I Heart Arctic Flash Mob
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Date: Saturday, April 20th  12:00 noon
Trinity Bellwoods Park - behind the tennis courts 

Rain or Shine

This Earth Day weekend, there will be an exciting and unique event taking place in Trinity Bellwoods Park.  Join Greenpeace in a global event to help save the Arctic. In over 20 countries around the world, thousands will come together, forming a massive heart to show the world they want to see the Arctic protected. 

Come out and be part of the largest I Heart Arctic event in Canada (happening right here in our very own community). Just wear the colour red and meet in the park at noon.

See you there!

Please Join and Share the Facebook Event
Please fill out this form to RSVP
For more information visit Greenpeace
To Watch the I Heart Arctic Video

When: Saturday, April 13, 2013 from 10am to 2pm
Where: north-west corner of the park, along east side of Shaw St. (just south of Dundas St. W.)

Spread the word - please feel free to print out flyers to post in your neighbourhood or condo.  

Reuse, Recycle and Safely dispose! 

This year our neighborhood city Environment Day collection point will be in Trinity Bellwoods Park.  It is hosted by our Councillor, Mike Layton.  The Friends will be slinging some hotdogs too!

This is a really handy event for recycling lots of things -- old computers, TVs, bicycle helmets, batteries, art supplies, buttons (!) and/or picking up new blue boxes and green bins and some composted leaves for your garden.  For a complete list check the community environment days page of the city website.

New this year:

Donate your old helmets to science  -MEA Forensic Engineers and Scientists plans to crash test about 1,000 used helmets to understand how helmet performance degrades with time and use. Your old helmets can be part of this study.

EnvironDay_flyer_13.pdf

13_EnvironDay.pdf

Things are looking better for the maple tree scheduled for destruction to make way for a wheelchair ramp.  Thanks to neighbors and other users of the park for contacting Councillor Layton's office who in turn set up meetings with LOFT (who run John Gibson House) and their project manager.  At the FoTBP General Meeting last week, Marco Bianchi (Layton's office) reported that they've had a very good dialogue and it's currently looking like there will be a re-design of the ramp so the tree will be saved.

GROUP FORMING DUE TO CONCERNS ABOUT JGH RENOS

The tree's situation has made neighbors aware of the quiet progression of renovation plans at Gibson House since the public information meeting in 2009, and there is concern about its impact on the park.  The lot that Gibson House is on is city property but not part of the park.  Voiced concerns at the meeting include:
- loss of green space around JGH which is used by the public
- 1 1/2 years of construction vehicles coming up through the middle of the park and resulting damage to greenspace/trees
- loss of parking access for neighbors
- perhaps the LOFT program has outgrown the park location

There was a good discussion during the FoTBP meeting last week and a call for the formation of a working group to address the concerns.  On behalf of several neighbors who met with City Planner Marian Prejel, John Mezei/Relish Design put out a sign-up sheet for anyinterested in being part of the working group. 

Others interested should contact: Lisa Klapstock at lisaklapstock at rogers dot com

More background information:

1. Photos of the revised Site Plan Application submitted to the city in June 2012 (photos provided by a neighbor).  Right-click for larger image, and click links for other photos.

JG_SPA_June2012_basement_ground.jpg
JG_SPA_June2012_elevations_E_N.jpg
JG_SPA_June2012_elevations_W_S.jpg
JG_SPA_June2012_siteplan.jpg

2.  March 2011 LOFT Newsletter item on the renovation.
JGH_LOFT_Newsletter_Spring_2011_Apr29.pdf

3. Toronto Design Review Board (DRP) Meeting Dec 2010
JGH_drp_meeting_minutes_dec13_2010.pdf

Many of you have noticed the sign attached to a Norway Maple tree just south-west of the John Gibson House in the northish west end of the park.  The Urban Forestry Department of Parks, Forestry and Recreation is seeking any objections before February 14.  Call Gary LeBlanc,Urban Forestry Planner, City Forester’s Office, Parks Forestry and Recreation, at 416 392 0494.  You can also email him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .  Copy any emails to Councillor Mike Layton at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The tree is apparently sited for removal/destruction because the John Gibson House is installing wheelchair access at the front of their building as part of the upcoming three-storey addition on the back of the building.  According to Marian Prejel at City Planning (416 392 9337), the barrier-free ramp has been separated out as a separate proposal by City Planning because LOFT (which runs Gibson House and its programs) has received financing which must be used before March 31st, 2013 to build the ramp.  Prejel adds that the proposal calls for a replacement tree to be planted.

Per Ms. Prejel the site plan aproval** is NOT a public process, but according to Mr. LeBlanc the tree removal is being treated as a tree on private property (which requires public notice)  because LOFT is a private company -- although operating on city-owned land. 

According to Ms. Prejel, the three story development (many neighbors attended a public meeting in 2009/2010) is currently going through a technical process with various city departments (City Planning, Heritage, Technical services like water and sewage, etc) and will take upwards of 6 months to a year before approval --  but the barrier free ramp has already received sign-off from those departments.

Many of you remember that the original proposal* stated categorically that NO trees would be removed.

The city's Heritage Department may be the most responsible for the tree's destruction because, as a designated Heritage Building, they have limited what can be done off the front of the building with regard to this ramp. UPDATE: Heritage division says "the heritage status of the property did not necessitate the addition of a ramp in that particular location."

Are there other options for the ramp besides cutting down the tree?  The city's planning department seems to suggest not, and to see the drawings and plans for the ramp one must call Ms. Prejel and book an appointment.

But in a time when the city has a mandate to increase the tree canopy of the city it seems counterproductive to remove healthy trees from public parks.  It takes only a few days to build a ramp or to design something that complements the building's 1800s-era design -- but some 25 to 30 years to grow another tree.

What do you think? 

Please write our City Councillor Mike Layton ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) and Gary LeBlanc ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) to let them know what you think before Thursday, February 14, 2013.

* Here is a copy of the plans as presented to the community at that time.

Gibson_House_development_booklet.pdf

Here is the current proposal of ramp that requires the tree to be cut down:

JGH_Expansion_Drawing-Proposed_Ramp.jpg

Here are two alternative drawings for the ramp, without cutting down the tree;

JGH_landscapeplan_ramp_option_1.pdf

JGH_landscapeplan_ramp_option_2.pdf

 Here is link to TBCA addition info:

 http://trinitybellwoods.org/2013/02/help-save-the-norway-maple-west-of-the-john-gibson-house-in-trinity-bellwoods-park/.

** Here is a link the JGH development application status.  If you wish to view the file (with current plans, etc) you may set up an appointment by contacting Marian Prejel, Senior Planner, (416) 392-9337, email  Prejel, Marian

http://app.toronto.ca/DevelopmentApplications/associatedApplicationsList.do?action=init&folderRsn=2742239

The natural ice rink is up and running and ready to use for skating now!  Whoo hooo!  And to think it wasn't going to happen.....This is so cool - pun intended ;-)  Huge thank you to 'team hoser' for getting right on it during this cold snap.  The lights will be on for when it's dark too - thank you Parks.  note: if it gets above 0 degrees, it's not so good.  So check first.  Please respect each other on the ice, be nice when skating on the ice.  There'll be lots of little kids having a go, best not to have the danger of a puck hitting them.  Thank you, enjoy!