Charity Giving Online

This is the season when many of us make donations to charities. We receive many letters from fund-raising campaigns and of course, we reject some and help some. Two ideas that you can do online this year are worth noting.

One relates to the idea of funding/directing a type of gift rather than making just a simple money donation. Plan Canada has ideas on "gifts of hope" www.plancanada.ca/giftsofhope . CHF has "gifts that matter" www.giftsthatmatter.ca (CHF gifts are boosted by CIDA: they add $3 for each $1 from you.) Both allow you to sponsor meaningful gifts. There are likely others using this gift model.

You can make these gifts on someone's behalf instead of stressing out on what to give to that someone "who has everything". These gift ideas could also become suggestions for schools and other organizations who are seeking ideas on how to focus a fund-raising effort.

If you want to help out with a green dimension, the Darfur Stoves project http://darfurstoves.org/ provides a very interesting way to help out women in Africa and elsewhere and cut down on air pollution and CO2 gases.

The other idea is to make your donations on-line through a common portal like doing one-stop giving. That is, a website that knows you and keeps track of your donations and generates your tax receipts in a very simple process. If you see www.CanadaHelps.org on a fundraising form this is the portal for many Canadian charities and maybe, the ones you give to regularly. It's safe and secure with a top notch board of directors.

You get quick response and don't have to fill out cards, write and mail cheques or write down long credit card numbers. Essentially, a one stop online solution for charity giving with no wait income tax receipts.

Another on-line donation service with links to Canada Helps is Charity Intelligence Canada www.charityintelligence.ca . Besides between a donation charity they survey Canadian charities to evaluate their charity effectiveness. Carol Goar, The Star recently wrote a story on this organization and its services .

TTC - From Better Way to No Way

Residents of the Bayview Village and Don Valley Village/ SLHA neighbourhoods who might wish to do a park'n go on the TTC subway from Leslie Station have found that what was once a better way is now a no way.

Last year the TTC decided that it's better and "fairer" to charge for parking. The result was a reduction of 7 AM parking from a full lot to about 2-4 places taken. Now we can see no vehicles. Why?

Apparently the TTC has transferred operations to the Toronto Parking Authority. From Mon to Sun, 5 AM to 2 AM the charge is $2/hour with a $12 limit.

Going downtown with family? Yes, let's drive. It's cheaper. On weekends there's lots of all day parking for $6. Or, if a weekday traveller, and your green consciousness is dominant, after the rush hour you go to the Fairview Mall, Bayview ViIlage Mall or even the CTC lot for no cost parking. If a weekday worker, your direction is away from the empty lot.

So what has the TTC and the city gained at the Leslie Station. Less traffic at the station? Turned off ridership?

A role of the TTC should be to create incentives to increase public transit consumption for a greener city. Someone at the TTC Head Office has not been listening to Mayor Miller and making Toronto a green leader.

Fall 2009 Community Update

Previously our updates have been email messages. Starting with this post, the body of our message is going to be on our SLHA blog instead of making a lengthy email. This allows us to organize stuff better. And if you delete your message, you can always find out what we said here.

Our topics are:

311 Toronto
Illegal Signs
Clovercrest Parkette
Shaughnessy Island Community Garden or SICG
Rusty Rail
City's Basement Flooding Improvement Program
Dallington/Glentworth Culvert Improvement & Next Steps
Area Traffic Concerns Meeting (Nov 25 with councillor)
School Bus Parking
Aria & Phillips House
Changes in the W33AC
Our Website

1. 311 Toronto
This centralized contact point for the city is finally up and running and working based on our experience. In addition to a "311" dial on your telephone you can also use email: 311@toronto.ca

You might want to add this email address to your contact lists.

We recently used it to report light signaling issues at Lesmill and Leslie and to get a parking sign repaired on Marowyne. The city seems to be doing this right. If you use email, you might also add a CC to the councillor's office.

The south bound light signally at Lesmill for the left turn changed to a very short turn just after the change from Daylight Savings and on Remembrance Day. The latter was on a short signal because the Legal Dept had a concern of less traffic volume: they must think everyone had a day off.

Note - the City also has a new information service online to help out when you don't know where that thing: It answers the question "What to I do with ...? www.toronto.ca/recycling

2. Illegal Signs
You can use "311" to report illegal signs on public property. Signs placed by contractors on the city boulevards are illegal as well as in parks. Also, some real estate agents (maybe, only one) in this area likes to put signs on post in the city boulevard. This is not allowed.

3. Clovercrest Parkette

This parkette is getting a major facelift using community benefit funds from the Aria project. The summer strike had hindered the project scheduling and completion dates. We were told that it would be finished by the end of November. But we have seen no recent progress except repaving the pathways which got severely damaged during the work to date and which has not been part of the original project budget. There have been contractor issues and we might suspect some budget overrun contributing to the completion delays.

