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Big Hole Public Meeting

The request to amend the zoning by-law for 2055/2057 Danforth (a.k.a. The Big Hole at Danforth and Woodbine) will go to the Toronto and East York Community Council on Tuesday, August 17th, 2010 at 1:30 p.m. in the council chamber at City Hall, 100 Queen St. West.

You are invited to attend the public meeting to make your views known regarding the proposal.  If you wish to address the council on this issue, contact Rosalind Dyers at 416-392-7033 no later than August 16, 2010.  To submit written comments, forward them to:

City Clerk – Attention Rosalind Dyers

Toronto and East York Community Council

City Hall, 2nd Floor West

100 Queen St. West, Toronto, ON, M5H 2N2

or to teycc@toronto.ca or fax 416-397-0111

Detailed information about this proposal, including background information and material, is available by contacting Senior Planner, Leotine Major at 416-397-4076 or lmajor@toronto.ca.

A scanned copy of the official public meeting notice can be found here thanks to urbantoronto.ca

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This Week In Your ‘Hood

Tonight – Check out Juno-nominated, Sundar Viswanathan, a jazz woodwind player and singer at Jazz In The Park.  Presented by the Danforth Mosaic BIA, you’ll find music from 6 – 9 every Wednesday at the Coxwell Parkette at Coxwell and Danforth.

Tomorrow – The East Lynn Farmers’ Market was featured in the Toronto Star earlier this week as part of it’s round up of great farmers’ markets.

I also want to offer a big mid-season thank-you to our volunteer chefs.  Each week volunteers chop, slice, saute and simmer some amazing meals for our far-flung farmers.  It’s no small task to cook dinner for all these folks, but they so appreciate a home-cooked meal since they’re driving through the lunch and dinner hours to come to our market.  Thank you!  This is a huge part of what makes our market a special place to be.

This week at 4:30 – come check out Sports Day with Jack of Sports.  Bring your running shoes and join the Jack of Sports team with all kinds of sporting activities!

DECA Learns – Canning

Mark your calendars, the next canning workshop is August 18th for the delectable delights of plums and pears.  Tomatoes, salsa and pickles are September 14th.  7:30-9:30 p.m. at the Danforth Mennonite Church (2174 Danforth).  $5 donation suggested.  No experience required.  RSVP to Mary-Margaret McMahon at 416-693-9276 or spargy@rogers.com or at the DECA tent at the market.

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Danforth Gems

Two little local gems to pass along – the first from our favourite local shopper – Pat Chartier.

RHD Appliances

I’ve taken shopping local to new spending heights: we bought a “scratch and dent” Kitchenaid Gas Range from the new store near Woodbine, RHD Appliances.  No scratches, no dents but it was missing one small part, which the RHD owner ordered in for us, as he promised. What a great deal: $700, delivered and the same stove would otherwise go for about $2400.

Sandy’s (Chinese Canadian) Restaurant

Thanks to Nancy for sending along a thumbs up for Sandy’s on the south side of the Danforth, just east of Woodbine.

Sandy’s is owned by Jimmy and Sandy along with their adult son and daughter.  It is clean, friendly and they have a tasty, specially priced menu where a family can eat a meal for under $30, taxes included.

I also noticed two new shops the other day on the north side of Danforth, west side of Coxwell, toward Greenwood: a card and gift shop (how many of you have told me how you yearn for a local card shop?!) and a crepe shop.


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Beautifying Bioswale

Bioswale: Noun – landscape elements designed to remove silt and pollution from surface runoff water. It’s a swaled drainage course with gently sloped sides (less than six per cent) and filled with vegetation, compost and/or stones. The water’s flow path, along with the wide and shallow ditch, is designed to maximize the time water spends in the swale, helping trap pollutants and silt.

I asked Mary-Margaret McMahon to write a little post about the bioswale project that she’s been working on with co-DECA-ite Lillian Salmon.  This pilot project is going in at Danforth and Cedarvale.

I was sick of the top of Cedarvale south looking ugly.  Our awesome pharmacist at ERA pharmacy has a lovely tree and we have planted some native species under it – especially sage.

