Regal Heights Residents’ Association Minutes of the Fall General Meeting – Tuesday November 18, 2014 at Oakwood Collegiate

Opening Statements:

• RHRA Chairman John Keating opened the meeting with a welcome to some 34 people who braved the cold weather to attend. He introduced the new OCI principal, Richard Nosov.
• Principal Richard Nosov welcomed the members of RHRA. He spoke about some of the activities hosted by the school this term. He invited those in attendance to join him in the school auditorium where he shared his pride in the historical school and his vision to improve the physical presence of the facility in our neighbourhood.
• Tony Bolla, representative from the Regal Heights Village BIA, addressed the meeting to thank the RHRA for the time and effort spent working together with the BIA to produce three remarkable candidates meetings leading up to the municipal elections. He remarked that it is nice to see the community associations working together for a common purpose. John in return thanked Tony for the financial support that the BIA provided. Without that, the meetings would never have taken place.
• Councillor Cesar Palacio stood to thank the association for allowing him to continue to serve as councillor for another term. He expressed his thanks for all the support he received through the years and during the election. Congratulations Cesar on your re-election as Councillor!

1. 1. Street Beautification
      1. Graffiti removal, planting, maintenance etc – John reported on behalf of Mary Anne who sent her regrets she was unable to attend the meeting. Through the years RHRA has been working to maintain gardens on City property along Rosemount Ave. and the Springmount Ave. boulevard. We do plantings and semi-annual cleanings of the gardens. We have finally managed to obtain an irrigation system for the two gardens with the help and persistence from Councillor Palacio’s office, especially Mike Makrigiorgos. Florence expressed her congratulations to OCI for mulching leaves on the lawns and leaving them there as fertilizer.
      2. Street and stair sweeping – Marie Goldthorpe reported that she has been sweeping leaves from the Springmount stairs three times a week to keep the stairs clear. The garbage bin down at the bottom of the steps has been removed and not yet replaced. Mike Makrigiorgos (assistant to Councillor Palacio) will follow-up. The handrail on the steps has been repainted as per Florence’s request earlier in the year. The streetsweeper has been around several times to attempt to clear the falling leaves. This past weekend, mechanical leaf removal managed to remove a significant amount of leaves from exposed curbs. Some piles remain in places where cars were parked and obstructed access for removal. Edward Lau commented that curb cleaning on his street Burlington Ave as well as Thome Cr. never have the curb cleaned due to single-sided parking. Weeds are growing out of the sewers. Mike will follow-up with the matter.
      3. 
         Daffodil Hill
         – Richard Cavanaugh reported that the fall cleanup of the hill took place a couple of weeks ago. Less garbage was culled than in years past. The bulk of the cleanup included trimming of the trees, which have grown much through the years. Another cleanup will be organized in the spring before the daffodils bloom.
      4. Centennial Tree – Florence reported that the tree requested of out-going trustee Maria Rodrigues was indeed planted in front of Regal Road School to mark the Centennial celebration of the school. It is a Sweet Gum tree and can grow to 100 feet tall. Many thanks to Trustee Rodrigues for organizing it.
         e. Urban wildlife story request – John reported that there is student journalist from Ryerson who is researching how people interact with wildlife in the city. If anyone has any stories or thoughts to share with him on this topic email it to jwhitec@gmail.com

 

1. 1. Planning, Zoning, Construction, Communications
      1. 1. Pavement mural – Dave Meslin presented photos of a pilot street mural done in chalk this past Sunday in the intersection of Regal Road and Westmount Ave., in front of the Regal Road School. It is an idea that originated in Portland, Oregon as a traffic-calming measure. Dave reported that it seemed to be well received by pedestrians and drivers alike. The simple geometric design done by residents of all ages brought smiles to the faces of those who saw it. It is hoped that longer-lasting mural will be painted in a neighbourhood intersection next year. The association will first get agreement from those living nearby and work out the logistics of obtaining permission from the City. Additional details of the project can be found here.
         2. Improving access to TDSB facilities – Margaret Smith reported that a new TDSB policy requires two paid duty officers at community meetings on TDSB grounds as well of a certified cheque of $1,500 as a security deposit. She said this creates unreasonable barriers to accessing these public facilities. Representatives from the BIA, the area residents’ associations, parents councils, and the Community Use of Schools Advisory Council will be gathering to address this issue. They are hoping for support from community members.
         3. Communications & proposed change to policy – Peter Norman reported recent changes in the RHRA email distribution process. If anyone is not receiving the emails, you can contact Peter or sign up online yourself by going onto our website www.regalheights.ca and clicking on the signup link. Membership is not required but appreciated. The communications policy was discussed and updated by majority vote of members present to read –
            

            Policy: It is the policy of RHRA to distribute, upon request, information which may be of interest to RHRA members. Information of a partisan-political or commercial nature will not be distributed. Information of a fundraising nature will be distributed ONLY for projects and services of RHRA, for local schools, or for local social-assistance organizations. Disclaimer: This email is being sent to you for information purposes only in order to inform you of any issues which may be relevant to the residents of Regal Heights. Any views or opinions expressed in this email, or any attachments, are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the RHRA.

