January 2

Serving LESLIEVILLE, SOUTH RIVERDALE and RIVERSIDE www.beachmirror.com thurs jan 2, 2014

MARY FRAGEDAKIS City Councillor Ward 29

Committed to making our community vibrant, liveable, green, and prosperous

www.maryfragedakis.com

416-392-4032

Councillors looking to new year

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inside Looking for more things to do? Read the calendar/ 2

Follow @ mfragedakis

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON

REBECCA FIELD bsrm@insidetoronto.com Bringing some cheer to kids at East General Hospital / 5

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Kew Gardens skate: Tristan and Kevin Ball take to the ice for a little family skating at Kew Gardens Rink Saturday afternoon.

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There is a busy 2014 ahead planned for the east end of Toronto. From the film industry and traffic changes, to more updates for friends of the parks groups.

Councillors Mary-Margaret McMahon, Paula Fletcher, and Mary Fragedakis weighed in on what they have planned for the upcoming year before all three run for office again next October.

Beaches-East York (Ward 32) Councillor McMahon is looking forward to a year without the construction that took over Kingston Road last summer.

“We’ll be focusing on construction projects at the Leslie Barns and ensuring that it runs on time, on schedule,” said McMahon.

She’s working toward a pilot project with the TTC and Go Transit to integrate fares for the stations that run through the East End, such as the Danforth Go station.

“It’s not a full downtown relief line, but it would help mitigate if we could do that,” said McMahon.

In 2014, the city will see the implementation of a coordinated hoarding office at city hall for severe problem properties – an idea of McMahon’s that was recently passed. >>>BETTER, page 3

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Beach

THE MIRROR b | Thursday, January 2, 2014 |

2

w Monday, Jan. 20

Nutritionist in the House WHEN: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. WHERE: Community Centre 55, 97 Main St. COST: Free Community Centre 55 presents Sheila Ream in Nutritionist in the House.

Appointments are half an hour and are free. Call 416-691-1113 to book your private consultation.

w Tuesday, Jan. 21

Beach Garden Society WHEN: 7:15 to 9 p.m. WHERE: Adam Beck Community Centre, 79 Lawlor Ave. CONTACT: Marcha Armstrong, 416-698-8298, marchabgs@gmail. com COST: first visit free, then join society Presentation: “What You Absolutely Need to Grow in 2014!”Come early and enjoy informal discussions with members or check out the library. Light refreshments served. Visit www.beachgs.ca

w Tuesday, Jan. 28

Conscious Living Book Club WHEN: 7:30 to 9 p.m. WHERE: The Remarkable Bean, 2242 Queen St. E. CONTACT: Bronwyn van Vugt, bronwyn@greenbeaches.ca COST: Free Books are chosen that inspire us to

Williams at 416-699-2518.

looking ahead w Monday, Jan. 27

Foot Care Clinic WHEN: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. WHERE: Community Centre 55, 97 Main St. Community Centre 55 hosts its Foot Care Clinic Jan 27 and March 17 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. by appointment only. Cost, $20. Call 416-691-1113 to reserve. live our lives conscious of the planet and of those around us. Book suggestions and new members always welcome. Event hosted by the Green Party of Beaches-East York.

w Thursday, Jan. 30

Community Centre 55 Niagara region trip WHEN: 1:30 to 9 p.m. WHERE: Community Centre 55, 97 Main St. CONTACT: Evonne, 416-691-1113 Join Community Centre 55 for a trip to the Niagara region including stops at the Upper Canada Cheese Company, Betty’s Restaurant and the Festival of Lights Jan. 30 from 1:30 to 9 p.m. Cost, $55 and includes lunch. Call Evonne at 416-

691-1113, ext. 222 to reserve.

w Ongoing East Toronto Climate Action Group East Toronto Climate Action Group are citizens who are concerned about smog, climate change and other environmental issues as they impact the city and particularly east Toronto. Meetings are held monthly and your involvement and support are welcome. Visit www.etcag.org St. John’s Catholic Church Choir St. John’s Catholic Church Choir welcomes new members. The group practises Thursdays from 7:30 to 9 p.m. and perform Sundays at 11 a.m. at 794 Kingston Rd. Call Paul

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Breakfast meeting Rotary Club of Toronto Beach holds a breakfast meeting Tuesdays at 7 a.m. at the Balmy Beach Club. Visit www. torontobeachrotary.org or call Roger Cecchetto 416-415-5000 ext. 6078 Senior Lunch Bunch Senior Lunch Bunch meets at St. Aidan’s Memorial Hall, 70 Silver Birch Ave., every other Wednesday for a program from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., lunch until 1:30 p.m. Cost, $5. Call Neighbourhood Link 416-6917407.

The Joy of Writing The Joy of Writing, a weekly workshop where writers gather Tuesdays from 7 to 9 p.m., at Queen-Saulter Library, 765 Queen St. E. Call Lucille Barker at 416-392-6810.

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3

We’ll be focusing on construction projects at the Leslie Barns and ensuring that it runs on time, on schedule.

– Mary-Margaret McMahon

(Leslie Barns) still has a major impact throughout Leslieville and I want to keep on it to make sure it’s on time.

