Centre For Local Research into Public Space (CELOS)


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Custodians:
86 e-mails

June 2009

June 28, 2009, 1 e-mail


Click on poster to enlarge it.
F. D. wrote:

This is an event being organized by a member of the Clean Train Coalition:

A parents' rally in support of the electrification of the Georgetown rail corridor.

Bring your kids and noisemakers, and let Premier McGuinty know that parents say "no" to over 400 dirty diesel trains a day passing through our neighbourhoods!

 

June 24, 2009, 2 e-mails

J. B. wrote:

Hi everyone, There has been discussion on this listserv in the past about pushing for a bike bridge across Lansdowne over the tracks to Sorauren Park. Here's your opportunity to speak out and try to get this built. Let's contact Metrolinx and push for it!

This would mean: A fast and safe way to access No Frills A bridge between Sorauren Park (Roncey, and High Park) and Brockton (and Downtown) A safe way to access the expanding Railpath, north and south of Dundas

June 22, 2009, 4 e-mails

D. G. wrote:

I have been in touch with Kathryn Hanford in regards to the damage that has incurred to various homes including my own. She insures me that no monetary claims have yet been made so far in regards to the issue. This information is false, as I personally know that a window recently exploded from a house near Westport Avenue in which the individuals were paid a sum of 1500 for compensation. I believe that claims that go through Kathryn Hanford are not on any official record so that Go Train has no tarnishes on its record when a lawsuit is waged against them. The number for the Manager of Claims should you have a problem is 416 869 3600 ext 5350. You will need to speak to Ann. DO NOT go through Kathryn Hanford. I am also beginning to research info for a class action lawsuit, which I will update on once things are further set in motion. Best of luck to us all.

June 19, 2009, 4 e-mails

From: Suri Weinberg-Linsky

If everyone could please go to the Clean Train Coalition website at http://www.cleantrain.ca and follow our directions to go onto Metrolinx's website to make your comments directly. They must include and review every single comment in their EA process. There are different areas you can comment on and the Environment is the MOST important for them to receive comments on. Today is the last day for one deadline.

It is only by flooding their comments portal that you have the opportunity to formally have your comments and complaints logged and included in the document that will go to the Ministry of the Environment for approval on the EA. If you go on independently, it is difficult to navigate and get to the right location in order to make your comments. When you do, you must make sure that you use the word 'environment' immediately in your first sentence so that it is catalogued properly. They will discard comments that don't fit into the very narrow parameters.

June 18, 2009, 5 e-mails

M. D. wrote:

To Whom It May Concern, The plan to extend the pile drivers and construction hours with the addition of weekend work through the summer months is completely unacceptable. And, once again the Resident’s of the community were given an inadequate amount of notice of the impending weekend work.

Most people make their summer plans well in advance of the season and to impose this on us and basically drive a wedge through any plans we might have had to enjoy our homes and our neighbourhood during the weekends in question, amounts to cruel and usual punishment.

What action is GO prepared to take to compensate the Resident’s for the disruption to their lives, their plans and for displacing us from our own homes during what is a very short summer season?

June 16, 2009, 4 e-mails

J. B wrote:

Hi everyone, There has been discussion on this listserv in the past about pushing for a bike bridge across Lansdowne over the tracks to Sorauren Park. Here's your opportunity to speak out and try to get this built. Let's contact Metrolinx and push for it!

This would mean:

A fast and safe way to access No Frills
A bridge between Sorauren Park (Roncey, and High Park) and Brockton (and Downtown)
A safe way to access the expanding Railpath, north and south of Dundas

June 12, 2009, 1 e-mail

M. S. wrote:

I don't think there is a rodent relocation program. Rats are not a protected species. Would you want someone to bring their rats and drop them off in your neighborhood. Rats have to be exterminated. Don't worry they will not go extinct.

The stuff, poison, you buy at home depot does not work. I would just caution the entire neighborhood to get professional advice regarding leaving any poison around. It always should be contained as it will kill dogs, cats and people. There are devises the exterminators use,. Also poison does not work if there is garbage around. Be adamant about yourself and your neighbors keeping their garbage contained in rodent proof containers and in proper bags. After rats eat the poison they look for water so always leave dishes of water around otherwise you may find the dead rats in your flower gardens trying to get water.

The exterminator on Dundas west just west of Sarauren is a really good one, I found them to be extremely knowledgeable, EXTERMINEX 2009 Dundas west 416 537 2158.

June 11, 2009, 3 e-mail

K. H. wrote:

They have to work with the train schedules. It's much like the repairs that are done on highways after peak hours. From my BlackBerry.

C. wrote:

They have to do repair work means we should be duly informed just as people who drive the highways are notified of repairs being done by means of Signage notifiying them that work is going to be done I.E. "gardiner closed between blah and blah for repairs" We were not given this notice and we should be given this notice.

If you could please .....make sure that your office is aware of these repairs and we are duly informed going forward. The people of this community need to arrange their sleeping an working hours and cannot have any more unexpected surprises.

June 10, 2009, 3 e-mails

C. wrote:

Please explain the construction noise on the tracks late last evening. It was supposed to be over a 6 a.m. last Monday per the flyer sent out to some of the community.

From my BlackBerry.

Please consider our environment before printing this e-mail.

This e-mail message in its entirety (including attachments) is confidential and is intended only for the addressee(s) named above. The message contents may contain confidential or privileged information. Any unauthorized use or disclosure is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender and delete all copies.

June 9, 2009, 8 e-mail


Click on poster to enlarge it.
From: Bruce Gavin Ward

This poster describes the railPath event running paralel, and in 'concert' with theBIGfestival on Bloor;

please forward, print, distribute, ........write on the back, whatever, profusely !

