Volume 27 Number 2 Newsletter of the Swansea Area Ratepayers' Association June 2000

MEMBERSHIP If you have not already done so please renew and encourage your friends to obtain a 2000 membership. Memberships are our principal source of revenue used to handle day to day administration costs. All our Executive are volunteers. THE FOLLOWING ARE THE FEES FOR 2000. Single membership $10.00 Family membership . $12.00 Business membership . $14.00 Please contact L. Gris at 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.

EXECUTIVE MEETINGS
Please note that Executive meetings are public and held normally on the third Tuesday of each month. There may be seating limitations, so contact the Executive before you come to a meeting. Our Executive is: Peter Chant, President; J. Bell and LVaughan, Vice-Presidents; L. Clay, Secretary; J. Oreto, Treasurer; L. Gris, Membership; Ron Luft, Past-President; Your Directors: Ritvars Bregzis, R. Braun, J. Cleary, W. Haines, P. Keefe, M. Lalonde, J. McMullan, G. Martinsons, V. Masnyk, D. Murray, M. Pew, Wm. Roberts, L.Volpe and S. Wilkinson. Please note: all executive positions (other than past presidents) are elected at each annual meeting.

GAS BARS
SARA continues to monitor, but with our efforts and those of the Ripley Avenue Residents Group, the City now has controls related to lighting and the relation of gas bars to commercial areas. The first gas bar to fall under the new rules is the ESSO on South Kingsway. SARA, through Ron Braun, was able to get changes in the by-law to control upright signs.

GARDINER LAKESHORE TASKFORCE
SARA continues to monitor this committee's work. Bill Roberts is our contact on this body, and S. Wilkinson the alternate. The City continues to seriously consider turning the Gardiner into a privatized toll road. Some members of the committee wish to reduce the number of cars entering the City in addition to removing the expressway east of the CNE and expanding the Lakeshore to 5 lanes in each direction for a total of 10 lanes. SARA is concerned that the Megacorporation being created to deal with these issues may end up like Harbour- front, where public lands end up being turned into private lands and condominiums, and rather than opening vistas will in effect provide a bigger barrier than the existing expressway.

HIGH PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE
J. Bell is our representative and successfully coordinated the volunteers who completed the Children's Playground project in High Park.

SPECIAL NOTICE
Swansea Area Ratepayers' Association

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Wednesday, June 21st at 7300 p.m. at the Swansea town Hall 95 Lavinia Ave in the Rousseau Room Agenda - 7:00 p.m. President's Report Treasurer's Report Other Reports Election of Officers Agenda - 7:30 p.m. (approx) Olympic Bid - Joe Halstead - Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture & Tourism - Toronto "Everything you wanted to know but were never able to ask." Agenda - 8:30 p.m. (approx) Where is Swansea going? Update on community council boundaries. Bill Roberts to report on most recent decisions of the City - will Swansea be part of a Mega Etobicoke, Central Toronto, or York? Light refreshments will be served Current & prospective members welcome I

MEGACITY COMMUNITY COUNCILS
SARA has made submissions in regard to the Community Councils. Our position is that they should be small enough to provide a counter to the large City Council. We support community councils with 5 to 8 councillors per community council which will result in 6 to 8 community councils. We do not support the 4 community council concept.

TRAFFIC CALMING ON RIVERSIDE DRIVE
This is coming forward again. SARA has raised concerns about the impact of design changes where Riverside Drive meets South Kingsway.

BILLY BOB'S
The hearing for a roof top patio lasted two days. SARA supports the surrounding residents who have concerns, and Bill Roberts appeared to express our support of those residents.

99 COEHILL DR. (1 RENNIE TERRACE)
The owner is seeking to have the parking, that is on land leased from the City, to be counted towards reducing the number of parking spaces inside the building. This matter was appealed and settled some time ago. However, the owner is seeking to convert some of the parking area into units. SARA has concerns about the impact on Catfish pond.

MEOW CLUB
SARA has written to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission in opposition to any expansion of the premises in view of the present operation. The City is in the process of seeking an injunction to stop the operation of the Meow Club for breach of City bylaws. Further hearings on the present operation are expected, if they have not already started. For updates please contact J. Bell at 416-604-7421. 1947 BLOOR ST. WEST IS BACK Another applicant is proposing a building greater than the by-laws permit. Several area residents are opposed to the project. SARA supports their concerns.

COMMUNITY POLICE LIAISON COMMITTEE
Bill Haines is our representative on this committee. The Police Services did not expand the boundaries at this time because 11 Division's statioI1 does not have sufficient space for additional officers.

SECOND SUITES
While we were successful in having some changes made to the by-law, the City staff are attempting to bypass the usual process and cut the politicians out of the decision making process. The Board agreed that the by-law should discourage external changes and that in the former City that the requirement of one parking space per unit should be retained.

SWANSEA FIRE HALL
SARA continues to monitor this matter. Both City Councillors opposed its closing unless the new hall can be located in such a way that present response times are not diminished, which was also SARA's position. Should a new location be found we do not want to lose the building which was the Village's municipal hall before Swansea Town Hall was built.

SWANSEA MEMORIAL LIBRARY
SARA appeared in support of the proposal to retain the branch. For the moment the Library Board has put the closing on hold. But it should be noted that unless the numbers of those using the library increase, the Board will review its decision -- which is to say that they will close the branch when the renovations to the Runnymede Library are completed. As you may be aware, our library is a very special memorial to those from the Village of Swansea who died in the First World War. Also don't forget that you can arrange for any movie, book or any other library material to be delivered to the Swansea Branch for pick up. LIBRARY HOURS ARE: Monday . . Closed Tuesday....... 10:00A.M. -- 5:00 P.M. Wednesday ..... 1:00 P.M. -- 8:00 P.M. Thursday ......10:00A.M. -- 5:00P.M. Friday........... Closed Saturday ...... 10:00A.M. -- 5:00 P.M. Sunday........... Closed

Advisory Committee -Jamie Bell & Louis Gris Editor- Bill Roberts