Six candidates are vying to represent one of Toronto’s most dynamic downtown east wards – Ward 30 (Toronto-Danforth) – at city hall.

Located just east of the Don Valley Parkway, Ward 30 is home to several diverse residential neighbourhoods including Riverside, south Riverdale, Leslieville, The Pocket, Little India, and East Toronto Chinatown to name a few.It’s also home to some dynamic and outspoken residents prepared to speak out against development proposals they feel will negatively impact their community such as the Ashbridges Bay Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) maintenance and storage facility and a proposed big box shopping centre on Eastern Avenue.

Because the ward is situated at the eastern terminus of the Gardiner Expressway, traffic safety is also a priority for constituents.

Bryce Miranda, a member of the Ashdale Village Residents Association’s executive council, is concerned about reducing the amount of vehicles cutting through – and often times speeding – in his neighbourhood when local arterial roads get congested.

A landscape architect by day, Miranda is keeping a close eye on traffic flowing through the Gerrard-Fairford intersection, one of several local intersections slated for improvement.

“That whole area is all bottled up and it’s forcing people into our neighbourhood,” he said, adding making traffic flow better southbound on Coxwell Avenue is a priority for those living in an area roughly bounded by Coxwell and Greenwood, avenues, Gerrard Street East and the rail line.

Locally, the intersections of Pape-Riverdale, Jones-Dundas, and Marjorie-Dundas have recently been improved. A safety audit is currently being done along Broadview Avenue from Danforth Avenue to Gerrard Street East.

Miranda feels a more police are needed to encourage motorists to obey the rules of the road. He also feels that presence would discourage some questionable individuals from hanging out on Gerrard Street East and in nearby alleyways where an alleged arsonist recently lit several fires.

Locally, Miranda said residents are interested in the success of the Little India business community and would like to get more involved by setting up a co-op coffee shop.

Bruce Brackett serves as the coordinator of the Leslieville Residents Association, which represents the interests of those living in an area bounded by Woodfield Road, the Degrassi Street bridge, the railway tracks and Eastern Avenue.

He said one of the main issues in Leslieville is mitigating the impacts of the LRV yard on the community.

“The drive from Leslie Street is bad enough and it doesn’t make much sense to tear up one of the city’s most contaminated sites,” said Brackett, who has lived in the community since 1943.

“I’m just hoping the election makes things change.”

Brackett said the local residents group was formed because neighbours wanted more communication about the city’s plans to build an LRV yard in their community.

He also pointed to the big box mall proposal on Eastern Avenue by SmartCentres, which the community succeeded in overturning at the Ontario Municipal Board.

On the west end of the ward a group of neighbours have come together to form the Riverside Area Residents Association (RARA), which represents the interests of those living from Broadview Avenue to Gerrard Street East, Dundas Street East to Blackburn Street.

William Jenns, one of the group’s board members, said a major local concern is the possibility that the city could erect a massive “brownwater” tanks for storm water and sewage just west of their homes in the Don Valley Parkway.

“We’re very concerned about it and we think it’s a bad plan,” he said.

Jenns also said proper transparency in city planning is important so that residents better understand what’s being proposed for their community and feel they have a voice in what’s being built there pointing to the various buildings planned for the site of the new Bridgepoint Health hospital.

Traffic safety as well as reducing local crime are always important issues for residents of the Gerrard-Broadview area, where in innocent fruit market worker was gunned down in January of 2008.

“We work very closely with the police and we’re very proactive,” he said, adding a problematic pay phone at a vacant coffee shop was recently removed after RARA expressed concerns to the police about it being used for setting up drug deals.

The local residents group has recently prepared a list of its Top 10 election issues, which also include parking, the complete implementation of the City of Toronto Act, respect for the nearby ravine, enforcement of building permits, zoning, garbage and water management studies for all new projects.

Like their neighbours to the east, constituents in this side of the Ward 30 are also concerned about the accessibility of public transit.

Candidate Mark Dewdney said traffic safety is a huge concern in Ward 30 residents, especially in the Broadview-Danforth area where he lives.

“It’s an absolutely terrible intersection. When the Don Valley Parkway turns into a parking lot people tend to go up Broadview,” Dewdney said, adding he’d like to see more time allocated for crossing as timed lights in that area don’t seem to be working.

