Kudos to the city for its extensive public consultations during the design process for the new Regent Park community centre. Flyers for Feb, March and April meetings were delivered door-to-door to the surrounding neighbourhood (presumably to Regent Park residents as well). Detailed plans don’t always appear on the city’s website on a timely basis, but when asked, the city has provided us with details, which we have shared on trefann.org.

The preferred design was presented on April 7:  the new Regent Park community centre will be “L-shaped”, and attached to the Nelson Mandela Park Public (”Park Public”) School, so that the school and community can both share the combined “hub” space. The school will be closed in June 2010 for an extensive, two year renovation “to accommodate 660 pupil places, a full day kindergarten, and child care centre”. The plans also show a “multi-faith” room, which seems peculiar for a public school.
In Feb 2010 we asked an obvious question:   why not put the pool, gym and other athletic facilities planned for Regent Park, in a single building?  Seems reasonable and cost effective - should reduce overall construction costs and reduce ongoing staffing/operational costs). Combined “pool+gym” facilities work well in the nearby St. Lawrence and Jimmie Simpson Rec Centres. Putting the pool in this new community centre location would mean easy access for “Park Public” schoolkids, for school swim lessons. “No, we’ve already decided to build a separate aquatic complex” was the answer (no other explanation was given).
The recently built Wellesley Community Centre (at the corner of Wellesley + Sherbourne) is a successful, popular place, partly because it includes a busy Toronto public library (TPL) branch.  Attendees at the Feb 2010 meeting suggested that a TPL branch also be incorporated into the Regent Park Community Centre - seems reasonable; the existing local TPL branch (at Parliament + Gerrard) is cramped, and would benefit from being relocated more centrally within Regent Park. Putting a library in a community centre seems ideal: offer visitors opportunities for intellectual, as well as physical, workouts. But our suggestion was casually discarded by planners: “the TPL wasn’t interested”, we were told. Instead, a large portion of the new building will be a 2 story employment centre.  (See above floor plan, or pages 26-29 of the revised plan.)

At the April 7 meeting, city staff was vague as to what employment services would be provided. Numerous local social agencies already offer employment services (Dixon Hall, Serve Canada, Salvation Army, Fred Victor, Council Fire, Toronto Youth Development and others), but the city claims their new centre “won’t duplicate existing services”. TCHC (which is wholly owned by the city) is constructing several condo buildings in the redeveloped Regent Park; the ground floor of one of these condos would seem to be a better location for an adult employment centre (instead of being part of the same “hub” building as an elementary public school), but the city is adamant that this is the “best place”. Councillor Pam McConnell listened to concerns from several parents on April 7, but we’re not hopeful of any changes.

Hopefully these improvements will be realized:

• Trefann residents know that Shuter St. gets a lot of heavy truck traffic. The north side of Shuter St. is zoned “no stopping”, and yet large delivery trucks and school buses stop in front of the school several times each day for loading/unloading passengers and cargo. As the Regent Park revelopment progresses, TDSB will be able to use quieter streets (Sackville, Sumach or St. David’s) to give the kids from “Park Public” School safer access to school buses.
• The unsightly dumpster should eventually disappear from the school’s front yard. “TDSB is intending to provide service loading space for the school from the north parking lot. Any TDSB dumpsters will be located in the north parking lot, close to the school. The community centre may either use these dumpsters or use totes that would be temporarily set out at the curb of Sackville street (community centres generate relatively little garbage).”

Expected construction start for the community centre is “summer 2011, expected opening: late 2012″.

In 2004, our city leaders invested in a Toronto Indoor Pool Provision Strategy; the consultant’s final report offers 3 different options (scenarios); no indication on the city’s website which scenario was ultimately adopted. Also no indication whether the new Regent Park Aquatics Complex (or facilities planned for 2014 Pam Am Games) fit into this strategy (or is the strategy now “forgotten” ?)The city has been promising us a grand “Aquatics Complex” for several years; its original planned location was to be next to Lord Dufferin School.

When the city used “world-class aquatic centre” in its Dec 2009 announcement, most of us assumed that the Regent Park pool would be “olympic” size, i.e. 50m pool. The latest plans for Regent Park show a well designed, half-sized pool - only 25m in length - for swim training/lessons, and other aquatics areas for recreation (eg. waterslide), all wheelchair accessible. But does this warrant a separate building? Elsewhere in the city, pools are efficiently and economically incorporated into a multi-purpose community / recreation centre, so preplexing why not in Regent Park?

The latest plans say “expected construction start:  summer 2010; expected opening: late 2011″.
See above diagram: This pool has been under design for a few years at least, but in this March 2010 version, the placement of pool building entrance seems weird. It’s very “grand” to have an expansive sidewalk leading from Dundas St, and handy to walk from the park to the pool doors, but if the building entrance was instead located off Sumach (ie. in the middle of building):

• no need for long interior hallway to access change rooms
• putting the entrance on a quieter street means cars can more safely stop to let off passengers
• front doors would be closer to service entrance (most delivery persons will have to check in at main entrance first, before making deliveries at loading dock)

We sent this suggestion to the city recently; we’ll post their response as soon as it is received.

The city is planning to rip down the existing community centre (203 Sackville Green) and spend $20 million for a new facility at the corner of Sackville + Shuter. Here are the tentative plans from the March 10 meeting.

There are 2 more opportunities to give your input to the designers:
- Design Options Meeting: Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 1:00 PM at the South Regent Park Community Centre
- Schematic Design Presentation: Wednesday April 7, 2010 at 7:00 PM at the South Regent Park Community Centre.

