Councillor Perruzza's Motion regarding Imperial Oil Pipeline

Imperial Oil is looking to replace an existing pipeline spanning from North York to Hamilton. This line crosses the Downsview community by running underneath the Hydro corridor. Local City Councillor Anthony Perruzza presented a motion at City Council on May 14, regarding the replacement of the line in order to ensure that there is greater transparency and accountability in the process. This route carries refined oil product between Imperial Oil's Waterdown Pump Station in Hamilton and the Finch Terminal near Keele and Finch.

Councillor Perruzza brought this construction project to City Council’s attention in order to provide our local government with an opportunity to become more involved in the proceedings. The project has been under the radar so far, but the City can further contribute to the project by demanding better safety measures and by holding all parties accountable. By becoming more informed, Councillors can spread awareness and advise their constituents on the impact of the project as it unfolds.

If the Ontario Energy Board [OEB] accepts the City's application, then the City will have the right to participate as an intervenor. While construction projects of this nature have tight timeframes, City Staff want to be able to take the necessary steps to speak with experts in the field and seek legal counsel in order to assess the potential risks associated with the replacement of this pipeline. The environmental impact and by extension, the impact on residents needs to be properly addressed and mitigated.

While there is a public consultation set to happen in July, the information for that meeting has not been widely circulated.

City Council approved the motion at its meeting on May 15, meaning that Councillors as a whole want to participate and monitor the situation responsibly.

Please visit City Council's website for more details about Councillor Perruzza's motion: http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2019.MM7.17

Improvements coming to Ward 10 this summer

There is a common refrain that there are two seasons in Toronto – winter and construction. We are in store for a busy construction season in Ward 10 and while there may be some inconveniences, the work across Ward 10 and the city in general will bring enormous improvements and benefits to our neighbourhoods. Recreation is a vital part of any liveable city. And, it is with much excitement that we are now only weeks away from the re-opening of the Earl Bales Community Centre. Work has been happening over the past several months to add a new gym, new change rooms, a public lounge area and other improvements to the existing facility. This $4.5 million project is expected to be completed in late June to early July. Torontonians love their parks but great parks need regular improvements and investments. Construction of new playgrounds at Garthdale Park and Champlain Park will be starting shortly and we expect work on Phase II in Irving Chapley Park to be under way by the end of the summer. We just received word of another exciting addition that will be coming to Earl Bales Park. An announcement will be made shortly – keep an eye on www.JamesPasternak.ca for further details. After the major rain storms of 2013 and 2014, I promised that the City of Toronto would make the necessary investments to help prevent basement flooding. This is essential to protect the value in homes and keep our neighbourhoods healthy. This year $22.3 million of basement flooding protection work is scheduled to begin in Ward 10. In total, $178 million of improvements are planned for Ward 10 over the coming years.The City of Toronto is continuing to improve roads in our neighbourhood including repaving Finch Avenue West between Bathurst and Dufferin as well as along Wilson Heights Boulevard. Just outside Ward 10, The Ontario Ministry of Transportation is completely rebuilding the aging Avenue Road- Highway 401. This is a major project that will likely go into 2019.Toronto is a great place to live, work and raise a family. But to keep it that way we must make major investments in infrastructure. It will be messy and noisy and the traffic will be slower, but these investments will provide a great return for the good people of North York and Downsview.  We thank you for your patience during the work and as always, I am available to speak at 416-392-1371 if you have any questions or concerns. You can also keep up with our progress and check back for regular updates at www.JamesPasternak.ca. 

