Amber alert issued this morning has been cancelled. Police say that a 4-year-old child has been found safe in the running car which was stolen from the driveway of her home on Romanway Crescent near Jane Street and Lawrence Avenue at around 6 a.m. The vehicle was “in the Division” which is 12 Division.
The Ontario Municipal Board is feeling the heat over the tower it approved next door to John Fisher School. A post Thursday night to City News by staff quotes James McKenzie of the OMB as saying the City was a party to the deal. “In this case the board facilitated (mediation) and when the parties were successful at doing that, they came before the board in a hearing and the board approved exactly what the parties had asked them to.
IF YOU DON’T NEGOTIATE, YOU LOSE BIG TIME
The problem with this story is that if the City fails to participate, or merely opposes development, it is a lot like an accused person failing to appear in court. He loses big time. Call it an OMB “unconscious bias.” In fact, this jeopardy is well understood by everyone. It has been expressed many times by Councillors including Jon Burnside (Ward 26). A recent local case is Sunnybrook Plaza at 660 Eglinton East. The parties, property owners and the City, negotiated because there was a compelling fear that if they didn’t, the outcome would be worse than it was. There is not a lot of confidence that determined opposition by the City will cause the OMB to turn down an application. This ever-present threat is part of what many dislike about the OMB.
The Ontario Finance Minister has dropped a bit of a warning that the government is still thinking about bringing in a foreign buyers’ tax. A similar tax in BC has thrown cold water on the Vancouver market and many think the raging demand in Toronto has increased because of it. The critical words to weigh from Finance Minister Charles Sousa, as quoted by Canadian Press are these: “A year ago I was thinking, ‘Let market forces prevail,”‘ Sousa said. “But now I’m concerned about…the ability of people to enter the marketplace. (There are) bidding wars everywhere you go, it appears, and I’m sensitive to that. I’m sensitive to the degree of fast appreciation in the short-term and what will that do over the long-term.” Sousa said he is considering a number of options for next steps, and “a foreign tax is just one.”
Sunrsie Recrods has revealed the location of 29 new stores across Canada but so far there are none in Toronto. The company plans to release more locations soon however. Sunrise is comitted to assuming 70 of the locations recently vacated by HMV when it went bankrupt. BNN
Here’s a copy of the presentation shown at Leaside station Open House that was held on March 7, 2017.
Kids at John Fisher PS protest 35 storey bldg planned next to their school. pic.twitter.com/DRyPSgJDKJ
— Linda Ward (@LindaWardCBC) March 9, 2017
These are images of a demonstration at John Fisher School on Erskine Ave against a 35-floor apartment tower already approved by the OMB. Earlier Thursday
GO train service is detouring around Etobicoke station following the derailment of ten boxcars adjoining the station. It is expected to take the rest of the day to clear facilities for trains to return. The derailment took place on the CN tracks adjacent to GO’s Etobicoke North station before the start of Thursday service.
The Leaside Community Blood Donor Clinic takes place on Wednesday, April 5 from 2 to 7 p.m. at Northlea Public School, 305 Rumsey Rd. This is the time to make your visit efficient by calling to book an appointment. 1-888-2 DONATE: 1-888-236-6283 or visit www.blood.ca.
HAZARD:
Don Mills Rd + Wynford Dr
-Man dancing in roadway
-Between cars
-Dangerous spot
#426631
^dh— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) March 9, 2017
A disabled 94-year-old woman who lives on the 12th floor of an apartment building on Eglinton Ave. west of Bayview Ave wants help with alternate accommodation from the management of the building while they fix the elevators. But Mary Taylor has been told by Colonia Treuhand Group (CTL Limited) that her request is a “cash grab”. Now she says she will go before an Ontario Human Rights Tribunal seeking help. CBC
This 94-year-old says elevator repairs would be like 'house arrest' in her building https://t.co/jsqlyc3HLc pic.twitter.com/60rnAbFd8f
— CBC Toronto (@CBCToronto) March 9, 2017
Public anger appears to be growing over the approval given to build a 35-storey tower next to John Fisher Public School on Erskine Ave. near Yonge Street. Parents are rallying Thursday at the school to protest the planned high-rise apartment. Taylor Roberts, a father of one of the students at the public school, told CP24 that the Toronto District School Board has made it “clear” that the land cannot accommodate “the activities that will happen with the condo.” “This is going to be a 35-storey building directly next to their kindergarten’s playground. When they come to clean the windows twice a year, do we have to close our school?… Things can fall off of a balcony right on to a child in the playground,” he said. Mayor Tory is scheduled to attend the protest.
One of OMB's 'guiding principles' is to 'Protect long-term public interests' – how is that the case for Erskine development #SaveJohnFisher
— Parents 4 JohnFisher (@SaveJohnFisher) March 9, 2017
The second of two public meetings convened by the Leaside Property Owners Association to deal with traffic was held Wednesday in the William Lea Room at Leaside Arena. This meeting addressed traffic in south Leaside (south of Eglinton). The meeting heard from Gene Chartier, with the consulting firm of Paradigm Transportation Solutions, who reviewed traffic calming concepts similar to those discussed in previous meetings. These include signage, raised crosswalks, laddered (or painted stripes) crosswalks, traffic cushions (temporary road dividers) and speed bumps. The head of the South Leaside Traffic Committee., Erica Cooke, was unable to attend Some of her concerns, and the committee’s, are contained in the stories linked here. “Gateway to Leaside” seen as one way to calm traffic Study asks changes in lights at Laird and McRae/Wicksteed North Leaside Traffic discussed Wednesday evening
