mayor_tory@toronto.ca
councillor_layton@toronto.ca
April 2022
To the offices of Mayor John Tory and Councillor Mike Layton:
I am writing to you as a concerned resident of North Rosedale. Recently (Feb 4, 2022) you passed Garden Suite zoning by-law, but you unexpectedly included duplex, triplex, fourplex and low-rise apartment properties.
I am very aware that the city of Toronto has a housing crisis and as a largely single family residential area we are not going to be the solution to address affordable housing. However, we do want to stay on the radar as an area that should be considered and protected as we bring something special to tapestry of the city of Toronto.
Fontra, CORRA and TO Residents Association have asked you to re-open the matter of Garden Suites due to what is deemed an over-reach with the inclusion of duplex, triplex, fourplex and low-rise apartment properties along with further concern surrounding the following:
- New Garden Suites by-law will allow for the destruction of primary residences -as a heritage district, we are always concerned about any zoning that makes it easy for developers to outbid folks and teardown to build duplex, triplex or larger in the middle of our heritage and single-family home areas.
- This by-law does not go far enough to protect the loss of tree canopy and green space.
- “One size fits all” does not protect the variances that make our neighbourhoods special and unique and that must be protected.
- Any by-law that impacts so greatly should be communicated more broadly to those impacted.
I would like to lend my voice to support Fontra, CORRA and TO Residents Association in asking you to protect neighbourhoods of both homeowners and renters while you drive to ensure the city’s health in making it easier and faster for builder, developer, and speculator to address affordable housing.
Please reconsider Garden Suite zoning by-law and remove duplex, triplex, fourplex and low-rise apartment properties from this by-law.
Sincerely yours,
Winter 2025 Newsletter
/in Newsletters/by Site AdminWinter 2024 Newsletter
/in Newsletters/by Site AdminWinter 2022 Newsletter
/in Newsletters/by Site AdminStewardship begins at home – Invasive species information
/in Blog Articles/by Grace WarrenIn the last issue of the NRRA Newsletter, we provided an overview of the great achievements of the park stewardship team that met weekly through three seasons last year to work on the Roxborough Parkette. This work will continue in 2022, with a focus on ensuring the invasive plants are kept at bay, making room for indigenous plant varieties to thrive. After last year, the infestations of buckthorn and knotweed were knocked back on their metaphorical heels, but we probably haven’t heard the last of them. There is always room for more people to participate as stewards at this site, so if this is of interest please get in touch with Toronto Nature Stewards through the ”contact us” link on their web site.
Not many people are aware that a significant proportion of Toronto’s treasured ravine system (40% to be exact) is located on private property. More to the point, plant varieties (whether indigenous or invasive) pay little attention to property lines. So, all the efforts to curtail the spread of invasives in a ravine section can be for naught if similar actions are not taken on adjacent private lands. With that in mind, this year Toronto Nature Stewards is issuing a new guide for stewardship on private land. TNS is providing a detailed web-based resource with guidance on how to identify and remove invasives, as well as how to select, plant, and nurture plantings of native varieties in private gardens. This is an excellent resource and should be of interest to anyone with responsibility for a garden, whether directly adjacent to a ravine or not. This new guide can be found at the following link: TNS Guide for Private Property.
Spring 2024 Newsletter
/in Newsletters/by Site AdminSpring 2023 Newsletter
/in Newsletters/by Site AdminSample Letter concerning Garden Suites for Tory & Layton
/in Blog Articles/by Grace Warrenmayor_tory@toronto.ca
councillor_layton@toronto.ca
April 2022
To the offices of Mayor John Tory and Councillor Mike Layton:
I am writing to you as a concerned resident of North Rosedale. Recently (Feb 4, 2022) you passed Garden Suite zoning by-law, but you unexpectedly included duplex, triplex, fourplex and low-rise apartment properties.
I am very aware that the city of Toronto has a housing crisis and as a largely single family residential area we are not going to be the solution to address affordable housing. However, we do want to stay on the radar as an area that should be considered and protected as we bring something special to tapestry of the city of Toronto.
Fontra, CORRA and TO Residents Association have asked you to re-open the matter of Garden Suites due to what is deemed an over-reach with the inclusion of duplex, triplex, fourplex and low-rise apartment properties along with further concern surrounding the following:
I would like to lend my voice to support Fontra, CORRA and TO Residents Association in asking you to protect neighbourhoods of both homeowners and renters while you drive to ensure the city’s health in making it easier and faster for builder, developer, and speculator to address affordable housing.
