 The following information is from Infrastructure Ontario regarding the new subway station being built in our neighbourhood under the working name "Corktown Station." We are advocating for the station to be named "First Parliament Station." Corktown Community Project Overview The transit-oriented community (TOC) proposal for Corktown Station offers a dynamic community with housing, jobs, commercial uses (including office and retail spaces), and community spaces, such as a library, connected to the Ontario Line subway and TTC bus and streetcar services. In recognition of the historical significance of the land, the province will work closely with the City of Toronto, stakeholders, the community, and Indigenous partners to collaborate on a meaningful plan to commemorate the rich heritage of Canada’s First Parliament site. The Corktown Station site consists of both the First Parliament site (South site) and the block directly to the north of Front Street (North site), both of which have identified as TOC opportunities and will be redeveloped by the Province in line with the stated objectives of the TOC program. Why is Corktown a designated TOC? The future growth potential for the Corktown site is dependent on a planned transit station that will serve the surrounding neighbourhood, connecting to local bus and streetcar routes, as well as subway service along the Ontario Line. The proposed sites at the future Corktown Station would deliver a mix of new housing opportunities, commercial, retail and community space, while commemorating the history of the First Parliament site. What are the benefits of the Corktown TOC Community Project? The Province, in consultation with the City of Toronto, is working on a development proposal that would deliver new housing and a broad mix of uses to a future Corktown Station along the Ontario Line subway. This includes a City-planned library and public open space that will offer opportunities to commemorate the historic features and uses of the site and area, such as Indigenous heritage, the previous Lake Ontario shoreline and the former First Parliament lands and buildings. The proposed development will support community uses and programming on the First Parliament site, providing approximately 2,300 square metres of new public institutional space (e.g. library). While the site is now primarily occupied by a car dealership and several parking lots, the proposal protects for opportunities to highlight the many layers of history on the site, which include Canada’s First and Second Parliament buildings, the Home District Gaol and Consumers’ Gas Company operations. Archaeological assessment of the First Parliament site will be undertaken before construction commences to understand and document its many layers of history and to conserve any artifacts that may be revealed through excavation. Metrolinx is working with the City of Toronto, the Indigenous Communities and community stakeholders to develop a historical interpretation and commemoration plan that will inform station design and future site planning. Read more... REGISTER NOW What The Province of Ontario will host the first Virtual Open House about the future of Corktown as a true mixed-use Transit Oriented Community. Community engagement is an important part of the process and we look forward to beginning this dialogue. When Monday, September 27, at 6:30 pm, Where Online. Sign in credentials will be sent to registered participants Magic at Berkeley Castle on The Esplanade  Last week, our local arts organization Jamii joined forces with Théâtre français de Toronto to present a new live performance by CORPUS entitled La bulle. Approximately 700 people attended the series of 6 evening performances in one of the St. Lawrence neighbourhood's most enchanting spaces...the courtyard of Berkeley Castle located on The Esplanade near Berkeley St.   hese performances offered a beautiful opportunity to showcase the vibrancy of our community and garnered positive media coverage in Narcity, BlogTo, TFO, ICI Radio-Canada and more.
