2989 Dundas Street – Update

 Work continues on the former Stereo King building located near the S/W corner of Dundas and Pacific.

The second floor addition has been clad in vertical metal (aluminium I think) wall panels which run the length of the building and wrap around the rear facade. 

The rear of the building is a mix of re-claimed brick and wall panels plus some interesting windows.   

Submitted by Martin L.

New eating establishment at Annette St & Quebec Ave

Work has been proceeding for a few months On the building at Annette St & Quebec Ave that for many years held a family Ukrainian grocery store and student lunch service. After serving the community as the grocery the building which it went though a number of short lived efforts.

Now if the rumors are correct the building will house some type of cafe or restaurant, which is wonderful as this could be part of the resurgence of this area of Annette  St. becoming a local stop spot again.

Kingsway Park Ratepayers Fall 2009 newsletter

The Kingsway Park Ratepayers newsletters are always full of useful reporting of what is happening in many areas of their community, from development to historical efforts and all sorts of other issues and noticesy.

The fall 2009 newsletter has informative article about the original lighting on the Humber bridge, reproduced below. to read the complete newsletter click the link.

Enlarged text from above Bridge Lanterns -  Anna Traer asked me (Madeleine McDowell) about the possibility of restoring the original 1916 lighting on the Old Mill Bridge. This is a photo of the old Mill Bridge the morning after Hurricane Hazel struck. It shows clearly the original lantern lighting on the Bridge. Since the Humewood Ratepayers took on a similar project for the Connaught Gates at Vaughn and Bathurst, just north of St Clair about five years ago, I asked them “WHO DID IT?” It turned out to be a local company just off the Queensway. They did the job working from 1912 promotion drawings and photographs of Sir Henry Pellat’s Connaught Gates, which were of similar age to Frank Barber’s iconic Old Mill Bridge. Heritage Toronto provided the community with a segregated account and issued tax receipts for donations. The results were beautiful and spectacular. The “Lighting” ceremony, which I attended, was on the 24th of May with fireworks and a street party. The project won an award for the quality of its restoration of an important architectural feature. Chris Nelson, who did the Lanterns for the Gates, is looking at the Photographs. We also have a piece of one of the original lanterns in the Swansea Historical Society’s collection, which eliminates measured calculations and guesswork for reproduction. I am prying a cost estimate out of Mr. Nelson. , I expect a jolt for my blood pressure when I receive it. But the Lanterns would properly light the Bridge - And it would be a beautiful piece of restoration. Any assistance to make this happen would be greatly appreciated! Madeleine McDowell

Bridge Lanterns

Anna Traer asked me about the possibility of restoring the

original 1916 lighting on the Old Mill Bridge. This is a photo of

the old Mill Bridge the morning after Hurricane Hazel struck. It

shows clearly the original lantern lighting on the Bridge.

Since the Humewood Ratepayers took on a similar project for

the Connaught Gates at Vaughn and Bathurst, just north of St

Clair about five years ago, I asked them “WHO DID IT?” It

turned out to be a local company just off the Queensway.

They did the job working from 1912 promotion drawings and

photographs of Sir Henry Pellat’s Connaught Gates, which

were of similar age to Frank Barber’s iconic Old Mill Bridge.

Heritage Toronto provided the community with a segregated

account and issued tax receipts for donations.

The results were beautiful and spectacular. The “Lighting”

ceremony, which I attended, was on the 24th of May with

fireworks and a street party. The project won an award for the

quality of its restoration of an important architectural feature.

Chris Nelson, who did the Lanterns for the Gates, is looking at

the Photographs. We also have a piece of one of the original

lanterns in the Swansea Historical Society’s collection, which

eliminates measured calculations and guesswork for

reproduction. I am prying a cost estimate out of Mr. Nelson. ,

I expect a jolt for my blood pressure when I receive it. But the

Lanterns would properly light the Bridge - And it would be a

beautiful piece of restoration. Any assistance to make this

happen would be greatly appreciated!

Madeleine McDowell

Junction Residents Assoc. stewardship discussion tomorrow

....added chair and a constitution discussion

The Junction Residents Association will be holding a AGM tomorrow with the presentation for approval of the members a new chair structure of 3 chairs instead of the 2 they started with when formed last year.   They will also  be electing  a  Treasurer and Secretary.

Planning and discussion will also be on the creation of a JRA constitution, which in this authors opinion all RA'd need, to bring the standards of accountability to community to the forefront and as an overview to the  reasons the RA exists. Not all the residents associations  in west Toronto have a constitution, leaving persons interested in working with a local RA or just those interested on doing their own community project not know the engagement areas of their local RA.