This parkette should become well used as we see more young ones back on the streets and we suspect many from Aria will become users. (The Aria developers from the plans we saw have no playground area for the children living there.)

4. Shaughnessy Island Community Garden or SICG
Our community garden has been a notable addition to our community since we planted it just over 2 years ago. This year our initial plants matured and flourished. We are also starting to see the progress of plants donated by our neighbours. Few communities have such a garden. Last year we even received inquiries from Bayview Village people on how we did it.

However, to keep it going we need volunteer gardeners. With the gardening season winding down, we hope you can consider coming out early next spring when we send out our next SICG message.

5. Rusty Rail
The removal of this out of place structure continues to proceed, we hope. The community has made its position well known to our councillor through the SLHA and W33AC. From a discussion last May-June with the councillor we found out the neither city staff nor the other third parties interested in re-juvenating this structure had done anything to push forward their agenda. The ball sits in the councillor's lap. We had asked that its removal become part of the 2010 capital budget. We hope she remembers as she works her way through the city budget line by line.

Funding for removal has been allocated using Aria community benefit money.

6. City's Basement Flooding Improvement Program
Last May, City Water staff made an informative presentation for attendees at the councillor's town hall meeting. After the meeting we acquired a copy of the Power Point presentation. We have finally made it available for downloading on the SLHA website. Look under "COMMUNITY AFFAIRS"

You can find out what is planned in our ward and neighbourhood. There is much work that will be done and we can look forward to some inconveniences such as we had with the Glentworth closure.

7. Dallington/Glentworth Culvert Improvement & Next Steps
This project took a little maybe much longer than the initial plans. Bad weather coupled with contractor inexperience and some plan changes pushed forward the completion date. One benefit has been a more attractive landscape as well as an access route into the ravine .

The walk way along the east side should also be getting new lighting as well as the planned walkway between Glentworth and Sheppard on the west. The money to do this will also come from the Aria community benefit funding.

As well, we can expect to see an underground storm sewer storage tank built just north of Glentworth (there is still work required to replace some of the metal piping that was rusting out.) See above item.

And we can expect to see sanitary sewer replacement along Esterbrook, Leith Hill and down Shaughnessy to Sheppard. We had heard about a December start date.

But why did the Transportation people fix up Leith Hill this fall? Do city departments not co-ordinate or communicate work plans?

8. Area Traffic Concerns Meeting (Nov 25 with councillor)
We are awaiting a writeup or notes from an attendee. This post will be updated when this info is available.

9. School Bus Parking
You might notice the school bus parking on Marowyne just up from Glentworth during school hours. The driver lives on Marowyne: the bus is not parked in front of her residence.

The councillor and the bus company and the driver have received complaints from our neighbourhood about this parking. The driver considers it her right to park regardless of her considerations for her neighbours.

A couple of years ago we managed to get signs on several streets that prohibit overnight parking but not short term daytime parking.


10. Aria & Phillips House
We are now seeing the rising of the towers above the treetops and await the final impact on our neighbourhood skyscape. Thank you, Lady OMB Chair.

You might not be aware that the Phillips House (part of the NYGH) is being renovated. The Shepways people have been fighting parking concerns due to its parking lot use by Aria people and possible bylaw contraventions. After our initial post, Sam Metalin reports that the parking lot has now been closed. City councillor and bylaw enforcement efforts were needed.

We should expect pressure to open road access to Aria from Ravenbury and/or Glentworth within a few years after Aria is resident occupied.

As well we should expect Aria visitor parking to become a concern on Clovercrest and Ravenbury and possibly to Marowyne, Ennismore and Glentworth. The Shepways have their own parking control officers.

11. Changes in the W33AC
W33AC stands for the Ward 33 Advisory Committee. Each of us, that is, residents of Ward 33, is a member who can participate and vote for its executive.

Last August both its Chair and Vice-Chair resigned. New elections are being held on Jan 11. 2010

One viewpoint for the role of W33AC is that of an independent umbrella organization on municipal matters for the entire ward that has a co-operative relationship with the ward councillor. This viewpoint requires a committee that provides for itself and has a self-sufficient membership.

An alternate viewpoint is that the committee is more tightly bound to the councillor's office, less independent and requires the councillor office to provide several administrative services.

The regular membership or meeting attendees seems to show a divide taking one side or the other.

For current information on the W33AC you can monitor its blog:
http://ward33forum.blogspot.com

For an open forum on Ward 33 mattters, you can look at this independent blog:
http://ward33forum.blogspot.com/

12 Our SLHA Website www.slha.ca
We continue to make changes. As noted above the Community Affairs topic now has shareable files for downloading on Basement Flowing matters. As well, we have expanded the writeup on the SICG. And under Community in Pictures we have some additions and a new way for some areas to look at our pictures.