Expanding the Use of Allen Rd and Dufferin St: Converting Diamond Lanes to HOV Lanes

Over the past ten years, if you've driven north or south on Allen Road and Dufferin Street between Sheppard Avenue and just north of Finch Avenue, you will notice shoulder lanes that are almost always empty and yet motorists cannot use them. These are "diamond lanes” reserved for transit buses all day and all night, 7 days a week. The lanes have long been a source of great frustration for residents in our community. Since my arrival in Toronto City Council, I have been working to loosen the restrictions on these lanes. Over the years, I was repeatedly told by City staff that once the subway extension to Vaughan was complete, these lanes would be converted back to regular traffic lanes, open to all.  Recently, we made some great progress. At the City of Toronto's Public Works and Infrastructure Committee meeting on February 27th, I worked with Councillor Anthony Perruzza to have the committee pass a motion that will convert the diamond lanes on Allen Road and Dufferin Street to High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes for vehicles containing a minimum of two people. In addition to busses, the lanes can now be used by cyclists, motorcyclists and taxis. The item will now go to City Council on March 26th for approval. We are also seeing the other positive impacts of the new subway extension on our local streets. With more residents north of Toronto taking the subway downtown to work, there are less cars cutting through our neighbourhoods. With new commuter parking lots along the north part of the subway extension, dozens of parking spaces at the Wilson and Sheppard West subway station lots have opened up. The opening of the new subway proves that investing in transit provides dividends for both transit riders and motorists. Keep up with our progress and check back for regular updates at www.JamesPasternak.ca.  

Councillor Pasternak joined by Mayor Tory at his Annual Ward 10 Town Hall

On January 25th, I hosted my annual Ward 10 Town Hall at Antibes Community Centre. For the 4th year in a row, I was joined by Mayor John Tory to listen to residents' suggestions and ideas and to respond to their concerns.For over two hours, Mayor Tory and I answered dozens of questions from attendees on a variety of important topics including community safety, traffic congestion, transit, local developments and affordable housing. We also heard many suggestions for improving our local neighbourhoods.We also heard from the members of the Ward 10 Emergency Roundtable group that was formed after the ice storm of 2013. This remarkable group meets regularly to develop local plans of action in the events of serious emergencies, extreme weather or industrial accidents in our neighbourhood.One of the reasons my office strives to host so many town halls and community consultations is that, since being elected to City Council in 2010 for the first time, I have been determined to ensure that City Hall and Toronto's municipal government do a better job of listening to residents.In addition to my Annual Town Hall, we recently hosted community consultations for upcoming park improvements in Irving Chapley Park, Garthdale Park and Champlain Parkette that will be built in 2018. These meetings allow residents to directly impact the type of investments the City of Toronto is making in their neighbourhood parks.My office has also hosted neighbourhood town halls on community safety, transit, affordable housing and the Toronto Seniors Strategy.Using the feedback and ideas we receive at these meetings, I will continue to push for more smart investments in Ward 10, to protect the value in our homes and to enhance our parks and playgrounds. Our neighbourhoods deserve nothing less.Keep up with our progress and check back for regular updates at www.JamesPasternak.ca.

June is now officially Filipino Heritage Month in Toronto

Scarborough - Councillor Neethan Shan hosted a reception to celebrate the City of Toronto’s declaration of Filipino Heritage Month, starting in June of 2018, and to congratulate Filipino Canadians who helped make it possible. “I congratulate all those individuals and organizations within the Filipino Canadian community in Toronto that have been working for a long time for this to happen,” said Councillor Shan.The motion to declare June as Filipino Heritage Month, brought forward by Councillor Shan, the City's newly appointed Newcomer Advocate, passed at November's City Council meeting, and marks the first time Filipino Heritage Month is recognized by any level of government in Canada. As part of his motion, Councillor Shan called on Toronto City Council to formally ask the Ontario and Federal governments to declare June as Filipino Heritage Month. Councillor Shan has since written to both levels of government to make the same declaration.“Declaring June as Filipino Heritage Month will give Filipino Canadians, Torontonians, Ontarians and Canadians an opportunity to learn, celebrate, enjoy and experience the rich heritage and histories of the Filipino Canadian community,” said Shan. “It will also provide our City with an opportunity to reflect on the many outstanding contributions Filipino Canadians have made in Canada, and in the world.”The packed reception featured speeches from leaders such as Paulina Corpuz of the Philippine Independence Day Council, TCDSB Trustee Garry Tanuan, and the Philippine Consul General of Toronto. These community leaders shared what Filipino Heritage Month would mean for generations of Filipino Canadians to come. Elected officials also attended the celebration, including Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, MPP Raymond Cho and City Councilor Chin Lee.  The Ontario NDP introduced a bill in the legislature in November calling on the Ontario Government to declare June as Filipino Heritage Month.  MPP Cho called for unanimous consent in the legislature for the declaration. The evening featured a series of breathtaking performances by Folklorico Filipino Canada, a dance group committed to enhancing Filipino Canadian identity by preserving traditional forms of dance. The reception concluded with Councillor Shan presenting certificates of appreciation to Filipino Canadian community organizations that supported the Toronto declaration of Filipino Heritage Month by sending in letters of support to Toronto City Council before and during the presentation of the motion at City Hall.The reception was held at the Scarborough Civic Centre on Thursday, November 30.- Office of Councillor Shan staff 

