June 6, 2024 edition of Councillor Alejandra Bravo's Community Newsletter
Community Update: June 6, 2024
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Neighbour,
I want to make sure you’re aware of a possible transit strike that could begin tomorrow morning. Both ATU Local 113, representing workers, and the TTC have agreed to continue to operate until subway service ends between 2:00 am and 3:00 am on Friday morning. They have also confirmed that Wheel Trans service will continue to run even in the case of a strike.
TTC riders should be prepared with alternate plans for how they will get to work, school or other activities tomorrow if a strike is actioned, which would result in subway, streetcar, and bus service (aside from Wheel Trans) being suspended. As a rider who commutes by public transit each day, I know how challenging it can be to not have the TTC up and running. I hope a fair deal is reached at the bargaining table as soon as possible. You can access real time updates on the situation here.
In other transit news, we received an important update about the 512 streetcar– full streetcar service will return on schedule in July while remaining work is finished at the St. Clair West and St. Clair Stations. This is great news for commuters and businesses.
The upcoming week is one of the most exciting of the year here in Davenport. I look forward to seeing many of you and celebrating Portuguese culture at the Portugal Day Parade. The parade starts at 9 am on June 8 and runs between Landsdowne and Ossington. I also hope to see many of you at Do West Fest, and my team will be on-site at our booth on Saturday and Sunday.
Finally, it’s Pride Month: an annual celebration of 2SLGBTQ+ voices, rights, and communities. There are plenty of ways to join the celebrations! My team and I hope to see you out at one of the many Pride events here.
Sincerely,
Alejandra Bravo
City Councillor • Ward 9 • Davenport
Chair, Economic & Community Development Committee
In this edition
- Public Consultation Meeting: Area of Employment Official Plan Amendments
- Registration for summer recreation programs is open!
- Lifeguards are back at Toronto's beaches
- Davenport Compost Days
- Public Consultation: Vehicle for Hire Regulations
- Participez à l'Élaboration du Plan d'Action Décennal de la ville de Toronto contre le Racisme Anti-Noir
- Bike Share Toronto Updates
- Pride Month
- Indigenous Peoples Month
- Construction and Work Notices
- In the community
- Community Events
- Other updates
Public Consultation Meeting: Area of Employment Official Plan Amendments
Davenport residents are invited by the City Planning Division to join a virtual Public Community Consultation Meeting on June 19th, 2024, 6:00pm – 7:00pm. The purpose of the meeting is to consult with the public on Official Plan Amendment 680 (OPA 680) which responds to Planning Act changes made through Bill 97 (Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023) that amends the definition of “area of employment”. For more information, please visit the project webpage here and register for the virtual Public Community Consultation Meeting here.
Registration for summer recreation programs is open!
Summer is almost here! The City of Toronto’s summer recreation programs are now open for registration. Residents of all ages and abilities can sign up for sports, fitness, arts, swimming and more. Programs begin in July. Find your fun on the City’s Summer Recreation Programs webpage.
Lifeguards are back at Toronto's beaches
Summer’s here! Lifeguards returned to duty this past weekend with the start of the City’s seasonal supervised beach program. While the beach can be a fun and relaxing destination, it's important to stay safe while enjoying the waves. Beachgoers should remember the following water safety tips when enjoying the beach this summer:
- Swim at a beach with a lifeguard.
- Keep your children within arm's reach at all times.
- Never swim alone – always swim with a friend.
Toronto has 10 beaches with lifeguard supervision: Bluffer's Park Beach, Kew-Balmy Beach, Woodbine Beach, Cherry-Clarke Beach, Ward's Island Beach, Centre Island Beach, Gibraltar Point Beach, Hanlan's Point Beach, Sunnyside Beach and Marie Curtis Park Beach East.
More information about beach safety and beach locations near you is available on the
City’s Beaches webpage.
Davenport Compost Days
Davenport Compost Days continue in the coming weeks across our ward! At the times and locations below, bring your own container and shovel to get free municipal compost for your garden:
- June 8, 10 am: Wadsworth Park
- June 15, 10 am: Perth Square Park
- June 22, 10 am: Earlscourt Park
Public Consultation: Vehicle-For-Hire Regulations
As part of the Vehicle-For-Hire bylaw review, the City is seeking feedback on the City’s vehicle-for-hire regulations. Members of the public, drivers and couriers, and industry are invited to attend public consultations with a focus on: improving accessible on-demand vehicle-for-hire services, addressing inactive taxicab licences, and gathering feedback on options to limit the number of vehicle-for-hire and private transportation company driver licences.
Five public consultations will be held, facilitated by a third-party public consultation firm. All members of the public and industry stakeholders are invited to attend any of the following meetings:
- Public Consultation (virtual on WebEx): Wednesday, June 12 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
- Taxicabs Consultation (in-person): Thursday, June 20 from 10 a.m. to noon. Council Chambers, East York Civic Centre, 850 Coxwell Ave.
