Hi Everyone.

Regarding the proposed new construction of the West End Bikeway in Trinity Bellwoods, please review and sign our DON'T PAVE OUR PARK PETITION by March 4th if you agree that parks are not appropriate locations for official transportation corridors.

You can go to the petition at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/dontpaveourpark/

For further details about the West End Bikeway in Trinity Bellwoods Park and proposed alternatives, please click on the link below.

http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/public-consultations/trinity-bellwoods.htm

Thanks,

The Friends of Trinity Bellwoods

Please join us for our general winter meeting of the Friends of Trinity Bellwoods Park. Our meeting is from 7-830pm in the Portuguese Women's room on the 2nd floor, by the elevator at TRC. We'll have the regular reports (green house, green space, farmers market etc.) on the agenda and any new things happening. If you would like to add any 'New Business' on the agenda, please contact us at least three days before to include. Also, the Path Upgrade/Bikeways Open House is on from 4-8pm same day. It will be a topic of discussion for the Friends and it will be a good opportunity to hear your thoughts after you have checked it out - they'll be in the big room on the 2nd floor. Agenda is attached just below this paragraph.

All are welcome. Look forward to seeing you!

If you missed this Open house, please check out the attachments below which detail the proposal. This is part of City wide bikeway plan to improve cycling conditions. Two of the routes require connections directly through Trinity Bellwoods Park and will have significant impact on Park use and green space. If you use the park in any way shape or form and want to comment - MARCH 1st, 2010 IS THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS FOR CONSIDERATION. Your voice matters. Please email them to: bikeplan@toronto.ca Diagrams and details can also be seen at: www.toronto.ca/cycling/public-consultations.

Please select the 'Friends' newsletter only. As the other selections i.e. farmers market, Rec. Center, playground, green space, will eventually be removed. And we are only sending one now. Thank you for your help in facilitating this update to our newsletter.

The Friends act as a Community vehicle to address Park concerns, but it is just as important for Park and City Officials to hear directly from the Community. Voicing your concerns about condition, repairs, maintenance or comments about events and developments and such that take place in the Park contribute towards awareness and the on going care of our urban green space. Positive remarks are just as welcome. We encourage you to send your emails which can be sent at your convenience. It is greatly appreciated by the Friends and our Park and City Officials.
Who to contact:
Parks Supervisor - Peter Leiss at pleiss@toronto.ca
Councillor Joe Pantalone Ward 19, and our Tree Advocate - councillor_pantalone@toronto.ca

Trinity Bellwoods ADOPT-A-TREE Program (aka AAT)

Join the Friends of Trinity Bellwoods Park volunteer Adopt-A-Tree program and help keep the park's new young planted trees alive through their precarious first few years. It's easy – sign up for a specific young tree and from spring to fall make sure it gets five gallons of water each week when we're experiencing drought.

Interested? The Tri-Bell Adopt-A-Tree program always has a few new young trees needing a caregiver – contact the AAT Coordinator through this website and we'll set you up. Alternatively, come out during the spring or fall "park days" and sign up.

A Healthy Future for the Trees of Trinity Bellwoods Park

The Friends of Trinity Bellwoods Park has been working closely with the City of Toronto for many years to improve the health of the tree canopy and green space in the Park. To better inform future planting decisions and work to re-establish an ‘Arboretum’ status for the Park, the Friends’ have initiated a project this summer to inventory and assess all of the 800+ trees in the Park.

Dog Waste diversion project coming in June!

Did you know that dog poop accounts for up to 27 per cent of the waste collected in our Parks?

Starting in early June, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, in partnership with Solid Waste Management Services, is aiming to launch a second pilot project to divert dog waste in selected parks across the city - Trinity Bellwood being top of their list.

Once again, in an effort to reduce the amount of plastic bags in the green bin materials processing facility and minimize the environmental impacts, paper products are the only accepted method of disposing pet waste for the Green Bin Pilot.

If you would like to volunteer and be a part of our amazing group of Green house tenders, please e-mail me at greenspace@trinitybellwoods.ca. To get an idea of what's going on, click the 'Greenhouse' tab at the top of this website page.

Anna Hill
Volunteer Coordinator
Trinity Bellwoods Green House
greenspace@trinitybellwoods.ca