– Paula Fletcher

Everybody cares about the environment, everybody cares about their local parks.

Ward 32 Counc. Mary-Margaret McMahon

Ward 30 Counc. Paula Fletcher

Ward 29 Counc. Mary Fragedakis

– Mary Fragedakis

Better planning for the Danforth: Fragedakis >>>from page 1 “Instead of one councillor going and trying to find it out, there’ll be two people working there to deal with specific things with those properties so that it’s a more timely, efficient and sensitive response,” said McMahon.

The councillor’s enthusiasm for friends of the parks groups will continue as will a new playground going into Stephenson Park among others, as well as a refresher to the entrance to Kew Gardens and the installation of some concrete ping pong tables in parks across the ward.

Relief line study needed: Fletcher Councillor Paula Fletcher will also be monitoring the construction on Leslie Barns.

“It still has a major impact throughout Leslieville and I want to keep on it to make sure it’s on time,” said Fletcher who said she will continue to work with the community and local businesses on problems with the construction.

Fletcher would like to see an

environmental assessment done for the Downtown Relief line that is more comprehensive than the one done for the Leslie Barns, and that involves more input from the community before anything is done. “(Leslie Barns) was a low mark and the calibre just needs to be at the highest quality and start properly because this is a very, very big project – quite disruptive so it can’t be a typical consultation where it’s all decided ahead of time and they bring that out to the public,” said Fletcher.

“That’s not going to happen on my watch.”

In terms of other studies, the Ward 30 (Toronto-Danforth) councillor is excited for the Lower Don Lands Environmental Assessment to be tabled in the upcoming year so the ward can move forward with its plans to improve the waterfront over the next several decades.

She will also be moving ahead with the Queen Street Study to determine if it should be deemed a Commercial Heritage District.

“I’m very excited by how well this is going, how engaged people are, and how thoughtful they are,” said Fletcher.

“I’m never surprised at how

thoughtful they are.”

Fletcher will also be working to improve traffic around schools, as well as in Riverdale where residential streets are being used to avoid traffic at major intersections on Broadview and Carlaw Avenues.

Fairford Avenue and Coxwell Avenue will also be receiving a green boulevard in the middle of the road to alleviate heavy traffic. streetscape She will also be looking at the streetscape on Carlaw Avenue as Crow’s Theatre will open underneath a condo development – something that’s never been done before in the ward.

“I think everybody is excited about that and it would be devastating to find out that there is a wrinkle from the city that would not allow that,” said Fletcher.

“I’ll continue to work with anybody who needs assistance in the community,” said Fletcher who also wants to make transit information meetings, as well as emphasizing supporting the film industry a priority in the upcoming year.

“If we can do it, if it’s possible to do, I will get that done.”

Tree Canopy: Fragedakis North of the Danforth, “There’s lots of important, meaningful work and lots of issues that are important to people irrespective of what people’s political beliefs are,” said Fragedakis over the phone during a week spent trying to help people in Ward 29 without power.

“Everybody cares about the environment, everybody cares about their local parks,” said Fragedakis who noted that more than 1,000 trees were planted in her ward this past year through the efforts of her constituents in the Ward 29 Tree Canopy Group as well as city planners.

“Now after the storm, we have lots of damage and we’re going to continue our efforts in the New Year when we can, and start replanting,” said Fragedakis, who represents Toronto-Danforth (Ward 29) on council.

“I’ve gone around the ward in the last week and seen the devastation from the trees — it looks like a war zone.”

The councillor listed off

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improvements in parks such as the Charles Sauriol Parkette and Langford Parkette — some of the work continuing into 2014.

The Dieppe Park ice rinks will be getting more programming for seniors and youth, and the park will also be hosting its ‘Learn to Bike’ program in the spring.

The Danforth will also be seeing more planning around tree boxes to make less “pinch” points for pedestrians and patio-owners during the summer. passionate residents “I represent a group of very passionate residents. They take pride in their community and they want to be involved,” said Fragedakis.

“We want something better and so people speak out and get involved and that’s great – that’s what it’s all about.”

Fragedakis emphasized that with flooding, ice storms and power outages being some of the major issues in 2013 in ward 29, that in 2014 she will “expect the unexpected.”

i

Find out what other city councillors have to say at our website, www. beachmirror.com

| THE MIRROR b | Thursday, January 2, 2014

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THE MIRROR b | Thursday, January 2, 2014 |

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opinion

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City of Toronto

Showcasing city’s very best in 2014

Proudly serving the communities of The Beach • East End-Danforth Greenwood-Coxwell South Riverdale Woodbine Corridor Beach Hill

Write us

A

new year dawns on our city and many people are considering their goals for 2014. In the spirit of reflection and resolution, we think there are a few goals the City of Toronto and its citizens, as a collective, should work toward.

Let’s continue to be a place people want to live, work and play. Based on world ranking surveys in 2013, our city is already sitting comfortably at the top: we were named the most youthful city by the Youthful Cities index; the second most reputable city by the Reputation Institute; and second in the Overall North American Cities of the Future for business investment.

Maintaining that high standard requires ongoing commitment by our elected officials, our business and community leaders.

