It seems that we are trying to tackle the issues of homelessness in our city with laws instead of developing the proper infrastructure to deal with the growing need. The latest is the ban on squeegee people. According to an article in the Toronto Star by Tracey Tyler, “In a unanimous decision yesterday, the court dismissed appeals from 11 homeless men who were convicted of provincial offences in 2001 for washing windshields or asking Toronto drivers for money.”

It appears that although the Ontario Court of Appeal acknowledges that although this ban is in direct violation of their constitutional rights, it felt that it was necessary to override these rights. The complete article can be found here.

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/171938

Many people feel threatened by the squeegee people. There is also concern that these are not homeless people who are trying to clean windshields for spare change or cigarettes. Did any squeegee people harass or threaten you? Are you happy with the ban?

The Beaches, or the Beach if you want to be politically correct, is the city’s best known Lakeside community. Just 15 minutes from downtown Toronto, the Beach runs along Queen St. east between Coxwell and Victoria Park. If you are planning to visit by TTC, go to the Queen St. station and take the streetcar eastbound. By car from downtown Toronto, take the Gardiner Expressway east and exit on Coxwell or Woodbine. Once you reach Queen Street, turn east. If you are coming from North Toronto, take the Don Valley Parkway, exit on Richmond Street, go north to Queen, then go east.

The style of living in the Beaches is laid back and outdoorsy, although very upscale. Young upwardly mobile professionals share this community with growing families and those who are drawn to outdoor activities. The Beaches are famous for tennis, sailing, canoeing, windsurfing, beach volleyball, rollerblading, bicycling, swimming, lawn bowling, kite flying, skating, cross-country skiing, and hiking. And Queen St. itself reflects the diversity of the community with an eclectic mix of antique and curiosity shops, and trendy bars and restaurants. The Beaches’ most famous landmark is The Boardwalk. The social centre of the Beaches neighbourhood is Kew Gardens which hosts many annual events including the fabulous Beaches International Jazz Festival. The line-up for the 2007 Jazz Fest looks better than ever. Check it out here. http://www.beachesjazz.com/home.html

Those opposing the TCCA are well mobilized and are calling for a “Clean, Green Waterfront”. This group strongly believes that it is not possible for an airport and a green waterfront to co-exist. As such, they want the TCCA closed and turned into a park. The two main issues are pollution and safety. Their position is that pollution from the TCCA will affect the waterfront and downtown Toronto, threatening the health of those in the area, therefore driving the residents and the visitors from the area. If true, the financial ramifications could be dire with businesses in the area facing serious financial consequences. The domino effect would create a huge loss in tax revenue for Toronto.

Front and centre among the safety concerns is runway length. There is very little option for extending them as the airport is surrounded by water on three sides, and by a park on the fourth. Other risks include bird strikes due to the large numbers of Canada Geese and other large waterfowl, close proximity to many residential and commercial towers, and the potential for serious fog and wind issues specifically related to the location. How do you feel about the TCCA? Do you want it shut down? Have you attended any of the picket lines?

The Toronto City Centre Airport (TCCA) is located on an island at the foot of Bathurst Street, just a short ferry ride from the heart of downtown Toronto. In fact the ferry ride is so short that the Guinness Book of Records has proclaimed it the world’s shortest regularly scheduled ferry ride. Although several attempts at making this airport a financially viable entity have failed in the past, perhaps now its time has come. Porter Airline has launched service to Montreal and Ottawa with plans on the board for service to New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Sudbury, and Quebec City. You can learn more about Porter Airlines by following this link.

http://www.flyporter.com/en/experience.aspx  

 Most frequent travelers have grown weary of the traffic and the cost of getting to and from Pearson International Airport, not to mention the line-ups at the ticket counters and security once you’ve arrived. The TCCA is designed for easy access and quick check-in and security, cutting hours from your travel time if you were making the same trip through Pearson International. Similar airports throughout Europe and the United States have proven to be great financial successes for their respective cities. Many feel that the TCCA would complement the waterfront revitalization plans, provide an advantage to the financial and corporate communities, and give tourism a boost. And then there are those that don’t. This has become a hotly contested issue with no signs of letting up.

The Toronto Island Ferry operates year-round and provides frequent service from the Mainland Ferry Terminal to the landing at Hanlan’s Point, Centre Island, and Ward’s Island ferry docks on the Toronto Islands. The trip from the mainland to each island dock is approximately 15 minutes. Located at the intersection of Bay Street and Queen’s Quay West, the Terminal for the Toronto Island Ferry service is just a few blocks from Union Station along the waterfront. The Toronto Island Ferry schedule varies as to the season. The links below provide the schedule for the entire year.

