City Natural Garden Review

Announcement, Local Interest

The Grass and Weeds Bylaw requires that grass and weeds on private property be maintained so that growth does not exceed 20 cm (8 inches) in height. However, property owners or occupants can apply for a permit to be exempted from this requirement if they have a natural garden. Natural gardens provide environmental benefits, including the creation of natural habitats for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.

Staff are considering removing the requirement for natural garden exemption permits. This means that residents can have a natural garden without applying for an exemption. Natural gardens will still need to meet maintenance requirements to ensure health and safety of Toronto’s neighbourhoods.

Residents can provide feedback on this proposal by emailing MLSFeedback@toronto.ca. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, March 31 at 11:59 pm. More information is available at toronto.ca/NaturalGarden

Add a Laneway Apartment When You Don’t Have a Laneway?

Announcement

The City Planning Division has been working on a range of initiatives to extend our housing supply through the Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods (EHON) work program. This plan expands upon recent work that’s supported laneway suites. This program is quite relevant to Parkdale with its many laneways and deep lots.

A new report has been published which can be found HERE. In it, the City looks at options for laneway type units (known as Garden Suites) for homes that aren’t on laneways.

According to the report, City Planning will consult with interested stakeholders on potential permissions for Garden Suites in the City of Toronto during the first quarter of 2021 and then report to Planning and Housing Committee with recommendations by the end of June 2021 on findings and next steps.

Winterways

Announcement

Winterways will create high-quality public space to help build resilient communities in ALL seasons.

COVID-19 has disrupted Toronto’s communities and pushed life almost completely outdoors. Public spaces were the settings for our summer celebrations, casual catch-ups, culture, performances, and dining — but Toronto is a four season city, and our public spaces are not designed for winter.

With indoor spaces off-limits for public health reasons, we need to adapt our outdoor public spaces to support resilient communities and healthy public life year-round.

Winterways is an urban adaptation project that will work in 3 communities to transform 3 laneways into welcoming winter spaces that facilitate outdoor public life in the cold months: creating a high quality of everyday community life throughout the year, and giving Torontonians more broadly an additional incentive to get out and explore our unique neighbourhoods.

The project will kick off in March 2021 with a review with the three communities of their most acute winter public space challenges, and will be implemented in Fall 2021 to create winter-friendly places that build all-season community resilience in Winter 2021-22 and beyond.

Infrastructure Improvements at the Intersection of King West, Queen West, The Queensway and Roncesvalles

Announcement, Community, Local Interest

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.

Happy New Year Parkdalians!

Community, Local Interest

In this time of Covid, we encourage you to give back to the community in any way that you can – whether it is donating non-perishable goods, volunteering in the community, or doing a good deed.

Here are just three suggestions of local groups doing good things: Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust, Parkdale Project Reads and Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre.

The Executive from your Parkdale Residents Association wishes you and your loved ones a safe and happy New Year.

If you are passionate about your community – JOIN the PRA Executive. Here are some of the things the PRA is currently involved in: Parkdale Hub Project, West Queen West Area Study (Bathurst to Roncy), Parkdale Heritage District Study, Exhibition Place Master Plan, Ontario Place, greening Parkdale, affordable housing.

Very best wishes to ALL Parkdalians!!

Ontario Place SAVED!

Announcement, Community

Ontario Place for All (OP4All) wants to thank all its members and supporters for the important victory they won yesterday – the Ontario government’s announcement that there is not going to be any wholesale destruction of Ontario Place.

Thousands of you joined OP4All in demanding the government preserve Ontario Place’s unique heritage landscape, including the Cinesphere, the Pods, Trillium Park and the William G. Davis Trail.

The Ontario government needs to recognize that Ontario Place is an essential public space and that there needs to be meaningful public engagement in determining its future. Read more HERE.

The Parkdale Residents Association is proud to be a member supporter of OP4All.

Greenest City is busy this Winter

Uncategorized

Growing the Future is a weekly cooking class for kids. Traditionally, they’ve done the class in person in their community kitchen at 201 Cowan Ave – of course, they can’t do in-person classes at the moment, or for the foreseeable future – so they’re moving online.

If you would like to know more about the classes or sign up for one of the four sessions, CLICK HERE!

Soup & Stories is a program dedicated to featuring the creative culinary creation of local community member guest chefs and sharing their talents and delicious soups with folks who are craving soup and missing neighbourhood dinner with friends.

Every two weeks, they’ll have a different Guest Chef making a huge batch of soup. They’ll send out an Eventbrite like THIS ONE where you can signup for a FREE soup and get the link for a Zoom meeting the following day.

How to Start a Community Garden – come learn about the process of starting a community garden and how to get involved.

Join in for a workshop they are co-presenting with FoodShare Toronto about how to start a community garden. There are a few different approaches that a community can take to start a garden, learn about them here and get scheming for spring 2021! RSVP to ayesha@greenestcity.ca

West End Winter Market at 23 Noble St.

Announcement, Community, Local Interest

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.