Regal Heights Residents’ Association Public Meeting – Tuesday May 16, 2017

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Regal Heights Residents’ Association Public Meeting Tuesday May 16, 2017, 7 PM, at Dufferin/St. Clair library

Regrets: Beth Marcilio, Peter Norman, Mary Anne Quance

Chairman John Keating opened the meeting with remarks to welcome approximately 30 people to the meeting.

    1. Street Beautification
      1. Update on programs and appeal for gardeners to help – Florence reported on behalf of Mary Anne Quance that we had a great cleanup of the gardens this spring. Daffodil hill has almost 3,000 bulbs planted on the hill that bloom each spring. We are seeking replacement planter barrels. If anyone has one to spare, please contact us at www.regalheights.ca or contact Mary Anne Quance. We are also seeking more volunteers who would be willing to give a hand in the gardens for an hour every now and then. To help keep our neighbourhood graffiti free call 311 to report locations that require graffiti to be removed.
      2. Tree for Me event – on May 14, free trees were made available to residents who registered for one, to be planted on private property. This was a great opportunity to help Toronto maintain a green tree canopy. If you missed it but are interested in planting a tree on your property, trees are still available from the Toronto Parks Tree Foundation. Go to www.treeforme.ca to register for the next nearest event.
      3. Mayor’s Clean up Day – this year we had a great turnout to the Mayor’s clean up day which was combined with the spring clean up of the Springmount and Rosemount gardens. Thanks to all who participated. We also encourage people to consider picking up litter in your area throughout the year to help keep our neighbourhood looking nice and clean.

 

    1. Planning, zoning, construction and communications
      1. Greetings from Councillor Cesar Palacio – Councillor Palacio shared information about issues that he has helped our neighbourhood with in the past year. These include a successful compost day on April 21st at the OCI parking lot and an environment day Saturday May 20 at Loretto College. Cesar says he is fighting the City to not reduce the frequency of street sweeping. He noted that two benches were installed on Rosemount Avenue as requested and that he is also opposing the changing of the ward boundaries. The final decision has yet to be made on that matter. Harry thanked Cesar for all his assistance and in particular for his help in cutting red tape to quickly make the inauguration of the Dick Watts steps a reality. We thanked Cesar for attending our meeting when his mother is unwell and in hospital. We wish her a speedy recovery.
      2. Oakwood Collegiate landscaping project – Meredith MacFarquhar reported on the success of the fundraiser held at the Starving Artist on May 4th. It was a sold-out event. Thanks to the many sponsors who donated to the silent auction and the all those who bid on the items. Thanks to Desotos for providing an amazing spread of food, and to the Starving Artist which provided the venue for the event. Some $13,000.00 has been raised to date. The purpose of this fundraising is to help show TDSB the neighbourhood’s support for the new landscaping of the OCI grounds. The cost of the complete project is more than $1 million. Funding from the TDSB at present is only available to complete the amphitheatre and tables and benches designed for the north end of the school property. It is hoped that monies raised from the community will encourage the board to further fund the project and complete it in a timely manner. For more information about this venture email friendsofoakwood@yahoo.com Donations can be made directly to TDSB. Click here and then select “Oakwood Collegiate” as the fund destination, and type ‘Oakwood School Grounds landscape project’ in the ‘Message to School Board’ box. Tax receipts will be issued for all donations of greater than $25.00
      3. OCI grounds around the daycare – Marlene Reeve-Newson spoke about her concerns regarding the lighting near the entrance to the daycare area. She is pleased to hear about the plans to revitalize the landscape as she feels that it is now very industrial looking. She says the concrete sheds are an invitation for graffiti and create dark areas. She likes to use the passageway to get from Rosemount Avenue to St. Clair but says the poor lighting makes her feel unsafe. The Councillor’s office will investigate.
      4. Communications and website redesign – John reported in Peter’s absence that we have over 390 people on our mailing list to receive emails regarding events in our neighbourhood. We are in the process of redesigning the website to WordPress format, which is more user friendly. Residents are invited to sign up to be on our mailing list and buy a membership at www.regalheights.ca
      5. Changes in mystclair.com – Marjolein Winterink is assuming the role of maintaining the mystclair.com website. She plans to create a new generation platform for the site. In addition to listing events coming up on St. Clair Avenue, she hopes to feature articles, photos, poetry and stories from local residents. She put out an invitation to people in the area to make submissions.

 

    1. Special Events
      1. Recognition of librarian Caroline Ingvaldsen on her retirement – John and Harry presented Caroline with a plaque of appreciation from RHRA for her years of support and for involving the community in the library. Councillor Palacio also presented Caroline with a certificate signed by Mayor John Tory congratulating her on her retirement and expressing appreciation for her many years of service as a librarian who went beyond the traditional role to support the community. Caroline was almost speechless and accepted both gifts with thanks.
      2. Canada Day 150 plans – RHRA will be giving away 150 Canadian flags sized 5′ x 3′ in celebration of Canada’s 150th. While they will be given out for free, applicants for a flag will be asked to write a brief passage telling what Canada means to them. Stay tuned for more details.
      3. Garden Show plans – Florence shared that this year’s garden tour will be held on Sunday June 11th from 11am to 3pm. 8 to 10 homes east of Oakwood will be on the tour. Cost will be $5 per family. Maps will be available and participating gardens will be marked with balloons. The tour will start at 83 Oakwood Ave.
      4. 2017 Street party – Dave Meslin reported that the street party will be held on Saturday August 19th this year on Lauder Avenue. They are seeking volunteers to help with the planning. Contact Dave Meslin at dave@pigeonhat.ca and sign up for one of the following teams: food, talent show/music, games or technical stage set up.
      5. Pub night – RHRA pub nights continue to be held at the Fox and Fiddle through the year. It is a family affair so children are welcome to come out and join in a meal and meet your neighbours. 25% off the food bill is offered. The next pub night will be held on June 29.
      6. Community welcome project – RHRA has put together a welcome package that is delivered to new residents to our neighbourhood. It has information about the different services in the area, and welcomes them to join in the RHRA to help them connect to the neighbourhood. It is by word of mouth that we learn of new residents, either tenants or landowners. So if you see someone new moving in let us know!

 

    1. Police Community partnership
      1. Rosa Cordiano attends the monthly police meetings on behalf of RHRA. The PCP meetings are held at St. Clare school at 7pm on the first Thursday of each month. They take a break through the summer. The next meeting will be held in September. All residents are welcome to attend and bring forth issues and concerns to be discussed with the police. Our neighbourhood has a safer record than most areas in the city. It is said that the community involvement helps to deter unwanted behaviours and crime./li>
      2. Residents are encouraged to report any non-emergency issues by calling 416 808-2222 or reporting them online by clicking here. Keep in mind that the same small issue may be experienced by many. The more people who report a problem, the more likely police will address the issue. To help slow cars speeding through the streets, yellow ‘slow down’ signs are available from Councillor Palacio’s office at 91 Via Italia Ave.

 

  1. Finances and Membership
    1. Annual memberships are now effective for the calendar year from January to December. So our AGM meetings now take place in November. The annual membership fee continues to be $10.00. You can pay in person or online at www.regalheights.ca
    2. Finances:
      Finances April 18, 2017 May 16, 2017
      Operating Fund $4,353 $4,353
      Heritage Fund 276 276
      Street Sale (in trust) 192 192
      Petty Cash 180 180
      Total $5,001 $5,001

Next Meeting: September 19, 2017, location TBA.