My Thoughts on Advancing Our Goal to Achieve a Car-Free High Park

Friends,

Earlier this week, I was pleased to attend City Parks' staff Community Open House on the High Park Movement Strategy (HPMS).

So many community members have contributed to the HPMS through participating in meetings, commenting by email or engaging online. It has been great to hear from so many about your future hopes for High Park.

The goal of the HPMS is to better serve High Park users while prioritizing safety, accessibility and the park's natural environment.

Recommendations for travel network changes in High Park will be informed by your feedback, technical analysis and existing City policies and objectives such as TransformTO, Toronto Accessibility Design Guidelines, and Vision Zero.

City staff will be sharing a final report outlining their preferred strategy to City Council later this Spring.

As part of the Community Open House this week, staff shared their preliminary thoughts on a preferred strategy which includes restricting vehicle access to specific roads within the park and maintaining current vehicle restrictions on Sundays. If you were not able to attend, more details are available here: https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/planning-development/construction-new-facilities/parks-facility-plans-strategies/high-park-movement-strategy/

I believe that we can take specific steps to further advance our goals to achieving a car-free High Park. I also strongly believe that we must do that work without losing the achievements we have already made. I will focus my efforts on advocating for specific actions as part of the strategy which aligns with the feedback we have received from the wider community.

First off, I think it is important to build upon the success we have already achieved through the weekend vehicle restrictions in High Park. This means maintaining the Saturday, Sunday and Holiday Monday vehicle restrictions in High Park. The weekend restrictions were first introduced as a public health measure during the height of the pandemic to allow residents to access the park and practice safe physical distancing and continued based on positive community feedback about the experience in the park during car-free weekends. I believe that the community will continue to benefit by keeping the car-free weekends in place.

We also need to take steps to ensure that the park remains accessible to all residents. This will require an on-going effort to explore solutions such as expanding the TTC bus route within the park and exploring an accessible shuttle service that operates around the year.

The vast majority of residents who have been engaged in the HPMS have shared their vision for a car-free park. With more than 10,000 residents survey submissions, the majority (57%) supported the strategy which proposed a car-free park. I understand that it may take us some time to get there, but I believe the HPMS can outline the steps to reaching this goal of a complete car-free High Park.

We have the opportunity through the HPMS to make improvement to High Park and have a park for our future. Cities around the world are moving in the direction of eliminating private vehicles in parks. A car-free High Park also aligns with our commitments to Vision Zero, improved urban design and in achieving our climate change goals. I believe that by working together as a community, we can address any short-term challenges this may pose. Together, we can take the steps to make High Park safe, accessible and enjoyable for all visitors.

Thank you again for all of your feedback and support on this work. I will continue to work to share updates about the next steps in the strategy.

Sincerely,

Gord


In this week's newsletter:
  • - Public Drop-in Events: Bloor St W Complete Street Extension - April 12, 13
  • - Development Updates
    • 2760 Dundas St West (Former Peacock Hotel)
    • 1728 Bloor Street West (N/East corner of Bloor and Indian Grove)
  • - Review: Public Input Needed for Night Economy Review

Bike Lane Extension Community Meeting

This is an invitation to everyone interested in taking part in the Bloor Street West Complete Street Extension public drop-in events on April 12 and 13. These meetings will outline the extend of the expansion project and allow you to ask any questions you might have. The extension of bike lanes further west into our ward will provide even safer access to Toronto's bike network, enabling easier access for all. See the message below, from the Cycling Team, for more information:

Bloor Street West Complete Street Extension

We want to hear from you! Join us at an in-person public drop-in meeting and fill out the online feedback form. Visit Toronto.ca/BloorWest.

Public drop-in events:

Two public drop-in events are scheduled for this project. The same materials will be available at both events. The Public Drop-In Events will provide an opportunity to view the project information panels, speak with members of the project team one-on-one and provide feedback.

Public Drop-in Event 1

Date: Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Time: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Location: Swansea Public School Gymnasium

Address: 207 Windermere Ave, M6S 3J9

Public Drop-in Event 2

Date: Thursday, April 13, 2023

Time: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Location: Etobicoke Collegiate Institute Cafeteria

Address: 86 Montgomery Rd, M9A 3N5

Online feedback form:

Complete the online feedback form before April 27.

