Bloor West Village Residents Association

The BWVRA Exec discussed this request — there’s no way we could know what you, the members, would like to say, so we invite you to respond for yourself:

To:Bloor West Village RA

High Park is one of the largest parks in Toronto, spanning roughly 398 acres and drawing well over 1 million visitors a year. Animals have been an integral part of the park since its conception. The current High Park off-leash area and trails were established as a pilot project in 1997, following years of unofficial off-leash use in the parks western side. The current off-leash area is roughly 8.5 acres and consists of the large open hill (Dog Hill) across the road, east of the Grenadier Café and a series of trails that includes a portion of Spring Road.

The High Park Community Advisory Council is currently conducting a review of the off-leash area to help enhance and integrate the off-leash area with the rest of High Park. The review committee will be gathering input in the form of (1) questionnaires to acquire input from individual dog-owners, general park users and members of the community at large and; (2) group impact statements from the various community groups, HPCAC stakeholders and local businesses that form an integral part of the broader High Park community.

Please take a few minutes to consult your membership and complete this impact statement. Answers to these questions will help the off-leash area review committee provide direction and recommendations to the HPCAC to help enhance and integrate the off-leash area with the rest of High Park. In addition to this impact statement, volunteers from the HPCAC will soon be spreading throughout High Park and the surrounding community with individual questionnaires. These questionnaires should also shortly be available online at www.highpark.org for your individual members to fill out. The results of the review will be presented at a public meeting of the Advisory Council.

Please remember your answers will carry a greater impact if your group is regularly represented at the HPCAC. More information about the High Park Community Advisory Council and our upcoming meetings can be found at www.highpark.org.

Please email your answers to k9@highpark.org before June 13th, 2007

Questions for Impact Statement
1) What is the nature and/or brief description of your group?
2) What is the impact of the off-leash area and dogs in the park on your group?
3) Do you have any suggestions for the off-leash area and dogs in the park?
4) A draft version of the report will be made available prior to public release for further comment, would your group be interested in reviewing the draft report?
5) Additional comments and suggestions?

Sincerely
The HPCAC Off-leash area review committee: John Cleary, Tyler Devine & Karyn Morris

In reponse to public concern about new development along the Western waterfront, the City is commissioning a “Master Plan”, whose aim is to guide the type, size and nature of future changes to the Western beaches ( CNE to the Lakeshore condos).

The mission is to improve access for all users.

But, if paving of greenspace (as proposed for the Palais Royale) is to be avoided; if large commercial and residential construction on the water’s edge is to be limited; if the enhancement of the water quality and the enjoyment of users is to be promoted, then residents have to state them as priorities.

On Thursday, June 7th, the City will hold the first public meeting at which it will solicit the opinions of residents and lay out how it will draw up the “Master Plan”.

The BWVRA plans to make a submission and we’re looking for your input. As one member put it, these plans are as important for saying what you don’t want as they are for saying what you do.

Please leave us your comments. See if the points below help stimulate your ideas:

-Re-allign Lakeshore Blvd to incorporate the medians into the beach front.
-Create new pedestrian accesses over Lakeshore & Gardiner
-Create new transit links & express busses to connect the subway with the water to eliminate the need to drive to special events.
-Create cycling lanes North – South to ease access.
-Restrict height, density, and size of commerical development.

If you want to attend the meeting, it is Thursday, June 7th, 7-9pm, Lithuanian Center, 1573 Bloor Street – near the Dundas West TTC station.

Councillors Saundercook and Perks will be among those there.

A community alert from 11 Division:

Seniors Avoid “Scam” Contractors

There has been a report of a possible fraud artist working in the area bounded by Jane Street in the west, Runnymede Road in the east, Bloor Street West in the south and Dundas Street West in the north. The fraudulent scam involves home renovations and repairs. The male suspect is described as white, late 30’s to 40 years of age, average height, slim build, dark wavy hair possibly using the name Frank.

Every year, home repair fraud costs homeowners money and causes them considerable aggravation and stress. A disproportionate number of those who fall victim to home repair fraud are seniors. Scam home repair contractors tend to target senior citizens, taking advantage of their willingness to trust a stranger who sounds sincere.

Police services across the country report that frauds involving home repair generally follow a set pattern.

• A person claiming to represent a home repair contractor will appear at your door. This person can be very friendly and appear knowledgeable and will explain that they are working in the area and noticed that some part of your home needs repair or replacement. Worn-out roof shingles, faulty brick and chimney mortar and driveway cracking are common “problems” they offer to fix.

• You will be offered a “special discount price” or a “senior’s discount” because the company is in the neighbourhood already or has some left-over materials fr om another job. However, in order to get this special price, you will have to act fast. You’ll be pressured to agree or to sign a contract on the spot. Once you agree, you may be asked to make a down payment towards the cost of the work.

What happens next can take a number of turns.

A lot of times, fraudulent “contractors” want a deposit before the work begins. In many cases, people who hand over a substantial deposit find that the “contractor” simply disappears. By the time the police hear about the problem, the contractor is long gone.