. Read Joe Szekeres' review of the show here: https://www.onstageblog.com/reviews/2021/9/1/review-la-bulle-the-bubble-by-torontos-corpus-dance-projects Learn more about Jamii's events here: https://www.jamii.ca/events REMarket Recap The SLNA's REmarket event was a great success for the neighbourhood and our efforts to encourage recycling and sustainability. This event was conceived, organized and brought to fruition by the hard working members of the SLNA Waste Reduction Group (WRG). Thank you to the WRG and to all residents and friends who participated in the REmarket event August 24 - 15, 2021. Here is recap of the event provided by the WRG: The Salvation Army picked up 45 skids of donations and were wonderful to work with! RCT ( Renewed Computer Technologies ) picked up 6 skids of electronics, and Homes First picked up 1 skid of donationd for 45 the Esplanade. Repair Cafe Toronto had 7 volunteer fixers, and a few non-fixer volunteers. Together they dealt with 39 items - 70% of them fixed! ( in only 3 hours! ) Charlie's Freewheels had 3 volunteers and fixed 27 bikes ( in only 4 hours! ), and they talked to many people about their programs for kids like Build a Bike Program, group rides and Mobile Repairs. Thank you to all who participated and supported this event! Learn more about the Waste Reduction Group here: https://www.slna.ca/wrg.html City of Toronto Consultations The following information is from the City of Toronto:CafeTO FeedbackIn 2020 and 2021, the City of Toronto rolled out CaféTO, a temporary program to provide space for expanded outdoor dining areas to help some restaurants and bars who were impacted by COVID-19 indoor dining restrictions. Going forward, the City will need to better understand and manage the balance between supporting the restaurant industry recovery, while at the same time accounting for appropriate use of public sidewalks and curb lanes, and the effects of expanded patios on private properties. We want to hear what you think! Please fill out this survey and help us shape the City's outdoor dining programs and the future of Toronto's streets. Toronto Drug Strategy - LINK ADDEDToronto Public Health is researching alternative models to drug criminalization in Toronto and wants to hear from members of the public. In 2018, Toronto Public Health conducted a community dialogue process to explore how to change the approach to drugs and what a public health approach to drugs could look like in Canada. The Toronto Board of Health endorsed the use of a public health approach in developing alternate models to the criminalization of personal drug use in July 2018. At its June and November 2020 meetings, the Board of Health reiterated calls to the Federal Minister of Health to decriminalize the simple possession of all drugs and scale up prevention, harm reduction, and treatment services. At its June 14 meeting, the Board of Health asked Toronto Public Health staff to convene a multi-sectoral working group to provide advice on developing a health- and social equity-based alternative approach to drug criminalization, as a step towards requesting an exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Toronto Public Health has initiated the process to request an exemption from Health Canada from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (S.C. 1996, c. 19) (CDSA) for the possession of all drugs for personal use in Toronto (also referred to as decriminalization). Efforts to determine potential options for the alternative model to criminalization for Toronto are underway, informed by the multi-sectoral working group and other broad consultations. A Toronto model for decriminalization will be rooted in a public health approach, with an emphasis on ensuring that people who use drugs who are most at risk of criminalization because of their drug use are involved in the development of the model, that risk mitigation be incorporated throughout, and that best practices and evidence are used to inform the final submission to Health Canada. Consultations and analysis are being undertaken throughout the summer and into the fall, with a preliminary submission expected to be submitted to Health Canada in early fall. An iterative process is expected with Health Canada, as the model is refined and, hopefully, the exemption from the CDSA is eventually granted. Submit feedback via email directly to Toronto Public Health at TPHconsult@toronto.ca OR visit the following link to access the survey. s.tphsurvey.chkmkt.com/?e=239638&h=70CC258973219E5&l=en Date for Next SLNA Virtual Community Meeting Wednesday, September 29th, 2021 7:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m. Agenda will be announced next week ZOOM Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82710932790?pwd=VzZ3YzV4QmZ0emtrWHAyaEJpemU2Zz09
