2015
2011 Spring
Winter Newsletter
Volume 17
13 • Issue 1
2
B u i l d i n g A B e t t e r C i t y Fo r E ve r yo n e
Creating a Prosperity Plan
Following the municipal election,
Mayor John Tory appointed me
Deputy Mayor, with responsibility
for leading Toronto’s pover t y
reduction strategy.
I a m h o n o u r e d t o h ave t h e
opportunity to create a lasting
framework that will provide a lifeline
for lifting people out of poverty, and
create a safety net that can stop
people from falling into poverty.
Pam with Mayor Tory at
The United Way has most recently inaugural City Council Meeting
identified that income inequality in
Toronto is rapidly growing and jeopardizes the health of our City.
The poverty reduction strategy will focus on the City’s role in five key
areas: access to services, transportation, affordable housing, food
security, and employment; all examined through a social inclusion
lens, to ensure that all residents are included.
I directed staff to highlight new poverty reduction spending in
the 2015 Operating Budget, which showed $24.5 million in new
investments. Included in this amount was $2.2 million for strategic
initiatives to enhance services and launch innovative pilots. My
recommended allocations were overwhelmingly adopted by
City Council.
Neighbourhoods prepare to
welcome the Pan Am Games
The Pan Am and Parapan Am games will bring
hundreds of thousands of visitors to Toronto this
summer. In addition to the athletic competitions,
events surrounding the games will be a celebration
of culture that highlights the diversity of the
Americas and our city.
Toronto 2015 is organizing official events under
the name PANAMANIA, which features free
large scale arts and culture events. The Distillery
District and Nathan Philips Square will be major
nodes for entertainment. Visit www.toronto2015.
org/panamania for more details.
Our local neighbourhoods and businesses
will welcome the games through events and
community arts programming. The NAV2015
Guide - Neighbourhoods of the Athletes’ Village
- will introduce visitors and athletes to our
community, and provide a listing of events during
the games to be enjoyed by all. Art displays,
food festivals, music and plays will ensure our
neighbourhoods are a featured part of the games
experience. Look for the NAV2015 brochure in the
neighbourhood and at www.pammcconnell.ca.
I also had City staff organize a series of consultations across the
city. Over 600 people with experiences of poverty in their lives
attended these Days of Dialogue, providing insight and advice on
how to direct the City’s efforts.
Currently, I am working with staff to present the poverty reduction
strategy to Council in July. Before the end of the year, I will present
a report proposing the implementation and assessment frameworks.
As Toronto continues to experience unprecedented growth and
economic activity, we need to make sure that all Torontonians are
sharing in that prosperity.
For more information, please visit www.toronto.ca/TOprosperity.
This newsletter is printed on 30% post-consumer recycled paper.
Celebrating athletics and culture in Toronto this summer
Councillor Pam McConnell, 100 Queen Street West, Suite A7, Toronto, M5H 2N2
[email protected] Phone 416-392-7916 Fax 416-392-7296
W o r k i n g To g e t h e r t o B u i l d O u r C i t y
Park Improvements in Ward 28
streetscapes, parks and green spaces
better. There is tremendous potential
to provide opportunities for community
use on existing spaces on privatelyowned land.
I will be hosting a consultation on this
plan that I encourage you to attend:
Pam with community members,
enjoying their improved park
In a dense urban community like
ours, access to open, green, and play
spaces are vital for the health of our
neighbourhoods. Over the last few
years I have focussed on ensuring that
we have an adequate amount of spaces
that are of high quality for residents to
enjoy. There are a number of initiatives
which are underway in 2015.
The St. James Town Aquatic Centre,
located adjacent to the Wellesley
Community Centre is progressing
towards completion. Following detailed
review on the design with community
members in 2014, preparatory site
work is underway. Construction is
set to begin in 2016, with anticipated
opening in 2017. The Aquatic Centre
will include a 5-lane lap pool, leisure
pool with water play features, Tarzan
rope, steam room, modesty blinds and
universal change rooms.
In addition to building the Aquatic
Centre, the City is working on a
Community Improvement Plan for
the St. James Town communit y
with particular focus on making our
Date: Thursday, June 25
Time:
6:30-8:30 PM
Location:Wellesley Community
Centre (495 Sherbourne
Street)
Other park improvements coming this
year include upgrading of the wading
pools in Wellesley Park and Winchester
Park to splash pads.
We will also see improved beautification
at the end of Carlton Street where the
street meets Riverdale Park West.
Construction of a revitalized Berczy
Park will commence following the Pan
Am and Parapan Am Games. This year
we will also be planning improvements
to St. James Park with residents and
stakeholders in St. Lawrence.
The Corktown Parks Master Plan
process is continuing through
community consultation. The Plan will
provide a framework for improvements
to the network of local parks to address
many community needs. The first
phase of the project includes Bright
Street Parkette and 51 Power offleash area and will proceed this year.
Construction on other parks will begin
in 2016. Public meetings on draft
recommendations are underway.
