Centre For Local Research into Public Space (CELOS)


See also Site Map

Citizen-Z Cavan Young's 2004 film about the zamboni crisis

Contact

mail@celos.ca

Search


Custodians:

June 2010, 3 e-mail

June 11, 2010
From: GTS Info

Georgetown South Project Update

What’s New

Since our last email update, we have launched an updated Georgetown South (GTS) Project Website to better reflect the upcoming work.

Currently, you will see an overview of the project, including a design and construction outlook for the next 18 months.

In our Neighbourhoods section, you can review the story boards and presentation made at our recent Open Houses for the Denison Road Underpass.

Community Relations Offices to open in the Summer of 2010

The Georgetown South Project has a dedicated Community Relations Team to keep the community informed on the project progress, to invite feedback on the look and feel of the design and to address community issues and concerns.

Located in the Weston and Strachan neighbourhoods, these offices will be the first points of contact to ask questions, share concerns and learn more about the project.

Ambient Air Monitoring and Reporting Plan Approved

On June 2, 2010, GO Transit received provincial approval for the Ambient Air Monitoring and Reporting Plan.

The monitoring process will begin within three months of the approval date. GO Transit has already commenced this process and anticipates having a consultant on board by September 2010. The air quality monitoring is scheduled to begin in the fall. Please continue to check the GTS Website for updates on the plan’s progress.

Upcoming Events – Community Open Houses

Please mark your calendar to attend one of two upcoming open houses to learn more about the design and construction phases of the project.

Please join us at the Open House most convenient for you:

June 23, 2010
6pm-9pm, presentation at 7pm
Westminster United Church
69 William Street
(near Weston Road and Lawrence Avenue West)

June 24, 2010
6pm-9pm, presentation at 7pm
Lithuanian Hall
1573 Bloor Street West
(near Dundas Street West and Bloor Street West)

Contact Us:
Call 416-406-0489
E-mail gts@gotransit.com
Visit our Website at www.gotransit.com/gts.

June 19
From: Clean Train Coalition

The Clean Train Coalition will be holding a general meeting at Davenport Perth Neighbourhood Centre, 1900 Davenport Road, just west of Symington. The meeting will take place in the main hall/sanctuary.

We will be discussing our strategy to build support for the Clean Train movement in communities along the line and our plan to use the Clean Train Pledge Campaign and other strategic initiatives to pressure Premier McGuinty, who ultimately has the say.

We plan to reach out to community groups along the line, and hope that each can send a representative to learn about the pledge and take it back to their membership for review.

Everyone is welcome. Join us. Be part of the solution!

Where: Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood Centre, 1900 Davenport Road

When: Tuesday June 22, 7pm

Clean Train Pledge Campaign Successfully Launched

The Clean Train Coalition launched a "Clean Train Pledge" campaign which asks elected representatives from all levels of government to commit to taking action in favour of electrification. The pledge reads:

"I will, by Simcoe Day, August 2, 2010, publicly call on Premier Dalton McGuinty to direct Metrolinx to electrify the Georgetown Corridor, prior to the expansion of passenger rail service including both GO Transit and the Air Rail Link."

Launched at City Hall on June 7, the campaign is off to a great start. Support at the municipal level is strong, and every city councillor representing a ward along the Georgetown corridor, except one, has signed the pledge. Courtesy of the National Post, we also have an indication of where the mayoral candidates line up. (National Post Article).

We are now in the process of reaching out to politicians from other levels of government to ask them to sign and to make this simple commitment to contact the Premier and advocate on the behalf of their constituents.

Stay tuned for the results.

Keep up the Pressure During the Municipal Election

We maintain that Toronto needs a mayor who will champion electrification, and we need councillors who are knowledgeable and willing to go to bat for their constituents. But in order to get this, we need to continue to press the issue at every opportunity.

If you attend any debates, or if you are speaking with any prospective candidates in this election, tell them you demand electrification. Ask them what they have done and what they are willing to do. Make it clear that your vote is one for electrification!