So here’s a wish for 2014: to see effective, accountable and dignified leadership our view from our mayor and city council.

When we make headlines interit should be for posiMaintaining nationally, tive reasons that help strengthen our reputation – not tarnish it. If our high the ill-conceived behaviour of any standards person proves a detriment to the effectiveness of this city, then they need to answer for it.

We also hope 2014 is the year Toronto breaks out of its downward spiral on transit planning. No more flip-flopping, cancelled plans, lost investment and wasted time. We need vital transit upgrades and a concrete commitment from all levels of government to find a way to pay for it.

Another wish: that this year Toronto gets an engaging municipal election – one where candidates focus on critical issues mentioned here, and one that gets residents invested in municipal affairs and gets them out to the polls.

Lastly, we hope to continue to see evidence of the good will of the people of Toronto. Whether it’s offering refuge from a power outage after an ice storm, local police engaged in community building, or school children initiating charity drives for typhoon victims on the other side of the world – that spirit of compassion is our most defining feature.

There’s much to celebrate this year, with the World Cup set to spark excitement in our communities only possible in a city as diverse as ours, and the ongoing preparation of hosting the Pan/Parapan Am Games in 2015. This is our chance to showcase our city on the world stage – let’s work together and make the most of that opportunity.

The Beach Mirror welcomes letters of 400 words or less. All submissions must include name, address and a daytime telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters.

Copyright in letters remains with the author but the publisher and affiliates may freely reproduce them in print, electronic or other forms. Letters can be sent to letters@insidetoronto. com, or mailed to The Beach Mirror, 175 Gordon Baker Rd. Toronto, ON, M2H 0A2.

column

Mayor Ford front and centre during ice storm

S

ay one thing about Mayor Rob Ford’s work ethic: it seemed to have grown two sizes over the Christmas holidays.

When the power went out for a third of the city, leaving families freezing in the dark, there he was: front and centre.

It’s unclear whether the mayor did so out of a sense of civic duty or a fear that if he didn’t step up, Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly and councillors like public works and infrastructure committee chair Denzil Minnan-Wong might soak up all of the credit for helping out during the ice storm.

The fact that the mayor refused to declare a state of emergency, turning powers over to the deputy mayor and also perhaps increasing the amount of inter-governmental aid the city could expect, tends to support the latter interpretation.

david nickle the city But never mind that.

Despite having been stripped of his powers after having debased the office of mayor like none before him, the mayor took to podiums and neighbourhoods with great zeal – inserting himself as the reassuring voice of the public service in calamitous times.

Political Calculus Doing so is a political calculus – if he is to stand a chance in the mayor’s race later this year, Ford must be seen to be doing something beyond brushing off reporters, dreaming of football and returning a handful of constituents’ phone calls.

And he must not be seen to be absent during public emergencies, par-

ticularly when his other duties and powers as mayor have been so effectively curtailed.

Now, it will take a lot of public emergencies over the next 10 months for Torontonians to forgive his appalling behaviour over the past couple of years.

This is the guy who admitted to smoking crack cocaine while in office, who consorts with gang members and alleged drug dealers, makes lewd remarks related to his wife to deny allegations of making even more lewd remarks about former employees.

As much as polls indicate that Ford’s base is remaining loyal, the majority of Torontonians are looking elsewhere for their next mayor.

And Ford risks giving the impression that his newly-found municipal engagement is nothing but a cynical grab for

“

It will take a lot of public emergencies ... for Torontonians to forgive his appalling behaviour over the past couple of years.

photo-ops, as sincere as a death-bed conversion.

Still, give him this: Rob Ford is finally doing the job he was elected to do.

On Sunday, he announced he’d be calling a special council meeting Jan. 10, to ask for provincial disaster relief assistance for those residents who spent all or part of the holidays dealing with the impact of the ice storm.

And whatever that does for his re-election chances, Ford seems to be doing the right thing now.

i

David Nickle is The Mirror’s city hall reporter. His column runs Thursdays.

newsroom ph: 416-493-4400 fax: 416-774-2070 | circulation ph: 416-493-4400 fax: 416-675-3470 | distribution ph: 416-493-4400 fax: 416-675-3066 | display advertising ph: 416-493-4400 fax: 416-774-2067 | classifieds ph: 416-798-7284 | administration ph: 416-493-4400

5

City to start clearing fallen trees on Friday

Beary Merry Visit at TEGH SPIRIT OF GIVING: Toronto Marlies player Mike Duco, left, and firefighter Chris Casa meet Jaymes Perreault and his daughters Jaylynn and Adalynn at Toronto East General Hospital as they give out toys on behalf of Metroland Media Toronto’s Beary Merry Christmas campaign on Christmas Eve. Below, Duco gives a candy cane to Jonah Holm, 4, as Metroland Media Toronto representatives Deon Malloy, Antonella Barrasso, and Donna Power look on. The annual Beary Merry campaign brings gifts of stuffed bears to bring cheer to patients spending the holidays in hospital.

Staff photos by Nick Perry

The City of Toronto starts clearing away the fallen pieces of street trees tomorrow, work it’s thought will continue for around eight weeks.

