Powered by coffee and hot chocolate kindly supplied by Starbucks, and bake sweets donated by Opera Cafe residents young and old grabbed bags and plastic gloves (courtessy of Shopper’s Drug Mart and Pizza Pizza), the clean up crew fanned out from the Runnymede Library across the Village area.

Maps and routes supplied by the BWVRA made sure the retail strip, residential streets and area parks got the once over. Thanks to everyone who participated and those Village businesses whose contributions made it all so much more fun.

We are also pleased to advise you that our Councillor, Sarah Doucette, will address the meeting on neighbourhood issues and we are hosting a panel discussion on trees.

Stay tuned for more details closer to the date via e-mail and/or a flyer at your door.

We look forward to seeing you on April 4th

We have confirmed attendance by Cheri diNovo ( NDP), Cortney Pasternak (LIB), Joe Ganetakos ( CONS) and Justin Trottier ( G.P). Please note the debate is open only to invited candidates.

Please circle this date and join us at Runnymede United Church, 432 Runnymede Road, Toronto at 7:30pm.

If you have any questions/issues you would like to be addressed by the candidates, please let us know by sending a note to info@bwvra.ca

We look forward to seeing you there.

The Executive,
BWVRA

The AGM acclaimed the new 2011/12 Executive, including new Chair Dianne Bradley. Bradley has been a resident of Bloor West for nearly 20-years. She has a history of community involvement and a passion for the Village. “I am looking forward to working with the Executive and the residents in the BWVRA on new issues”, she said, “and most particularly in forging new relationships with our Councillor Sarah Doucette, the BIA and adjoining resident associations to ensure we can all contribute to enhancing this great community.”

Those re-elected to the BWRA Executive are: Dennis Horgan (Treasurer/Membership) and Steve McNally (Vice Chair/Communications). The Executive welcomes Sandra Dunn as a new member. She has kindly agreed to assume the role of Secretary. Continuing as Members at Large are: Greg Hamara, Mark Warrack, Robyn Kalda, Michael Davidson, Evelyn Sommers and Jamie Isbister.

The BWVRA welcomes any residents who may wish to participate as Members at Large. Please contact us at info@bwvra.ca

We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting scheduled for September when we will bring together the main candidates running for office in the October provincial election.

Details to follow.

Both the Kennedy and Nash campaigns are confirmed, and invitations have been received by the Train (Conservative) and Newton (Green) campaign offices.

Note the debate is open only to the invited candidates.

Please circle the date.

Wednesday, April 27th
Runnymede United Church – 432 Runnymede Rd.
7:30 pm

See you there.

The Executive of the BWVRA

Both the Kennedy and Nash campaigns are confirmed,
and invitations have been received by the Train (Conservative) and
Newton (Green) campaign offices.

Note the debate is open only to the invited candidates.

So, please circle the date.

Wednesday, April 27th
Runnymede United Church – 432 Runnymede Rd.
7:30 pm

See you there.

The Executive of the BWVRA

Save the date!

You’re invited to a panel which will provide you with a chance to meet the leading contenders (this is not an “all” candidates meeting) for Toronto mayor.

They include Councillors Joe Pantalone, Rob Ford and Giorgio Mammolitti as well as George Smitherman, Rocco Rossi and Sarah Thomson.

The panel is at 7:00 pm May 5, Runnymede United Church, 432 Runnymede Road, 2 blocks north of Bloor.

As always, it will provide you with a good opportunity to renew your BWVRA membership or to take one out in order to support activities such as this.

Hope to see you then.

Steve McNally
BWVRA Chair

The City is preparing to start major water main and sewer replacement projects that will disrupt movement and commerce in the Bloor West Village this summer.

As you can see from the project description below, the work will stretch from Clendenan in the East to Riverdale Gdns. in the West.

The street and sidewalks will be torn up. Crews are set to begin May 25th.

On the positive side this will mean the removal of the crumbling bricks on the sidewalks and intersections that have long posed a hazard to pedestrians and made the streetscape look awful.

However, an opportunity to widen the sidewalks, create bump outs and enhanced tree planters, and possibly establish bike lanes – is being passed up.

The City’s Urban Planning and Public Realm Sections say these have long been discussed as part of a long-needed renewal of the look of Bloor West Village.

But, they note that the BIA declined to become a partner in these enhancements. So, it will be the standard concrete and asphalt repair job as needed.

It’s hard not to agree with the City staff who worked on re-making the Village that this is an opportunity sadly lost. If Councillor Bill Saundercook advocated for a vision beyond the standard, he has not shared it and not engaged the community in helping to drum up support for a better Village.

