Gallery 1313 at 1313 Queen Street West (entrance at the west gate) is participating in the annual Doors Open Toronto event, May 26 & 27. Gallery 1313 is housed in the building which was for Division 6 of the City of Toronto Police Force (1931-1963). They are hosting an exhibition celebrating Parkdale architecture by artists in their Process Gallery (May 23 to June 4), reception May 24th, 8 p.m. Guides will also share the building’s history and significance.

For more information about this and other events that are part of  Doors Open Toronto click HERE.

Come out for a Town Hall meeting on Cannabis Legalization with special guest Bill Blair, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministers of Justice and Health, for a discussion on the legalization of cannabis in Canada.

Please register HERE, as space is limited.

(dis)Placed in Parkdale: Gentrification & Community
Saturday, May 5th

12:00 PM to 2:00 PM: Jane’s Walk – Meet at Parkdale Project Read (1209 King St. W.) Join the Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust in learning how to preserve, protect and build a just, healthy and inclusive neighbourhood. See Parkdale through the eyes of divers residents and organizations in pursuit of equitable development. Speakers will share stories of building participatory strategies in response to pressures of displacement. Glimpse the future of a site of conflict and of community empowerment through Augmented Reality technology present by the Canadian Film Centre.

12:00 PM to 2:30 PM: Break and Gallery Tour – Parkdale Library (1303 Queen St. W.)

2:30 PM to 5:00 PM: Public Panel Discussion – Democratizing the Economy in Toronto  – with Mercedes Sharpe Zayas (Parkdale People’s Economy; Cutty Duncan (formerly Social Planning Toronto); Wayne Chu (City of Toronto); Katharine Ranking (University of Toronto). Parkdale Library (1303 Queen St. W.)

Light refreshments, childcare and Tibetan translation provided during the public panel.

In 2013, Toronto City Council passed the Queen West Restaurant Bylaw that limited the concentration of bars and restaurants on Queen Street between Dufferin Street and Roncesvalles Avenue. It also put some fairly standard restrictions on the size and operation of these venues.

The bylaw came from five years of work in our community to find a balance between different interests in Queen Street West’s future.

The purpose was to alleviate some of the issues created by restaurants that morph into late night drinking establishments. Some of the issues experienced by your neighbours include: excessive noise, public drunkenness, physical assaults, crowded sidewalks, garbage, traffic, and parking issues.

Additionally, one of the intentions of the Queen West Restaurant By-law was also to alleviate concerns that restaurants / bars were pushing out other types of commercial uses which support the daily lives of the people living in the surrounding residential neighbourhood (i.e. services, grocery stores, pharmacies etc.). [Daytime culture vs Nighttime culture]

A three year review was written in to the bylaw.

City staff have completed their review of the Queen West Restaurant Bylaw. It will be deliberated at Toronto and East York Community Council Agenda on May 2^nd.

http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2018.TE32.12

The review has determined that the By-laws generally met their intended objectives of limiting the number of eating establishments and helped mitigate some of the land use conflicts between this use and the surrounding residential neighbourhood.

It recommends amending the bylaw to delete the performance standard restricting the maximum permitted concentration of eating establishments to no more than 25% of the properties along Queen Street West between Dufferin Street and Roncesvalles Avenue.

The other performance standards of the By-laws, including maximum restaurant gross floor area of 200 square metres, restricting the use to the ground floor, limitations on accessory uses and prohibiting restaurant patios from locating  in the rear yard or on the rooftop, would remain.

Gord Perks our Councilor is satisfied with the recommendations however, he would ask that you review the report and share your comments prior to Toronto East York Community Council on May 2^nd. He also welcomes you to participate in the TEYCC meeting on May 2^nd. The item will be heard on or soon after 11:00 AM in Committee Room #1, 2nd floor, Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen St West. Information on participation is available on-line at https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/tmmis/have-your-say.htm .