Residents should put the debris on their curb or boulevard by tonight, leaving enough space for people to pass safely.

City crews, however, won’t go onto private property to clear limbs of privately owned trees, a release said. Residents can call a contractor to remove a private tree downed or left damaged and hazardous by the storm, the city said, adding “some (damaged) trees can be saved with proper care and maintenance.”

Within the quarantine area for the Asian long-horned beetle in Etobicoke, city crews will take special steps to dispose of wood and make sure it does not allow the beetle to move to another area.

The city also cautioned residents on the use of chainsaws, advising they be operated only with proper training, equipment

and clothing.

End Politicians’ New Years Levee wEast

Beach residents are invited to welcome 2014 with area politicians and some of their neighbours this Sunday.

The annual New Year’s Levee, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the East York Civic Centre (850 Coxwell Ave.), is meant to let local people meet their political representatives.

This year, Ward 31 BeachesEast York councillor Janet Davis, Ward 29 Toronto-Danforth Councillor Mary Fragedakis, Beaches-East York MPP Michael Prue, Toronto-Danforth MPP Peter Tabuns, Beaches-East York public school trustee Sheila Cary-Meagher, TorontoDanforth public school trustee Cathy Dandy, Beaches-East York MP Matthew Kellway and Toronto-Danforth MP Craig Scott are expected to attend.

Organizers say the event also features a jazz trio and light refreshments. Food bank donations will be appreciated.

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| THE MIRROR b | Thursday, January 2, 2014

community

THE MIRROR b | Thursday, January 2, 2014 |

6

city hall

Deputy mayor: The year that was, the year that will be David Nickle dnickle@insidetoronto.com Going into 2014, Toronto’s Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly has a stack of books he wants to get to: a biography of Chairman Mao, another book on the new science of persuasion, a third looking at the fraternity of former U.S. presidents.

But although he is wellknown as a voracious reader, Kelly hasn’t made much progress on these books and doesn’t expect to in the coming year.

After a year of scandal, embarrassment and demagoguery coming out of the office of the Mayor of Toronto, the councillor from ScarboroughAgincourt who has now taken on many of the powers and responsibilities of the mayor, has his hands full.

Not that he’s complaining.

“It’s been very busy and the adjustment has been more comfortable than I guess I anticipated – but again, I didn’t know what to anticipate,” said Kelly, sitting down Ads for a _ yearKanetix TRAVEL Half

end interview.

“I’ve been blessed with a terrific team of people helping me. As a councillor, you have to select a certain number of issues to focus on, but as a mayor it has to be wider. In this position, you’re looking at a spectrum – you’ve got to be looking at everything,” he said.

Kelly has been working as Toronto’s de facto mayor for about a month, since Toronto City Council voted to strip Mayor Rob Ford of most of his powers and bestow them on Kelly. It’s a unique position in Canadian municipal politics: Kelly was anointed deputy mayor in the summer by Ford, after former deputy Doug Holyday left city hall to sit on Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly. the Progressive Conservative was beginning to erode in benches in Queen’s Park. the last few days of the Ford Kelly took over as scandal, administration,” said Kelly. a police investigation and an “That has been cauterized. I admission of illegal drug use put Ford, and Toronto, on the think we’re well on our way, I world stage. In the interview, hope, to regaining the respect Kelly assesses the damage of Torontonians, and maybe done to the city. by extension the international executive function media as well.”Headline Page“The H 10.375”x5.71” Metroland TAB_OP1

“

We are the most important city in the region and the country, and we’ve tended to back away from that leadership role, and I would like to see if we can reassert ourselves.

– Norm Kelly

Staff photo/David Nickle

Kelly will be leading council into an election year – in an election that Ford promised would be bloody, as he set about to run for re-election.

Kelly said he hoped it wouldn’t be too great a distraction to Toronto council.

“I think that there’s a genu-

ine willingness by most members of council to focus on the business of the city,” he said, “the most important of which is the budget, and I think that people are hoping that there won’t be any further personal issues that will erupt on the sidelines. I have a sense that councillors are getting down to business and will maintain that frame of mind going forward.”

Kelly said that he anticipated much of the work of council in 2014 will focus on the budget, which will be approved in late January and implemented through the year.

“The budget’s going to take

you well into the new year and the Billy Bishop airport issue is going to occupy almost the same territory,” said Kelly.

“After that will be... the task of implementing the budget you decided on. And then you come into a smooth landing in July, and everybody gets off the plane and hits the streets at election time.”

Beyond that, Kelly is hoping Toronto can regain a sense of leadership in the Greater Toronto Area that he believes it’s lost over the Ford years.

“We are the most important city in the region and the country, and we’ve tended to back away from that leadership role, and I would like to see if we can reassert ourselves,” he said.

One thing Kelly insists is that he will not seek election as mayor in 2014. “I’m very proud to represent the communities of Scarborough-Agincourt. I’ll be standing for that office, and that honour.”

i

Follow City Hall reporter David Nickle on Twitter: @DavidNickle

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Funding the focus for transit advocates in 2014 Municipal, and possible provincial, election present opportunity to pressure politicians RAHUL GUPTA rgupta@insidetoronto.com

T

he year 2013 did not go down in history as a particularly noteworthy one for transit in the City of Toronto.

