RHRA Executive meeting
Minutes
Tuesday, September 17, 2019, 7:00 p.m.
79 Regal Rd. (Home of Beth Marcilio)

Attending: John Keating, Beth Marcilio, Brigid Higgins, Rosa Cordiano, Mary Anne Quance, Peter Norman, Harry Lay, Florence Watts, Linda DeGiorgio, Richard Cavanagh, Carol Gallagher, Marie Goldthorpe, Dave Meslin, Robert Szarchrajuk, Natalie Zend, Marco Dezi (Councillor Bailão’s office)

Regrets: Margaret Smith, Kevin Johnston

1 – Street Beautification

1.      Gardens, graffiti, garbage

Mary Anne Quance showed a number of photos of the neighbourhood gardens. There is now a good irrigation system in place all along the Rosemount stretch. The newly added pumpkin patch also did well this year. The electrical box near Springmount was beautified with a plastic-wrap mural, with funds provided by Enbridge. Marco Dezi will look into the status of the commemorative tree for Anne Marie D’Amico, which has yet to be planted.

2.      Fall garden clean up

October 19th was set for clean up of the neighbourhood gardens and planting of 200 fall bulbs (bulbs secured by Florence Watts).There will be another 200 bulbs available for planting on Daffodil Hill in November.

3.      Tree planting in memoriam

John Keating presented a private request for a tree along Rosemount in memory of a long-time Regal Heights resident. The planting would be on TDSB property and so John will connect the resident with the Principal of Oakwood CI to get the initiative started.

2 – Projects

         1.      Next Door social networking initiative

Natalie Zend presented a new idea to connect neighbours within Regal Heights through www.NextDoor.com a private social network that connects neighbours for buy and sell, lost and found, events and gatherings, sharing documents and so on. This network may offer an additional communication channel to the existing RHRA Facebook group. Residents can sign up immediately, through the website (www.nextdoor.com) or by downloading the App. There will be more information in the next RHRA newsletter to join Next Door Regal Heights.

         2. Regal Rd.-Springmount intersection update

John Keating provided an update on the status of the intersection. After the City consultations it was determined that the majority of respondents preferred a return to the original configuration of the intersection, with improved pavement markings. The City will proceed with steps to remove the bollards and restore the intersection.

3.      Update on Syrian family
John Keating announced that the family is arriving on October 21st, sponsored privately through a group of residents. Accommodation is urgently needed for the first 6-8 months while the family gets settled. Please contact John through rhra@regalheights.ca with any leads on a 3-bedroom apartment near our neighbourhood.

4.      Traffic light initiative update

Marco Dezi explained that a newly formed City department will handle the request for a stoplight at Oakwood and Rosemount as part of its mandate. The department is just getting started in all its work and therefore Marco was not sure of the timeline for proceeding with this specific matter.

5.      Federal candidates meeting

John Keating reported on behalf of Margaret Smith who was absent. The Regal Heights BIA has organized a candidates’ meeting for October 2nd from 7-9 pm at Oakwood CI and so the RHRA will defer to the BIA to handle the event. The local residents’ associations will assist with publicity and on the night of the event. The format will be as in the past, with a few prepared questions posed to all candidates. A subcommittee of the RHRA executive will brainstorm questions for the candidates, along with members of the BIA, the Northcliffe Village Residents’ Association and the Davenport Neighbourhood Association.

6.      2019 Street Party debrief

Dave Meslin reported that the party was a big success with over 60 people for the sit-down potluck dinner. There was lots of family fun throughout the day and evening with many neighbours mingling. Dave proposed that the party be an annual event and that a request for a date and place for the next party be brought to the RHRA’s November public meeting.

7.      Pub Night discussion
Peter Norman raised the question of how to increase participation in the bi-monthly pub nights. It was felt that the Fox and Fiddle is a good venue with enough space and affordable prices. There was some brainstorming on how to generate more interest for the night. More input is welcome.

3 – Police Community Partnership

Rosa Cordiano reported that the Community Partnership meetings will be held quarterly from now on. A link to the minutes for those meetings is available on the RHRA website at www.regalheights.ca/community-police-liaison-committee-cplc/

4 – Communications 

1.      Communications

Peter Norman reported that everything is up and running as usual. Please check the website for photos of the Street Party and the July 1st Parade. Suggestions are always welcome for matters pertaining to communications.

2.      Update on Regal Heights Newsletter

Brigid Higgins reported that several productive meetings have generated lots of good material for the first issue of the Regal Heights Review. The last step is to finalize the layout. It was proposed that the 2020 calendar of events be appended to the newsletter as a handy way to keep residents abreast of happenings throughout the year. Watch for the premiere issue of the Regal Heights Review in November or December of this year.

3.      RHRA archives plan

Florence Watts has housed several decades of archival material relating to the RHRA. She has connected with the Toronto Public Library and Toronto archives to inquire about the best ways to preserve and provide access to the material. The considerable task of sorting, culling, and digitalizing the collection will be taken on when the opportunity presents itself.

4. Single Use Plastic Consultation

The City of Toronto is conducting a public consultation on ways to reduce single-use plastics. There is a public event on Tuesday, September 24, 7:00 pm at Toronto City Hall. An RSVP is required at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/single-use-takeaway-items-public-event-tickets-70138463031 There is also a Telephone/Web Town Hall on Thursday, October 10 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. and Thursday, October 24 from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. An online survey will be available from September 25 – November 4. An RSVP is required at https://vekeo.com/toronto/

5. City of Toronto Consultations of Neighbourhood Groups

The City is seeking input from neighbourhood associations on the impact on City governance of a smaller Council. John Keating will complete the online survey on behalf of the RHRA. A representative is still needed to attend a workshop at Metro Hall on the evening of October 1st. Please feel free to volunteer by contacting rhra@regalheights.ca

5 – Community Welcome Project

Beth Marcilio has contacted three new households by letter to offer a Welcome Package.

6 – Finances 

1.      RHRA fall fundraising
Dave Meslin addressed the question of launching a fall fundraising drive. It was suggested that we could hold a fundraising drive any time when the account balance drops to a specified minimum (such as $3,500 or $4,000). The spending budget will be presented at the November meeting, which will further clarify the need for a fall drive.

2.      Current balances

Linda DeGiorgio provided the following figures:

	May 2019	September 2019
Operating Fund	9,294	8,903
Heritage Fund	276	276
Street Sale Fund	192	192
Petty Cash	226	226
TOTAL	9,597	9,534

Next Meeting: Tuesday, October 15th at 7pm, location TBA