All posts by Ric Amis

Roncesvalles Polish Festival – Sept. 17-18

It’s been a long 2 years since we were able to gather together to celebrate the Roncesvalles Polish Festival and the unique heritage of this neighbourhood.

Building on the long history of the Polish Festival, that will include fan favourites, like Polka and pierogis, together with a renewed focus to celebrate a broader range of local artists, musicians and, of course, food.

Well-known as one of Toronto’s most vibrant, unique, and creative communities, attendees will find a fantastic variety of global cuisines from local eateries, as well as performances by talented local artists and musicians, including Indigenous programming and family-friendly activities.

Whether it’s your 1st or your 15th, welcome to Roncesvalles Polish Festival!

Development Application – 2 Melbourne Ave. & 340-376R Dufferin St.

Hallmark Sun Life has submitted a development application for 340-376R Dufferin St. and 2 Melbourne Ave. Their proposal plans for 4 towers ranging in height from two mid-rise buildings (6 and 11-storeys) and two tall buildings (21 and 25 storeys) above a series of linked base buildings that are configured around a courtyard and privately-owned publicly-accessible open space (POPS).

Here is a link to the Application Materials for this development. We suggest that you start with the “Planning Rationale document to give you a bit of history and rationale for what is being proposed.

We would like to bring to your attention that looking to the West the development is moving into a well-established historically mature neighbourhood of low-rise housing – Parkdale. To the East of the development are historically industrial lands following the rail tracks. Lands along the rail line have traditionally been zoned industrial and rezoned to mixed-use (i.e. commercial on the ground floor and residential above). The tall towers in this proposal look to the East for reference and validation and tend to skew the conversation. Community benefits need to be more fully discussed.

Parkdale Queen Night Market – Aug. 27th

PARKDALE’s first community night market! Along the sidewalk stretch from Roncesvalles Ave. to Triller Ave. – including the outdoor lot at 1668 Queen Street West from 2:00 PM to 11:00 PMFREE ADMISSION

Parkdale Queen Night Market is the first community night market. An event to highlight and celebrate the diversity and inclusivity of the Parkdale neighbourhood and local businesses.

Enjoy the night with PARKDALE’s finest food, arts and live music. Over 100 + Parkdale local businesses to support, live music, food, drinks, fire dance show, free photobooth, free face paint, live print screen, food demo, and other table games activities. Event program here: https://www.blogto.com/events/parkdale-queen-night-market-toronto/

Community Meeting: Centennial Park Re-Design (Ex Place) – Aug. 10

Exhibition Place has scheduled a Community Meeting to discuss the Centennial Park re-design.

Date: Wednesday, August 10th, 2022
Time: 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
To join the meeting via your computer, use the link below.
Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 459 831 2282
Passcode: 32929
Dial in number: 647-558-0588
Please keep your microphone muted during the meeting until the floor is opened for questions.    

Meeting Program:  
Welcome and introductions – Kevin Seow – Chief People and Strategy Officer – Exhibition Place Centennial
Square Design Presentation –  Presented by Paul Marsala and Shadi Gilani from Studio Tla.
Community Consultation/ Feedback – Facilitated by Kelvin Seow Exhibition Place

KQQR (King, Queen, Queensway, Roncesvalles) Intersection UPDATE

Stage 2 work is expected to be completed on September 3, 2022. Upon completion, all travel lanes on The Queensway (Parkside Drive to Roncesvalles Avenue) will be restored, and King Street West will also re-open at the KQQR intersection and northbound access to Sunnyside Avenue from The Queensway will be reinstated. The 501/301 Queen streetcar will also resume regular service via Queen Street West and The Queensway.

The final stage of construction is expected to start on September 4, 2022. This stage will require a full road closure of Roncesvalles Avenue from Queen Street West to Harvard Avenue. The planned TTC platform work from Harvard Avenue to Dundas Street West will require short-term lane closures and parking disruptions.

The City invites you to attend a virtual Public Information Event to learn more about the construction/improvements completed to date and what to expect during the final stage of construction work. This will be taking place Thursday, July 28th at 6:30 PM.

To register for the event, please see the following link:
https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/get-involved/public-consultations/infrastructure-projects/king-queen-queensway-roncesvalles-construction/news-construction-kqqr-construction/

Development Proposal for Dufferin & 2-24 Temple – June. 29

Toronto East York Community Council (TEYCC) will discuss a development proposal at 2-24 Temple Ave. and Dufferin. A report recommends that the City Solicitor, with the appropriate City staff, attend the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) hearing to oppose the application in its current form and to continue discussions with the applicant to resolve outstanding issues. The OLT has scheduled a hearing for September 26, 2022. We kindly ask that you join to share your thoughts and comments at this TEYCC meeting – Zoning By-law Amendment Application – Request for Direction Report.

Proposed Zoning By-law Amendment to allow a 16-storey residential building with 275 residential (condo) units, including rental replacement units at 2-24 Temple Ave. The proposal will require the demolition of 9 existing houses.

Date: Wednesday, June 29, 2022
Time: 11:00 am or as soon as possible thereafter
Place: Register to Comment or Speak (2-24 Temple Ave) > http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2022.TE34.55.

Community Consultation 1354-1360 Queen St. W. – June 6

KingSett Captial REIT plans a new 9-storey mixed-use building, including 117 new residential units, with retail/commercial at grade at 1354-1360 Queen St W was submitted to the City in 2020 and then appealed at the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) formerly Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT).

The property is currently occupied by five buildings along Queen Street West and Brock Avenue. There are four two-storey retail and a three-storey mixed-use building along Queen Street West and Brock Avenue and one two-storey semi-detached building on Brock Avenue – 1358-1360 and 1354-1356 Queen Street West and 8-10, 12 and 14 Brock Avenue

City Council has directed the City Solicitor, together with City Planning staff, and other appropriate City staff, to attend the OLT in opposition to the proposed development. https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-167578.pdf  

Further, the applicant has made a settlement offer to resolve the Appeal.   A Request of Directions Report to City Council will be prepared for the July 2022 City Council meeting with recommendations on the city’s response to the settlement offer. Prior to that report coming to City Council, Councillor Perks is holding a Virtual Community meeting to review the Settlement offer with the community.

Over seven years of Community meetings, Planning, Heritage and City Councillors’ involvement went into updating the current 14m (3-storey) height limit along Queen West to 20m (6-storeys). This developer is discounting all this public work. This property also sits to the North of Parkdale Village Town Square and the proposed Parkdale Hub project (at Queen & Cowan – Public Library, Community Centre, 1313 Queen, Green P parking).

Join a City Virtual Community Consultation Meeting to have an opportunity to review the original application against the settlement offer. City Planning and Heritage staff will be in attendance.

Date: Monday, June 6, 2022
Time: 6:30 pm to 8:00 PM
Place: Register for Webex event > http://www.toronto.ca/cpconsultations.

Community Meeting 340-376R Dufferin St. & 2 Melbourne Ave. – June 7

You are invited to attend a virtual community meeting to review Hullmark’s preliminary thoughts for a mixed-use development at the northwest corner of Dufferin Street and Melbourne Avenue (340-376R Dufferin Street and 2 Melbourne Avenue, collectively known as the ‘Radiator Complex’).

Hullmark will introduce a range of new uses and amenities to the site, including a new publicly accessible courtyard, community garden, and maker spaces. They look forward to hearing your thoughts about the long-term plans for the future of this site – https://www.hullmark.ca/radiator-leasing

Pre-application Community Consultation Meeting – Tuesday, June 7th, 2022 at 6:30 PM (Virtual Meeting – Register here – bit.ly/340dufferin)