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 All Candidates Debate - Tonight, Sept. 1, 7 p.m.This is a collaborative virtual debate between The Politics and Governance Student Association and XUVotes (Formally known as Ryerson Votes) with support from the Faculty of Arts and The Democratic Engagement Exchange. This federal candidates debate for the Toronto Centre riding will highlight four candidates: MP Marci Ien - Liberal Party Candidate Annamie Paul - Green Party Leader and Candidate Brian Chang - NDP Party Candidate Ryan Lester - Conservative Party Candidate This debate will be moderated by Martin Regg Cohn, a visiting practitioner in the Faculty of Arts and political columnist with The Toronto Star. Tickets are free and can be accessed here. Have Your Say About Market Street  Please fill in the survey at the link below and let Old Town Toronto know your thoughts on making Market St. a thoroughfare for pedestrians: Market Street Survey The Flatiron Building is Lit!  Take a look at the Heritage Lighting that has been recently installed on our iconic Flatiron Building on Front St. at Wellington - photo courtesy of our local historian, Bruce Bell:
City of Toronto - Downtown East Initiatives "There are two city initiative pilot programs that will start as part of the City’s Downtown East Action Plan. The Downtown East area is bound by Bloor Street on the north, Front Street on the south, Bay Street on the west, and the Don Valley Parkway on the east. “Here to Help De-Escalation Team” and “Community Care Clean up Team”: Community Care Harm Reduction Clean up Team (a partnership with PASAN, South Riverdale CHC, Dixon Hall and Street Health) provides 120 hours of proactive and response-based clean up a week of harm reduction supplies, main focus being needles. The team operates Monday to Friday and will respond to request on private property (emphasis mine) as well. To request a pick up can be done through email or by phone. Here to Help De-Escalation Team is a mobile crisis intervention de-escalation team that involves a partnership of 6 organizations (Gerstein Crisis Centre, Dixon Hall, Neighbourhood Group, Homes First, Seeds of Hope, Inner City Health Associates). They will respond to non-violent situations or crises in the community, providing pro-active outreach and responding to calls for service. For the moment, there is only one team of 2 people starting in the Church-Wellesley area, Tuesdays to Saturdays but will expand to South Cabbage Town/Moss Park area, 7 days a week once they hire more nurses. A concern from police is how will these people be identified and suggestions were made to have some uniform or colour which can be readily identifiable."  NEWS RELEASE
Toronto’s St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association Celebrates Agreement that Saves The Foundry TORONTO-August 20, 2021--"After months of advocacy and a successful court injunction launched by the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association (SLNA) to stop the demolition of the Dominion Wheel & Foundries buildings on Eastern Ave., the SLNA is pleased to announce that in conjunction with the City of Toronto it has reached a Settlement Agreement with the Province of Ontario with respect to the preservation of certain heritage assets on the site at #153-#185 Eastern Avenue," said SLNA President, Stewart Linton. The recently completed and just released Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report and Heritage Impact Assessment Report (including recommendations) contain additional details of the heritage value and the agreed upon development concept for the site which incorporates market and affordable housing, public realm and indoor and outdoor community spaces integrated with the retained heritage elements. The links to these documents are also posted on the SLNA website, SLNA.ca Both the Province and the City are committed to ensuring that any future purchasers of the property respect this vision for its redevelopment. The SLNA is appreciative of all who supported its efforts and its position on this initiative. The St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association is an Association of residents in the St. Lawrence area of the City of Toronto which has served this culturally diverse and historically significant community of 35,000 residents since 1982. Contact Information: Stewart Linton, President, St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association Email: president@slna.ca. www.slna.ca Jamii's 2nd Annual Children's Festival  Local arts organization Jamii, in partnership with Canadian Stage and Berkeley Castle, will be producing the group's 2nd annual children’s festival Wayo (a Swahili word