In other cases, work is done but the homeowners are significantly overcharged. A scam contractor’s special discount price usually turns out to be much higher than the normal market price. And in many cases, the repairs or renovations are not even needed.

Homeowners are advised to avoid contractors who:

• Knock on the door and tell you they just happen to be doing work in the neighbourhood and can give you a “special price”. Most problems relating to home repair fraud involve contractors who solicit business door-to-door.

• Promise a discount if you allow them to use your home “to advertise our work”. They have probably made the same offer to everyone.

• Offer “lifetime” warranties.

• Quote a price without seeing the job or conduct a “free inspection” of your home and then suggest you need major repairs.

• Demand a large down payment “to buy materials”.

• Refuse to give you a written contract outlining what they will do, or object to you getting ot her estimates.

• Only have a post office box for an address and a telephone answering service.

It is extremely important to check out contractors carefully before agreeing to anything, and then insist on a detailed written contract that ensures the contractor is operating their business properly.

Anyone looking for more information about home repair fraud should contact their local police services. (11 Division 416-808-1100/Crime Prevention 416-808-1108)

For more information on how seniors can avoid consumer fraud, visit these websites:

Ontario Ministry of Business and Consumer Services: Consumer Lookout
www.cbs.gov.on.ca/mcbs/english/consumer_info.htm

Canadian Home Builders Association website – Get it in writing campaign

Please report any suspicious events or individuals to the police at 416-808-2222 or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS.

Sunday, May 6 is High Park Day!

This notice is provided by the Volunteers of High Park who invite you to come celebrate our natural treasure.

Events include:

* 10.00 am Planting shrubs and trees
* Prescribed Burn tour (repeated later in the week)
* 12 noon to 4 pm VSP Native Plant sale
* Colborne Lodge tour
* Colborne Lodge gardens

Cherry Tree Alert!

The flower buds on the Japanese cherry trees are just about to open – should be in full bloom for High Park Day.

Spring Planting in High Park

Sunday, May 6, 10:00 am
Parkside Drive and Howard Park Av. at the Streetcar Loop

Come help plant shrubs and trees from 10 am to 12:30 pm, rain or shine on Sunday, May 6, 2007. We’ll be planting on just west of the intersection of Parkside Drive and Howard Park Avenue where the street car enters the Park and loops back. This is two lights south of Bloor. We’ll provide shovels and gloves for you to use. There is no need to register. All that you have to do is show up.

For more information about this planting, contact Ken Sharratt at (416) 762-3453 or ksharratt@look.ca.

Prescribed Burn Site Tours

Join the staff of the High Park Nature Centre on a tour of 3 recently burned plots of land in the park’s rare black oak savannah ecosystem. Learn about the results of 10 years of burns in High Park and why fire is known as the “guardian of the savannah”. Discover the special adaptations that native savannah plants have for surviving a fire, how fire affects invasive plants in the park and the potential impacts of a burn on wildlife in the park.

Sunday, May 6 at 10:00am (also on Thursday, May 10 at 6:45pm)

Meet at the benches across the road from the south side of the Grenadier Café in High Park.

Cost: $2.00 per person

VSP Annual Native Plant Sale

Purchase plants native to the High Park area at the popular VSP spring plant sale. Plants are grown by participants in the Volunteer Stewardship Program in cooperation with the High Park Greenhouse. Check www.highpark.org for a list of plants available.

Sunday, May 6, 12 noon to 4 pm, near Colborne Lodge (south end of the park near the Queensway entrance)

High Park Day Tours at Colborne Lodge

Enjoy the splendour of the beautiful spring bulbs in the Colborne Lodge heritage gardens.

Tour historic Colborne Lodge for only $2 per person.

Sunday, May 6, 12 noon to 4 pm, south end of High Park

Volunteer Opportunities

If you are interested in the following volunteer opportunities:
- planning the Visitor Centre project
- member-at-large nomination for June 20 Annual General Meeting
- coordinator of high school volunteer program

Please contact volunteer@highpark.org.

For more information, call 416-392-6916

From the Toronto Police Service:

Thursday, April 26, 2007 – 9:35 AM
13 Division
416-808-1300

The Toronto Police Service is looking for adults to work as school crossing guards to help young children cross the street safely.

There is a shortage of school crossing guards in 11, 12 and 13 Divisions.

These vacancies include permanent positions at intersections as well as vacancies for spare or substitute school crossing guards.

S/Sgt Scott Gilbert, from 13 Division, said, “The traffic on Toronto’s roadways affects everyone in the city. The safety of our drivers, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians is extremely important and school crossing guards have a vital role to play.”

The following locations are in particular need of school crossing guards:

11 Division

• South Kingsway and Morningside Avenue,
• Keele Street and Glenlake Avenue,
• Sunnyside Avenue and Garden Avenue.

Crossing guards work three times each school day: in the morning, over the lunch hour and after school, helping young children cross the street safely.

The current pay is $10.36 per hour with a 12% Travelling Allowance and 4% Vacation Pay. Guards work an average of three hours per day.

Applications may be obtained at any Toronto police station or call Luisa Brown at 416-808-1235 for more information.