There was some progress in improving transit, such as the introduction of articulated buses, completed subway station renovations as well as an emphasis on better customer service on the part of the TTC. Meanwhile, Metrolinx introduced all-day trips on GO train lines and proceeded on extensive renovation work at Union Station.

Real progress was also made in June of 2013 on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, with tunnel excavations commencing far below Eglinton Avenue. Also, in the fall Toronto Council voted to extend the Bloor-Danforth subway line to Sheppard Avenue and McCowan Road in Scarborough, to ultimately replace the aging Scarborough RT. By-and-large, however, transit in 2013 was characterized by the endless bickering between politicians about funding, subways, LRTs and revenue tools, even as record levels of transit riders dealt with higher levels of congestion, creakier service, higher fares and plenty of delays.

It’s too soon to say whether 2014 will be any different, but the likelihood of two elections, provincially and municipally, make for an obvious and useful coincidence for transit supporters seeking to drum

“

I’m hoping politicians will recognize we have to continue to expand the network, so I’m looking for a serious, mature debate.

– TTC CEO Andy Byford

up support for transit funding, such as TTC CEO Andy Byford.

“I’m hoping politicians will recognize we have to continue to expand the network, so I’m looking for a serious, mature debate that will lead to decent and adequate funding,” said Byford of his hopes for 2014.

In the new year, Byford will be part of a delegation of city officials which includes mayoral candidate Karen Stintz set to travel to Queen’s Park and Ottawa in search of better transit funding.

Better funding He said the TTC couldn’t continue to function without better funding, with annual fare increases no longer acceptable to riders frustrated by higher prices and a declining level of service.

“We’ve got to be imaginative in the sources of funding, which is one of the reasons we’ve formed this task force,” he said. “We are doing our damnedest to make the service more reliable, but there comes a point you have to invest.”

The Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance will also

Staff file photo/RAHUL GUPTA

Completed tracks inside subway tunnels below the Downsview Park Station construction site in North York are shown during a tour of the line to Vaughan.

call for better transit funding in 2014, said a spokesperson for the advocacy group.

L i n d a We i c h e l s a i d CivicAction, which bills itself as a non-partisan regional organization, will resume efforts to convince elected officials to sign its pledge for better transit funding.

But as in the past, the group and its council of transportation “champions” will refrain from offering specific recommendations for funding or endorsements of pro-transit politicians.

“From day one, we created a council with a great variety of interests from business to labour to social service agencies,” said Weichel, a vice president with CivicAction who was responsible for leading the group’s Your32 transit awareness campaign.

“What everyone agreed on was we need investment.”

CivicAction also had to deal with the impromptu departure of its CEO Mitzie Hunter in 2013, who left the group to run for the provincial Liberals in a Scarborough-Guildwood byelection which she won.

Sevaun Palvetzian, a longtime civil servant, will officially replace Hunter as CEO of CivicAction as of Jan. 6, but the agency could also face another high-profile departure in 2014 if chair John Tory enters the Toronto mayoral race.

Weichel said CivicAction would focus more on getting residents to endorse the idea of better funding.

“The biggest obstacle is the question of trust,” she said.

“It’s very clear people want to see something done to deliver a better network and offer more transportation choices, but it’s really a question of whether there’s trust in governments spending that money wisely. There is more work to be done there.”

According to Martin Collier, transportation issues will likely be front and centre in both the municipal elections (set for Oct. 27) and a possible provincial election, though historically that’s not often the case.

“It’s funny but transportation seems to be more of an issue between elections than on elections, that’s been

my experience,” said Collier, director of Healthy Transport Consulting which organizes a series of seminars entitled Transport Futures. “But this year, it could be totally different.”

In the case of the provincial election, he said it would be

up to the minority Liberal government of Premier Kathleen Wynne to make the case for transit. But he thought the idea of paying more in taxes and fees could become a “wedge issue” and one provincial candidates would try to avoid during an election

campaign.

He hopes future debates on what project to build next, and how to fund them, come from places of reason rather than emotion.

i

Transit reporter Rahul Gupta can be reached on Twitter: @ TOinTRANSIT

| THE MIRROR b | Thursday, January 2, 2014

transit

THE MIRROR b | Thursday, January 2, 2014 |

8

transit

TTC chair blasts timeline for Presto fare system A long term plan to install the Presto fare system in TTC vehicles and stations is not acceptable, says the transit commission’s chair.

The fare collection system is already in wide use on GO Transit and other GTA-area transit agencies with hundreds of thousands of transit riders tapping on daily.

Presto is scheduled to be fully deployed by 2016 on the

TTC, but that’s not nearly soon enough according to TTC chair Karen Stintz, who wants to see “substantial completion” by the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games.

At the Dec. 18 TTC board meeting, Stintz made a motion to direct staff to work with Metrolinx on a sped-up deployment schedule so that the smart fare card is in place in stations, new streetcars and

buses as well as Wheel-Trans vehicles by the time the 2015 Pan Am Games begin.

The motion, which also called for regular schedule updates to the board, was approved unanimously.