Across the road is Joe’s Automotive and there are some hideous cement poles.  So Lillian and I met with Robert Mays from Public Realm at the City of Toronto (which includes the Clean and Beautiful program) and proposed a few bioswale ideas.  Robert thought this one was the most viable and our proposal passed with flying colours. Each city ward can receive $80,000 per year for Clean and Beautiful projects.

We are planning for two trees on either side, asphalt removal, native plants and shrubs, beautification and storm water management (we need to be concerned with the latter because we have combine sewers).

The City of Toronto is paying the bill.  Construction will start late summer.  The community will maintain it.  We want some rain barrels to harvest the rainwater from the buildings for irrigation.

I contacted neighbourhood dynamo Sara Heinonen – she and her husband own Zone 6 landscaping.  Sara and her teenaged nephew from Amroth Ave. offered to help with the design – he did the sketch.

It was easy.

Beautification + Greenery + Storm Water Management + Community Engagement + Youth empowerment + Uplifting Neighbours’ Spirits + No Cost + Expediency & Efficiency = WIN WIN WIN!

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Who Brings You The Funnest People In Town?

This week at the East Lynn Farmers’ Market, our 4:30 fun includes Trevor Rogers, the coolest unicycler you’ve never met.  Trevor learned to ride a unicycle in St. John’s Newfoundland after he saw someone riding off-road in the York Regional Forest.  Amazed, he tried it and discovered an incredible passion.  Trevor says the focus and physical stamina required for uber-unicycling sends him into a state of bliss.  What can he do on a unicycle? Get around the city, wrestle, throw knives and snowballs, sword fight, knit, spin fire, play a flute, race streetcars, juggle and rollerblade while unicycling and juggling.

Trevor lives at Pape and Cosburn and is a handyman/house painter.  He also teaches people, by donation, to rollerblade, unicycle, juggle and many other things that help create fitness and mind and body spirit.  But the most important thing that you should know about Trevor Rogers is that he absolutely loves coconut cream pie.

Not Far From The Tree

We’ve talked about this group before in these pages, but t’is the season to mention it again suggests Kim from the East York Rotary Club. Not Far From The Tree will pick your fruit tree and divide the bounty between you the tree owner, the volunteer pickers and community groups who can make use of the fruit.  It’s genius.  This year they’re also tapping city maple trees for syrup.  Double genius.

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Sweet Summer Stuff

DECA Learns – Canning Cherries and Peaches

DECA’s next Bernadin canning workshop is tomorrow – July 21st with the delightful master of all things preserve – Emerie!  This week, peaches and cherries.  The workshop is at 7:30 p.m. at the Danforth Mennonite Church at 2174 Danforth.  RSVP to Mary-Margaret McMahon at spargy@rogers.com or 416-693-9276.  Suggested donation $5.00.

East Lynn Farmers’ Market

Oh we’re in the thick of it now.  My fridge overflows with local produce.  The bounty is rich and the atmosphere at the market is absolute delight.  At least that’s how it looks from the vantage point of my little boys…peaches, cheese curds, face painting, wading pool.  Does it get any better than that?

This week at 4:30 – unicycle tricks that will wow you.

Big Hole Update

Thanks to DECA member (and volunteer) Jon Isaak for sending along this update on the condodevelopment at Danforth and Woodbine from Tine Major at the City of Toronto Planning Office:

The rezoning application is almost ready to be reported on and the final report recommending approval may go forward to the August Toronto and East York Community Council meeting.

If you would like to know more or comment on this, contact Councillor Sandra Bussin at councillor_bussin@toronto.ca or and/or her executive assistant, David McCully at dmccull@toronto.ca.

Toronto Police Services and You

Whenever we speak with the community policing officers at 55 Division (south of the Danforth) and 54 Division (north of the Danforth) they always tell us the same thing: if you see something untoward, call us.  Even if they don’t come that time, it gets filed and the more calls they get, the more likely they will be to pay attention to this particular area.  If you’re like me, however, you might not always call because you don’t want to deal with the hassle or you don’t have the time.  When DECA met with other residents’ associations in the east end last month, we learned that you can also e-mail these sorts of non-urgent complaints.  Genius.

For 54 Division (north) – use this form or call 416-808-5400

For 55 Division (south) – use this form or call 416-808-5500