We also have some "hidden stuff":

If you click on the underlined SLHA in the site banner, you bring up an aerial view (on Microsoft's Bing) starting at the corner of Sheppard and Leslie. You can navigate from and adjust this view.

If you pull down on the horizontal line below the banner, you have some YouTube Views of our city. Select "O Canada" for some rousing versions of our national anthem.

If you have an thoughts on what we can do to improve or change please send them in.

INTRODUCING SLHA AUTHORS

Hello Fellow SLHA Neighbours,

HELP YOUR NEIGHBOURS / FEEL GOOD

This message introduces an on-line way for you to participate and speak out in a blog on matters of concern to you and others_ whether about our SLHA neighbourhood, Ward 33, North York District or the full city. (See signature below for blog connection address.)

Your concern or problem topic or observation or shareable experience might be about Aria, Clovercrest Parkette, street parking/traffic, rooming /rental houses, basement flooding/ Glentworth-Dallington, road conditions, neighbourhood appearance, illegal signs, development projects, garbage strike/ waste costs, mayor's resignation/ mayoral candidates, LRT, greening or the lack of, unfunded liabilities and budget omissions, a needed city service or area improvement and all the rest.

Or, you might just want to tell our neighbourhood about a special event or occasion or experience_ garage sale, art show, ... But please, no business promotions.

Now you can author your own posts in a blog when you send an invitation request to the SLHA blog email box/address:to receive a "formal" invitation
slha.toronto@gmail.com

You can let others know and be aware about what you have to say and get them involved. This is step one in getting a problem recognzed/solved or getting action.

Our neighbourhood speakers soapbox "forum" blog can handle up to 100 "freelance" and invited authors. You must provide a valid email account, your name and telephone number and home address.You or your post can be removed by the blog administrator. Posts must be acceptable civil and legal discourse. That is, if there is a reasonable complaint about the nature of a post, the administrator will remove it. Once you are "registered" you will get a reply email.

In addition, you (you don't need to be an author) might suggest poll questions. With the Google blog there is a simple way of inserting poll questions. When the poll is over, the results will be kept accessible on line. There is a poll on "basement flooding control" needing your input NOW

The SLHA blog started off as a way to do things our website can't handle well. The authorship ability allows more of us to be engaged in a neighbourhood discussion.

As a "forum" author you set the topic. You lead the discussion. Let your neighbours know about the forum and what you have to say.

Forum - a public place or assembly for discussing questions of public interest / a market place of ideas, opinion and commentary giving opportunity for debate / a source of news and information affecting our city life.

PS - There is also a Ward 33 Forum. You can get its author invitation at http://ward33forum.blogspot.com You might also want to vote on and check out its polls: best next mayor & councilllor term limits.

Our Community Police Liaison Committee, and thoughts on our responsibilities

Hello SLHA Community. I am Patricia Stamp, a resident of Marowyne Drive.

I responded to the 33 Division's call for volunteers to participate in the Community Police Liaison Committee, and attended the meeting on Tuesday 27 January.

I found it a very worthwhile experience, and it was interesting to see the range of people committed to community service. It is heartening to see the Police Service encourage us to join in partnership with them for the betterment of our communities, and even more heartening to discover that they listen. I didn't see any other SLHA members there, but if any other SLHA members are also attending or planning to attend meetings, please let me know, and we can share our experiences and communicate amongst ourselves about issues specific to our area.

In the meanwhile, here are a few ideas I brought away with me. Please note, that while I am reporting on some Police Service initiatives, the opinions expressed here are my own.

1. Toronto Police Service 2008 Environmental Scan. It is a good idea for us to be aware of the wider context of our own neighbourhood policing and safety issues. Our highly-regarded Toronto police service is well connected to the police profession nationally and world-wide, and uses sophisticated research tools to monitor trends in our city. Input from city officials and citizens is an important part of the research mix. The Service uses its results to shape policy that is tailored to the specific needs of each community. Every three years, the Service produces an "Environmental Scan" that makes public and transparent the basis on which policy decisions are made. You can see the document here: http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/publications/files/reports/2008envscan.pdf

2. Our own Division. Many of you may be familiar with this site already, but I wasn't. I think it's worth a look.
http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/d33/
Division 33 is the smallest in the city in staff numbers, while being one of the largest in area geographically. In that staffing is directly related to an area's "call-for-service," I guess that means we are a relatively peaceful part of the city. Something to celebrate -- see the next point.