“(Broadview Avenue)’s not really meant to be an arterial road. You can say that about most of our streets.”

He also said bike accidents, inadequate parking and confusing street signs aren’t helping the situation.

In terms of local crime concerns, Dewdney said the ward has several streets in transition but that many problematic areas still exist, especially along Queen Street East.

He said a more police for patrols are needed to curb the local drug culture and the accompanying petty crime that goes along with it. Dewdney would also like officers from the Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy come to Ward 30.

“As councilor I’d like to see if we can borrow some TAVIS time,” he said, adding preventative measures are also needed especially key times of the month when social assistance cheques are mailed out.

If elected, Dewdney said his first priority would be to take a close look at the city’s budget and find ways to save money. He’s also work to improve relations between the local councilor and constituents.

“A day without taxpayer contact is a wasted day for a politician,” he said.

Broadcaster Liz West said she’s heard a lot about speeding problems near Queen and Dundas and Queen and Eastern.

“When they tore down the Gardiner it changed traffic patterns,” West said, adding people often cut through side streets to avoid getting stuck in heavy traffic.

“Every street (in the ward) has issues.”

West said she doesn’t agree with the requirement 80 per cent of residents must agree to have a speed bump installed on their street. She said she’d also encourage more police ticketing “blitzes.”

“Traffic is going to be an issue until we get all of our transportation in order,” West said, pointing to the need for improved public transit and more bike lanes.

“When we focus on transit we need to focus on all types of transit.”

When it comes to crime, West said she’s heard several residents say feel uncomfortable in local parks due to criminal activities taking place there.

West said one of the ways to improve that situation is through more lighting as well as the presence of people and dogs in parks to keep an eye on things. She also wants a greater police presence in Riverside and Leslieville.

“I would work with the police to target the problem areas to ensure every we can do is being done.”

West said if elected she’d focus on reconnecting with constituents by having meaningful conversations. By letting tax payers known how their money is being spent she said trust would be built and respect for city hall would increase.

The ward’s incumbent councilor Paula Fletcher said she’s open to meeting with residents to discuss traffic concerns and implementing traffic calming measures like prohibiting right turns at peak times and installing more speed humps.

Involved in initiating a city-wide pedestrian strategy and supportive of the city’s new pedestrians office, Fletcher pointed to the many intersections in her ward that have been recently improved as well as the Danforth-Broadview audit currently underway.

She said she’s also working with residents living near the Gerrard-Coxwell area on the intersection calling it “a disaster for pedestrians.”

Fletcher said in terms of crime levels are on the decline overall in the ward and “hot spots” are regularly addressed by local police.

She said she also hosts community safety walks with residents and various community partners to make neighbourhoods safer and address and ongoing concerns.

“I find those to be very effective,” Fletcher said, adding the walks are opportunities to look at any lighting or visibility issues, and clean up any lingering junk or graffiti.

If re-elected, Fletcher said she’d continue to work to keep important services and resources in her ward and throughout the city such as hydro and the TTC as well as libraries, parks and reducing programs.

“People are concerned with the direction the mayoral candidates want to take. I will work to ensure Ward 30 is not a victim of the slash and burn. I will defend my community as I always do,” she said.

Six-year east end resident Andrew James said addressing traffic safety concerns in Ward 30 requires coming up with constructive, creative solutions to local parking woes, developing more connectivity for bike lanes and making the process to install more speed humps easier. He also said people speeding through side streets to avoid congestions along main roads is problematic.

James is proposing more police speed traps in problematic residential areas, not just where police are more likely to nab speeders to create revenue. He also said photo radar should be re-explored.

“An election is, at least, a good opportunity to float these options,” he said.

Going door-to-door, James said he’s heard concerns about break-ins and arson along Gerrard Street East as well as the failure to close or keep closed known crack houses in the ward.

“We need to reexamine police priorities. I definitely believe in more community policing.”

James said creating opportunities for the police to serve as mentors for local youth is another way to deter crime having been involved with the East York Strategy.

He’d like to see a local chapter of that group in Ward 30 and has already spoken to several local churches/faith groups about getting involved in such an initiative.