“We were presented with a schedule that wasn’t going to help us meet our goal, so I want to make sure the partners go back and look at a revised schedule,” said Stintz following

the meeting at city hall.

At the meeting, TTC staff presented to the board particulars of the Presto rollout plan, which will come in two phases starting fall of 2014, beginning with installing Presto card readers on 50 new streetcars to serve the Spadina, Bathurst, Dundas and Harbourfront lines, as well as at 23 stations, most of them in the downtown core.

Installations would be handled by Metrolinx, which operates Presto, including vending machines in stations and on vehicles as well as ticket validation devices for riders choosing to use paper tickets.

Riders will also eventually be able to use their mobile devices, debit and credit cards to tap on, though not in time for the 2014 deployment.

Complicating matters is the

need for the deployment to satisfy 4,000 “business requirements” to ensure stable implementation. Also required are power upgrades in stations to accommodate the new Presto machines.

TTC CEO Andy Byford agreed Presto implementation should be close to complete by 2015. But he urged caution on moving too quickly.

– Rahul Gupta

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sports

High school standings Here are the up-to-date high school standings for Toronto District School Board (TDSB) schools competing in the south division, which includes the east Toronto schools in our coverage area. Full standings as well as schedules at www.tdsb.on.ca

Girls volleyball

Boys hockey

SENIOR TIER ONE TEAM W Leaside HS 2 Malvern CI 2 Humberside 1 Lawrence Park 1 Riverdale CI 1 North Toronto 0 East York CI 0 Northern SS 0

L 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 2

T 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

GF 10 6 9 5 6 2 1 5

GA 4 4 5 3 7 5 6 10

P 4 4 2 2 2 0 0 0

SENIOR TIER TWO TEAM W Central Tech 1 Monarch Park 1 Harbord CI 1 Oakwood CI 1 Forest Hill CI 1 Northern SS 1 Western Tech 1 Parkdale CI 0 Danforth Tech 0 Bloor CI 0

L 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 2

T 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

GF 9 6 11 5 12 13 9 4 1 2

GA 7 5 1 2 3 9 9 6 11 19

P 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0

Girls hockey SENIOR TIER ONE TEAM W Lawrence Park 2 Leaside HS 2 Mowat CI 1 Malvern CI 1 East York CI 0

L 0 1 1 2 2

T 0 0 0 0 0

GF 8 7 4 8 1

GA 2 4 4 7 11

P 4 4 2 2 0

SENIOR TIER TWO TEAM W Richview CI 2 Humberside CI 2 Etobicoke SA 1 Riverdale CI 0 Monarch Park 0 Martingrove CI 0 Silverthorn CI 0

L 0 0 0 1 2 1 1

T 0 0 0 1 1 0 0

GF 14 11 5 2 1 2 4

GA 5 2 0 6 11 6 9

P 4 4 2 1 1 0 0

SENIOR TIER ONE East TEAM G Lawrence Park 5 Northern SS 5 Danforth Tech 5 North Toronto 4 Riverdale CI 4 East York CI 4 Rosedale Hgts 3 Leaside HS 5 Marc Garneau 6 Monarch Park 7 C. Francais 4

W 5 5 4 3 3 2 1 1 1 1 0

L 0 0 1 1 1 2 2 4 5 6 4

GF 10 10 8 7 6 4 2 4 2 2 1

GA 0 1 3 2 3 4 4 8 11 12 8

P 10 10 8 6 6 4 2 2 2 2 0

JUNIOR TIER ONE East TEAM G Malvern CI 6 Leaside HS 5 Lawrence Park 5 North Toronto 3 Northern SS 4 Monarch Park 6 Riverdale CI 2 East York CI 3 Marc Garneau 5 Danforth Tech 5

W 6 4 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 0

L 0 1 2 1 2 4 1 2 4 5

GF 12 9 7 4 6 4 2 3 3 0

GA 1 3 4 3 6 9 2 4 8 10

P 12 8 6 4 4 4 2 2 2 0

Boys basketball SENIOR TIER ONE TEAM G Eastern Com. 3 Oakwood 3 Jarvis CI 2 Western Tech 4 Northern SS 4 Central Tech 6 Monarch Park 5 East York 5

i

W 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1

L 0 0 0 2 2 4 4 4

PF 239 223 151 285 259 369 240 195

PA 126 117 135 285 269 409 304 316

P 6 6 4 4 4 4 2 2

Staff photo/NICK PERRY

Adam Miller, of Lawrence Park, checks Malvern Collegiate’s Nick Waterman during a senior boys tier one hockey game at North Toronto Arena earlier this month. Malvern won 2-1.

