SUMMARY: MINUTES FOSS STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING, JANUARY 27TH, 2015

Summary: FOSS Steering Committee Meeting

January 27th, 2015

                                     7:02 PM LAMP, ROOM 301, 185 5^th Street, Etobicoke

•      Live Green Grants from the City of Toronto ($5000 to $50000) are available for small group local initiative projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Interested parties are invited to attend an informational Community Meeting scheduled for February 17, 6-8PM, Mimico Public Library, 47 Station Road. Registration link here;. Separate grants are available for eco-roof and cool roof projects.

•     Tree Removal Applications have been submitted to the City of Toronto to facilitate the construction on Colonel Samuel Smith Drive of the new Humber College Welcome Centre (HCWC) and the new Catholic school. 19 trees with a chest high diameter of 30 cm or more will make way for the HCWC and the school will remove 30. The school also desires the removal of all apple and oak trees for fear of bee stings and nut allergies.

•      For each tree removed, 3 must be planted elsewhere. If there is no space to re-plant, a cost of $583 per tree is levied. FOSS does not want dollars in lieu. FOSS advocates that replacement trees be planted in the area east of the recent plantings.

•     Many additional trees in CSS Park are suffering severe collateral damage from the city’s overzealous grass and weed trimmers.

•      Toronto Park Summit: Saturday, March 7, 1-5PM. 585 Dundas Street E. (Daniels Spectrum Building). Councillors will be in attendance.

•     CSS Park Cleanup Day: Sunday, April 19. 9AM to 3PM. Volunteers are needed to help pick up unwanted trash in the park.

•      CSS Park Bird Festival: Saturday, May 23. 9AM-1PM. Kids’ activities. Nature displays. Photography contest. Door prizes. And much more.

•     Seedy Sunday: March 22, 10:30AM to 3PM. Franklin Horner Community Centre, 432 Horner Avenue. Sponsored by LEGS (Lakeshore Environmental Gardening Society). Visit the FOSS/CCFEW table. Make pine cone bird feeders. Consider purchasing a FOSS membership ($5 single, $10 family).

•      FOSS Membership Renewals: See blog for membership form. Present members are encouraged to renew/individuals on FOSS’s contact list are welcome to join.