 

June 8, 2009, 6 e-mail

D. C. wrote:

Watch the video

Here is a link to the Clean Train Coalition video.

There's LOTS of important information on this video. So you'll have to hit the pause button to catch it all.

Copy and paste - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ3QSNrkqyg

T. S. wrote:

Hi, there, T. S. here of Osler Street. I was just wondering if your group was aware that the construction has now become 24 hours long, 7 days a week. I’m pretty sure it was them working at 4:30am on Saturday morning and, as well, 11pm last night. My girlfriend works for the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (low level with sadly no influence) and asked her boss this morning about it and he said that GO informed MTO on Friday afternoon that they intended to work over the weekend and that this will likely carry forward throughout the summer. They also apparently told MTO that they informed the neighbourhood 2 days prior to beginning their extended hours work. I’m not sure if you were informed but I certainly wasn’t and was obviously rudely awakened Saturday morning by the noise.

Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. The noise and vibrations are bad enough but the lack of communication on GO’s part is entirely unacceptable.

June 6, 2009,1 e-mail

From: Mike Sullivan

The final Metrolinx Open Houses start Monday in Weston, from 3-8 at the Weston Park Baptist Church. Metrolinx says the ideas brought forward at the John St. Design Charrette will be on display. The ideas included at least methods to keep John St. open, and included keeping the rails buried through Weston, and keeping them electrified. Come and see for yourselves on Monday.

The BIG DITCH in Weston will require significant numbers of driven piles. We cannot be subjected to the same ear-splitting noise and ceiling-crashing vibrations as the folks in the Junction have been subjected to. The construction in Weston will take 3-4 years.

Come to the open house and have your say about these things. If enough people say it, maybe Metrolinx will change their plans.

Mike Sullivan

Chair

Weston Community Coalition

 

Open House Schedule

June 5, 2009, 3 e-mails

N. A. wrote:

Huh,

I just got a door-to-door visit from some GO representatives asking for my own person comments on the piledriving situation.

While I would like to think that this is a good-will gesture, it's probably not. It seems more likely that they are gathering their own data in prep for talks with the CTA, and to possibly undermine the authority of the leadership group by putting their demands in question.

So I'd be careful about what you say. They've played this game before with comments like "our own research shows the community just wants us to get this over with as soon as possible."

Just a heads-up…

June 4, 2009, 12 e-mails

SRA wrote:

The West Toronto Diamond Community Group is not asking the CTA for mediation but, rather, filing a formal complaint. The main reason we have gone that route (rather than mediation) is that it allows us to ask the CTA to impose an immediate stop work until the matter is resolved. As well, GO does not have to agree to mediation but they have no choice about responding to a formal complaint.

The complaint is just being filed; we'll keep everyone informed about the timeline and the process.

Thanks to everyone who sent impact statements. Keep 'em coming.

June 3, 2009, 9 e-mails.

L. D. wrote:

I live on Watkinson ave. and have lived with the noise for a very long time 9like the rest of the neigbours) However, this week has been the worst it has ever been. Mind numbing vibration and the banging has been at it worst. I look at there pile driver scale of completion sign everyday and it seems like it does not move. They need to hurry up already. Let me know what next I can do.

June 2, 2009,11 e-mails

From: Glenn Sernyk

Elisabeth, you have given us a huge legal tip and some good leads here.

Michelle, you have given us very valuable reinforcement. The legal system does work.

We are sorely lacking legal expertise, which is something that GO is, I’m sure, not lacking in any way. They probably have lawyers paid $150K/year sitting around reading The Hockey News.

We have so many questions that need to be answered by lawyers. We’re plunging into a CTA formal complaint without any legal counsel. The firms that we approached either told us their hourly rate and retainer or told us to get lost.

We have to remember that we’re going up against the Liberal Government here and there are a lot of Liberal supporting law firms. The Tory supporting law firms couldn’t care less about stuff going on in Liberal/NDP ridings. There aren’t really any NDP law firms – an NDP law firm is most likely a socially active legal aid clinic.

We tried the Environmental legal service, but our group didn’t qualify, as we all have at least some assets.

The principle of “nuisance” trumping GO’s “permitted” right to wail away with these diesel hammers is something that would not have even crossed our minds.

We’ll do some digging based on your suggestions. Our complaint goes in on Thursday.

June 1, 2009, 9 e-mails

From: Elisabeth Bruckmann

Do you live within 30 meters of the edge of the rail corridor?

As most of you know, the government is planning to run over 400 diesel trains every day along the rail lines which run on the west side of Brockton. The government has acknowledged that there will be a minimum 15% increase in air pollution in the community. Diesel is a particularly nasty pollutant which causes cancer and respiratory disease.

A large group of different communities has come together to form the Clean Train Coalition to force the government to put in electric trains instead. Electric is cleaner and quieter.

One of our strategies is to challenge the very limited Environmental Assessment which the government is performing. We have identified that the government is legally required to send a "Notice of Commencement" to every landowner whose land is within 30 meters of the project. We have found that many people have not received such a notice, but we need to identify names and addresses so that we can approach a lawyer and credibly say that there has been inadequate notice.

Is your land within 30 meters of the edge of the corridor? 30 meters is not much, but if you back onto the tracks or are directly across the street, then you ought to have received a notice. If you did not, please email me and tell me. The sooner we get this information, the sooner we can get a legal challenge moving. If you did receive a notice, please tell me that too and approximately when you received it so we can determine whether notice is being given late. If you would like to remain anonymous, say so, but we will need your address to show where you live.

Email to e_bruckmann@hotmail.com Visit the Clean Train Coalition website for more information at http://www.cleantrain.ca


Content last modified on June 29, 2009, at 02:34 AM EST