A good  example of a RA constitution is the one used by Parkdale Residents Association [link to their constitution opens in new window]

The introduction of a possible effort to create bike lanes on High Park Ave with be presented to the members for possible inclusion into the agenda for the coming year.
Among some of the other topics being discussed will be motions for the following:

o JRA constitution
o Living Playground in Vine Parkette

This meeting or the RA will really have people set the agenda of the RA for the coming year, so it's important for people to take an interest and give over an hour to attend.  One of the best reasons is that RAs in Toronto are given attention by the media, who seek their opinion and certain city departments who input at times the statements about community issues into their planning. And yet many RAs are whole fully under represented by the people in the community - so a small group of people get to make a big  statement about community issues from a small membership.

Many RAs  are constantly seeking the involvement of people in the community even if people simply want to set the agenda and let the more active members carry out the agenda, of course only fully voted upon actions and bot those decided by the managing committee.

- come set the agenda -

West Toronto Baptist Church Thursday November 12^th, 7pm to 9pm

3049 Dundas St at McMurray Ave

Live webcast at www.junctionra.ca

It’s your Junction, It’s our Junction!

Great & exicting news and a not to miss tour at The Village by High Park, this Saturday 1pm

[caption id="attachment_5542" align="aligncenter" width="473" caption="get an idea of how all this will work"][/caption]

How exciting can a Junction weekend get, not much more than this ...a  walking tour on the construction site of  tallest  construction project ever in the Junction.

People  will not be allowed to enter the construction site. Mike Labbé will  be guiding people around the perimeter of the site, explaining the features, as well as where things are located

How many developers open up their site to the general public for a walk around?, we don't know but you could probably count them in a breath.

The reasons for attending this tour are many and varied

1. you bought a unit, and want to get a early feel for your building

2. You like views of silos framed by railroad tracks a view which is quickly going away

3. You want to hear the heartfelt description of Mr Labbé's description of the need and design choices for the building. he gave a great one at the recent tri-government press day at the site recently.

4. You want to see the Deltera created forming system called Aluma in use and close up. Can be seen from the street

5. you want to know where the retail part is going

their invite....

On Saturday, November 14^th at 1:00 pm, Mike Labbé, the President of Options for Homes Non-Profit Corporation, will be hosting a tour of our development, The Village by High Park, located at 403 Keele Street.

Those interested in attending are asked to meet approximately 10 minutes before 1:00 o’clock at the northwest end of Heintzman Street, in front of Deltera’s customer care trailer.

There is no need to RSVP.

Currently zoned industrial land owner seeks change to retail use

DATE: Tuesday, November 10, 2009
TIME: 7:30 pm
PLACE: Etobicoke Civic Centre, Council Chamber
399 The West Mall, Toronto M9C 2Y2

Read the offical notice over at the

MULOCK AVENUE RESIDENTS' ASSOCIATION site link

Grown-up Arts & Crafts Camp - Wise Daughters Craft Market

Grown-up Arts & Crafts Camp
Sat, Nov 14 & Sun, Nov 15, 10:00 - 4:30
Leader: Anna Redish
Come play in Anna's sandbox!  Enjoy a weekend art retreat without leaving town. Learn secrets for putting art back into your life. Give yourself this time and let the creative juices flow!
You'll experience creative discovery through altered art journalling, sewing, painting and other mixed media techniques. Explore your creative side in a supportive environment.  No artistic talent or previous training required.
$200 includes all supplies, tea, coffee, snacks and a daily dose of guided relaxation.  BYO lunch. Feel free to bring fabrics, old photos or papers that have meaning to incorporate into your art.

Wise Daughters workshop listing link

Green 13 Community forum coming up on the 17th

TAKING ACTION on CLIMATE CHANGE,  A Community Approach

• Frustrated by the lack of international progress on climate change?

Want to make a difference in your community?

Attend a Green13 Town Hall Meeting

WHAT: A panel of environmental experts -discussing sustainable food, water & energy practices -grassroots advocacy -how other communities are going green

WHEN: 7 p.m. November 17, 2009 WHERE: Swansea Town Hall 95 Lavinia Avenue (south of Deforest/East of Windermere)

Who is green13? Green13 is a grassroots community environmental group active in ward 13, that focuses on public education and advocacy for the protection of the environment.

www.green13toronto.blogspot.com

WTJHS Historical Mystery Tour article

"How wild do you have to be to cut shut down your own bars?"

Link to post - will open in new tab

3524 Dundas St W enviro. testing for the past couple of days

[caption id="attachment_5526" align="aligncenter" width="473" caption="Rear of building which is at the front of the lot of the approx 400 foot deep lot"][/caption]



For the past couple of days - not sure about today - two companies have drilled sample holes at this site. Pumping and well collection of contaminates was undertaken on the lot for a number of years. The equipment for that phase was removed a few years ago.  A sign seeking interested retail renters went up about the same time as the well collection effort stopped and the site has remained empty.

The technicians on the site could not relate what phase they were atnow, but indicated nothing was planned for the site at present.

The site was for years a gasoline station and also had a strange collection of old bomb casings and such stuff in the rear of the lot in the 70's and 80's.