Steve McNally
BWVRA Chair

Bloor Street – Keele Street Watermain Replacement and Pavement Resurfacing

10EY-13WS Watermain Replacement

A 300mm watermain will be replaced on Keele Street from Glenlake to Bloor St. and on Bloor St. from Keele St. to Riverview Gardens. In addition, most waterservices and several sections of storm and sanitary sewers will be replaced under this contract. The proximity of adjacent services prevent the use of the existing alignment, no by-pass will be required, thus allowing cold weather work.

This contract will be divided into two sections at Clendenan Avenue with at least one crew working simultaneously in each section. A completion date will be specified to ensure that the road work can commence in time for most to be completed this year. This may force the contractor to add additional crews to meet the deadline. This is likely to be additional crews to install waterservices as sections of the watermain are completed and a separate crew to do the sewer replacements.

The contractor will be required to maintain at least one lane of traffic in each direction during watermain and sewer construction. The contractor will be required to provide a permanent concrete base repair of their watermain and sewer trenches.

Tender call is scheduled for February 4, 2010 (actual March 25). We would expect award by late March, 2010 (now May 12) and a start of construction by April 12, 2010 (now May 25). We will specify a completion date of July 16, 2010 for the section between Clendenan and the South Kingsway and Sept. 16, 2010 for the remainder.

10EY-03RD Pavement Resurfacing

Pavement resurfacing will consist of removing the asphalt surface, repairing the concrete base and replacing the asphalt on Keele St. from Glenlake to Bloor St. and on Bloor St. from Keele St. to Riverview Gardens. Curb and sidewalk will be replaced as required.

After discussions with the BIA, it was agreed that most decorative sidewalk will be removed and replaced by plain concrete sidewalk and the City standard two Row Concrete Paver Band (P-1). Some areas in good condition such as the area around the fountain at Jane Street will remain undisturbed. We will incorporate the BIA’s new solar powered lights. There will be no changes to the current curb line and existing south side parking lay-bys.

Work will be divided into sections with specific completion dates for each. Emphasis will be on completing the work through the commercial area west of Clendenan Avenue. Work will be scheduled to avoid scheduled events in the Bloor West BIA as much as possible.

Again, the contractor will be required to maintain at least one lane of traffic in each direction during construction.

Tender call is scheduled for April 20, 2010 with contract award by June 9, 2010. Work should commence as soon as the sewer and watermain contractor completes the section west of Clendenan Avenue, not later than July 19, 2010.

All work will be co-ordinated with the planned deck replacement on the Humber River Bridge.

As you may have heard, approval was given to two of the three applications.

Approval was given to the replacement of an existing billboard with an LED display one at 2410 Bloor St, W (which is roughly above the Coffee Tree/Art Spot shops west of Armadale). It is supposed to shut off by midnight in deference to those who live near it.

Just to the West of it, above the Booster Juice shop (2420 Bloor West), Council approved the replacement of a the plain billboard with a “tri-vision” model that features rotating images. Neither were permitted under old bylaws, and would have been subject to the stricter new bylaw which does not come into effect until after Easter.

Council turned down a request for new billboard to the East of the other two, at Armadale over the Rogers store.

The BWVRA submitted a letter to Councillors objecting to the lack of consultation on a matter affecting Bloor West Village, and to the disregard for prorities set out by residents recently in the B.W.V. “design charrette” series of meetings. These issues were taken up with Ward 13 Councillor Bill Saundercook in particular, who we are told by a member in attendance, subsequently voted in favour of all three variances. I would note that the agenda shows that 42 letters were received from individuals and groups such as the BWVRA. Thanks to those of you who expressed an opinion one way or another.

As noted earlier, Councillors were asked to ignore the existing bylaw preventing electronic signs in this zone, and to circumvent the intent of a new sign bylaw.

See this article in the Globe about West Toronto being a particular target for last minute sign applications:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/billboard-companies-bombard-city-with-requests-to-bend-sign-rules/article1494465/

For your information, sites and sizes with street photos can be viewed here:

2400 Bloor Street West:
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2010/ey/bgrd/backgroundfile-28029.pdf

2420 Bloor Street West:
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2010/ey/bgrd/backgroundfile-28030.pdf

LED Screen at 2410 Bloor:
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2010/ey/bgrd/backgroundfile-28028.pdf

The CC agenda & outcomes can be viewed on this useful site:
http://app.toronto.ca/tmmismonitor/index.do

Steve McNally
BWVRA Chair