Spring ferry schedule http://www.toronto.ca/parks/island/springschedule.htm

Summer ferry schedule

http://www.toronto.ca/parks/island/summerschedule.htm

Fall ferry schedule

http://www.toronto.ca/parks/island/fallschedule.htm

Winter ferry schedule

http://www.toronto.ca/parks/island/winterschedule.htm

To access the Ferry, go to the Toronto Ferry Docks located at the foot of Bay Street and Queens Quay, just west of the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel. If you are using the TTC to get to the Ferry, from Union Station take the 509 Harbourfront or the 510 Spadina St. streetcar south to the Bay and Queen’s Quay stop. Or, alternately, take the Bay bus #6 southbound from the corner of Front and Bay to the Bay and Queen’s Quay stop. If you are arriving by car, parking for the Toronto Island Ferry is available 1 block north at Lakeshore and Bay, 1 block west on Queens Quay between Bay and York St., and 1 block east opposite Toronto Star building adjacent to Captain Johns restaurant.

The Airport Ferry is located at the foot of Bathurst Street and runs every 15 minutes. For a detailed schedule, follow this link.

http://www.torontoport.com/airport_location_access.asp?id=160

 It may interest you to know that the Toronto Islands were not always islands. They were actually a series of continuously moving sand-bars that originated from the Scarborough Bluffs and were carried westward by the Lake Ontario currents. Algonquin Island was actually man-made with dredged sand from the Toronto Harbour. And historically, Ward’s Island is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Toronto. The residents were so impassioned about their life on the Island that they passed those feelings on to subsequent generations. Some of the current residents are actually descendants of some of the original Islanders.

Today the Island is a major attraction for Torontonians and a popular tourist destination. Over 1,225,000 people visit the Island every year. The beaches, amusement park in Centreville, petting zoo, picnic grounds, boating, art galleries, restaurants, and cafes make the Toronto Islands a popular destination for everyone. The Islands are a delightful change from the hustle and bustle of city life. Even during the winter months the Rectory Café is open for business. With delightful B & Bs just a short ferry ride from downtown Toronto, the Islands couldn’t be a more perfect weekend get-away. And with several wedding and reception venues to choose from, the Islands are in great demand as a wedding destination. To learn more about this fascinating community, follow this link.

http://torontoisland.org/

Come out and sample some famous Island hospitality.

Just a short ferry ride from Harbourfront is one of the most unique of all of the Toronto neighbourhoods - the charming Toronto Island community. Contrary to popular belief this is a vibrant year-round family oriented community. Over 600 people live in the 262 homes that are situated on 33 acres of land. In case you still have any doubts as to whether this is truly a family oriented community you may be interested to know that 200 of the 600 residents are children. The Island community itself occupies only 4% of the entire area of the 825 acres which is the total area of the Toronto Islands. The Island Parklands occupy 576 acres while the Island Airport is located on 213 acres. Homeownership on the Island is quite different than what most of you envision. Although the residents own their homes, they do not own their land. They lease their lots from the Toronto Island Land Trust. Private sales are prohibited in order to prevent anyone from making a profit from publicly owned land. Home sales are strictly regulated by the Island Trust, which oversees a public list of potential buyers. Only children and spouses of Island homeowners may inherit their homes. All Island homeowners must occupy their homes as their principal residence. In order to satisfy this requirement they must be in residence on the Island for a minimum of 220 days per year. In spite of these restrictions, the residents love their way of life. In fact 37% of the adult population has lived on the Island for 35 years or more and 67% of the adult population has lived on the Island for 20 years or more. How’s that for a ringing endorsement of Island living? Would like to move to the Island? Are you already on the “waiting list”?

One thing that everyone agrees upon is that Harbourfront is now prime real estate, making it attractive to both the private sector and the public sector. With a view to the potential economic benefits to the city, many short term and long term plans for the Waterfront have been developed in order to maximize these opportunities. I won’t bore you with the details. All of the plans can be found by following this link. http://www.toronto.ca/waterfront/reports.htm#fiveyearplan

The Waterfront revitalization plans have great potential. And, many of the ideas and plans seem to make good sense. They include everything from revitalizing and reusing structures such as the Canada Malting Silos on Bathurst Quay to supporting the arts, culture, and heritage programs in Harbourfront. However, public development may be at odds with private investment, as more and more condominiums are developed, overshadowing the green spaces. In essence, it is these green spaces which bring people together and help to create “the neighbourhood identity”. What seems to be lacking is vision and the courage to develop Harbourfront in a way that creates a real neighbourhood and not merely a tourist attraction with incongruous high rise condominiums that is booming in the summer months and desolate the rest of the year.

There is a good deal of mixed emotion concerning these plans, and a good deal of concern. How will these plans impact local business and property values? Who will be paying for all of this? Some feel that the Waterfront revitalization plans are positive for Harbourfront and for the city. Others feel that they are merely ‘cash grab’ opportunities, with little or no regard for Harbourfront as a neighbourhood. On which side to your sentiments lie?