Effie Slapnicar of the University of St. Michael’s College spoke at our last General Members' Meeting about their plans to rezone the property in order to add student residence beds, study areas and redesign the Kelly Library at 113 St. Joseph Street. The use will remain institutional, and the early concept is to add floors. The building will remain part of the university campus.
Currently there are about 5,000 students with only 700 residence beds available, which is a low ratio for student housing for post-secondary education campuses. The existing study areas are in high demand and need to be expanded. The use of library space has changed dramatically since the building was constructed in 1969, and needs to be modernized. The creation of a event and/or classroom space is being considered. The University of St. Michael's College looks forward to consulting with the community on how best to proceed with this major project. Bill 109, More Homes for Everyone Act was introduced by province in 2022 to eliminate red tape and accelerate development timelines. It mandates a maximum period of 60 to 120 days for the City to approve developments in order to retain application fees. These fees pay for the City's planning department staff, about $70m annually. Toronto has 10x the volume of development applications than next closest municipality, Mississauga. The City approves twice as many units than are actually constructed. As of June 2023, there were about 500 active development applications. The Neighbourhood Safety Walkabout and Community meeting originally planned for September or October has been delayed due to staffing shortages at the Toronto Police Service. Residents have until Tuesday October 31st to vote on Ward 13 Toronto Centre Projects Participatory Budgeting projects. $750,000 is available in Section 37 development funds for neighbourhood projects in Zone 1 (Bay/Bloor/Sherbourne/College) for Bay Cloverhill, Church Wellesley and Upper Jarvis areas. More information is available at https://torontocentreprojects.ca/en/folders/pb
Cathy C. reported on the Night Economy Review and that it was not about ambient late noise from parties, but focused on the differences between restaurants and bars having the ability to stay open late and play music. The TTC is mandated to ensure all stations are accessible by January 1, 2025 to comply with Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. The second entrance and station construction at Museum station has resulted in lane restrictions that have reduced the traffic and bicycle lanes on Queen's Park Crescent. There is a secondary exit being built at north end of Queen’s Park North. There will be temporary station entrance closures for elevator construction. It appears the existing stair entrances at Museum Station will be closed when secondary exit is complete in 2025. A letter of support to keep the Ontario Science Centre in its existing location instead of moving to Ontario Place was sent out. The centennial project has provided generations of visitors with a spectacular location and innovative, interactive exhibits. It is an important part of an established neighbourhood, providing educational and employment opportunities. Norm W. is retiring from his position as Treasurer on the Board. There will be two director positions available January 1st for 3 year terms. To be on the board, an individual must be a Building Representative in good standing with a minimum of 6 months experience. They must be nominated by two Building Representatives. Beth H. reported that the existing signs for the Breadalbane Park off leash dog area showed inconsistent signs. She spoke with the City who will be replacing the signs with the standard opening times of 7 am to 11 pm daily. The malfunctioning gate latch will also be fixed. There was no positive or negative experiences reported with the recent Drinking in the Parks pilot project at Queen's Park. Concerns were raised with the lack of public washrooms and possible conflicts with the frequent protests in the area. Al R. inquired if Seeds of Hope at 6 St. Joseph Street were relocating, as it appeared contents were being moved out. He also wondered what the status of the Yonge Street Environmental Assessment was for the second phase of the YongeTOmorrow project from Davenport Avenue to Carlton Street . It was originally scheduled for 2023, but has been delayed by the City. Construction was scheduled to start this year on the first phase on Yonge Street from Carlton Street to Queen Street. The ActiveTO Complete Streets pilot project on Yonge Street from Davisville Avenue to Bloor Street was made permanent earlier this year. Local special events and announcements were made. Everyone was encouraged to attend the Annual General Meeting to be held on Monday November 20th at 7 pm at the Central YMCA at 20 Grosvenor Street.
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The Bay Cloverhill Community Association needs you to vote on neighbourhood projects, through the Toronto Centre Projects Participatory Budgeting program. Please vote by October 31st on your preferred projects from the following list, to a maximum total of $750,000 available for all projects in Zone 1, which includes the Bay Cloverhill neighbourhood.
Your Vote Matters! Thank you for your support. It is important to stand up for important issues around the city, like keeping the Ontario Science Centre in its current location. Learn more about local advocacy from Save Ontario's Science Centre at https://savesciencecentre.com/ and sign their petition at https://www.change.orwww.change.org/p/save-the-science-centreg/p/save-the-science-centre. We support them in their fight to retain the uniqueness of the Flemington Park neighbourhood. ![]()
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