Please reconsider Garden Suite zoning by-law and remove duplex, triplex, fourplex and low-rise apartment properties from this by-law.
Sincerely yours,
Remembering WWII
/in Blog Articles/by Grace WarrenNorth Rosedale resident Jack Rhind recounts the ‘indescribable’ brutality of the second world war.
NRRA Newsletter – Winter 2020
/in Newsletters/by Grace WarrenVolume 18 | Issue 1
I think we can all agree 2020 has been quite a ride and 2021 looks like it will be equally interesting, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves… We tackle several topics of importance to members of the North Rosedale Residents’ Association in this Winter newsletter.
The City of Toronto Parks department would like us to educate ourselves on how to use our NEW green recycle bins. Please note that this is a trial program and local parks that are not using their green bins correctly will lose them and the opportunity to recycle organic waste.
By now you will have seen several “Slow Down” signs on our streets. Speed is a growing concern within our membership and on our local streets. To help with this effort both the NRRA and Councillor Mike Layton’s office are offering “Slow Down” signs on a first come first served basis to any members who’d like one for their front lawn to help with this awareness campaign.
Now that the Glen Road construction has finally wound down, our next area construction project is underway at the corner of Roxborough and Mt. Pleasant. This change is part of the City’s “Vision Zero- 2017-2021 Campaign”- Safety for Pedestrians. In this issue you can read about the recent meeting on this matter with concerned residents, the NRRA Board and the City.
In this Winter issue we officially launch the new look and feel of our NRRA Website. Don’t miss the opportunity to enter our Photo Contest! Send your photos in now to win a gift certificate and to have your photos featured on our website, Facebook page and in our twice-yearly newsletter. Good Luck!
Thank you Chef Jamison and Rosedale’s Finest for another yummy recipe … Braised Short Ribs. Makes my mouth water! And thank you to Interior Couture for giving us a step by step lesson on how to set a modern holiday table.
Finally, let me join with all of the NRRA board members in wishing all of you a safe, healthy, and happy New Year and holiday season.
NRRA Newsletter – Winter 2019
/in Newsletters/by Shahkir AlkozaiVolume 17 | Issue 1
Winter 2019|20
Winter is here!
That was fast.
Well it is time for our Fall/Winter North Rosedale Residents Newsletter for 2019/20
and your NRRA volunteer board members have been working to serve our community
with the goal of gradually and continually improving our delightful neighbourhood,
coined “A Village in the City”. We continue our work on priority heritage files, Glen
Road reconstruction issues, Rosedale Park improvements, and neighbourhood safety
through our Street Captain program, whilst working to keep our members abreast of
new developments at City Hall such as the proposed City-wide blanket permit parking
earlier this year. The NRRA has a strong and active working relationship with our
Councillor Mike Layton and his staff and meet regularly with them and surrounding
local residents’ associations in Ward 11 to discuss issues affecting our communities. We
also actively collaborate with neighbouring residents’ associations on such initiatives as
Heritage, Ravines, and the most recent Federal Candidates Debate in October.
Furthermore, the NRRA is active in broader reaching umbrella organizations such as
the Federation of North Toronto Residents’ Associations, Community of Resident and
Ratepayer Associations and the Community Police Liaison Committee. Our community
engagement committee is planning a number of events for the end of 2019 and into
2020, such as a December Skating Party, which provide a wonderful opportunity to
meet your neighbours, old and new. We welcome your feedback and encourage you to
share your ideas with us at info1@northrosedale.ca.
Finally, we are working to make it easier to sign up to be a member and to re-new your
membership. We are very grateful to all those who join and renew annually. If you have not
joined or renewed this year we’ve just made it is as easy as an Interac email transfer to
payments@northrosedale.ca or PayPal of $50 per year or $140 for 3 years. Cheques are also
accepted – Payable to North Rosedale Residents’ Association and pop it into the mail
addressed to Kathy Falconi, NRRA Treasurer, 60 Douglas Drive, Toronto, Ont. M4W 2B3.
We look forward to seeing you enjoy our Village in the City.
Jean Anderson & Karen Powell
Co-Presidents, North Rosedale Residents’ Association