Solway’s metals is a metal recycler and medium size provider of steel products to industry and artists on Ernest Ave. If you are not an artist or crafts person or metal scavenger you probably have not been there. If you are an artist you probably know of their importance to the arts community.
It appears Solways is having a hard time with it’s neighbours, some of which is probably their fault, they do end up having some of their business take place on the public street, usually parked loading purchases of small amounts of metal, and small metal scavengers and collectors waiting their turn in line to set their load to the company. This is evidenced by the dirty condition of the street. Yet businesses such as Solway’s are important to the Junction communities providing not only needed recycling and sourcing services but in maintaining the character and industrial jobs in the community. Hopefully the gentlemen who run Solway’s and the community can come to some agreeable understanding. And a note to the gentleman at Solway’s the last time I visited Ontario Iron and Metal they were very interested in how your metal sales business was going.
Update: 12:52 pm Wednesday - 1st thanks to Scott for his comment - bumped into post below update follows
scott d on September 10th, 2008 12:15 pm
Thank you for posting about Solways Metals. I would like to make a few points though.
Problems with Solways go back over 30 years and many hearings.
Solways originally did most of its shipping by rail but now it is all vehicle traffic. The portrayal of the business as being “small amounts of metal” is not accurate; there are as many large trucks as there are small trucks using the site. Recently a photo was taken that showed 18 large trucks using the street to unload. The blocked use of the road and fire access and dangerous backing up of tractor trailers across school crossings and a future park entrance are just some of the issues.
Solways is one of the last industrial businesses in the area and relies on servicing the scrap industry which is not really a local industry as it draws trucks from all over the city. There are many small buyers and sellers but the majority is from large haulers such as Arizon.
In a nutshell, most of the issues would go away if Solways would conduct its business on it’s property like all other law abiding businesses. Solways problem is that people just dont want to put up with it anymore.
Update: 12:52 pm Wednesday: I was not clear enough about the trucks and Scott was right, there are many trailer type trucks using the site, but it seems there is also a lot of small metal collector trucks and small purchases of metal loading occurring too.
Solways uses the street when setting down trailers as it’s trailer loading docks do have the length to set a trailer down completely on there own property and this is a problem. This problem occurs in a few places in the Junction communities, one example being the Air Heat Supply company located at 13 Mc Murray Ave, they only have a small right of way to access their warehouse situated in a lane. Sometimes trucks delivering too them block the Ave completely.
Yet Solways is a messy business by nature and probably a growing one with the increased value of metals. Other businesses such as NRI on Junction Rd and Ontario Iron and Metal on Dundas St all use the road too. Once again the community has the right for a clean, safe environment in all aspects such as, noise, pollutants and safety. Which should come 1st, yet reasonably. Yet Solways is a service you will find in the core of every major city that’s working. The community has a right to be up in arms and Solways has the right to stay if they maintain and accrue to their licence and move with the times implementing better and more careful controls and maybe some changed loading structures to run their business , such as The CPR has done in many Junction situations. Maybe it’s time for a really forward looking solution that benefits all, the city understanding the special needs of urban industry better and Solway’s understanding it may need to change its practices
South Junction Triangle Residents Association Solways article
Posted by Robert
Thank you for posting about Solways Metals. I would like to make a few points though.
ReplyDeleteProblems with Solways go back over 30 years and many hearings.
Solways originally did most of its shipping by rail but now it is all vehicle traffic. The portrayal of the business as being "small amounts of metal" is not accurate; there are as many large trucks as there are small trucks using the site. Recently a photo was taken that showed 18 large trucks using the street to unload. The blocked use of the road and fire access and dangerous backing up of tractor trailers across school crossings and a future park entrance are just some of the issues.
Solways is one of the last industrial businesses in the area and relies on servicing the scrap industry which is not really a local industry as it draws trucks from all over the city. There are many small buyers and sellers but the majority is from large haulers such as Arizon.
In a nutshell, most of the issues would go away if Solways would conduct its business on it's property like all other law abiding businesses. Solways problem is that people just dont want to put up with it anymore.
While industrial businesses have been moving out of the core for years, increased fuel costs may stop some companies from leaving their old digs or even reverse that trend to the point where residential and commercial interests are competing for the same real estate.
ReplyDeleteIn that event, the problems between Solways and its residential neighbours will seem like the tip of the iceberg. All those industries that rely most on proximity to end consumers will set up shop right next to them. Or the rising cost of real estate will cause consumers to settle close to traditionally commercial areas and those industries won't be so easily pushed out, as they might have in the past, because the cost of fuel is a great disincentive to move out of the city.
So, fuel is the new space. That is, while the scarcity of space, most notable in some Asian and European cities, caused them to be creative in combining residential with commercial areas, now, fuel will be our impetus for similar creativity.