THE DANGER OF PLASTIC BAGS IN THE PARK AND JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE ELSE ON THE PLANET!!!

FOSS member Donna-Marie Batty, along with a growing number of others, is very concerned about the proliferation of plastic shopping bags in the environment. We have all seen the "plastic bag" trees in the park during the Fall and Winter and observed them in increasing numbers in the ponds and on the shore.

The slideshow she has posted here is a strong and convincing argument for a total ban (Click on arrow on bottom left of black screen to start the video)

She has forwarded it to members of city council (including Mark Grimes and David Miller). Please pass this on to everyone you know. We need to pressure the City of Toronto to simply ban them. People are now becoming educated on the issue are ready to accept this inevitability

"CCFEW fights skating trail" - ETOBICOKE GUARDIAN, SEPTEMBER 26, 2008

Text from the Guardian article
Local waterfront watchdog group opposed to city plans to build concrete recreational facilities in Colonel Sam Smith Park has once again taken its case to the Ministry of the Environment.

Citizens Concerned About the Future of the Etobicoke Waterfront (CCFEW) wrote Environment Minister John Gerretsen on Sept. 10 to request he pass a project-specific regulation designating a proposed artificial ice skating track as a project to which the Environmental Assessment Act applies.

Three months ago, city plans to construct the $2-million ice skating track drew support and interest from some residents.

But opponents charged the plan is an intrusion on a lakefront retreat, and repeated arguments voiced two years ago in a protracted battle against a controversial, now defunct, city plan to build a concrete skateboarding pad in the same naturalized waterfront park's meadow.

In its application, the group states the site of the proposed $2-million artificial ice skating track is a woodlot designated for "landscape regeneration" in the park's Master Plan.

CCFEW argued the environmental impact of the city's proposal has not been evaluated within the context of natural heritage policies, or on the woodlot and the park, in general.

"This development poses a threat to parkland intended for passive recreation compatible with a natural habitat," reads CCFEW's request.

A city-funded biologist's report in 2006 indicated 121 migratory bird species use the park's habitats.

At a public meeting in June, city officials unveiled preliminary plans to build a 250-metre linear skating trail. The 4.2-metres-wide trail with "morality" lighting and a "very discreet" sound system was proposed for 12 per cent of the one-hectare site, project lead Steve O'Bright, a co-ordinator with the city's park and recreation department said.

The remaining 88 per cent of the site will be renaturalized, O'Bright said.

But in its designation request, CCFEW cites site-management guidelines for the park, known as the Lakeshore Grounds, dating back to 1997 that indicate passive recreation should dominate at the site.

The guidelines cited further indicate "single purpose facilities which occupy large land areas should be discouraged at this specific site."

"CCFEW's position is that an ice skating facility with lights and music is a single purpose facility that was not envisaged when these principles were approved," the group wrote in its request.

"Traditional recreation in the Lakeshore Grounds has been walking, bird watching, nature study and enjoying views of the waterfront. The meadows are not cut and the areas where the grass is cut are not maintained as playing fields."

This is CCFEW's second designation request of the ministry in as many years.

In June 2006, the group requested the same ministry regulation over the contentious, now defunct, city proposal to build a skateboard park in Colonel Sam Smith Park's meadow.

City plans to build the skateboard park died that September after Ward 6 (Etobicoke-Lakeshore) Councillor Mark Grimes got strong advice from colleague Ward 38 Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker to put the controversial park elsewhere.

CCFEW TAKES SKATING TRAIL'S ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT TO THE PROVINCE

Click on the CCFEW link at top left of this page to view the latest on this

HALLOWEEN AT THE POWER HOUSE

Power House Charity Haunt

October 24, 2008 to October 31, 2008

Come and have a spooktacular scare for a good cause!

Located by Humber College and the former grounds on the Etobicoke Phychiatric Hospital, this haunt is not for the faint of heart. Find your way through a labyrinth maze and anticipate what is waiting for you around ever corner!