The July 21 Toronto Star reprinted a chart showing the capacity of existing and planned temporary garbage dumps in Toronto. Throughout most of the city, dumps in parks are limited to paved areas (to limit leaching of nasty toxins into the ground). However, in Moss Park, the city plans to use every square foot of the park, if necessary (107 x 122 meters). Moss Park’s capacity for garbage is listed at 3,500 tonnes, substantially larger than any other site, and more than twice as large as the Sunnyside Park site. Dog walkers, soccer and baseball players who use Moss Park - speak up now (or suffer the health consequences in 6-12 months’ time. Bravo to Councillor Kyle Rae and Pam McConnell for protecting the interests of their constituents. Why doesn’t the city use the large paved area it owns at 100 Queen W, as a temporary downtown garbage site?

Councillor McConnell spent a full hour talking at last night’s Corktown meeting.  She is a member of the city’s Labour Relations Committee, and so is involved in strike negotiations (although, according to today’s Toronto Star, that “committee hasn’t met since before the strike began June 22″). Pam McConnell said “any solution must be affordable”, and then followed up by defending the 2009 cost of living increase to City Councillors (but not to non-union staff), as “a good system”.  Pam’s personal website has daily updates on the strike, including alternative children’s programmes.

As an update to the June 23 meeting, Pam mentioned there is money available for the proposed dog park on the Power - Richmond - Adelaide “triangle” of land, although Build Toronto now controls this land, and needs to be convinced this land is not develop-able for any other purpose.  Pam assured residents that the Shuter-Sumach park will not revert to “dogs prohibited”, and explained the Parks Dept process for applying for “leash free status”.  She was unsure whether this park would qualify, due to minimum size requirements, or inadequate distance separating dogs from childrens’ area.

The meeting finished with the usual complaints about negative impacts of homeless persons, drug dealing and prostitution; too bad that Corktown or Trefann residents’ associations aren’t sufficiently large enough or well organized to actually hold the Councillor and police accountable to ensure city programs such as Parks Ambassador, regular police foot and bike patrols, Streets to Homes, actually lead to sustained noticable improvements in our area.

Meeting attendance was typical:  8 board members, 4 guest speakers, maybe 1 member (and 5 non-members). Like most Corktown meetings, this one lacked an efficient chairperson.  The first speaker droned on for 40 minutes about the Sept 29 marathon, when 5 minutes would have sufficed:  there will be a “cheering section” at Parliament + Front, available for local residents, to cheer for marathon runners.

A wonderful thing has happened in Trefann.

Since the start of the City Workers strike, many neighbours and friends have come out and cleaned our little community. Walking up Sumach street, it is not unusual to see a few people out on the street, picking up litter, offering to drive their neighbours’ garbage to a transfer station, sweeping up sidewalks, laneways and driveways. Strolling along Shuter and Tracy Streets, you see the same thing happening. Neighbours helping each other and keeping Trefann clean and tidy.

Last evening, one resident went so far as to transport their ‘ride-upon’ lawn mower down from their cottage and mowed the entire grass area of Stinky’s Park. He did this so the rest of the community could continue enjoying our park.

His actions have motivated others to organize a small ‘clean-up’ party this weekend. We have transport to the transfer station. We have donated garbage bags. We have the will to see this strike through.

I know I’ll be there and hope to see you too.

You are invited to attend and participate in the city’s  Public Consultation Meeting on Jan 29 @ 7pm, Toronto City Hall), in relation to a new City of Toronto Sign By-law (see flyer).

During the past few years, community activists have spoken out against the visual pollution in Toronto, caused by numerous, illegal billboards.  You may have heard about the Toronto Public Space Committee: “dedicated to protecting our shared common spaces from commercial influence and privatisation”.

The City of Toronto is preparing a new sign by-law. It will replace the individual sign by-laws of the former municipalities.  The new sign by-law will update the standards for signs on private property, address current sign issues, and reflect the diverse character found in Toronto communities. The Sign By-law project will also explore ways where signage will support the City’s efforts in energy conservation and revenue generation.

For information on project updates, please visit the City’s website.

[ reprinted from Toronto Public Space Committee (TPSC)’s December 2008 Mid-Month Mini-Newsletter ]

” Astral Media has begun installing its new street furniture in the past six months, and already there are problems with transit shelters and benches.

Through a Freedom of Information request, we have obtained the contract between Astral and the City.  We’re working on putting together a proper web page for it, but until then you can access it directly (3.2 megabyte PDF).  And here’s the Street Furniture Rollout Schedule. “

Here’s another small success, from an email sent by TCRA to Access Toronto. For at least 2 months, a thick cable (part of Roger’s cable network) has been exposed at the corner of Shuter + Parliament, subjecting pedestrians and cyclists to a potential “tripping” hazard. Perhaps not a serious risk, but gives a “poorly maintained, run-down” look to our neighbourhood’s public infrastructure. Rogers was called July 11 to alert them to this problem, but nothing happened. But within 1 week of TCRA reporting this to city staff at Access Toronto on Aug 14, the cable was once again properly secured with conduit. Thanks, guys! Our experience is that the city inspectors may not identify and fix all such problems on their own, but when these problems are specifically reported by residents, the city promptly fixes them. So take pride in the appearance of Trefann Court; if you see something in our neighbourhood needing fixing, please call or email Access Toronto.

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?