]

Interested in Junction house pricing?

[caption id="attachment_5522" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Toronto Star article on west Toronto house prices"][/caption]

Toronto Star article on west Toronto house prices link (opens in new window)

Below is detailed information for West Toronto.

[caption id="attachment_5523" align="aligncenter" width="495" caption="David Pylyp estate agent' information http://www.eleganthomesinwesttoronto.com/"][/caption]

2959 Dundas Street West = SWEDISH milk?

post item sent in by reader John, his comments below in italic...

Urbanscape is moving and the building has been sold. Here is some info on the new owners. I think they will be a great addition to the neighborhood. And, it seems like they value the local architecture. The Junction is quickly becoming a mecca for small, independent interior design stores.

from the new owners blog a bit about the kit they will be offering...

....we are realizing with 3 living and 3 dining sets (to meet 3 price points), PLUS an awesome children’s section, kitchenware, antique/vintage rugs, home accessories and lighting, we are going to need to use all of our first floor space, so thank goodness it stretches back to about double the size you see here.

and this blogs comments...

If the people opening the store are using the letters in the name of their store for the Swedish word for milk, I think the store is named milk.

....here is  a link to the duos blog here with the why and how posts - quite good - it's well worth looking at. and here a link to their post on the building.

Why look at their blog and get an idea of what they plan to offer and do?

...well a reading of their site gives a great sign they they have a deep interest  in the made object and the ornamentation of design, all things that have deep roots in the Junction, and for seriously bad reasons started to drift away starting in the 50's. The greater Junction still had it's quirky manufacturing sites, but the persons living as makers and designers in the Junction had all but moved out by the late 70's and a very small few remained until the about 1984, with even few riding out the entire era.

Recently although in the past five years many more have moved into the Junction buoyed by the availability of reasonable studio lodgings and for a few cheap retail space rents.  Yet the Junction still suffers from a becoming cohesive whole in  the one area it commends itself on, ...being a mark making made here cultural entity.

If this effort stays true to remarks on their blog it could tremendously  contribute to making a bit of its past craft and object glory become part its current existence.

Oh, and from the craft perspective the line about 3 price points is great - as the fine craft design movement has almost destroyed itself in Toronto in the past 10 years not addressing this issue, so a store pro porting to love the made object and price points is extra good.

The owners choice of Studio Junction is a great one also as the principal of the studio is deeply ingrained in the woodworking and design community, and their wording indicates they are will to take in some ideas from the excellent studio, it could end up being one of the best designed stores in the Junction

The author of this post has purposely stayed away from interpreting the new stores owners blog as much as possible for this post. Hoping people would go their and read it for themselves.

The Village by High Park, shows it's street presence

The options for homes condo building closest to Keele St. is  showing what the new buildings shear scale will mean to the stretch of Keele St. directly in front of the development.

No real setback from the street appears to be present that will allow for stop and talk on the Keele St. side, which could be a good thing as Keele St. in this area is really becoming a pass through arterial road in a big way. Hopefully the new east - west alignments of the  two new building fronts will  result in a new role for "hill road" that existed on the site for so long. If new retail at the base of the building is put in it could help bring the area directly into the community.

Iron Core gym ad

Quebec and Dundas St West. at approx 4pm Monday afternoon.

When 1st seen it appeared this was part of movie production. But now a "we said no parking sign" has been placed by the car- so this is simply a publicity garnering effort by the gym.

Garnering the kind of media attention that will support your business development objectives, it is the value of the story you bring, not the slick way that it is packaged, that will get the attention of the editors

Runnymede Healthcare Centre starts hoarding of old building

Runnymede Healthcare Centre recently opened a new building which sets down into the community street really well, looking at he new building from the two flanking residential streets and the two commercial arterial road.

Recently hoarding has appeared along the St Johns Road face of the old building, for what reason?

Parkdale Residents Association AGM, dates and speaker listing

Thursday Nov. 12, 7pm at May Robinson Auditorium (20 West Lodge Ave.) the RA will be  electing PRA Officers and Executive for 2010, as well as having to speakers .

This year we have two featured speakers:

• Joe Fiorito is a city columnist for the Toronto Star newspaper. He won Canada's National Newspaper Award for Columns in 1995.  He is the author of five books. His novel, 'The Song Beneath The Ice', won the City of Toronto Book Award in 2003.  His most recent book, 'Union Station' is an appreciation of the city of Toronto, based in part on the newspaper column he writes three times a week in the Star."


• Gord Perks - Your Ward 14 City Councillor will give his annual 'state of the union' report and look forward to the coming action-packed year in our neighbourhood and across the city.

We will also be electing PRA Officers and Executive for 2010.  If you wish to get more intimately involved with your Residents Association, joining our executive or volunteer group is an ideal way to start.

______________________________________________
Parkdale Residents Association - Parkdale.TO
Contact us: Info@Parkdale.TO