3. TAVIS. I think it is useful that the police are not only working to reduce violence -- their obvious mandate -- but also to reduce fear. Here is the the Police website's description of TAVIS:

"The Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy, or TAVIS for short, is the plan that the Toronto Police Service is using to reduce violence and fear in neighbourhoods. The plan uses community mobilization to:

• reduce crime and disorder,
• make neighbourhoods safer, and
• bring neighbours together to keep their neighbourhood safe and liveable."

This is a great program, and I hope it will make a big difference over time. It strikes me that we residents can each do something personally about the fear factor: inform ourselves of the statistical likelihood of suffering violence in our own area, so that we can distinguish between real and imagined dangers, and thereby enjoy our public and private spaces less fearfully. Fear can all too easily become a habit, and one that we pass on to our children. Social and psychological research is showing that fear and suspicion are contagious, but more encouragingly, so are optimism and happiness. Have a look at the Globe and Mail article about it in December: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081205.wlhappy05/BNStory/lifeFamily/home .

You can see the whole TAVIS statement here: http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/tavis/

While I will not be able to attend regularly over the next couple of months, I will be attending the next meeting, on February 24, and will give another brief report at that time. In the meanwhile, if anyone has an issue they would like me to bring to the Committee meeting, please let me know.

Best wishes to all my neighbours. For your enjoyment, I include a scene from our ravine.

Patricia Stamp

IMPORTANT Community Issues

While you might be mildly upset about having to take a longer route south or east bound due to the Glentworth / Dallington ravine closure, there are two important community issues, one of which or both that could upset many of you much more.

You will have a chance to make your views known to our councillor on Feb 9 (Monday evening_ 7:30 PM, Fairview Public Library, 4th Floor) at the regular W33AC monthly meeting. See its Administration Blog: www.ward33ac.blogspot.com

We expect both of these items to be on the agenda and motions presented & voted.

We also bring to your attention that Division 33 has issued reports of purse snatching: "Within 33 Division, women shopping at Bayview Village Mall, Food Basics Plaza at Sheppard Avenue and Victoria Park Avenue, and Fairview Mall have been victimized by the perpetrators. During the month of January 2009, there has been a rash of purse snatch robberies throughout the City of Toronto"

1 The Rusty Rail
(or, less well known as the Leslie-Sheppard Gateway designed by Adrian DiCastri)

This city monument has been an issue in our neighbourhood since 2001. From the Bloorview redevelopment meetings community reps managed to get Section 37 (community benefit money under Ontario's Planning Act) designated for its removal_2009 was likely our first opportunity to see this happen. However, the "rail" designer died last year and a movement (fellow architects, urban planners) started to complete the "greening" of this monument. The greening would consist of a major soil remediation, removing the safey barrier and building a concrete box tor the soil and new plants. While all the info and commitments have not been made we feel the community must start to present a louder and deeper voice to Councillor Carroll. She has mentioned a full community meeting to present cases. If the "greening" effort goes forth, that is city councils decide against removal., she has mentioned the use of city funds (our Section 37, Ward Clean/Beautiful City funds) plus what the "movement" comes up with.

From exchanges between some residents, the message we believe from the community remains_ remove the rail and if not allowed, then say no city funds (especially, Section 37 benefits) be used for "greening". The majority of our community stands for removal. They don't want city resources attempting to revive a failed project.

YOU CAN VOTE IN A POLL ON THIS ISSUE ON THE SLHA BLOG _ http://www.slha.blogspot.com/

2. Use of Don East Parklands for new Civitan Arena

Many of you likely have seen articles in The Miiror and even the Star. In brief, the Don Mills community organization, Civitan runs hockey and youth focused programs. They now use the arena in the Shops on Don Mills site / Don Mills Center (Lawrence & Don Mills). For reasons (which would make this email too long) they approached the city about a new multi-pad location (free city land) and new facilities (which they would raise funds for and operate). A "preferred" site location for what appears to be a massive footprint was documented in the North York Community Council as the Don East Parklands, south of the 401 and east of Don Mills.

For environmental reasons alone, most eloquently expressed in a Mirror, Letter to the Editor (Lou Wise, Jan 16, see link below) many in and outside our ward believe parklands use should not be allowed. for any development, especially one of this magnitude and negative impact. If you drive Don Mills at peak hours, you will see more congestion and more intersection red lights (just south of the bridge)_ you also should know another light will be installed by a new street accessing Don Mills between Havenbrook and Sheppard.(Emerald City work). There could also be a financial risk to the city.

Users of the Betty Sutherland trail and wildlife would be offended by the proposed structures.

Many believe that the city staff reviewing this project and ice rinks issues can find a better site and solution_ for an arena with 2 ice surfaces.. On the W33AC "Forum" blog you can find some background: www.ward33forum.blogspot.com

Check this link "New arena project would compromise Don River", Lou Wise http://www.insidetoronto.com/article/62382