City magazine Toronto Life is looking for people with interesting real estate/housing stories (buying, selling, renovations, etc) or a strong point of view about a housing issue in the city that they are personally affected by who are willing to tell their stories. If you have an opinion or story to tell, please reach out to Maddy Mahoney, Digital Producer, Toronto Life at maighdlin.mahoney@stjoseph.com.

We’ve been advised that the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) are embarking on the development of a new watershed plan for the Humber River and are looking for our neighbourhood input.

There are three ways for you to provide this:

  1. Complete their online survey, which is available until October 31, 2022
  1. Email us them humber@trca.ca
  1. Register to join one of their online webinars:
  • Wednesday, October 12, 2022 from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. (register here)
  • Thursday, October 13, 2022 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. (register here)
  • Webinars will include a presentation with information on the watershed planning process, the Humber River watershed and the development of the HRWP, an interactive session with various exercises and polling, and a Q&A session

You can check out the project webpage for more details.

As the final community consultation, City Planning has provided the following documents on the Garden Suites website for review by the public: 

– Proposed Garden Suites regulations
– Draft Official Plan amendments and draft Zoning By-law amendments 
– A video explaining the regulations with illustrations.

A reminder that Bloor Street West residents have until November 30th to submit their comments. Planning will be preparing their Final Report for submission to the Planning and Housing Committee in January, 2022.
Toronto wants to add garden suites to neighbourhood housing options | The  Star

The City of Toronto is launching a study called the High Park Movement Strategy to improve the travel network for High Park and better serve park users and the community. The goal of the study is to improve the travel network to better serve park users and the surrounding community, prioritizing safety and accessibility while preserving the park’s ecological integrity. The study will consider the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and other users in the park when it comes to mobility.

The study is in early stages and will be underway by the fall 2021. Over the summer, the City will be retaining a consultant team to support the study, finalizing a work plan, collecting data and conducting background analysis. The study is expected to be complete by summer 2022 with implementation of the preferred solution in 2023.

If you enjoy the park and think about how it can improve, please complete this brief survey here: https://s.cotsurvey.chkmkt.com/?e=233567&h=33D6B15564BE93F&l=en

It will ask about your typical park visits prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and about your experiences visiting the park over the past year. It will also ask for your feedback on the current weekend road closures and your thoughts on longer-term changes to the travel network serving High Park.  The survey will remain open throughout the summer.

The survey will be followed by a community consultation in the fall.

We’ve been advised that the Howard Park Tennis Club will be getting a long-overdue service of its own.

Howard Park tennis club is a hidden High Park gem | The Toronto Observer

The City will be undertaking construction and repairs, the scope of work including replacing the existing dilapidated timber retaining wall with a new pre cast stone retaining wall, and replacing the existing unit paver driveway, new concrete steps and handrails. Work is scheduled to commence starting April 5th and is expected to be completed during the summer of 2021. Sounds like match point to us.

For a map of the location of the work, please visit our Councillor’s website.

It may not be a guarantee this summer.

How the battle over Toronto's new, temporary bike lanes might play out in  2021 | CBC News

Cycle Toronto wants to hear from you. Or more importantly, wants your pledge to ensure it is guaranteed. To show your support to City Council, click here for more information. Last year, there were as many as 21,000 people riding bikes and 4,400 people walking on weekends along Lakeshore Blvd. West. Cycle Toronto wants your help to ensure it can happen again.

As we’ve mentioned in an earlier post, Toronto has nearly 300 KM of laneways (that’s nearly the distance to North Bay). If you are in Bloor West, there’s a good chance you back on to one.

The Laneway Project in Toronto has published this great resource to assist you in getting the most from your unique property. It’s worth having a look and will likely offer you great information and insights you hadn’t thought of.

And, possibly put money in your pocket.

On Energy Efficiency Day, Reflecting on Why I Chose a Career in Energy  Efficiency! - DNV GL Blog - Energy in Transition

BetterHomesTO was created by the City to help homeowners take steps to improve the comfort and efficiency of their homes and reduce the emissions that contribute to climate change.

Why is that important? Because improving the energy efficiency of their homes may be the biggest thing residents can do to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Homes and buildings generate about half of the GHG emissions in Toronto today.

BetterHomesTO offers a one-stop website (BetterHomesTO.ca) that makes it easy for residents to find information, tips and resources to help them take action.

It begins with a girl named Abbey. Abbey was a strong, brave, and tenacious 9-year old girl whose life was cut far too short in 2018 by a rare blood disorder. In her memory, Abbey’s family and friends created a charitable organization called Abbey’s Goal; click here to read more about Abbey and her amazing legacy.

In response to COVID-19, Abbey’s family started a rainbow revolution. They are making rainbow tree kits, which you can use to decorate a tree (or anything, really) in your front yard to show appreciation for essential workers and health heroes. If you would like to order a kit, you can text: 647-278-5140 and donate online at www.abbeysgoal.com.

Abbey’s Goal is suggesting a donation of $20 for this kit, which is home-made. All proceeds from the rainbow kits go to the Stop (thestop.org), an organization focused on increasing access to healthy food.

Doug Ford on Twitter: "I want to thank Abbey's Goal for this ...

Let’s join neighborhoods across the GTA with a nightly thank you celebration at 7:30 pm from our front doorsteps and porches and from a safe distance, so the health care workers will hear our gratitude ringing from the rafters as part of #TogetherWeCanDoIt.

Beginning Thursday, March 19, 2020, at 7:30 p.m. local time and every evening going forward, the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario is asking everyone to cheer on the millions of health providers, social service and other essential front-line workers in Ontario, Canada and around the world who are tackling #COVID19.

Image result for using a megaphone