Welcome to the website for the Trefann Court Residents Association.
| Early morning rain gave way to sunny skies, and the 3rd annual SuWaDoSh potluck picnic on July 13 was another gourmet and social success. Food donations by Shoppers Drug Mart (buns, condiments), Frito/Lay (chips) and the Cookie Store augmented the potluck delicacies. Approximately 60 attendees enjoyed this event. The Trefann Association raised $215 through the very generous donation of raffle prizes by these neighbourhood businesses and by local residents: Bousada, Capital C, Contech, Dominion on Queen, Gowlings (law firm), KA Jewellry, Kids Inc, Nella Cutlery, Pete’s Open Kitchen, Rivertowne Deli, Savoury Grounds, StreetCar Developments, Sweet Marie Variety, and Shani Mootoo. A big thank-you to picnic organizer Jennifer, and her team of volunteers. |    |
It is with mixed feelings (1 part ‘happy for her’ + 1 part ’sad for us’) that we say “Happy Retirement” to a wonderful individual in our neighbourhood. Crossing Guard Anne is leaving her post, (held for more than 30 years!) and moving on to her well-earned life of leisure.
Throughout the years, Anne has ALWAYS been a safeguard for the children, a friendly morning greeter to the adults and a comfort to all whoever crossed paths with her. So…
We bid a fond farewell and nothing but kind and warm wishes to go with you.
With the hearfelt thanks of 3 generations of Trefranners…Happy Retirement Anne! You will be missed!
On Shuter St, between Parliament and Trefann, is a jumbo pothole, a road cave-in really, which seems to be getting worse. The roadway had been repaired here at least once before; the latest cave-in was simply marked with pylons for a few weeks before it was repaired, shortly after June 8 (pic #1). Within days, a substantially bigger hole re-opened in the roadway - see pic #2 (June 19). While blocked with pylons, this road cave-in forces car traffic to swerve dangerously into the bike lane and very close to the parked cars (watch out, cyclists). The road was repaired again, but within 24 hours started sinking again - see pic #3 (June 21). And yet another asphalt bandage was applied June 28. Still sinking - see pic #4 (Aug 6). Don’t Trefann Court residents deserve better quality road repairs?
After months of debate, discussion and recollection of fond memories, Trefann Court formally withdrew its membership from the Toronto Police 51 Division CPLC on June 16, 2008. This letter was both read out loud at the CPLC meeting, and handed to the Superintendant of 51 Division.
If anyone has any questions, comments and/or concerns, please feel free to contact any member of the Steering Committee.
Toronto Police Service
51 Division
51 Parliament Street
Toronto, Ontario
Attention: Superintendent
Re: Community Police Liaison Committee (the “CPLC”)
It is with regret that the Trefann Court Residents Association (“TCRA”), a founding member of the 51 Division CPLC, has determined that the TCRA is withdrawing its membership in the CPLC effective immediately. A resolution to withdraw from the CPLC was passed at the last meeting of the Steering Committee
The TCRA Steering Committee has concerns that the CPLC appears to openly endorse the Toronto Drug Strategy without proper discussion and without any input being obtained from the organizations that make up the CPLC. Advancing the Drug Strategy is not among the stated goals or objectives of the CPLC and, in our view, the Toronto Drug Strategy will have a material negative impact on our community.
The TCRA Steering Committee is also frustrated with the apparent unwillingness of the CPLC to discuss and address drug-related issues. These issues are, in the view of the TCRA’s Steering Committee, of fundamental importance to our community and should be addressed by the CPLC. The CPLC should exist to address all of the concerns of the member organizations such as the TCRA and no issues, no matter how political, should be “off the table”.
The effectiveness of the CPLC has, historically, resulted from taking a proactive approach to issues and concerns facing the community and the open discussion of all issues raised by member organizations. Where issues as fundamental as drugs and the impact that they have on our community are “off the table” it is impossible, in our view, to work together in identifying, prioritizing and problem solving of local policing issues, or be proactive in community relations and crime prevention two of the fundamental objectives of the CPLC.