“With crime you have to take a multi-tasking approach,” James said.

As the next councilor, James said he’d work hard to connect with constituents.

“What people want is a councilor who listens to them and responds to them regardless of whether or not they agree with them,” he said.

Angie Tingas said she hasn’t heard complaints about traffic safety while canvassing.

“I don’t know how much safer out streets can get,” she said, adding a lot of streets in Ward 30 have speed humps.

“Slowing down roads is not an ideal option. The Danforth is a traffic mess.”

Tingas, who lives off of Jones Avenue, said she’d like to look at ways to divert people from driving along side streets when main roads get congested and how to stop people from speeding.

In terms of local crime, she said a stronger yet kinder police presence is needed in Leslieville.

“I think they need to up the police presence but an attitude shift is needed,” Tingas said, adding she’d like to see more police of both foot and bike patrols as a solution for deterring petty criminals, prostitution, drug dealing and break-ins.

“People need to feel safe, even in the parks and more police foot patrols will make them feel safer.”

Tingas said as the next councilor she’d work to make people in Ward 30 feel they’re represented at city hall and said there are a lot of “career politicians in Toronto-Danforth only here to advance their career, not fix the ward.”

She also wants to work to make Ward 30 a functioning, bustling neighbourhood with its proximity to the downtown core.

“I really think the ward needs a cheerleader,” she said.

Mihaly Varga came to Canada 25 years ago from Hungary and works as a safety inspector for elevating devices.

He feels traffic safety is important.

“I have to admit I don’t know of any specific traffic issues but safety is very important,” he said during a recent interview.

Having distributed 13,000 flyers at the door, Varga said he’s heard some concerns about drug dealing in the lower end of the ward but feels there aren’t enough resources to have more police officers patrolling the streets.

“I don’t believe the city will be in a position to put a police officer in every sandbox,” he said.

His approach to addressing local crime is to get the community more involved.

“A more active presence will help deter crime. When there’s a void of people on the streets crime will come in,” he said.

“The police do have a role but they’re not the only ones who are going to solve this problem.”

If elected, Varga said he’d work to eliminate the cynicism and apathy of voters and would start by encouraging people to get involved in the community and the political process.

“I feel we don’t really have the proper leader who can actually get people involved,” he said.

From there, Varga said he’d work with constituents on local beautification and community building projects block by block.

When the candidates were asked about the Ashbridges Bay LRV facility they all expressed concerns about the impacts it will have on the community.

Dewdney said the yard should have been built on industrial lands near Eglinton and Black Creek Drive as it would have better served the future Eglinton light rail transit line.

He also said that he’s “very annoyed” by what he called a “lack of proper community consultation” adding he’s also not pleased the city’s new fleet of more than 200 new streetcars was purchased through a sole-sourcing deal.

West said she feels residents didn’t have a real say in the location of the facility, which is just across the street in Ward 32.

“We have to really learn to respect and communicate with our constituents,” she said, adding people are concerned about their property values as well as the esthetics of the yard.

“Sometimes with tough decisions people are not always happy but the truth is most important.”

Fletcher said she’s working area residents to minimize the overall impact of the facility as well as with Ward 32 Councillor Sandra Bussin to develop a mitigation package for Leslie Street residents directly affected by the streetcar route to the site. Fletcher had unsuccessfully proposed streetcars travel along Lake Shore Boulevard East and along Eastern Avenue to the Connaught yard.

She also said she wants to ensure the yard’s entranceway and surrounding areas is esthetically pleasing.

“They have to have something spectacular along the edges,” she said, noting she’s also working to have Leslie Street beautification efforts extended up to Queen Street East.

“My goal is to make it a complete street by enhancing pedestrians and cycling features.”

James, who has attended several meetings on the issue and made deputations at city hall about it, said there are already two TTC yards in the area and isn’t in favour of another being built at Lake Shore Boulevard and Leslie Street.

“It’s a bad idea to pave over 22 acres (of land) supposed to be used for the Ashbridges Bay Treatment Plant expansion,” he said, adding he’s in favour of intensifying existing facilities like the Hillcrest yard in the west end.

“I just don’t think that’s the direction we want our community to move.”

