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Future of 54 Division remains uncertain
Wildcats win tournament
RAHUL GUPTA rgupta@insidetoronto.com No decision has been made on the fate of 54 Division’s station as a campaign for a new building continues to gain steam, a Toronto police spokesperson told The Mirror. Supporters of a campaign to save 54 Division want the police to allocate approved capital funds of almost $40 million to build a new station to replace the existing location at 41 Cranfield Rd. Construction of a new facility would be expected to begin in 2014. While the police are looking into relocating the current station, Insp. Mark Barkley, second in command at 54
Division, said it was only one of three options the police are considering. Other options, which were included in a report prepared for Police Chief Bill Blair, include closing the existing station and re-aligning the boundaries of surrounding stations and merging 54 with 55 Division and building a new station at another location. ‘review’ “The report was presented to command and it’s for them to review and decide what, if anything, they want to do on the matter of 54 Division,” said Barkley. “At this time, no decision has been made.” Earlier this week Blair
stated the police, in the face of budget cutbacks, are seriously considering a merger of 54 and 55 divisions as a way to cut costs. Regardless of the final decision, Barkley said residents should not be worried about a decrease in service. “It’s a station, it doesn’t mean the people are not going to be there performing the work,” he said. “It’s simply bricks and mortar.” However, Beaches-East York Councillor Janet Davis is co-ordinating a campaign in support of a new police station she said she was concerned merging or closing 54 Division will mean a larger area for police to patrol, without the neces>>>THERE’S, page 12
Budget meeting
East York hears of need for TTC and arts funding RAHUL GUPTA rgupta@nsidetoronto.com
Staff photo/DAN PEARCE
BATTLE FOR THE PUCK: Toronto Leaside Wildcats (Carmichael) player Emma Sterling, white sweater, battles North York Storm player Jennifer Nobile during Midget B action at the Scarborough Sharks Ice Trials girls hockey tournament. Leaside beat North York 4-0 in the game and went on to win the tourney title. For more on the tourney, see page 8.
At a budget town hall meeting in East York this week, a spokesperson for the Toronto Arts Council (TAC) told residents she was hopeful the city will raise its current level of arts funding.
Despite pledges from three different mayors to increase the level of per-capita arts funding to $25, Toronto’s funding level per resident remains at $18 - last among large Canadian cities and trailing leading North American arts centres like New York City and San Francisco by a wide
margin. But thanks to new monies gained through a billboard tax, Susan Wright is confident this year’s operating budget will boost arts funding to the $25 figure long promised. “The money is there so there’s no longer an excuse,” >>>east, page 12
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