THANKS FRIENDS FOR MAKING THE 4TH ANNUAL
PUMPKIN PARADE A SUCCESS!
CHECK OUT ALL THE PHOTOS
Friends of Silver Creek have agreed to manage the community group implementation of the pollinator garden as part of the Silver Creek Park Improvement Project through the City of Toronto's PollinateTO program (PollinateTO Grants – City of Toronto). The Community Pollinator Garden is on hold until the City of Toronto confirms the Silver Creek Park Project design, budget and build plans.
Learn about how the community can be involved, the commitment required and how to sign up to be part of the Park Improvement Project Pollinator Garden.
SILVER CREEK PARK
IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
Parks, Forestry & Recreation and Parks Development & Capital Projects Section staff have provided an update on the Silver Creek Park Improvement Project.
The timeline of the project has been delayed since the start of the Park Improvement Project process.
As of October 2022 Capital Projects Section Staff have confirmed that construction will begin October 17, 2022.
THE 2022 CANADIAN CITY PARKS REPORT
Nurturing Relationships & Reciprocity
How collaboration, mindfulness, and power-sharing in parks can help nurture and repair relationships between ourselves, our communities, and the wider natural world.
From the 2022 Canadian City Parks Report: The Popularity of Parks
Canadian cities continued to see an increase in the amount of time people spend in parks—and new statistics from our survey of over 3,000 Canadian city residents show this heightened use may just be the beginning.
While 55% of city residents said they spent more time in parks in the last year than the year before, 58% also said that they would like to spend even more time in parks. The benefit that city dwellers get from parks is also rising. This year, survey respondents who said parks benefited their mental health increased from 85% last year to 94% this year, and from 81% to 91% for physical health.
From more frequent walks along trails, to eating outdoors, to spending more time in naturalized areas, city residents are using their parks more than ever for things they were not doing before the pandemic.
Read the full 2022 Canadian City Parks Report online here or download a PDF version here.
Find the specific city profile Parks Report for Toronto 2022 here.
UPDATE ON THE APPLICATION FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT OF RICHVIEW SQUARE
Update June 23, 2021
We advocated for a community agency space, POPS and a City of Toronto Park – and we made it happen!
On Tuesday, June 22, 2021 at the Etobicoke York Community Council (EYCC) Meeting, as a result of our collective advocacy, our community came one step closer to a responsible re-development of Richview Square which includes city parkland.
This item now goes to Toronto City Council on Wednesday, July 14, 2021 and
will not be final until the meeting is complete and the City Clerk has
confirmed the decisions for this meeting. FofSC will share the final confirmation.
What Are These Community Benefits?
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A 5000 sq ft Community Agency Space
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POPS or Publicly Owned Private Spaces
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1700m2 City of Toronto Park
Since 2016, Friends of Silver Creek have worked diligently to ensure that this
development included social community benefit and greenspace. We are proud
that we were able to advocate for the Community Agency Space, POPS and
public parkland working together and in consultation with former Councillor
John Campbell, Create T.O., Trinity Development and City of Toronto Parks,
Forestry and Recreation staff.
You can view the motion, submissions and other details:
Check Out What's Happening In Our Community
PUBLIC WASHROOMS FOR ALL
In November 2020, Councillor Stephen Holyday voted NO to opening more park washrooms stating:
"What I don’t want is people hanging around
drinking beer out of a tailgate.”
COVID-19 has shown us that access to the outdoors is vital to a healthy body and mind and for seniors, individuals with special needs, children, prostate and kidney patients, those who suffer from crohn's and colitis, everyone and anyone - safe access to public washrooms is a basic human right - a dignity that should not be denied.
DID YOU KNOW
As a result of work at the Richview Pumping Station and Reservoir located in Richview Park, trees located on top of the reservoir and around the Pumping Station and Valve House will need to be removed:
• 387 trees are planned to be removed,
• 34 trees to be preserved (Tree Protection Zones)
• 18 trees will be monitored for minimal injury.
Only about 92 new trees and 385 shrubs will be replanted upon the completion of the Richview Pumping Station and Reservoir Rehabilitation project.
The value of 295 trees that will not be replanted on the reservoir will be another cash-in-lieu payment to the City of Toronto that may not be spent in our community.
There is the option to plant these trees in our neighbourhood! If you have any suggestions as to where these 295 trees could be planted, please contact Kate Kusiak and quote 19ECS-MI-02WA Public Consultation at richview@toronto.ca or 416-392-1932.
More info www.toronto.ca/richview
FOUR YEARS & $1 MILLION+ STILL WAITING TO BE SPENT
Did you know that the City of Toronto has installed more than 60 outdoor fitness pods across the city and these project requests are typically initiated through the local Councillor working with the community as verified by City of Toronto, Parks, Forestry & Recreation staff.
LEARN MORE VISIT DAILYHIVE.COM
In Scarborough Ward 20, community consultation occurred in August 2020 and construction will begin in October 2020.
In our community, numerous attempts to work with Councillor Stephen Holyday have resulted in no action being taken in two years - four years in total from the start of our advocacy.
Our community could have benefitted with projects like these but $1,027,287.00 has been sitting in the bank waiting to be used in our community.
THIS IS COMMUNITY ADVOCACY AT WORK.
DEAL FINALIZED TO SAVE SILVER CREEK SCHOOL
In May 2018, the Provincial Liberal Government finalized the agreement for the Province of Ontario to acquire Silver Creek Public School from the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). This completes the acquisition by the province of Silver Creek School, saving autism supports and a therapeutic preschool program for children with special needs.
The transition to provincial ownership will ensure that Silver Creek Pre-School, The Etobicoke Children’s Centre and the families that rely on their services will not experience any disruptions.
This is a true example of community & government working together with dedication, hard work and persistence.
Thank you to Yvan Baker who made it a priority to help save Silver Creek School, the attached green space & Silver Creek Pre-School and The Etobicoke Children's Centre, protecting vital programs for children with special needs, mental health needs & autism.