Beginning February 12, 2021, work crews will begin advanced preparation work on The Queensway and KQQR intersection, ahead of the closure of the KQQR intersection scheduled for March 31, 2021.

The City of Toronto and TTC have coordinated various infrastructure upgrades in the area of King Street West, Queen Street West, The Queensway and Roncesvalles Avenue (KQQR). This includes the intersection at KQQR and roadway on The Queensway from Parkside Drive to Roncesvalles Avenue, as well as Roncesvalles Avenue from Queen Street West to Dundas Street West and rehabilitation of the Parkside Drive bridge.

Masaryk Cowan will be extending it’s operational hours to support the Parkdale community especially during the colder months. New hours will be effective until March 31, 2021.

Hours of operation are as follows: Monday- Friday 9am-9pm Saturday 9am-5pm Sunday 9am-6pm.

The West End Winter Market start tomorrow and will be hosted on private property at 23 Noble St. (rear of Club OV’s), following all social distancing regulations. The event was reviewed by the City’s special event division in taking all COVID-19 precautions; so all you’ll have to worry about is dressing warm and reserving a spot.

The Maze
Travel through their Christmas tree maze and experience all of your sharable moments and activities, all designed to stoke the flames of your holiday spirit.

Come Hungry
Book a reservation at their socially distanced food-court and safely dine from a selection of Toronto’s finest vendors of the sweet and savoury. From hot chocolate for the kids to mulled wine for the adults, there’s something for everyone.

Put your marshmallow roasting skills to the test with their s’mores fire and enjoy the sights and smells of a Christmas forest.

Click HERE for more information and to make a reservation.

Exhibition Place is probably the safest location in the city for people to use. The wide boulevards, expansive parking lots and green spaces make it the ideal location for citizens to exercise, walk and ride.

Exhibition Place is at the southern doorstep of Parkdale. Over the last number of years, the Parkdale Residents Association along with 11 other area Resident/Community Associations (www.westsidecc.ca) has been pushing the City of Toronto, local Councillors and Exhibition Place to consider area residents in its on-going and future plans.

Finally, in spite of, or because of, the pandemic, opportunities are opening for improved safe and comfortable access to the Exhibition grounds:

•  A series of self-guided walks on the grounds of Ex Place.
•  A snow management plan for this winter which will include enhanced maintenance of pathways.
•  Opening the washrooms at the Horse Palace Building from 8 AM to 5 PM, 7 days a week with regular cleaning and open to the public.

Please take advantage of this great outdoor space and we’ll try to keep you posted of any changes that might occur.

The Parkdale Theatre at 1605 Queen Street West, on the southwest corner of Queen and Triller Avenue, is getting a new lease on life.

Read about it here: https://www.blogto.com/city/2020/10/parkdale-hall-toronto-event-venue/

We now have an overabundance of development proposals happening along Queen St. W. in Parkdale. All but two are exceeding the 20m-height limit (6-storeys) of the proposed OPA #445 that was recommended at TEYCC in March of this year.

Seven years have been spent working on a West Queen West Area Study and Heritage Conservation Districts studies by two local BIAs, seven local Community Associations, property owners, retailers and hundreds of area residents – not to mention all the City staff and Councillors time. When is the Official Plan Amendment (OPA) #445 going to be approved? https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/8fe2-CityPlanning-DRAFT_WQW_SASP_for_2019-10-17_CCM1.pdf

The whole idea back in 2014 of an Area Study (& HCDs) was to get all the work required done ahead of the developments along Queen St. W. that had stalled at Dufferin Street.

It is time to stop tinkering and being sidetracked. Unfinished work serves no one.

The following development plans have started since the HCD’s were drafted and are now awaiting City Council approval. These developers are aware of all this public effort and are discounting it. You can click on this link and type in the address to review each application in detail – http://app.toronto.ca/AIC/index.do.

1. 1266 Queen St. W. & Noble – additional 2-storeys on top of existing 2-storeys [in Parkdale HCD]
2. 1296-1314 Queen St. W. – the Parkdale Hotel north of Rhino Tavern (7-storeys + townhouses on Noble) [in Parkdale HCD]
3. 1360 Queen St. W. & Brock – commercial + 117 resident units (9-storeys) [in Parkdale HCD]
4. 1375 Queen St W. & Close – On a vacant lot, commercial + 46 residential units, no parking (8-storeys) [in Parkdale HCD]
5. 1437 Queen St W. – demolition requested – interesting house just south-west of Lansdowne [not in Parkdale HCD]
6. 1488 Queen St. W. & Macdonell – currently Guardian Drugs, commercial + 29 residential units, 3 parking spaces (6-storeys) [in Parkdale HCD]
7. 1521 Queen St W. & Callender – currently Queen Hotel, commercial + 78 residential units, no parking (8-storeys) [not in Parkdale HCD.

Ask your City Councillor Gord Perks to PASS these HCDs and SSAPs ASAP (@GordPerks or councillor_perks@toronto.ca).