agreed to have a pedestrian trail
by the Swansea side of the Humber and the bicycle trails
further west and east. It is likely the funding for this will be
in the next year with construction sometime in the Spring. 1947
BLOOR STREET WEST. The
Humber-York Community Council approved the site Plan despite
serious concerns raised by the community and the
fact there appears to have been major changes done to the
plans that were approved by the Ontario Municipal Board.
Those changes should have required further approvals
by either the Board or the City not just site plan approvals. 61
KENNEDY AVE. SARA
was contacted by a former executive member and agreed
to support the concerns of the area residents. Several meetings
were held and a settlement was reached that protected
the spirit of the by-law while allowing development
of the site with variances the neighbors could live
with. 47 ST.
OLAVES SARA
was contacted by a neighbor who did not support the
proposal. The item was adjourned because, in part, of the
short notice given by the Committee. A meeting was held at
David Miller's office to see if there could be a resolution.
SARA continues to support the neighbors. SWANSEA
MEMORIAL LIBRARY We
continue to keep an eye on the Library.
Please remember
if we do not use it we will lose it. Remember it is as a
living memory to the Village of Swansea soldiers who
served in the First World War - the 22 who did not come
back and the 150 who did. Also do not forget you can arrange for any
movie, book or any
other library material to be delivered to the Swansea branch
for pickup. LIBRARY
HOURS ARE NOW: Monday:
.......... Closed Tuesday:.
...... 10:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M. Wednesday:
..... 10:00
A.M. - 6:00 P.M. Thursday:
...... 10:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M. Friday:
........... Closed Saturday
...... 9:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. Sunday:
.......... Closed Please
contact G. Dubauskas at 416 - 762 -6413. CITY
PLAN. SARA
supports the Confederation of Residents and Ratepayers
Associations and the Federation of North Toronto
Ratepayers Associations, whose concerns parallel ours,
that the proposed plan simply transfers powers to the
staff and the developers and excludes the citizens from the
process. MUNICIPAL
SHELTERS SARA,
while supporting the concept finds the proposal poorly
drafted. However, the majority of the members of two
committees at a joint committee meeting of Planning and
Transportation and of Social Services refused to meet with
concerned business and ratepayers groups to see if the wording
of the proposed by-law could be improved. OUR WEB
SITE It is
still being created. However, thanks to John Meiier who is
helping out as our web-master, it is looking "good". You can
view our site at WWW.Swansearatepayers.ca. PUBLIC
ACCESS SARA is
pressing the city to return to the previous policies that
guaranteed participatory planning. SWANSEA
TOWN HALL A. G. M. The
Annual General Meeting is scheduled for Monday, February
25/02 at 7:30 p.m. at the Swansea Town Hall. There
will be an election to fill two vacancies on the Board of
Directors, and an update on the building extension WE HOPE
THE NEW YEAR FINDS YOU
HEALTHY, HAPPY AND
PROSPEROUS! |