For informtaion on volenteering or event information contact us at info@charityhaunt.ca
Although there is no age restriction, this event is not recommended for children under 9 years old. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
Ticket Sales close at 10:30pm

For more information contact:
Phone: 416 338 1081

or visit our website at www.charityhaunt.ca

NEW SCHOOL ON LAKESHORE GROUNDS

It looks like the Toronto Catholic School Board has decided that a new school will be built at the south-west corner of Kipling and Lakeshore Boulevard on the Lakeshore Grounds, where what is left of the heritage orchard still stands. Below is an excerpt from a TCSB meeting last May. It is taken from their website. This will be a shock to many considering there has been no publicity and very little public participation. If you look below at the quote from the Ministry of Education guidelines on pupil accommodation, it appears that the TCSB has definitely omitted an important step!


APPROVED MINUTES
CE01 ACCOMMODATION REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING #3
TUESDAY, May 13, 2008
CHRIST THE KING CATHOLIC SCHOOL


• St.Teresa and Christ the King consolidate in a new
school at the Kipling and Lakeshore Blvd site
• vote taken – all agreed


MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
PUPIL ACCOMMODATION REVIEW GUIDELINES


“The guidelines ensure that where a decision is taken by a school board regarding the future of a school, that decision is made with the full involvement of an informed local community”

CCFEW BIRD WALKS IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER IN SAM SMITH PARK

CCFEW organizes a series of 8 to 10 bird walks through the year at Toronto waterfront parks. Winter walks are normally held at Humber Bay, while spring and fall walks are at Colonel Sam Smith Park. The walks are lead by experienced birders and are free for anyone who is interested in attending. Everyone is welcome! All walks are on weekends.

Future Bird Walk Dates:

Sunday, September 14th

9:00 - 11:00 am, Colonel Samuel Smith Park

Leader: Glenn Coady

Meet in the south parking lot (where Sam Smith Park Drive ends) at 9:00

Saturday, October 4th

9:00 - 11:00 am, Colonel Samuel Smith Park

Leader: Andrew Keaveney

Meet in the south parking lot (where Sam Smith Park Drive ends) at 9:00

Walks are held rain,or shine!

PUBLIC CONSULTATION - A THOUGHT.

The letter from Adelaide Bell about the Skating Trail in yesterday's Etobicoke Guardian shows the problem with the City's approach to public consultation. Is it right to simply dismiss a large body of public opinion, exampled by her thoughtful letter, that does not happen to align itself neatly with political and bureaucratic will or should public employees, like Councillors and planners, be required to moderate personal goals and, as city guidelines state, seek out compromise, consensus solutions that do not divide a community?

Many of us still oppose trail

August 21, 2008 03:28 PM

On June 5, I attended a public meeting regarding the proposed construction of a skating trail in the Colonel Samuel Smith Park in south Etobicoke.

At the meeting, we were asked to hand in a sheet stating our opinions. I strongly objected to this project, since it would require the removal of trees, the disturbance of tree roots in order to level the trail and artificial refrigeration which would be costly and would have to be constantly inspected to make sure it wouldn't leak chemicals into the ground and eventually into the lake. The Zamboni, lighting, and music would frighten the wild animals and the many species of birds that inhabit the park, driving them away, and maybe even causing wild animals to invade neighbouring gardens and prey on domestic pets.

The proposed hot chocolate concession would result in litter throughout the park.

Much of the park has been lost to large buildings and the small area left should be left in place. Several friends, acquaintances and neighbours of mine did not receive a notice of the meeting, or were unable to attend the meeting. We do not belong to any organized group opposing the trail, but we do wish that Colonel Samuel Smith Park remain a natural wildlife sanctuary and strongly object to the construction of a skating trail on this site.

Adelaide Bell

CC: Mayor David Miller, Project co-ordinator Lura Consulting, Steven O'Bright, Councillor Mark Grimes, Councillor Peter Milczyn, Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker

http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/etobicoke/letters/article/54176?thePub=etobicoke

SKATING TRAIL REPORT OUT!

LURA Consulting’s report on the Skating Trail public consultation held in June is now available.