Project information:

  • The Bloor Street West Complete Street Extension project between Runnymede Road and Resurrection Road aims to make travel on the street safer, more inviting, and attractive for everyone.
  • The project proposes road safety improvements, cycle tracks, and public realm upgrades to meet Toronto’s Vision Zero Road Safety Plan and Climate Change Action Plan goals.
  • Changes to Bloor Street West would be made with materials that can be installed quickly, such as bollards, roadway paint, planters and signage.
  • No major road reconstruction is planned, and installation would take place in two phases in 2023 and 2024.
  • View more information, including the drop-in meeting project panels and roll plans, at Toronto.ca/BloorWest

2760 Dundas St West (Former Peacock Hotel)

My office has been advised that a rezoning application has been filed proposing to construct a six-storey mixed-use building at 2760 Dundas Street West. The application contains 28 new residential dwelling units and 126 square metres of at-grade

The site is currently vacant and is located on the north side of Dundas Street West within the block bound by Watkinson Avenue to the east, Indian Grove to the west and Hook Avenue to the north.

The application for Rezoning and Site Plan has been deemed complete. City Planning staff are in the process of beginning a review of this application.

There will be community consultation on this application in the coming months.

Information submitted to the City by the applicant is available for your review under 'supporting Documents' on the City's Application Information Centre at

https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/planning-development/application-information-centre/ .


1728 Bloor Street West (N/East corner of Bloor and Indian Grove)

My office has been advised that a rezoning application has been filed proposing a 19-storey, mixed-use building containing 99 dwelling units and ground floor retail at 1728 Bloor St West.

The application for Rezoning and Site Plan has been deemed complete. City Planning staff are in the process of beginning a review of this application.

There will be community consultation on this application in the coming months.

Information submitted to the City by the applicant is available for your review under 'supporting Documents' on the City's Application Information Centre at https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/planning-development/application-information-centre/


Public Input Needed for Night Economy Review

The City is seeking input to inform a review of licensing and zoning regulations for bars, restaurants and entertainment venues, as well as strategies to support Toronto’s night economy – the social, cultural and business activities that occur from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. The public is encouraged to participate by completing an online survey and/or by attending an in-person or virtual consultation to share feedback.

Public consultation sessions will be held virtually on Wednesday, April 12 and Thursday, April 13 and in person on Monday, April 17. The link to the survey and details on how to register are available on the City’s Night Economy Review webpage. The deadline to submit feedback on the survey is Friday, April 21.

Latest posts

2025 Staff-Prepared City Budget Highlights

Friends,

On Monday January 13th, the City of Toronto launched the 2025 Budget process with a staff-prepared budget that protects and invests in our City’s core services based on feedback gathered during Fall 2024 consultations with Toronto residents.

I am pleased to see a number of new and enhanced initiatives included in the 2025 staff-prepared budget that advance our goals of making Toronto a more affordable, connected, and safe city for all. Key investments include:

Making life more affordable:

  • Feed 8,000 more students through school food programs
  • CampTO food program to support over 31,000 youth

Getting Toronto moving

  • Increase transit service hours by 5.8 per cent (approximately half a million hours) 
  • Expand to 100 Traffic Agents to address blocked intersections, improve travel times in key corridors and decrease collision

Providing community services

  • Expand Sunday service hours for 70 Toronto Public Libraries
  • Increase access to cultural initiatives including local arts, festivals and events

Keeping people safe

  • Add 276 more Emergency Services positions (fire, police and paramedics) 
  • Expand road safety programs

Staff presentations on the 2025 staff-prepared budget are available at www.toronto.ca/budget. I encourage you learn about the various opportunities to get involved in the budget process, which includes opportunities to speak directly to the Budget Committee and submitting written feedback here.

I will also be hosting a ‘City Budget 2025 Virtual Town Hall’ on Monday, January 20th at 6pm, where we will review the proposed 2025 budget, discuss its investments and impacts on city services, and walk through the City’s budget process together.  To join the virtual meeting, please use this link: gordperks.ca/2025budget

Looking forward to seeing you there,


In This Week's Newsletter

City Wide Updates 

  • CampTO Summer Programs List
  • Winterlicious returns Jan 31 - Feb 13
  • Nominations now open: Toronto Community Champion Award 🏆 

Ward 4 Updates

  • Masaryk-Cowan Presents: Community Youth Nights

2024 Highlights and Holiday Wishes

Friends,

2024 has been a transformative year for our city.

As Chair of the Planning and Housing Committee, I have had the pleasure of supporting the tireless work of community activists and City staff in advancing real solutions to the housing crisis we have been witnessing.