that means ‘footprint’, symbolizing the journey to life). On August 19th, 20th and 21st, families will be invited to partake in a "parkour" experience where they will move through the beautiful local landmark Berkeley Castle (250 The Esplanade) and the nearby Berkeley Theatre to discover multiple live artistic installations and small-scale performances. Participants will be admitted on a timed-entry basis and physical distancing will be in effect. Timing for the festival on each of the above dates are detailed on the events registration page at the link below: CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR FREE TICKETS I Heart Market Street  Enjoy pedestrian-only streets live music patios & picnic tables for a limited time in Old Town Toronto on Market St.! I Heart Market Street is a pilot project exploring what historic Market Street would be like if pedestrianized. On the last two weekends of August you are invited to experience a pedestrianized Market Street including extended restaurant patios and publicly accessible picnic tables. Watch for live music pop up performances at the base of Market Street near The Esplanade:
Win a Prize! WIN A $100 Gift Card: Let the folks at Old Town Toronto know your thoughts about pedestrianizing Market Street by completing a short survey and enter to win one of three $100 gift cards to the local OTT business of your choice. CLICK HERE NOW TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY Reminder: Next Week is REmarket! Tuesday, August 24th - 10 am - 8 pm Wednesday, August 25th - 10 am - 5 pm Location: The St. Lawrence Market Tent - 125 The Esplanade Organized by the SLNA's Waste Reduction Group (WRG), this event supports recycling and sustainability. The WRG is asking for donation of items such as clothing, accessories and textiles in any condition. Also being accepted are electronics, school supplies, art supplies and books. See flyer below for more details:  July 28th Meeting Highlights Delegate Reports At the July 2021 SLNA Delegate and Community Meeting, a new SLNA Delegate reporting session was introduced. At each monthly meeting we hope to have one delegate profile an issue/question/idea for discussion by the membership. Delegate Peter Tomlinson from the Church/Lombard area discussed concerns of local residents about the lack of enforcement of the City of Toronto's Graffiti By-law which requires building owners to remove graffiti. The particular case in question is an instance of graffiti at 82 Church which even though the City has been made aware of graffiti on the building and has even posted notices regarding the matter, the graffiti remains. Peter suggests on behalf of the neighbourhood that a senior Municipal Licensing and Standards staff person be invited to an upcoming SLNA Meeting to explain why the By-law is not being adequately enforced, the issues, etc. The SLNA Board of Directors will follow-up on this suggestion. SLNA Waste Reduction Group The SLNA Waste Reduction Group (WRG) continues to work on summary information items for the newsletter (two have been published to date). The purpose of these information summaries is to help inform residents on best practices in waste reduction. The WRG is also working with Homes First to provide an updated donation list for individuals who wish to donate to the local temporary housing shelter at the Novotel Hotel. The SLNA's Waste Reduction Group is also pleased to be working with Homes First on Kits For Cause, a new project, which allows individuals to donate cash which will then allow the shelter to purchase items most in demand, such as winter coats and other items in the required sizes. Here is the link for Kits for Cause: https://give.unityvalues.com/f1nDcc?ref=ab_09MQM8_ab_Af4JKg3n3r7Af4JKg3n3r7https://give.unityvalues.com/f1nDcc?ref=ab_09MQM8_ab_Af4JKg3n3r7Af4JKg3n3r7 The WRG is currently planning a two-day event taking place on August 24th & 25th called REmarket. To support this recycling and sustainaability event the SLNA's Waste Reduction Group is asking for donation of items such as clothing, accessories and textiles in any condition. We are also accepting electronics, school supplies, art supplies and books. See flyer above. At the REmarket event will be a Repair Café on August 24th from 12-3 p.m. Volunteer fixers will be on hand to try and repair still usable items (small appliances, home electronics and housewares). Clothing, textiles and electronics will be taken on both August 24th and 25th. On Wednesday, August 25th Charlie’s Freewheels (a youth cycling organization) will host a bicycle repair event from 12 - 4 p.m. Volunteers are needed for the event, please contact us at reduce@slna.ca if you are interested in volunteering. Please remember that COVID regulations will still be in place. Councillors' Reports and Ontario Line Update For further highlights from the July meeting, including the Ontario Line/Metrolinx update, and reports from the Councillors' offices, please view the July 28th minutes here. A reminder to all that there will be no SLNA Delegate and Community Meeting in August. 51 Division Information