	You can click here to read the full report in pdf format (916KB, 66 pages).

The document is 66 pages long and includes a covering letter from the City, comments and questions that came from the floor along with city staff responses where offered, a summary of points from the comment sheets sent in (180 pro, 175 con), results from two petitions (53 pro, 26 con) and an Urban Forestry Review indicating tree conflicts.

The City's covering letter contains the following ....."Some residents expressed excitement and support for what will become a great family destination in your neighbourhood. Others raised concerns regarding the potential impact of a skating trail in this area. Be assured that City staff are committed to developing this project taking into account the importance of the sensitivities of the park and community, and without disturbing the existing Wetlands-Wildlife Restoration Trail.

In proceeding with the project, the City will be issuing a proposal call in September for qualified and experienced firms to initiate the design phase. It is anticipated that the project would be complete and operational for the 2009 skating season. I appreciate the time and effort you have taken to be engaged in this process and providing your opinions and input. LURA Consulting will continue to receive your comments as the project progresses so please forward any comments to shall@lura.ca"

It appears that the City intends to go ahead with this project in spite of massive opposition and a call from a large part of the community for precious resources to be spent on more urgent community needs. Once again, another so-called "public consultation" turns out to be nothing more than a public relations gesture. Logic and fair play would suggest that a near 50% opposition from intelligent, reasonable and committed community residents would halt a project so that a thorough, overall review could be done before the City barrels ahead. Go figure!

NEXT TUESDAY - MIMICO'S "PARTY IN THE PARK"

Party in the Park - Tuesday, August 5th:

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MIMICO RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION MIMICO BAPTIST CHURCH AND COMMUNITY PRESENT THEIR 11TH ANNUAL MIMICO SUMMER FESTIVAL Tuesday August 5th, 2008 5:30pm - 8:30pm Mimico Memorial Park (Bordered by Hillside, Central and George Streets) GREENING OUR COMMUNITY: Displayed resources from various Ministries, Departments and Organizations to help our community be more environmentally responsible. Also featuring, Local Dignitaries, Police and Fire Depts, The Toronto Children's Concert Choir (TC3), Hybrid Auto Show, Hot Air Balloon rides, BBQ & Corn Roast, Kidz Zone, Senior's Tent. Donations accepted for Daily Bread Food Bank

SAM SMITH PARK'S HISTORICAL PLAQUE

"Colonel Samuel Smith Park recognizes one of Etobicoke's first settlers. in 1793, Smith, of the Queen's Rangers, was granted Crown land by Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe. Smith's tract eventually extended from Lake Ontario to Bloor Street, between Kipling Avenue and Etobicoke Creek, and included some of this waterfront park. The park surrounds the former Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital, established and operated by the province from 1888 to 1979. It was the first health care facility in Ontario to use a decentralized "cottage" system. Generous lands surrounding the building were devoted to agriculture and gardening. Patients helped to construct most of the buildings here. The farms and gardens, maintained by patients, were both therapeutic and productive - a model of self-sufficiency and modern treatment. Colonel Samuel Smith Park provides a scenic access point to lake Ontario and the Waterfront Trail. This significant public greenspace and heritage resource includes a 21.5 ha lakefill area created by The Metropolitan Toronto and Region Conservation Authority between 1983 and 1992. Habitat restoration projects include Carolinian tree and shrub plantings and the creation of a 3.6 ha wetland (a partnership project between Metropolitan Toronto, the province of Ontario and the Government of Canada). These projects help advance Metropolitan Toronto's goal for a healthy waterfront offering unique recreational opportunities. Colonel Samuel Smith Park officially opened September 8, 1996."

