The South Bayview Bulldog

Ward 26 Councillor-elect Jon Burnside was the featured speaker at the Leaside Property Owners Association annual meeting Tuesday evening (November 25, 2014) in the William Lea Room. Mr. Burnside spoke candidly to perhaps 250 members telling them safer and less congested streets will require solutions that many people will not like. He said this was true whatever mechanism– “one-way streets or do-not-enter signs” — might finally be recommended in the forthcoming planned traffic study. He said the prospect of motorists behaving better was connected solely to the likelihood of their apprehension. He agreed with a questioner who asked if this meant things like red-light cameras. The former policeman said he strongly  favoured “technology-based” methods of improving driving habits. Mr. Burnside made it clear that he is strongly in favor of the construction of the Redway Road extension. He talked of the need for him to form alliances with councillors from Wards 27 and 29 for this purpose. He said he had met with mayor-elect Tory and Redway Road “was top of mind in our meeting.” The new councillor, who will be sworn in next Tuesday, December 2, 2014, also made it clear he leans toward approval of a Costco store on Overlea Boulevard.  He conceded that the project is “vexing” and acknowledged the traffic issue. Minutes earlier, he had heard members of the LPOA executive recount their concerns in this regard. Nonetheless, said Burnside, the poverty levels in Thorncliffe Park and the universal view — right or wrong — that Coscto would be good for the community could not be ignored. He said he had been asked by Thorncliffe Park residents what would happen if they opposed a project that Leasiders wanted. The rhetorical question was not lost on the meeting. Perhaps some even reflected on the affluence that abounds in Leaside — including multiple cars in the driveway — compared to apartment dwellers who have none. In the end, said Burnside, “Leaside is only one-quarter of the ward.”  The new councillor faced questions from residents who were clearly aggrieved by events in which it seemed to them that developers and their money (plus city staff in some cases) conspired to defeat ratepayers. This matter arose from a commitment Burnside made to create working groups which included developers. Former Councillor Jane Pitfield rose to urge Burnside to avoid having developers present in the early going. Burnside seemed to politely demur, saying  that in order to keep developers from going to the OMB it was necessary to negotiate as you go.  In closing, Burnside made a point of recognizing former opposing candidate Dave Sparrow, who was present as a property owner with his wife Lisa. The LPOA business meeting recognized the remarkable work of Brian Cattel in spearheading the “Slow Down” lawn sign campaign. Mr. Cattel’s remarks will be the subject of a separate post in The South Bayview Bulldog in coming hours. Regular business saw reading of the minutes, the treasurer’s report and a review by Carol Burtin-Fripp of the association’s  activities in the past year. She told The Bulldog that the $50,000 traffic study will be done by Michael Tedesco but that work has not yet begun in earnest.