In 2024, to name a few successes, we established the Renovictions Bylaw to deter bad-faith evictions, launched an industry-supported incentive program that facilitates the development of 20,000 new rental homes, expanded permissions for townhouses and small-scale apartment buildings along major streets city-wide, and initiated steps to address excessive indoor temperatures due to the effects of climate change.

I am most proud of our work at rebuilding the City’s capacity as a Public Builder that leads the delivery of affordable housing options. Through establishing a Housing Development Office at the City, we have transformed the City from an entity that is frustrated and unable to move on affordable housing to quite possibly the biggest developer of affordable housing in the country.

In the last 15 months we have gone from zero to 13 affordable construction projects currently under construction, including the 11 Brock site in our ward, and dozens more projects with shovels in the ground next year. We are proving that when we choose to face our most pressing issues head-on, we can respond with quick and effective actions.

This week, as part of Council Mid-term Member Appointments, I was honoured to be asked to continue in my role as Chair of the Planning and Housing Committee for the remainder of this Council term.

As we celebrate the holiday season, I look forward to continuing to work together in 2025 to advance the realization of housing as a human right in Toronto.

Sincerely,


2024 Highlights

Dunn House

Dunn House (90 Dunn Ave), Canada’s first ever social medicine supportive housing initiative, opened in October. The four-storey modular housing building includes 51 new, rent-geared-to-income and supportive homes for people who were experiencing homelessness and who were also frequent users of UHN’s emergency department. The new homes will be furnished studio apartments with a bathroom and kitchen. The building will include amenities such as shared laundry, a commercial kitchen, a dining area, a communal area and programming space. They will also benefit from wrap-around social and health services provided by Fred Victor and UHN aimed at improving their well-being and housing stability.  Dunn House has been supported by all orders of government and non-profit housing partners, with continued engagement with the local community.

11 Brock Ave

Earlier this week, the City broke ground on the construction of 11 Brock Ave, the first of five ‘housing ready’ sites to be developed under the Public Developer Model. The planned four-storey building will provide 42 homes with supports to maintain people’s health, wellbeing, and housing stability. The new homes will be private apartments with a bathroom and a kitchen. The building will also include amenities such as shared laundry, a commercial kitchen and programming spaces for residents. The City has partnered with Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre (PARC) as the community housing provider. PARC operates supportive homes in Toronto for adults experiencing mental health and substance use challenges, many with a history of homelessness. PARC and our office will continue to engage with the local Parkdale community on the development of this site. This work is possible due to intergovernmental partnership. In 2023, the project received $21.6 million through the Federal Rapid Housing Initiative. Beginning in 2025, annual operating funding of at least $1.2 million is required from the Province of Ontario for the support services planned for this building.

Traffic Calming Policy & Vision Zero Road Safety

There has been an update on the Vision Zero Road Safety Initiatives and Traffic Calming Policy. The updated Traffic Calming Policy was adopted by City Council in November 2023, and began applying to Community Council Reports starting January 2024. The warrants for Traffic Calming on a residential street are now based on the posted speed limit instead of the standard 40 km/h. This should help local streets in need of additional calming measures. As part of Vision Zero safety initiatives, the Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) camera is designed to deter speeding motorists and increase safety for vulnerable road users. In Q1 of 2025, Ward 4 will receive two additional cameras as part of the ASE program expansion; the locations are Jameson Avenue South of Laxton Avenue and Jane Street near Page Avenue.

West Parkdale Cycling Connections

In Fall 2024 the City completed installation of the West Parkdale Cycling Connection. This project addresses a previous gap in our cycling network by providing a connection between The Queensway and Brock Avenue. In addition to the installation of the bike lanes the project included one way street conversions, changes to one way street directions, changes to on street parking, new stop signs, intersection improvements and traffic calming speed humps. A new traffic light signal will be installed in 2025 at Roncesvalles Avenue and Galley Avenue. Over the next 6 to 12 months, City staff will continue to monitor traffic counts and collect feedback from the community.

Parkside Drive

Parkside Drive’s current road configuration encourages motorists to travel at high speeds. In November City Council endorsed, in principle, to advance detailed design of the road safety changes identified in the Parkside Drive Study, which includes bike lanes and intersection safety improvements. The road reconfigurations aim to improve safety for all road users and upgrade Parkside Drive to accommodate multi-modal travel options. Council also approved as part of the Parkside Drive Study City staff recommendations for the installation of speed humps on five adjacent streets to Parkside Drive which satisfy the updated Traffic Calming Policy warrants.

