City Initiatives >

SVRA members are invited to join a volunteer task force to monitor redevelopment plans for the TDSB's Bickford property. The first meeting of the team, organized by Bickford area resident Darlene Varaleau, will be on Wednesday, October 29 at the Bob Abate Community Centre at 6:30 p.m.

To volunteer, E-mail varaleau@gmail.com or call 416-538-6127.  

The Avenues Phase 2 Team is presenting the draft land use and zoning proposals for the Initial Study Area at an in-person Community Open House on Wednesday,October 22. City staff will also be on hand to discuss new material and suggestions received since the last public meeting in September.

City Transportation Services staff have been reviewing parking arrangements should the former

Cars2Go program be reinstated. Their recommendations were approved by the City’s Infrastructure and Environment Committee of City Transportation Services in late September, and will be heard at City Council on October 8, 9 and 10.

Briefly, the Revised Free-floating Car-share Program recommends City Council ...

The icing is on the cake. Some 60 years of dreary gray cladding atop the stone walls of Bill Bolton Arena was painted a beautiful shade of sky blue in September 2025. The brightening effect is most noticeable during daylight hours especially in the mornings. As evening falls, the colour darkens.

Toronto is considering new measures to reduce single-use and takeaway items, such as requiring reusable cups and food containers for dine-in service, and developing requirements for event venues and events...

The Provincial Planning Statement 2024 Consistency Exercise is an initiative to review the City’s Official Plan and recommend Official Plan Amendments to bring the Official Plan into consistency with the Provincial Planning Statement 2024 (PPS 2024).

This  month, experts from the City of Toronto will speak and answer questions  about the major changes that the Ontario government has made to the  Official Plan to permit more housing density (bigger, taller buildings)  near subway stations.

Kindly  note that this month's townhall will begin and end 30 minutes later  than usual, from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM tomorrow, September 18th.

Have your say on Toronto’s Tree Bylaws. Take the survey by September 24 or attend a public consultation event in person or online.

Toronto’s trees are more than just  greenery—they are vital urban infrastructure. They cool our  neighbourhoods, clean our air, support biodiversity and make our city  more resilient to climate change.

Modifications to the Bathurst bus-lane and related recommendations continue. On Wednesday, September 10, Councillor Saxe shared with us a link to the current report.

Councillor Saxe’s amended proposal has been further modified since our July SVRA  meeting. Shown below are the specific changes we will be discussing, as supplied in advance to SVRA by the Project Manager of Bus Rapid Transit  Strategy & Foresight, Strategy & Customer Experience Group.

Councillor Dianne Saxe and a TTC representative will review the current Bathurst Street bus lane plan and the councillor’s proposed amendments to it, at a public meeting at the St. Alban's Club on Thursday, September 11 at 5:00 p.m.

The City of Toronto invites you to participate in one of two virtual community consultation meetings on September 17 or 18 as part of the Neighbourhood Retail and Services Study, under the expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods (EHON) program.

A community engagement event on Monday, September 29 at the Yorkville  Library will provide an opportunity to participate in the City Planning  review of the zoning rules that regulate and limit where commercial vehicles are permitted to park in Residential and Residential Apartment zones.

On the heels of the Executive Council meeting of July 16,  Toronto City Council on July 23, approved the plan for transit priority on Dufferin Street and Bathurst Street.  For more details, try: 

https://secure.toronto.ca/council/#/advancedSearch;text=RapidTO%20Bathurst 

The City is exploring how and where to allow mid-rise buildings along Toronto’s avenues to foster more opportunities for housing, services and businesses near transit. Conversations are being held with communities, according to a flyer recently delivered to our area.

Our neighbours south of Bloor would like their indoor pool back. Wishing and asking may make it so.

Some progress has been made this summer, and on Tuesday, September 9, Councillor Saxe is reporting to the Montrose residents’ group on what might be required to have the Bickford Centre/Bob Abate indoor swimming pool restored.

Stage 1 of the pilot Avenues Project is under way, and the Federation of South  Toronto Residents’ Associations (FoSTRA) is looking for Ward 11 members to participate. The plan is to have residents’ groups, BIA representatives and other community groups actively involved in the Avenues pilot.

June 11: Protect Bathurst  news conference at Kos carried on CP 24; story picked up by other news media

​June 15-21: Radio interview with Paul Macchusi, Protect Bathurst - 640 AM -  June 20​

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cKfi8jxZLM1teg0mOwFN8EdTfmNJ8nNu/view?usp=sharing

Those of you following and providing feedback to the City regarding parks will be pleased to know that preliminary research results on updates to the Parks and Recreation Facilities Plan will be available for public review as of Tuesday, July 15.

There  is still time to share your opinion on dedicated Bathurst bus lanes. You can comment on, or register to make a deputation to the Council on Wednesday, July 16 using this quick link:

https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2025.EX25.4

Ward 11 Councillor Dianne Saxe will be hosting an online Green Condo information session on Monday, August 18 from 3:00-4:30 p.m.

SUMMARY

City-initiated  Zoning By-law Amendments to Permit the Development of Townhouses in the  Residential Apartment Commercial (RAC) Zone, Enable the Conversion of  Underutilized Spaces within Existing Apartment Buildings into Dwelling  Units, and Permit Cladding to Encroach into Building Setbacks.

SUMMARY

The City of Toronto is updating its Long-term Waste Management Strategy for the next implementation period of 2026 to 2036.