Volume 27 Number 1 Newsletter of the Swansea Area Ratepayers' Association January 2000

SPECIAL MILLENNIUM ISSUE

THE LAST 33 YEARS -- THE NEVER ENDING QUEST FOR COMMUNITY

There are those who wonder what use is the Swansea Area Ratepayers Association (SARA)? What has SARA ever done for us or Swansea? Let's go back over the last 33 years. Why 33? In 1967 Swansea, Forest Hill and Toronto were amalgamated and the Swansea Ratepayers' Association became SARA and admitted residents and businesses to become members. While SARA has not always been the sole contributor, it often has been the linch pin or the major contributor. What would the community be without:--

SWANSEA PUBLIC SCHOOL
At one point after the 1967 amalgamation the Toronto School Board wanted to change the name to Windemere P.S. -- later they wanted to close the school because of projected loss of enrollment -- SARA fought to keep the name and the School shoulder to shoulder with the PTA -- SARA fought the Board when it tried to shut down the Industrial Arts and Family Studies programs in the 1970's.

HUMBER RIVER BRIDGES
SARA was instrumental in forcing Metro to redesign the bridges to take into account pedestrian and bicycle traffic both north/south and east/west to be completed in 2001 [Ed. note: we are still making sure with the support of our Councillors that the paths are on both sides of the river] -- and was involved in the design of the award winning pedestrian bicycle bridge over the Humber.

THE RAVINES & THE BLACK OAK SAVANNAH
SARA helped develop and led the fight to protect our ravines -- without that effort today most of our ravines would be tennis courts and grass -- SARA was one of the first groups to champion the restoration of the Black Oak Savannah.

SWANSEA TOWN HALL
In 1967 and again during the 80's and through the 90's, SARA fought to keep the Swansea Town Hall for the use of the Community -- in the late 60's, after amalgamation, the City wanted to sell the Town Hall off -- the battles included maintaining the Swansea Memorial Library in the 70's, 80's and again now.

THE UNIQUE LOW RISE FAMILY ORIENTED NEIGHBOURHOODS
SARA fought to ensure the zoning supported low rise family oriented development while fighting proposal for high rise towers (over 20 stories) next to Grenadier Pond in the 60's; 40 storey towers in the Ormskirk/Southport areas; 10 storey towers on Bloor Street West near Riverside.

COLBORNE LODGE DRIVE BETWEEN QUEENSWAY & THE LAKESHORE
SARA supported and championed the creation of bicycle lanes and the naturalization of the roadway.

THE SWANSEA COMMUNITY RECREATION CENTRE & FIELD HOUSE
SARA together with several others were responsible for the design of the new buildings, and SARA fought strongly for a larger swimming pool attached to the centre rather than a junior pool. When the City tried to divide the Village into groups supporting the Community Centre or the Field House or the Town Hall but not all three, SARA, along with one other group, called on the organizations together to reach an agreement in a united front. That is why we have all three and not just one. [Ed. note: Is this now happening again re: the Library?]

SARA NEEDS YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT FOR THE NEXT 33 YEARS
Never since the last amalgamation have so many threats to our community come to the fore at once. As this special newsletter goes out to you -- we have the pressures of large bars to the north and the south coming forward; the abolition of single family zoning by the City; the proposed closing of the Swansea Memorial Library (note meetings on this were held on the 12th and 13th of January, 2000); the proposed closing of the Swansea Firehall; the apparent systemic failure of the City to enforce its own by-laws whether they are zoning, noise-free protection or hours of operation of gas stations/gas bars. SARA has an executive of approximately 21 volunteers who do their best, but we cannot be every where, nor do we have the funds to carry out all the tasks needed. For example: SARA is part of a coalition of single family communities fighting the City at a 5 week Ontario Municipal Board hearing set to remove single family housing from all of the former Metro. This comes after several other battles which have drained our war chest. One way of raising funds is through memberships. The other is fund raising. Please join us in our quest to keep our community vibrant, unique and special into the next millenium.

On the 1st of January, 2000 our membership fees go up. Individual memberships will cost $10.00; Family will cost $12.00; and Business $14.00. Also, come to our special workshop and visioning meeting to be held at The Swansea Town Hall on Thursday, February 3, 2000 at 7:30 P.M. where we will talk of the future and break into specific working groups dealing with such topics such as: saving our Library, saving our Fire Hall, preserving Family oriented neigbhourhoods, controlling large bars, enforcement of City laws on hours of operation to name a few. Contact Bill Roberts at 769 - 3162 or Jamie Bell at 392 -1954 for more information. Other issues SARA has been involved in: fighting large bars on Bloor St., including the Savannah; developing controls on gas bars to make them less obtrusive in terms of lighting and design; keeping High Park a mixture of native plants and community uses and not being transformed into hostels or miniature amusement parks; traffic and parking; policing; attendance at numerous Committee ofAdiustment and Ontario Municipal Board hearings in support of community neighbours; and fighting to have the City operating in an accessible, democratic and open fashion. Please join now, and, of course, if you can give a donation of any amount it would help. Your help can make the millennium a rebirth of our community's strengths and quest.

THE SAVANNAH IS NOT BACK
Thanks to SARA calling a public meeting to mobilize the community and our participation at the hearing in support of the City, the "Savannah" bar was not approved at 500 sq. m. or even 300 sq. m. but only 260 sq. m. which is only 60 sq. m. over the largest permitted restaurant in the Bloor West Village. (Note SARA was instrumental in following and ensuring that bars/restaurants could not exceed 200 sq. m. and that there would be no more roof top patios on the south side, and then got the restrictions applied to the north side.)

GAS BARS
SARA continues to monitor, but with our efforts and that of the Ripley Avenue Residents Group; the City now has controls relating 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.

HOURS OF OPERATION OF GAS BARS
SARA continues to press the City to enforce its by-laws. We will keep you advised.

MEGACITY COMMUNITY COUNCILS
SARA attended the Ontario Municipal Board to ensure its boundaries remained intact. While the new legislation has made the several months process a waste of taxpayers money and time, we have made the City aware of our unique character, for the next round of boundary changes.

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

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

99 COEHILL DR. (1 RENNIE TERRACE) No new information.

BILLY BOB'S
Billy Bob's got its front patio and is now seeking a roof- top patio. SARA supports the surrounding residents who have concerns about this request.

MEOW CLUB
SARA attended the Alcohol and Gaming Commission hearings early on the express concerns this would be a bar and not a restaurant. We were successful in having conditions imposed which required it to be a restaurant. Those special conditions, not normally imposed, are part of the basis for the revocation hearings which we understand are now scheduled for January 25th, 26th and 27th at 6 p.m. and on Jan. 28th at 9 a.m. all day. Meetings will be held at the Royal Canadian Legion Hall #344, located at 1395 Lake Shore Blvd. West, just east of the Boulevard Club.

SWANSEA MEMORIAL LIBRARY
SARA, along with others, appeared on short notice before the Library Board to oppose the stealth closing of the Library. At present the Library Board has put the closing on hold. But it should be noted that the Library Board held two meetings. One on the 12th of January at the Runnymede Library and one on the 13th of January in Swansea. One of the suggestions was to have a Swansea Room at Runnymede and expand the Runnymede Library. Is this an attempt to divide Swansea from north of Bloor, or is it an attempt to move the library from the front and centre of Swansea so some day it can be removed without a fight? We hope you were able to attend at least one of the meetings to make your views known.

SWANSEA FIRE HALL
SARA has opposed its closing unless the new hall can be located in such a way that present response times are not affected. If that can be done we do not want to lose the building which was the Village's municipal hall before the Swansea Town Hall was built.

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