SKATING TRAIL - SUMMARY REPORT

A recent phone call to Sarah Hall from LURA Consulting (the company that was hired to facilitate the last public meeting on the proposed skating tail and to write the summary report) elicited the following response "We had a large number of comments come back to us, so we are just finalizing the report now. We hope to have it out to participants as soon as possible. I apologize for the delay."
It will be interesting to see whether the report sticks only to comments directly related to the narrow range of questions they put forward (i.e. some general tweaking of the concept plan) or truthfully addresses the large body of opinion that, for varied and sound reasons, rejects the proposal altogether .
Posted by Terry Smith

MONDAY, JULY 28, 2.30 P.M. - MIMICO LINEAR PARK OPENS

Waterfront Toronto and Toronto and Region Conservation

invite you to join us in celebrating the Mimico Waterfront Park – Phase 1!
Activities include official opening ceremonies,
a fish check-up and community BBQ.
Monday, July 28, 2008 at 2:30pm
Mimico Waterfront Park, behind Storefront Humber,
located at 2445 Lakeshore Blvd. W.
For more information, please contact: Catherine DeAbreu
Tel: 416-661-6600, ext. 5305
Email: cdeabreu@trca.on.ca
www.trca.on.ca/events/calendar

NEW "ENERGY BURNER" WEBSITE FOR KIDS

There is a new website for kids that details things that they can do this summer to burn off energy. It profiles city parks and lists activities that can be done in them. Below is a quote from the Colonel Samuel Smith Park page. Note the emphasis on passive, nature-focussed activities and the delight that kids experience when they're up close and personal with the natural world, a must for kids to develop the appropriate sensitivity and value base our planet so desperately needs now and in the future. This is what Friends of Sam Smith Park has been saying for a long time now - that those rare places in the city where this can happen need to be preserved, protected and enhanced, not encroached upon by interests that wish to pop into them activities and facilities, no matter how valuable and important to the community, that can be located elsewhere.
The web address is
http://kidsenergyburner.com/playgrounds/parks/colonel-samuel-smith-park-toronto-ontario
"The kids will especially love stopping by one of the viewing decks, where you can often spot groups of baby ducks and swans, turtles sunning themselves on the rocks, beaver dams and even the beavers themselves, if you are lucky! Make sure to bring along a camera and binoculars as there are over a hundred bird species which can be spotted in the area, as well as their nests often hidden in the reeds."

Posted by Terry Smith

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Wednesday morning, third beach ....... in addition to the usual still-smoking remains of the previous night's fire, the smashed beer bottles, the food and drink cartons and discarded clothing, there were a number of sawed-off saplings and branches from recent park plantings that the revelers had gathered to keep the fire bright. Of course, the green wood did not burn and was left on the beach, sad emblems of insensitive indifference and waste, only meters away from the vandalized, burnt-out wreck of what used to be the wildlife observation deck.
This is happening a lot right now and will increase, as usual, now that Summer is under way.
Some say that this behaviour is just youngsters doing what youngsters do; others call it a crime. In recent weeks a FOSS member was brutally attacked when he approached some teenagers in the same spot asking them to put out their fire. Youthful exuberance can certainly have its dark side.
There seem to be very few patrols by police officers. They know of this ongoing problem but, for some reason, are rarely seen attending to it. Perhaps it is time that we inundated the police with requests to step up patrols.
If you wish to add your voice to this, you can call Sergent MacDonald at 416 808 2199. He is in the Community Response Unit at 22 Division and responsible for ordering patrols. Better still, you can call his boss, Staff Sergent Khan at 416 808 2213. Even better still, I was told that, if you are not satisfied with the follow up, a call to Chief William Blair at 416 808 8000 can be very effective. A written complaint can also be made at the Lakeshore sub-division station by completing a Community Policing Complaint Form, insisting that they forward it to Sergent MacDonald at 22 or taking it there yourself. And, of course, there is also the Councillor's office, Mark Grimes, 416 397 9273 - maybe you could add a reminder that a proper Community Center might go a long way towards giving youngsters on the Lakeshore a constructive alternative for evening activity.
Posted by Terry Smith

SKATING TRAIL LETTER IN ETOBICOKE GUARDIAN TODAY

Skating trail will disrupt natural space

Skating trail will disrupt natural spaceJune 24, 2008 11:59 AM
As a resident of Etobicoke/Lakeshore, I would like to add my voice to the list of those opposed to the skate trail in Colonel Samual Smith Park. Running a paved and refrigerated route through such a natural space will disrupt the flora and fauna that are situated there. Further, the addition of lights and music as has been suggested will further disrupt the animal life that make their homes in the park. In an urban area, we should be fostering the growth of native plants and wildlife, and not promoting developments that detract from them

Additionally, tree roots grow outwards approximately twice the height of the tree, mainly in the first two feet of soil depth; pouring concrete in this heavily treed area will be detrimental to tree health.