High Park Movement Strategy

Improvements as part of the High Park Movement Strategy (HPMS) continue to be advanced in High Park. New pick-up/drop-off spaces at key destinations on Colborne Lodge Drive between the Grenadier Cafe and Bloor Street West were added, and TTC 203 High Park Route operated seasonal service this summer with an expanded route that was run via Keele Station, providing a transfer-free accessible connection between High Park and Line 2. The High Park Movement Strategy includes the implementation of a shuttle service to help visitors get around High Park all year long. The City of Toronto has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the provision of this shuttle service, which will help visitors get around key locations within High Park. The City has also partnered with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) to undertake a road ecology study within High Park to better understand existing conditions, potential risk factors to wildlife, and possible mitigation measures.

Sunnyside Beach Shoreline Resiliency Project

The Sunnyside Beach Shoreline Resiliency Project is one of 36 locations where work is being undertaken to rehabilitate and increase resiliency along the shoreline of Lake Ontario. Periods of high lake water levels, coupled with increased frequency and severity of storms have put pressure on the existing erosion control measures in place along Lake Ontario’s shoreline and the City must deliver proactive solutions to address this. This project is carried out through the Federal government’s Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF). The mandate of this work, under this funding structure, is to address the impacts of flooding and erosion by repairing, remediating, and enhancing the resilience of Toronto's waterfront shoreline. As part of these mitigation efforts, three seat walls in different locations have been installed as a protective barrier against high lake water effects. The City installed new sand to restore the sand quality at Sunnyside Beach following completion of the Shoreline Resiliency Project.


In This Week's Newsletter

City Wide Updates 

  • Vacant Home Tax 2024 Declaration
  • New Year's Skating Parties
  • City of Toronto Consultation: Growing Space for Trees & Infill Housing
  • Planning for the Holiday Season in Toronto
  • Toronto Parking Authority Rate Change Communication

Ward 4 Updates

  • Developments
    • *New Date* Committee of Adjustment Application, 1375 Queen St W
    • Update on 2453-2469 Bloor Street West: Ontario Land Tribunal Hearing - Request for Directions
    • An Update on 2461-2475 Dundas St W - Zoning By-law Amendment and Rental Housing Demolition & Conversion

Increasing Shelter Infrastructure and Our Public Developer Capacity

Friends,

I am encouraged by the progress announced this week on the City’s Homelessness Services Capital Infrastructure Strategy (HSCIS). The City unveiled the first six shelter sites that are being developed as part of this 10-year strategy and has expanded winter services for people experiencing homelessness.

The City is currently providing emergency accommodations to approximately 12,000 people. These shelter spaces enable our unhoused neighbours to have a roof over their heads while accessing services that help them transition to permanent housing. In 2023, more than 5,900 people experiencing homelessness moved from the shelter system into permanent housing.

Although the City is providing shelter to thousands of people, hundreds of people are unable to be matched to shelter each night. The HSCIS was developed to meet the unmet demand for shelter space by building new shelters across Toronto. Between 2024 and 2033, the City plans to develop up to 20 new purpose-built shelter sites, creating a total of approximately 1,600 shelter spaces.

Each shelter will be smaller by design and serve approximately 80 people, focusing on providing safety, comfort and resources to help residents transition to stable housing. I encourage you to learn more about the City’s work to open new shelter sites on the project webpage.

I am also pleased to share that Executive Committee adopted a staff report this week on strengthening the City’s role as a Public Developer to deliver housing faster.

This report outlines steps to establish a Housing Development Office that will focus exclusively on advancing and accelerating the delivery of housing on City-led and City-supported sites. Through this new Office, the City will either lead projects directly or leverage Toronto Community Housing (TCHC) and CreateTO on a project-by-project basis, based on each organization’s unique expertise and best practices. This item will be considered by City Council next week.

I will continue to use my voice and vote on Council to support improving and increasing our shelter infrastructure and expediting the City’s delivery of housing.

Sincerely,


In This Week's Newsletter

City Wide Updates 

  • Vacant Home Tax 2024 Declaration
  • Support your community: Holiday Wish List 🎁 
  • Skate Lending Library is back this winter  
  • Illuminating holiday experiences at Toronto History Museums ✨

Ward 4 Updates

  • Junction BIA's Window Wonderland
  • Junction Residents' Association: Community Caroling Sing-a-long in the Junction!!
  • Attention Parkdale Village BIA Members: Board Members Wanted
  • Developments
    • *New Date* Committee of Adjustment Application, 1375 Queen St W

Take action

Read Our Weekly Newsletter
Sign Up for Updates
Contact our Office