Downsview's future is at a crossroads

For the bulk of my political life, I have been fighting for the future of Downsview. Chief among my efforts has been the battle against the sale and development of the Federal lands at Downsview Park. A few years ago, with the help of the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), the first portion of this land was sold to the highest bidder by the Federal Government. Developers then turned this beautiful green space into a disastrous "neighbourhood" fraught with horrible, systemic building flaws, and unbearable quality-of-life issues for some of its residents. The City still refuses to recognize these homes as up-to-code.This neighbourhood stands as a physical indictment of the Feds' vision for the rest of the Downsview lands. There are three other neighbourhoods planned like this, and it seems like the same future awaits them.To the north of this area, at Keele and Sheppard, is a beautiful swathe of federal parkland known as William Baker. It has bike trails, massive mature trees and, on a good day, you can witness some unique wildlife. According to plans by the Federal Government, this area is to be bulldozed and in its place, 3,500 apartment units are to go there, with the Feds pocketing the cash.It's unconscionable. Especially considering that as part of a necessary defense strategy in 1947, these lands were taken from 270 Downsview residents to build a military base. But today, with the based closed, they are trying to cash in on the lands they took away from us 70 years ago. The right thing to do is to give the lands back to the City.That is why I am planning to bring a motion to an upcoming City Council demanding that the Federal Government give us back our lands. In the City's hands, park land is illegal to sell. If this land is restored to its rightful municipal status, it will be protected for generations. It could thrive with amazing programming and activities that any design or control from Ottawa could never accomplish. This land is Downsview, not a cash cow for the Feds.We have a choice. We could choose a nightmare future of shoddy homes with limited green space plagued with traffic and flooding, or we can choose a bright future with these lands in the hands of the people of Downsview who will love and care for them in perpetuity. As it stands, you have a hand in this choice. Make sure you always choose leaders who will fight for the best of these two futures. You will have the opportunity to make those choices over the next two years.But I am not waiting. The time to give this land back to Downsview is long overdue.Maria Augimeri is the Councillor for Ward 9 (York Centre) and has represented Downsview residents for over 30 years. She is also the leader of the SetDownsviewFree movement which demands the Feds to stop selling parkland and hand the Downsview lands back to Toronto.

Keele Street to get a makeover

On 21 September, 2017, the  residents, business owners and property managers of Downsview, University Heights, and Black Creek  communities were invited to discuss the beautification plan and business improvement strategies being implemented by Councillor Anthony Perruzza and Matias de Dovitiis, the Executive Director of DUKE Heights BIA, for Keele Street, Toro Road, and Tangiers Road. The proposed plan included but was not limited to: new public seating areas, signs, bike racks, garbage and recycling bins, and the addition of green spaces. This plan will essentially change the face of Keele Street. The objective of these improvements is to create communal spaces to encourage outdoor activities, enhance neighborhood aesthetics, make the BIA more attractive for business investment, encourage people to visit DUKE Heights for leisure and, ultimately, to make it more enjoyable for residents to spend time in the neighborhood. Through these enhancements, Keele Street will look bolder, more beautiful, and more attractive for businesses and residents.