Local Vaccine Pop-up Clinic - August 15 There will be a local vaccine pop-up clinic at the St. Lawrence Market South Tent at 125 The Esplanade on August 15. See details in flyer below.   Delegates & Community Meeting The July SLNA Delegates and Community Meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 28th at 7 p.m. This meeting will be held virtually on the Zoom platform (see link below). AGENDA:
Here is the link for the meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87203015464?pwd=eTFqQ3NCRFdCZFN4ZXBPSmdZbUM1dz09 A reminder to all delegates to ensure that residents you represent are receiving from you updates on the activities of the SLNA. Our emailed newsletters are also published on the website (this post is the July 27th newsletter that was sent to the email address of all delegates and subscribers. Waste Reduction Group: Take-away Tips  WRG's Home Online Visit the new Waste Reduction Group page on the SLNA website to view and download all "WRG Take-away Tips" at: https://www.slna.ca/wrg.html Hold the Date! The SLNA Waste Reduction Group will be hosting Donation Days again this year. Items residents are invited to donate are: clothing, textiles and electronics. The event will be held Tuesday, August 24th and Wednesday, August 25th at the St. Lawrence Market Tent on The Esplanade. More information coming soon. Zoning By-law Parking Requirements Review New and expanded developments in Toronto are required to provide automobile and bicycle parking based on standards in zoning by-laws. The City of Toronto is currently reviewing the parking requirements in the city-wide Zoning By-law 569-2013. The review responds to growing interest in the impacts of parking on housing affordability and travel behaviour, and recognizes that the current zoning standards have not been reviewed recently. The recommended approach to this review was reported to Planning and Housing Committee January 19 (http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2021.PH20.4). In early June, the City held a series of online public meetings to present our emerging directions and gather feedback. Recordings and summaries of these events are available on the project website: www.toronto.ca/parkingreview. In order to gather further feedback, the City has launched a public survey, which is also available through the project website. The survey will be active until August 8. Staff will consider all of the feedback received as they develop draft proposals to amend the zoning by-law. These proposals will be presented in a second series of public meetings in September, details of which will be announced later. he July SLNA Delegates and Community Meeting will be held on July 28th at 7 p.m. This meeting will be held virtually on the Zoom platform. Downtown East Action Plan - Resource  Canadian Blood Services Throughout the pandemic, Canadian Blood Services have remained open as an essential service, as the need for blood donors has been more important than ever. None of the COVID vaccines will affect eligibility to donate blood—there is no deferral period after being vaccinated. CBS needs approximately 100,000 donors every year. If you would like to help address the high need for donated blood, please visit Canadian Blood Services to learn how you can become a donor. Below are hours for CBS blood donor clinics in Toronto:   By Donna Patterson The St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association Waste Reduction Group (WRG) was started in 2019. The goal of the WRG is to improve the effectiveness of waste reduction efforts in the St. Lawrence neighbourhood. The group meets in person about once a month (during the pandemic meetings take place virtually). We have a very dedicated group of volunteers who enjoy planning fun and educational events for our Neighbourhood. In 2019, the WRG participated in a number of events including:
We are looking forward to connecting with our local residents and businesses about the Waste Reduction and St. Lawrence Reduces initiatives, when it is safe to do so. Hold the date! We will be having Donation Days again this year. Items to donate include clothing, textiles and electronics. The event will be held Tuesday, August 24th and Wednesday, August 25th at the St. Lawrence Market Tent on The Esplanade. More information coming soon. WRG Take-away Tips  Click to download and print WRG tips above (then please post locally).
