Wednesday April 3, 2019
We had a good Annual General Meeting last night! Good turnout, good presentations and lots of interest.
The Directors and Officers for 2019 are:
Jim Sadler (President)
Bob Williams (Vice-President)
Sheila Dunlop (Secretary)
Gary Langdon (Treasurer)
SAHRA Report for 2018
Jim Sadler gave a shortened version of the ‘SAHRA Report for 2018’ to outline the challenges addressed by the Board in 2018.
Councillor Michael Colle
Councillor Colle spoke to us on Work In Progress and Important Issues since his start as our Councillor in Dec, 2018. He spoke about the following local issues that are of interest to SAHRA Members:
- 250 Lawrence Avenue West development
- 1700 Avenue Road condominiums
- 20 Sandringham lot severance
- Roe Bus Loop
- Armour Heights Public School safety
- Intersection at Harley and Joicey
He also spoke about issues that are of interest to all Toronto residents:
- Save the Ravines
- Another Plan for Transit Expansion
Our thanks to Councillor Colle for sharing information on these issues with our Members and participating in the open discussion period.
The Councillor’s also distributed his April Newsletter . It provides information on many of these issues as well as details on other Ward 8 and Toronto-wide issues and events.
Crime Prevention
Police officers from the Community Response Team spoke to us on crime issues in our community; SAHRA reported on their involvement with the Community Police Liaison Committee; we discussed how to report crimes or suspicious behaviour; and we talked about prevention techniques.
The Upper Avenue Community Association (west of Avenue Road) and SAHRA (east of Avenue) Road have organized a joint session about crime in our area. The Police will be presenting on preventative measures you can take to protect your home and family. Please join us at this session.
COMMUNITY SAFETY NIGHT
Wednesday, May 1, 2019 7:30 – 9:00 pm
125 Chatsworth Drive (High School Auditorium)
Cycling Updates
Tom Worrall of Cycle Toronto provided updates on four important cycling projects in Ward 8.
- Reconstruction of the Avenue Road Bridge over the 401
About two years ago a local resident noted that a cycle path had not been included in the design despite it being part of the Official 10 year Cycling Plan. After intense lobbying ,with the help of our then Councillor Carmichael Greb and with the support of then MPP Mike Colle, the Ministry of Transportation confirmed that the new bridge, due to be completed at the end of this year, will include enhanced pedestrian sidewalks and cycle tracks, hopefully protected from cars. Connections over the 401, whether it’s Dufferin, Bathurst, Yonge or Bayview, discourage anyone walking or riding a bike and effectively cuts off communities from each other. We are hopeful the Avenue Rd. bridge will provide a blueprint for making other 401 crossings safe.
- Transform Yonge between Sheppard and Finch
This project envisions reducing the current 6 lanes of traffic to 4 and creating a welcoming and safer public space for residents of, and visitors to, North York. If approved by City Council, the project will widen the sidewalks to create patio space, add a bike lane, centre median and generally enhance the community experience on this main street. This Complete Street concept has met with success in many cities by recognizing that their downtown core should be a destination for people to gather, shop and generally enjoy rather than just being a thoroughfare.
- Eglinton Crosstown
This light rail transit line on Eglinton Avenue will span 25 kilometres from Black Creek to Kennedy. This is the single largest infrastructure project in Canada and will transform the entire centre of Toronto. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make Eglinton a safe, complete street for all users – pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, and motorists of all ages and abilities. We are closely monitoring progress and look forward to the complete re-design of Eglinton scheduled for 2021.
- Midtown In-Focus Multi Corridor Transportation Assessment
The Yonge/Eglinton area is one of the fastest growing neighbourhoods in Toronto. City Planners are identifying priority projects to safely move people in and through Midtown. The assessment is also exploring enhanced connections to destinations beyond Midtown and the necessary shifts to ‘active and sustainable travel modes’. With the incredible demand on infrastructure, it will be critical to get this right. Cycle Toronto has submitted concepts and ideas and will continue to advocate and attend stakeholder meetings.
Thank You to Our Volunteers
Each year we thank the volunteers who provide support to our ongoing activities by dedicating their time or knowledge.
During the past year Anne Bauraind, Mary DiNunno, Judy Ballard, Wendy Johnson and Heather Crawford have supported our activities. This also includes our spouses – Roby Sadler and Eileen Su who have contributed time over the year. Finally, although Ron Johnson retired from the Board last year, he continues to be a regular contributor to our efforts.
In 2019, there are numerous ways you can help:
- Get involved with community safety.
- Act as a street advocate/communicator.
- Have a creative streak? We’re looking for ideas to refresh our logo.
- Share your neighbourhood pictures to brighten our website.
- Involved with other community events? Let us know and we’ll add it to our calendar.
We are all volunteers trying to build a better community and we welcome contributions from those who share that ideal.