We are also concerned that TCRA’s representatives on the CPLC have reported that the “official” minutes of meetings of the CPLC meetings might not accurately and fully reflect the discussion at CPLC meetings. The minutes of CPLC meetings must accurately reflect all discussions at the meetings and no individual should control what is reflected in the minutes of CPLC meetings.
Yours truly,
Trefann Court Residents Association
The city’s information flyer about the new garbage bins explains the garbage fee and tax rebate; did you know that the rebate applies in future years too (not just 2008)? Glen Gustafson (Councillor McConnell’s assistant) explains:
” Because of Provincial legislation, the City cannot simply remove the cost of solid waste from the property tax bill (which would greatly simplify things). Instead, every year on the water bill, every household - regardless of the size of the bin - will receive a $209 rebate. This is the cost of solid waste. Next on the water bill will be the user fee. For those who use the small bin, that user fee is $199/year, which will result in a net rebate of $10/year. For those who require the medium bin, the user fee is $248/year, resulting in a net cost of $39/year, and so on.
Every year, you will see on your water bill a rebate and then the user fee charge. Like any other user fee, these will likely be reviewed every year during the operating budget process. If, at some future date, the province amends legislation to allow municipalities to remove the cost of services from property tax bills, you would likely no longer see the rebate on your water bill but on your property taxes. “
For Community Cleanup Day, 14 Trefann residents spent 3 hours in Stinky’s Park on April 19, armed with rakes and numerous donated garden waste bags. Our thorough raking and gathering of over 100 bags of leaves (and a few bags of garbage), made a huge improvement to our park’s appearance. On Sunday, several residents of TC Douglas Co-op finished gathering leaves and garbage in the playground area of the park. The employees of local business Bousada also helped by going through the park on April 18, and picking up most of the garbage. The few surviving tulips and daffodils in the garden are no longer buried under last fall’s leaves, and so now have a chance to bloom. Keeping our park clean makes Trefann residents and visitors feel better about our neighbourhood.
There wasn’t a large turnout, but it was a group of friendly (and well-fed) Trefann Court residents who gathered for our spring social on April 11 at our Dominion Hotel hangout. TCRA provided some delicious finger food; Justin and Jennifer brought butter tarts and cake.
Trefann’s next next social event will be the 3rd annual SuWaDoSh picnic on July 13 (raindate: July 20)
The snow has finally melted, the grass is starting to poke out of the earth and the birds are chirping en masse. So…it is time for us to get out with friends and neighbours and clean our park.
TCRA is registered with the City of Toronto to help clean up Stinky’s Park on Saturday April 19th and/or Sunday April 20th.
For all of you interested in our yearly clean up, just join us at Stinky’s on Saturday and/or Sunday from 1pm on. Bring some rakes if you have them, cold drinks to share and most importantly: yourselves. This is the time we start our Pot-Luck Picnic planning so come on down to give us your ideas. If you cannot join in, you are always welcome to donate YARD WASTE bags.
Finally, there is recognition by City Hall that some residents have no storage space and cannot accommodate any size of bin: “In some extremely problematic situations, residents may require a bag system for collection“, quoting Ward 28 Councillor McConnell’s March 7 newsletter. Not surprising, considering the many compact houses that can found throughout Riverdale, Cabbagetown, Trefann Court, Chinatown and other downtown neighbourhoods.
To ensure exceptions to the unwieldy and unpopular big bins are applied consistently, wouldn’t a published set of criteria help? Something like this:
2) If desired, a property is exempted if there are stairs, on the route from the Cart storage area to the street curb, such that the Carts cannot be easily wheeled.
Such written criteria would provide all residents with the same guidelines to follow, and reassure residents that the City is not imposing an unrealistic amount of extra hardship on some residents, to accommodate these bins. But the city won’t share its criteria, opting instead for an expensive and subjective process: requiring that a City Solid Waste employee representative conduct a site visit for every resident requesting an exception to the bins.