- Taxicabs Consultation (virtual on WebEx): Monday, June 24 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.
- Public Consultation (in-person): Monday, June 24 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Council Chambers, East York Civic Centre, 850 Coxwell Ave.
- Private Transportation Companies and Drivers Consultation (virtual on WebEx): Tuesday, June 25 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Registration details and more information about the review are available at Vehicle-for-Hire Bylaw Updates – City of Toronto.
Participez à l'Élaboration du Plan d'Action Décennal de la ville de Toronto contre le Racisme Anti-Noir
La Passerelle-I.D.É. invite tous les membres de la communauté noire francophone de Toronto qui résident dans la région de York (West Toronto), East York, North York, Etobicoke, Scarborough, Old Toronto (Downtown/central) de venir participer aux conversations publiques et communautaires (virtuellement, face à face ou par sondages) pour discuter et faire des recommandations à la ville de Toronto pour son plan d’action décennal et s'assurer que nos besoins soient inclus dans ce nouveau plan.
La Passerelle-I.D.É. invites all members of the Black French-speaking community of Toronto who reside in the region York (West Toronto), East York, North York, Etobicoke, Scarborough, Old Toronto (Downtown/central) to come and participate in public and community conversations (virtually, face to face or by survey) to discuss and make recommendations to the City of Toronto for its ten-year action plan against Anti-Black Racism and ensure that our needs are included in this new plan.
Bike Share Toronto Updates
Bike Share Toronto has made improvements and done reinstallation in two locations in Davenport.
At the Lisgar Park station, the docking stations have been expanded to accommodate 35 bikes. This is in recognition of the demand we've seen for bikes in the neighbourhood since the installation of this station last year.
At St. Clarens & College St, the station has been re-installed after maintenance work was completed. Happy riding!
Happy Pride Month!
I was honoured to take part in the flag raising ceremony to kick off Pride Month along with my Council colleagues and Mayor Chow.
Indigenous Peoples Month
June is Indigenous Peoples Month, a time to learn, reflect and celebrate First Nations, Inuit and Métis culture and history and to advance reconciliation meaningfully. There are lots of events going on across the city to get involved with: check out the annual Indigenous Peoples Day Sunrise Ceremony at Nathan Phillips Square on June 21, or the Na-Me-Res Pow Wow and Indigenous Arts Festival at Fort York on June 15 and 16.
Construction and Work Notices
Toronto Hydro is rebuilding the electrical distribution system to improve the reliability of electrical service on a section of Conway Ave between June and November 2024. This rebuild includes upgrading overhead electrical cables and replacing hydro poles on city-owned property near certain lots. For more details, follow this link
The Davenport Diamond Guideway project which supports Metrolinx’s GO Expansion program will be conducting overnight corridor work and quality control checks at different locations and on different dates within the Metrolinx corridor (approximately from Bloor St W. to Davenport Rd) from now to Aug 31, 2024.
In the community
This week I hosted a meeting with residents and City staff on the next phase of construction on the Fairbank Silverthorn Storm Trunk Sewer System. My team and I have also been knocking on doors in the affected area to hear directly from you. The project team shared information about the upcoming installation of local storm sewers in Davenport. City staff will be holding a second drop-in meeting later this year for anyone who was unable to join us this week. Further information on this project can be found at toronto.ca/fairbank-silverthorn.
The talented artist, Jorge Posada, is telling important stories of our city. His latest project looks at memory, narrative, and the personalities of Filmores Hotel. It was great to join his exhibition opening during the CONTACT Photography Festival at Album Studios on Geary Ave!
I had a fantastic meeting with the St. Clair Gardens BIA business owners at La Spesa Food Market to talk about working together to build a strong neighbourhood and the ahead-of-schedule return of the 512 St Clair streetcar. I am thankful for their contributions to our lively main street.
Theatre Gargantua and the Lula Lounge brought us together to remember the history of the Trojan Horse–a meeting place for musicians, performers and writers including the Compañeros, where Greek musicians embraced Chileans-in-exile to form a music group of poetry and protest.
Muse Arts brought people together in Earlscourt Park for their Happening Multi-Arts Festival this past weekend. I was grateful to join the Dance and Performance Night and see the power of community arts in action.
I was happy to join Sporting FC Academy Toronto for their 10th Anniversary celebration at Brockton Stadium this morning. The players, coaches, volunteers, and families embody the iconic Sportinguista chant: “Sou eu sei, porque não fico em casa!”
The Carleton Village School Council knows how to do a fun fair! Thanks for welcoming me to celebrate. The event fostered great connections between school, community, and families.
Community Events
The Future of Film Showcase (FOFS) festival, showcasing emerging Canadian filmmakers, is a highlight of the Toronto film calendar. I am thrilled it is hosted at Davenport’s own Paradise Theatre, an institution and beloved venue for film lovers from across the city. It is our vibrant and dense arts and culture scene that makes Davenport one of the best places to live and build community. Check out the programming here.