Queens Quay
Neighbourhood
Walkabout
Queens Quay is Toronto’s waterfront
boulevard and is being transformed
t hr o u g h c arefu l p l a n n i n g a n d
c o m m u n i t y c o n s u l t at i o n . T h e
revitalization of the promenade in the
west, the emerging neighbourhood in
the East Bayfront, and new plans for
landmarks such as the Jack Layton
Ferry Terminal are part of a vision
for a waterfront that is beautiful and
accessible to all.
Each year I host a very popular
walkabout with City Planning staff
to explore our community. Previous
walkabouts have included Regent
Park, St. Lawrence, Corktown, and
the Financial District.
I hope that you will join me as we get
an inside view of the changes taking
place and plans for this important part
of our city.
Date: Wednesday, June 17
Time: Meet at 6:15 PM
Depart at 6:30 PM
Location: Southwest corner of
The Esplanade/Lower
Sherbourne Street
City Building In Our Community
St. Lawrence North Market Reimagining the Jack
Project Moves Forward
Layton Ferry Terminal
The redevelopment of the St. Lawrence
North Market is set to get underway.
The Temporary Market is currently
under construction at Jarvis Street and
The Esplanade. Once construction is
completed this spring, the Saturday
Far m e r s M ar ke t , i n c l u d i n g t h e
outdoor stalls, will be relocated to the
temporary site.
Demolition of the North Market will
take place later this year. Once
archaeological work is complete,
construction will begin.
The new North Market is expected to
be complete in 2017, and it will include
a larger market floor, underground
par k in g, se ni or s s pac e o n t h e
mezzanine, and traffic courts on the
upper floors.
For more information on the
redevelopment, visit www.tinyurl.com/
St-Lawrence-Market.
Remembering
Alan Seymour
In December, we
lost an important
community builder.
Alan Seymour
Alan Seymour was
launching
an active member
the North St.
in the St. Lawrence
Lawrence
neighbourhood,
Market Design
generously
Competition
volunteering his time
and talents to improve the community.
Pam’s community walkabouts are
always popular
Keep in Touch
Keep up to date on news, events, and meetings from City Hall and our community
and sign up for my e-newsletter at www.pammcconnell.ca.
Follow me on Twitter @PamMcConnell28
Find me on Facebook at facebook.com/pam.mcconnell
Councillor Pam McConnell, 100 Queen Street West, Suite A7, Toronto, M5H 2N2
[email protected] Phone 416-392-7916 Fax 416-392-7296
Alan was a long-time member of the St.
Lawrence Neighbourhood Association
and helped found the South East
Downtown Revitalization Initiative,
which promoted Old Town heritage
studies and branding. His efforts were
instrumental in launching the work that
has led to the redevelopment of the St.
Lawrence North Market.
The Toronto Islands are a city treasure
that attracts over 1.3 million visitors
every year – more than either the Art
Gallery of Ontario or the Royal Ontario
Museum. Despite the importance of
the Islands, both the ferry terminal and
Harbour Square Park are in desperate
need of rejuvenation.
Following the naming of the Jack Layton
Ferry Terminal, I formed a working
group of community stakeholders
and City staff to find opportunities to
transform the terminal and park into a
better gateway to the Islands.
The group worked with Waterfront
Toronto on a design competition.
Which attracted over 30 proponents
from around the world.
Five shortlisted teams presented their
imaginative and exciting designs at a
public exhibition in March. The public
input received from the exhibition was
sent to the jury for their deliberations.
The winning design team, will create
a complete Master Plan to provide a
cohesive and comprehensive framework
for all future improvements. The
successful team will also work on a Phase
One improvement to be built in 2016.
The winning team will be announced
on April 10, after this newsletter goes
to print. Details will be posted on my
website at www.pammconnell.ca.
Let’s Celebrate!
Don’t miss these great
community events
April 30
Environment Day
See back page for details
May 1
Moss Park Festival
Moss Park Apartments
May 3
Forsythia Festival
Parade starts at 10 am at
Riverdale Farm
May 23 & 24
Doors Open Toronto
June 19 to 28
Luminato
July 1
Canada Day in St. Lawrence
St. Lawrence Neighbourhood
July 10 to 26
Pan Am Games
July 31
TIFF Movie Night
Moss Park Apartments
August 9
Sunday in the Park
Regent Park
August 7 to 15
Para Pan Am Games
September 11 to 13
Cabbagetown Festival of
the Arts
Parliament and Carlton Streets
September 11 to 13
Cabbagetown Arts & Crafts
Sale
Riverdale Park
September 12 & 13
Riverdale Farm Fall Festival
October 3
Nuit Blanche
Pam and community members celebrate
the launch of the Jack Layton Ferry
Terminal revitalization
Week of November 16th
Regent Park Film Festival
www.regentparkfilmfestival.com
Councillor Pam McConnell, 100 Queen Street West, Suite A7, Toronto, M5H 2N2
[email protected] Phone 416-392-7916 Fax 416-392-7296