SLNA Community Meeting Notes Click here to view the June 2021 SLNA Delegate and Community Meeting Minutes. Next SLNA Meeting - July 28 The July SLNA Delegates and Community Meeting will be held on July 28th at 7 p.m. This meeting will be held virtually on the Zoom platform. Here is the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87203015464?pwd=eTFqQ3NCRFdCZFN4ZXBPSmdZbUM1dz09 A reminder to all delegates to ensure that residents you represent are receiving from you updates on the activities of the SLNA. Our emailed newsletters are also published on the website so please share the link to this post in an email to residents via your property manager or your own mailing list or residence Facebook page, if possible. Thank you.  Ontario Opens Up July 16 - Step 3 As of 12:01 a.m. on July 16, retailers will be able to host as many customers as can fit while still adhering to physical distancing of two metres. These capacity restrictions will also apply to indoor dining for restaurants, indoor religious services and personal care services. There will be no restrictions on the number of people who can sit at the same table inside a restaurant. Restaurants and bars with dance floors will resume operations with a 25 per cent capacity limit up to a maximum of 250 people. Cinemas, museums, amusement parks,, gyms and recreational fitness facilities will be allowed to operate at 50 per cent capacity. Social gatherings and organized public events will be restricted to 25 people indoors and 100 people outdoors. Details from the Ontario news release. Donations Needed for Shelter Residents 45 The Esplanade - City Shelter Operated by Homes First: This temporary shelter site is currently looking for donations of:
Coffee mugs, reusable water bottles Canes and other assistive devices Clothing Updated Wishlist for 45 Esplanade: - Pet supplies: Cat/Dog food, bowls, leashes, doggy bags, litter, crates, etc. - Art supplies: canvases, paint, brushes, markers, paper, glue, pens, craft supplies, etc. - Gift cards: Tim's, grocery, fast food, gas station - PPE: gowns, gloves, sanitizer, masks - hangers for clothing - used smart devices (phones, chargers, laptops, tablets) - DVD Player & DVD's - plastic bins for storage - Footwear: work boots, shoes, sandals, slippers - Socks, bras & underwear (must be new) - lip balm (must be new) - Bluetooth speaker, boombox, radio Contact: ryan.evershed[at]homesfirst.on.ca OR alexandra.perry[at]homesfirst.on.ca. NOTE: If you are in search of donations or contributions for a community service or local initiative, contact the SLNA to see if your request can be posted on the Association's "In Search Of" webage at: https://www.slna.ca/iso.html Who Was Michael Comstock?  We have a lot to be thankful for in the St. Lawrence neighbourhood - from beautifully preserved historic buildings, to green parks and one of the best markets in the world. These community benefits do not happen by chance - they come about when residents care and take action to make their community a livable and enjoyable place for everyone.
One of those residents was Michael Comstock whose contributions to our neighbourhood were so significant the new Pavilion in St. James Park has been named in honour of him. Learn more in this article from the Friends of St. James Park. SLNA Community Meeting Notes Click here to view the June 2021 SLNA Delegate and Community Meeting Minutes.  The St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association and local arts organization Jamii have come together to jointly host a unique Celebration of Community on July 1st that both recognizes and honours the Indigenous people of this country and the diversity, culture and life experiences of people in our neighbourhood today. You are invited to explore our special green spaces in the St. Lawrence as featured presentations will be located in areas througout our treasured local parks - see schedule below. PLEASE NOTE: COVID19 health & safety protocols in place. Please do not gather. SCHEDULE for July 1st 10:30am to 12:30pm – David Crombie Park 1pm to 2:30pm – Berczy Park 2:30pm to 4pm – St James Park Artists: Sergio Xocolate and Suzanne Roberts Smith Leen Hamo and John Abou Chacra Heidi Chan and Aki Tenten Aqua Nibii Waawaaskone and Suba Sankaran and Dylan Bell We will also be joined by special guests: MP Marci Ien, MPP Chris Glover, MPP Suze Morrison and Councillor Kristyn Wong Tam We are grateful for the kind support provided by the sponsors of this event:
SLNA Community Meeting - June 30 Following is the agenda for the Wednesday, June 30th SLNA Community Meeting (on ZOOM) - meeting starts at 7 p.m. - ALL ARE INVITED:
To join the meeting on ZOOM click on the following link at 7 p.m. on June 30. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82978886669?pwd=d2xyMmEyRzVUdkt2c3ZEbVJESDU0Zz09 Market Lane Park Improvements In preparation for improvements to be made to Market Lane Park located at 149 King St. E., the City recently hosted a consultation workshop to collect feedback from stakeholders/residents. Click here to view consultation slides Feedback can still be submitted via the online survey until July 16th. Click link below to access survey. https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/planning-development/construction-new-facilities/improvements-expansion-redevelopment/market-lane-park-improvements/  Following is the agenda items to be discussed at the SLNA Virtual Community Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, June 30th at 7 p.m.: AGENDA
To join the meeting on ZOOM click on the following link at 7 p.m. on June 30. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82978886669?pwd=d2xyMmEyRzVUdkt2c3ZEbVJESDU0Zz09 |
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