SENIOR TIER TWO East TEAM G Danforth Tech 5 Riverdale 2 Marc Garneau 3 Leaside 4 North Toronto 1 Rosedale Hts 1 C. Francais 4

For Toronto Catholic District School Board standings and schedules, visit www.tdcaa.org

W 4 2 2 2 0 0 0

L 1 0 1 2 1 1 4

PF 312 132 219 315 64 27 142

PA 258 96 171 263 71 46 306

P 8 4 4 4 0 0 0

JUNIOR TIER ONE TEAM G Oakwood 4 Lawrence Park 5 Northern SS 3 Central Tech 4 North Toronto 2 East York CI 2

W 4 4 1 1 0 0

L 0 1 2 3 2 2

PF 335 323 185 185 91 57

PA 191 292 187 249 114 143

P 8 8 2 2 0 0

JUNIOR TIER TWO East TEAM G C. Francais 5 Monarch Park 4 Jarvis CI 3 Leaside HS 4 Riverdale CI 2 Marc Garneau 3 Danforth Tech 5

W 4 3 2 2 1 1 0

L 1 1 1 2 1 2 5

PF 321 212 148 199 135 162 180

PA 279 185 110 213 102 173 295

P 8 6 4 4 2 2 0

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business

Education tax putting Toronto businesses at a disadvantage

“

DAVID NICKLE dnickle@insidetoronto.com Running a successfully competitive small business can be a trick at the best of times. But for the past 15 years, Toronto business owners have been operating with a handicap that many of their neighbours outside of the 416 area code have not.

Property taxes going to fund provincial education are higher in Toronto than they are in surrounding municipalities – and while relief has been promised, it’s not coming quickly enough for business leaders.

“The difference for Toronto could amount to thousands of dollars,” says Lionel Miskin, vice-president of the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA), which represents 74 BIAs (comprising of some 35,000 business and property owners) across the city.

“If my business is on the south side of Steeles Avenue in Toronto and I’m competing with businesses on the north

The difference for Toronto could amount to thousands of dollars.

Staff file photo/ERIN HATFIELD

The Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA) has a petition seeking changes to the province’s business education tax system.

side of Steeles Avenue, which is in Markham, I’m at a huge disadvantage.”

The reasons behind that disadvantage is historic – stretching back to Mike Harris’ Common Sense Revolution in the late 1990s, continuing through governments led by Ernie Eves, Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne.

Through it all, businesses in Toronto have waited, sometimes patiently, sometimes less so, for the mess borne of a seismic change in the way education was administered in this province to be fixed.

It was a bright winter’s

day in 1998 when Ernie Eves, Finance Minister in Mike Harris’ Progressive Conservative Government, came to a Danforth Avenue restaurant promising relief.

Ev e s w a s p r o m i s i n g among other things, to fix the Business Education Tax – a levy on businesses across the province, imposed when the PC government took over the funding of education from local boards of education that same year.

The change resulted in inequities.

When local boards levied property taxes for local

– Lionel Miskin

schools, they taxed according to local needs, and all those tax dollars went into local schools. But with the Ministry of Education allocating funding according to a specific formula, the money raised was spread across the province according to regional needs.

The province immediately equalized residential property tax rates for education. But business tax rates remained at their legacy rates, which varied widely from municipality to municipality.

Because of that shift, Toronto and other large municipalities took on a larger portion of the property tax burden than smaller ones.

Eves committed to change all that – over time, cutting business taxes for relatively high rates so that it eventu-

ally would equalize at 1.6 per cent.

The initial target date set

by Eves for achieving that rate was 2007. By the time they left office in 2003, the Progressive Conservatives were cutting the tax by $400 million a year.

That didn’t last long.

When the Ontario Liberals took over that year, it froze the reductions until the 2007 budget, when it announced it would resume the cuts, once again targeting complete reduction of the rates by 2014.

But in the 2012 budget, the government announced another freeze in the phaseout – until 2017-18, when the provincial budget is anticipated to be balanced.

For TABIA, that’s too late, and it’s hoping Premier Wynne will move where her predecessor, McGuinty, has proven unwilling, and has organized a petition of business owners to bring political pressure to do so.

Miskin said it’s a matter of equity.

“What’s of concern is this discrepancy of rates,” he said.

“If you can imagine a situation where everybody in different parts of the province paid different income tax rates – I’m making $50,000 and in a 25 per cent tax bracket, but a guy in Brampton is in a 15 per cent bracket.... there’s no equity to it.”

And he said that while Toronto may have seen some benefits in reductions in rates, the largest reductions weren’t to have come until 2013-2015.

“And that’s exactly when the province said we can’t continue this anymore,” he said.

“The stated reason was that we’ve got to get the deficit down.... if you’re really cynical, you might believe that the province never did intend to follow through in the 2007 budget, because all of the significant reductions to Toronto were deferred to 2014.”

i

For more information on TABIA, visit them online at www.toronto-bia.com

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12

city hall

City councillors back increases in water and garbage rates for 2014

Debate over contracting garbage east of Yonge put off until after election

Water rate hikes to pay for upgrades to city’s aging system

DAVID NICKLE dnickle@insidetoronto.com

DAVID NICKLE dnickle@insidetoronto.com

Toronto Council has agreed to put off the question of contracting out garbage east of Yonge Street until after next year’s municipal election – siding with Mayor Rob Ford, in a clash with public works and infrastructure committee chair Denzil Minnan-Wong.

Ford asked council Dec. 18, to request a report on the pros and cons of contracting out garbage collection on the east end of the city, to be delivered to the public works and infrastructure committee in 2015.

“I find that we’ve had huge success contracting out garbage collection in Etobicoke, then finally got everything going west of Yonge Street.

