Community Environment Day happening soon and other news

3459-3461 Dundas St West Community Consultation Meeting on Sept 3

The City has received a Zoning By-law Amendment application for 3459-3461 Dundas St West and resultantly City Planning has scheduled a virtual Community Consultation Meeting for the evening of September 3^rd at 6pm.

A plan has been proposed to redevelop this space into a 7-storey mixed-use building with retail on the ground floor, containing 34 residential units, 38 bike parking spaces, and 0 vehicle parking spaces. Next month's meeting, consisting of a short presentation of the proposal by the applicant, followed by a presentation from City Planning Staff, and concluding with a Q&A session, will allow you to view the proposal and share your thoughts.

Councillor Perks, City Planning staff, and the applicant will be in attendance to help answer any questions that may arise. You can register for the meeting here: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/b8ab74f0-2a70-4c78-a22f-7b3d59465cd7@f0bc8ec6-9ed8-4d0c-9189-411ad949cc65.

Further information on the project and what is being proposed can be found on the City's Application Information Centre website here: http://www.toronto.ca/3459DundasStW.

OLT Decision for Application at 2453 - 2469 Bloor Street West

In January 2024, a complete application was submitted for 2453-2469 Bloor St W which proposed a 13-storey mixed use building. The application proposed 260 square metres of ground floor retail and 91 dwelling units, with 111 bike parking spaces and 40 vehicle parking spaces.

This application was considered by City Planning staff to be unsuitable to the location. Instead, staff recommended, and City Council approved in their May 2024 session, an altered application that is 10-storeys high with similar residential unit counts and ground floor retail, with altered massing.

In response to Toronto East York Community Council and City Councils decision to approve an altered Zoning By-law Amendment Application for 2453-2469 Bloor St W, the applicant filed an appeal of this decision with the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) on May 27, 2024. There were extensive discussions between City staff and the applicant’s team to try to resolve the matter to avoid a contested hearing.  No resolution was reached.

On October 16, 2024, the applicant filed a revised proposal with the OLT to increase the height to 16 storeys. That revised proposal was rejected by Council at its December 17, 2024 meeting.

A community group, the Swansea Area Ratepayers’ Association (SARG) was a party at the hearing. They were represented by a lawyer and presented expert planning evidence. SARG’s evidence supported the City’s position, namely that 16 storeys was simply too much intensification for this site, considering the limitations associated with the site and the potential for a negative precedent to be created.

A hearing took place in March 2025 and a decision was received earlier this month: the OLT decided in favour of the applicant’s 16-storey proposal and rejected the arguments made by the City and SARG. There is no further route of appeal to this decision. This is not the outcome that Councillor Perks was hoping for, but our office will work with City Planning and the applicant to do our best with the outcome that we’ve landed on and work towards an application that works best for everyone in the neighbourhood.

More information on the original application can be found on the City’s Application Information Centre website here: https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/planning-development/application-details/?id=5309673&pid=717775.

More information on the City Staff approved building, and their reasoning for their changes to the original application, can be found in the staff report here: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-243974.pdf.

The full staff report on this item is available on-line at https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.TE12.2.

Communication from Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre on the Parkdale Parkette Temporary Closure

It is with a heavy heart that Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre (PQWCHC) must inform you of a difficult decision regarding the parkette at 1229 Queen Street West, our Parkdale site. After thorough consideration and in consultation with Toronto Parks and Recreation, the Centre has made the decision to install temporary fencing around the parkette, to restrict all access and to support remediation work on-site. This is not a decision we made lightly, as we recognize the mixed emotions this may evoke for everyone who cares about this space.  

We are saddened that we must restrict open access to this vital public space, which many of you, over 25 years ago, contributed to building. The parkette was designed to be a place of respite, community and connection for clients of the health centre and everyone in the neighbourhood of Parkdale. For years, it has served that purpose by literally being a living room for many who do not have balconies, backyards, porches or housing.

We also recognize that, for a vulnerable segment of our community, the parkette was more than a public space; it became a refuge. It was a place where our outreach teams could connect with individuals experiencing homelessness and challenges with substance use, and provide a pathway, without judgment, to connection, community and care. Many of you are aware of the systemic issues that have converged: the removal of a nearby encampment, a critical lack of shelter beds and affordable housing, the ongoing toxic drug epidemic, and post-pandemic, the shifting landscape of support services, including the recent closure of Supervised Consumption Services across the province. These factors have created safety concerns and a need for social supports that exceed the capacity of any single organization to manage effectively.

We also want to acknowledge the community members who have expressed safety concerns and distress over the past months, including those who have had experiences that affected their real and perceived sense of safety. We understand that witnessing the visible hardship caused by the profound insecurity of homelessness is deeply unsettling especially when coupled with the presence of substance use. Your concerns about the safety of the parkette and surrounding neighbourhood have been heard.

Our dedicated staff and partner organizations, in cooperation with Toronto Police Services, Parks and Recreation and other city services have worked tirelessly to foster safety and support in the neighbourhood. However, given the volume and complexity of community needs we have witnessed in recent months, and our fears about escalating tensions, we have determined that temporarily restricting access to the parkette is the only viable course of action at this time.

While access to the space will be temporarily closed, we want to assure you this closure will allow us to make meaningful improvements to the space. We have already engaged the city to remediate the wear and tear the parkette has experienced, with the goal of restoring it for future community use.  

The improvements will likely include design features to encourage pedestrian use of the concrete walkway, reseeding for grass growth and possibly installation of some additional hardscape asphalt or concrete in areas where ponding occurs.

In the wake of the parkette closure, we are immediately ramping up our efforts to:  

• Enhance outreach and collaboration with City Streets to Homes program to support community members who frequently visited the parkette with access to supportive programs and services.
• Expand programming to address food insecurity and access to healthcare. We will be expanding our breakfast program from 3 to 7 days per week and we would happily accept any donations you can make to support this program, or any volunteer support you can provide.  
• Engage in collaborative advocacy. We are continuing to advocate at all levels of government for the long-term, systemic solutions our community needs that includes increased funding for harm reduction, affordable housing and a robust healthcare response.  

We understand this fence will not solve the complex challenges we face in Parkdale. This is a temporary measure, not a systemic solution. We ask you to join our call in advocating for a future where every person has a safe place to call home and access to the health and social care they need.  

At this time, we are unable to provide a specific timeline for reopening the parkette, however our desire is to see a reopening in fall. We are actively working toward a sustainable, safe and compassionate path forward, one that prioritizes the well-being of everyone.

To make a donation for the breakfast program you can do so at pqwchc.org/donations. Also email us at [email protected] if you would like to contribute volunteer time to this program.

Should you have questions, feedback or concerns please contact us at [email protected]

Thank you for your understanding, your compassion and your commitment to building a healthier and safer community for all.  

Angela Robertson - Executive Director