Residents of Davenport (Ward 18) will have an opportunity engage with their prospective councillors at the all candidates debate, scheduled for July 23. We encourage residents of Ward 18 to attend the debate and to find out their would-be councillors’ views on electric trains.

Where: St. Anne’s Parish Hall, 615 Dufferin Street (east side, north of Dundas)

When: Wednesday, June 23, 6:30pm-9:00pm

If you know of other debates in any affected wards and you would like us to help spread the word, send an email to info@cleantrain.ca and we’ll do our best to include it in our regular emails.

Metrolinx Electrification Study

Metrolinx Electrification study is proving to be a study in frustration and wasted money. Those who attended the study update put on by Metrolinx on May 27 at The Lithuanian House know that the study will have little relevance to the plans for the Georgetown Corridor. The study is so broad in scope that it won’t produce any actionable results, especially not ones that can be implemented prior to the Pan Am games. But, worst of all, the study won’t even produce any recommendations. One year and $4millon will be spent to arrive at some general conclusions, which may or may not lead to recommendations, which may or may not be acted upon.

Nonetheless, the CTC continues to participate in their stakeholder workshops, the most recent of which was held earlier this week. At the workshop, under questioning from the CTC’s research director, Greg Gormick, the leader of the Metrolinx-GO Transit Electrification Study Team, Karen Pitre, admitted she has never seen or ridden on a main line electric rail passenger service. Pitre also said wouldn't be able to study the benefits of rail electrification firsthand because of a lack of travel funds. Revelations such as this don’t inspire much confidence.

We are not remotely satisfied with the study, and we will continue to push for the electrification of the Georgetown Corridor and Air Rail link. We will not sit by and let our health be comprised, and our communities harmed.

Metrolinx Georgetown South Open Houses

Metrolinx will be hosting two open houses next week. They invite community members “to review the project scope, current status, and learn about next steps in the design and construction phase.”

We encourage people to attend the open houses and engage Metrolinx’s staff on the subject of electrification.

Where: Westminster United Church, 69 William Street

When: June 23, 2010, 6pm-9pm, presentation at 7pm

and

Where: Lithuanian Hall, 1573 Bloor Street West

When: June 24, 2010, 6- 9pm

CTC at Totstock

The CTC will be joining other community organizations at Totstock, the annual children’s fair in SoraurenPark. Bring your kids, enjoy an afternoon of music, food, families and fun, and find out about community groups working in west Toronto. For more info go to .

Where: Sorauran Park (on Sorauran Ave, just South of Dundas)

When: Sunday June 27, 2-5pm

It's time to find out who is on side, and for those who are pro-electrification to commit to taking action.

June 21, 2010
K. B. wrote:

I'd like to extend an invitation to join us, the CTC, at our general meeting tomorrow, Tuesday June 22, from 7-9pm at Davenport Perth Neighbourhood Centre, located at 1900 Davenport Rd. I apologize for the short notice.

You are receiving this invitation because your email address is on our list of representatives and members of community groups, like-minded organizations, and other key supporters.

As you may have heard, the CTC has launched a Pledge Campaign during which aim to get all the elected representatives along the corridor to sign a pledge and commit to contacting Premier McGuinty to advocate on the behalf of their constituents on this important issue. We need your help in this effort. We need community groups and other organizations such as yours to help us pressure our elected reps, and we need also to gather a list of community groups and other bodies who are pro-electrification in order to show the strength and breadth of this movement.

We hope that you or another representative from your group or organization is able to attend tomorrow night's meeting so that we may discuss the pledge campaign with you. If you are unable to attend the meeting, we would still like your assistance in this campaign and hope that your organization will champion the pledge, and sign on as being pro-electrification and help us pressure our elected officials.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Thank you, and I hope to see you tomorrow evening,


Content last modified on July 09, 2010, at 06:08 PM EST