The proof is in the pudding – I’ll be shocked if it comes back that it’s cheaper to do it in-house,” said Ford. “This is

It will cost more to turn on a tap and toss out trash in 2014 as Toronto Council finalized the rate-supported budgets for next year.

Council voted Dec. 18, to support a nine per cent water rate increase for 2014, with hikes of eight per cent a year for the following three years.

And it has approved a three per cent increase to the cost of throwing out garbage in its solid waste budget.

For the typical water user, that will add $73 a year to their water bill – with money going to the ongoing upgrade of the city’s aging water system.

The garbage fee increase

will mean a small garbage bin will cost $230.72 (up from the current $224), a medium will now cost $280.09 (up from $271.93), and a large will cost $380.39 (increased from $369.31). start paying Charitable organizations and churches, currently exempt from garbage collection fees, will also start paying for garbage collection, starting in 2015.

Council considered altering that, as Trinity-Spadina Councillor Mike Layton moved to simply exempt the organizations from the fees, and public works and infrastructure committee chair Denzil Minnan-Wong moved to start charging the fees in 2014.

Layton argued the fees would be crippling to charities such as Goodwill, which receives donations of furniture and other large objects which sometimes must be disposed of.

“Goodwill estimates the full cost could be $600,000,” said Layton.

“That’s going to result in them having to close down some community stores and restrict some of the services they deliver.”

Layton said the city should be supporting charities that do valuable work in the community, and the fee amounts to a “clawback.” move on it Minnan-Wong, meanw h i l e, a rgu e d t h e c i t y needs to move on it imme-

diately.

“You’re either for waste diversion or you’re not for waste diversion,” said Minnan-Wong. “I never thought I’d have to give Layton a lesson in environmental stewardship or responsibility... The right thing to do is to say we want you to be part of the waste diversion system.

“That’s the principle behind this program and that is why we need to support the program. That’s why this is a perfect system of carrot and stick.”

But council wouldn’t go either way, voting down Minnan-Wong’s motion 14-20, and Layton’s motion 16-17.

i

For more community news, visit us online at www. parkdalevillager.com

not anti-union. I encourage unions to compete and vote, and if people disagree this will be a great election issue, just like it was last time.”

Earlier in the term, the city contracted out about a quarter of the city’s garbage collection to Green For Life, and got changes to the collective agreements with city outside workers that allow the city to contract out the rest of garbage collection.

But Ford had held off on moving ahead with full contracted out garbage until after the 2014 election.

Minnan-Wong, who is openly considering a run for mayor himself, made it clear he’d like to see if it can go ahead more quickly. He moved to have the entire matter referred to the committee he chairs.

Councillors voted down Minnan-Wong’s referral, and supported Ford’s.

13

ICE STORM PLAYS ◗December’s HAVOC WITH TRANSIT severe ice storm played havoc with transit operations across the city.

Both TTC and GO Transit riders experienced major delays as the transit agencies struggled with power issues caused by the storm.

At its height, service on all subway lines was affected as well as streetcar routes, plus the Scarborough RT. Several bus routes were also forced to cancel service or detour around areas where downed hydro wires or trees were reported.

It wasn’t until midday on Christmas Eve – with the re-opening of the Sheppard subway – that service was fully restored.

STINTZ TO STEP DOWN AS TTC CHAIR Ka re n St i n t z o f f i c i a l l y announced she will step down from her position as chair of the TTC board in February. Stintz, who intends to run in the 2014 mayoral election, made the announcement at last week’s TTC board meeting.

She will leave the chair’s

◗

����� ����� TO �� TRANSIT seat as of Feb. 22, 2014, but will remain on the board. She has already endorsed fellow board member Josh Colle as her replacement.

Maria Augimeri, a longtime TTC commissioner, is also considered a contender for the position. City council will vote on Stintz’s replacement at its Feb. 19 session.

FARE HIKES IN EFFECT AS OF NEW YEARS DAY Tis the season for transit fare hikes.

As of New Years Day, TTC riders were faced with another price increase, as the cash-strapped transit agency struggles to cover its 2014 operating budget.

Hardest hit are Metropass holders who will now pay $5.25 more per month in 2014.

A five cent increase was also approved per token or ticket. With the fare hike, the TTC projects it will raise around eight million dollars, which still won’t be enough

◗

to balance the budget.

In January city council will vote on whether to approve an annual operating subsidy for the transit commission.

Regardless if the $428 million request is accepted by council, the TTC will continue to be among the lowest funded transit agencies in North America.

A fare hike for 2015 is also scheduled.

BIDS FOR EGLINTON LRT ◗CONTRACT

Metrolinx announced in December a pair of consortia pre-selected to bid on construction contracts for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. Some 30 companies make up Crosslinx Transit Solutions and Crosstown Transit Partners, including heavyweights like EllisDon and Aecon, which will have the opportunity to bid on over $2 billion worth of construction contracts, everything from station design work to signal and communications system installations.

i

Rahul Gupta is The Mirror’s transit reporter. Reach him on Twitter: @TOinTRANSIT

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| THE MIRROR b | Thursday, January 2, 2014

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