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From: david yee
Sent: Saturday, October 23, 2004 10:16 AM
Subject: [dovercourtpark] Historical Walking Tour of Delaware-Concord - Oct. 24th

Historical Walking Tour of Delaware - Concord

Date: Sunday, October 24
Time: 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Location: Concord Ave. & Bloor St. W.
Tour guide: Alec Keefer, Toronto Historian

Find out about your neigbourhood's rich history and a few of the local architectural gems.

Start: Concord & Bloor, south to College, west to Delaware, north to Bloor. End: 5:00 p.m, Delaware & Bloor

Does anyone know anything about the construction site at Rusholme Road and College? They're tearing out the gas station, but there is no indication of what will be replacing it. I really hope that it is not going to be something dreadful as we already have those townhomes on the south side breaking up the gradual spread of prosperous business on that bit of College. It seems that there might still be some hope of getting involved as a neighbourhood.

So what's happening at Rusholme and College? There's a big "Bell" sign on the side of the shack on the road ... and I heard two store-owners talking and they are a bit put out that no one has communicated with them.

Any news?

Best, Emily and Bernard

Hello All,

I phoned City Hall a couple of weeks ago to see what I could discover. The only permit that had been granted at that time was for demolition. I then spoke with the planner for the area and she said that there have been no applications or discussions (with her) in regard to the site. She also told me that the zoning for this site is very liberal and allows for many different uses. I then checked with the Land Registry office to see if the property had changed hands since the service station left and discovered that it hasn't (it has been owned by a numbered company since 1990 - maybe Esso?)

My guess (and it really is a guess at this point) is that we are going to see a "Quick Stop" style variety store/self serve gas station go up there in the near future.

I'm not sure how that would impact our neighbourhood. Any thoughts on this?

Arthur Irwin

Yeah I was wondering about that place. They had big gear digging it up and all . When I saw the big hole, I was sure it was going to be condo/townhouse thingees. But then they filled the holes up. No foundation structure.

Parking lot? I don't know.

Maybe all the digging was a ire prevention thing to do with oil drums or something?

Curious too.

Erella Ganon

I may be mistaken, but if memoery serves, if there was once a fuel tank on a property, it must remain filled and vacant for a certain set period of time before any new construction takes place.

Angela Shillolo

so how does that square with what happened at the site of Algarve Auto Repair on Ossington south of Dundas??.....that gas station was cleaned out and condos built almost immediately on the site. It would make sense that they'd have to leave it for a period of time. ..but not so in that case. hmmm.

Cheryl Hawkes

Thanks for alerting me to the issue. We've had a lot of calls about this location over the last couple of months because of circulating rumours. Adam's response to Erella yesterday sums up what we know:

"The property on the north west corner of College and Rusholme is not slated for redevelopment. There have been no applications either for rezoning or to the Committee of Adjustment, nor have any building permits been issued. The work they are doing is based on a demolition permit. "

Thanks again,

Kevin Beaulieu
Constituency Assistant
Office of Councillor Adam Giambrone
Toronto City Hall
100 Queen Street West, Suite C42
Toronto, ON, M5H 2N2
p: 416.338.5305
f: 416. 392.7957

June Update on the "Duchy of DunDuff" Community Garden at Dundas West & Dufferin

Needs work. Can you help?

(actually located on Hickson Street near corner with Brock Ave, south of Dundas)

Still busy doing the solarization of the soil with black plastic to kill weeds and weed seed

Interest growing in a mural project, either with local school or community artist (still to be found!)

Aiming for "cheap & cheerful" first season planting: calendula, cosmos and sunflower seeds

(want to plant something colourful & quick; will save native perennials for after the mural project) hope to have a planting event late June; call 596-1495 x 30 if you 'd like to come!

Do you live near the Duchy of DunDuff? New Community Garden needs help!

"DunDuff" is what I have affectionately dubbed my neighbourhood, that of Dundas W. and Dufferin. If you come exploring, you'll discover the little enclave that orbits around Shirley Street Public School. One of the portals to this corner is at Brock Ave. and Hickson St.

Currently, on the upper side of Hickson at Brock, there is a narrow, bedraggled, abandoned .5 metre wide strip of land, fronting a cinderblock wall "ornamented" with graffiti. The perfect place to do a little neighbourhood beautification and spread the good green vibe!

One of the reasons I¹m motivated to do this is so that the many school children who walk by the spot every day will have something inspiring, beautiful and green to look at in this bricked-up, cement and asphalt area.

The owners of the wall, Kingston Plumbing and Building Supplies, have given the go-ahead. They've furnished important background info, telling me that in the past, they had tried to cheer things up by installing a trellis on the wall. But it was stolen the very first night!

This was my cue for the reno/planting plan: something very simple, that will not be a temptation to steal or vandalize. Use native plants that will not be an obvious target as "desirables" to steal. And of course, low maintenance!

So the idea I've come up with, for the first year, is this: a carpet of Canada anemone (rapid, hardy spreader, with long lasting early spring bloom that first appears as a dot of white, then swells up into a blossom) and Virginia creeper on the wall, to provide berries for birds and spectacular fall colour. A border of bricks to demarcate the strip from the sidewalk, to clearly establish it as a stewarded space.

Of course, I'm open to suggestion--so do give me a call if you've got pointers or would like to help. In future years, perhaps some tall grasses could be planted to further obscure the wall.

Work Plan

How You Can Help:

Artistic? Help with the design & production of a sign.

Photographer? Document our events.

Driver? Help deliver compost from one of the Councillor's environment days.

Virginia creeper overload? Any vine babies to donate?

Pine Tree Seedlings? To camouflage unsightly lamppost.

Brick donations?

Gardener? Help to lay down newspaper & compost base; and later to transplant & plant

All volunteers welcome!

Sarah Brierley
Work: 416-596-1495 x 30 or sarah@evergreen.ca