       

      1. Regal Road School Centennial Plaque – Florence presented a design for a brass plaque marking the Centennial of Regal Road School. It measures about 42″ in diameter and shows the name of the school and the dates 1914 and 2014. The plan is to install it in the roundel above the school portico. The cost of production and installation is estimated to be about $6,000. Committee members Florence and Linda are in discussions with the school Vice-Principal about the project. TDSB can issue tax receipts for donations over $25. Cheques must be written out to TDSB, with a memo indicating it is to go to Regal Road School (roundel project). To date, estimates have been received from private companies. However, it now appears the school board would arrange for casting and installation. Those present supported the idea of developing the centennial plaque by majority vote of the members present and there was consensus that the committee be granted the authority to act and use money from the heritage fund for the project if necessary.
      2. Regal Heights Village BIA and RHRA liaison – Margaret reported that the BIA was having their AGM tonight and would be electing a new board. We have the BIA to thank for the improvements on St. Clair that include hanging flower baskets and purple street lamps, and they are presently working on developing a graffiti removal system. Margaret asked residents to please support the local merchants on St. Clair to help keep them in business. Consider doing some of your Christmas shopping on St. Clair as a way of thanking the BIA for their hard work and contributions to the neighbourhood.

 

1. 1. Special Events
      1. Regal Heights/Northcliffe Village Garden Tour – John reported our second annual garden tour was held earlier this year. He encourages residents to consider participating next summer, either as a visitor or by opening your garden for the tour.
      2. Regal Heights Street Sale – Linda reported that our bi-annual street sale held this past June collected $124 from the 62 tables participating. The event was advertised in the Toronto Star. Thanks to the street captains for their assistance in collecting the table fees. The street sale fund now has $150.00 in it.
      3. Carol Sing – is planned for this December 19th. Rebecca Love has been co-ordinating the event. It will be held in front of OCI. The mounted police have been requested again this year.
      4. Municipal candidates meeting – the three meetings were well attended. Many thanks to the RHVBIA for their financial assistance especially with the unexpected last-minute expenses. It was a great collaborative effort from the three residents’ association and the BIA. The format used seemed well accepted and will be considered for use again in next year’s upcoming federal elections.
      5. Pumpkin carving – John reported that the second annual pumpkin carving event was a wonderful success. Many thanks to Freddie’s No Frills for their generous assistance in subsidizing the purchase of the pumpkins.
      6. Regal Road School Centennial celebration November 8, 2014 – Linda reported that many alumni of varying ages attended the event. They came from near and far. All of the students currently attending the school created a mosaic wall plaque for the event on the wall outside the school office. A good time was had by all who attended — so much so that at the end of the day people did not want to leave! MPP Christina Martins made an announcement at Queens park to share the historic significance of the centennial with the caucus. The students were delighted to be able to watch the announcement and you can too. Click here to watch MPP Martins’ statement.

 

1. 1. Police Community Partnership
      1. Officer Todd Jocko #7654 attended the meeting and reported on some of the work the Police of 13 Division are doing to improve safety in our area. He reported that 18 individuals have been identified as ‘frequent fliers’ that they get many calls about. The police are now working collaboratively with social-service agencies including CAMH and the John Howard Society to help address the needs of these individuals. As a result there seems to be a decrease in loitering and obstruction in open public spaces in the Dufferin/St. Clair intersection. He reported that there was an attempted break-and-enter on Regal Road and reminds residents to keep their doors and windows locked. Keep an eye out on the neighbourhood and report any suspicious looking activity to the non-emergency police number 416-808-2222. Of course if you feel it is an emergency, feel free to call 911.
      2. Monthly PCP meetings held at St. Clare School – Rosa reported that the next meeting will be held on December 4th at 7pm. Anyone from the public is welcome to attend and listen or bring forth issues of concern to the attention of the police.

 

1. Community Welcome Project – deferred
2. Finances and Membership
   1. 1. Membership – Dave reported that we have 30 paid memberships for the year May 2014 to April 2015. If you have not paid your membership for this year, please contact Dave at dave@pigeonhat.ca

    

   1. Finances
      

      Finances	Oct 21, 14	Nov 18, 14
      Operating Fund	$2,300	$2,314
      Heritage Fund	992	992
      Mt Royal Bump-out (in trust)	745	745
      Street Sale (in trust)	150	150
      Petty Cash	52	52
      Total	$4,239	$4,253

Next Meeting Tuesday January 20, 2015 – location TBA