Finally, an active-use skating trail has no place in a passive use, naturalized park such as Colonel Sam Smith. This is not Gage Park, an urban, active-use environment surrounded on four sides by city streets, and it is misleading to compare the two sites.

Robert Mitchell

WHIMSY IN THE PARK

Everyone seems to have their own personal name for each of the four eastern beaches - probably for many other parts of the park too. Often the names arise from family members and deep attachments that they have or have had to particular spots.
This whimsical, mysterious and inviting entranceway to the water on fourth beach takes you down "Linda's Lane". It says so much without so much as an explanation. But, you can bet that it means a lot to someone.
This paved path has been maintained for two years now.

SKATING TRAIL - ANOTHER LOCAL BLOGGER'S POINT OF VIEW

Local Blog - "The Spirit of the Lakeshore" - an e-mail to Mark Grimes.

http://thespiritoflakeshore.blogspot.com/2008/06/skating-trail-email-to-mark-grimes-and.html

FINALLY, COOPER'S HAWK NEST ACTION

Was down by the powerhouse this morning..saw 2 chicks sticking out of the north side of the nest...maybe even more..as I saw other movement.

Walt Balenovich

(FOSS member Walt is often seen wheeling through Sam Smith Park, particularly near the proposed skating trail site in the woodlot north of the power house where Cooper's hawks set up house this Spring; he and others have been concerned at the slow pace of egg incubation and the absence of chicks so far.
Walt does more than just wheel through the park. If you read his book "Travels in a Blue Chair - Alaska to Zambia, Ushuaia to Uluru" you'll know that 'North America's Disabled Adventurer' has backpacked much further afield that that. Find out more at www.bluechairbook.com )

CCFEW BIRD WALK - SAM SMITH

Don Burton will be leading a bird walk this Saturday, June 21st at Colonel Samuel Smith Park from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Spring migration is over, so now is the time to see some of the birds who make the Etobicoke waterfront their summer home. This includes the breeding birds as well as some non-breeding stragglers. In addition to the birds, June often provides a wide range of plant & insect life as well. This will be our last walk until September.
Meet in the south parking lot (where the road ends) at 9:00. Walks are held rain, or shine.
Our walks are sponsored by Birds and Beans. The coffee they sell helps ensure that our summer birds will have a habitat to live in during the winter. You can visit the newly enlarged Birds and Beans at 2413 Lake Shore Blvd W in Mimico, or on the web at www.birdsandbeans.ca

"EVERYONE WANTS A PIECE OF THE PIE" - Toronto Star, Oct.4, 1983

That was the headline of a Toronto Star article published in 1983 to describe the scramble that groups and organizations engaged in to determine what would be done with the hospital grounds. The mental institution had closed down four years earlier and the province was about to hand it over to the city. Community residents, developers, various housing groups, the Conservation Authority, Humber College, City planners, LAMP, Lakeshore Planning Council, Arts Etobicoke, Ministry of Government Services and area aldermen were just some of the interests competing at that time for this prime waterfront property before the negotiated, final mix of naturalized green space, passive recreation, art, education, heritage and healing was agreed upon and set out in the Master Plan for the park.

The busy little sketch that accompanied that article is shown here (double click on image to enlarge it). The newspaper’s artist attempted to illustrate what the park and grounds might look like if the ideas floating around were incorporated.

It is interesting to note that one of the back-stories to the current skating trail proposal, the concern that it could lead to what was called at that time a “Harbourfront West” development model, had its genesis back then.

The community buried that model before and is very wary of it resurfacing.