Tingas said the LRV facility would “greatly effect the visuals of our ward” and would like to fix the existing Connaught yard to house more streetcars or divide storage of the new streetcar fleet differently instead of having a “mass streetcar facility.”

She also said pedestrians would avoid walking near such a large yard near Leslie Street and Lake Shore Boulevard for safety reasons.

“I can’t see anyone wanting to walk by there. It’s a poor location (for a yard),” she said.

Varga said the LRV is a “Toronto issue” and something that doesn’t just affect the community but the city as a whole.

“It looks like a good facility. It’s enclosed and it looks great,” he said, offering no specifics on how to lessen the impact of increased streetcars on the community.

The seven candidates also had varying ideas about what could be done to improve transit accessibility to and from the ward.

Varga said he’s work to widen bike routes and come up with ideas to reduce the traffic load along The Danforth. Varga said he’s also a strong supporter of streetcar as the most efficient and cost-effective public transit option.

Tingas said everyone wants more transit in the ward and the answer to betting that isn’t with more buses.

“I think our bus system sucks big time,” she said, pointing to the Pape, Jones and Greenwood routes.

“The TTC is an inconvenience for us in Ward 30.”

A fan of streetcars having grown up in Torotno, Tingas said she’d work to address infrequent and unpredictable TTC service and would make it her priority, if elected, to meet with the commission and work on finding solution to local problems.

James said Toronto should take a look at stacked streetcar storage and maintenance facilities like those in New York City.

“There’s only so much waterfront area in the city. It doesn’t make sense,” he said, noting intensification is also needed along major transit corridors to expand and sustain ridership.

The incumbent candidate, Fletcher, said the larger capacity of the city’s new fleet of streetcars would help move more people quicker, including those with accessibility issues.

“This is the first batch of truly accessible streetcars in Toronto’s history and I’m supportive of it. There’s an upside to the LRV that’s amazing,” she said, pointing to accessibility challenges on the subway.

West said the answer is investing in dedicated bike lanes to help take the pressure off drivers and public transit.

Dewdney is proposing to build a Lake Shore express streetcar line similar to the one on The Queenway.

“If you build it they will come. People are going to require transit and we need to think 20 years down the road,” Dewdney said, adding he’s in favour of building an Eglinton subway line.

In terms of what to do with the Eastern Avenue Employment Lands, Dewdney said there lacks a vision for that area calling the future auto mall “a bit of a dead zone.”

“I’d like to really see a sub-division for technology. We could replicate something like Liberty Village out there,” he said, admitting he doesn’t have all the answers.

“We could make this the crown jewel of commercial Toronto.”

West said a “corporate approach” is what’s needed for development in that area, calling the site a “logical extension of Leslieville.”

“We can’t fight every developer who wants to come in there. I am disappointed that the fight against the big boxes has left us with what appears to be two car dealerships,” she said.

“I think there’s something that could go in there that could give people a place to shop.”

Fletcher said defeating the big box project is the community was a huge step for the ward and feels the nine-acre site set to be turned into two car dealerships is a good thing.

“It will be an upgrade for the street. People have the right to do things within city policy on their own property,” she said, highlighting the importance of maintaining the local film studio on the site.

“Ontario’s growth plan is working out in the Eastern Avenue Employment Lands. We have been trying to bring jobs back to Toronto.”

A lawyer by trade, James said developers often find ways to sneak through loop holes and is pleased the Ontario Municipal Board ruled a big box facility isn’t ideal for this ward.

“That’s not what we want but if we want something we have to be proactive and work with the developer,” he said, adding a local councilor must also be business minded and co-operative.

“An auto mall is not ideal but the developer has the right to build it.”

Tingas said she’s in favour of a Wal-Mart being built in the community because it would “provide affordable shopping” for low-income people living in the ward.

“It may be jobs for low-income people.” She said, adding the local business community caters to a different clientele than big box retailers do.

Varga said he’d like that land used for parks and recreation uses as well as conservation areas and said he feels the Eastern employment lands “could be developed in a way to benefit both the ward and Toronto as a whole.”

Candidate Gary Walsh did not respond to The Mirror’s requests for an interview by press time.

Andreas Bogojevic, whose name also appers on the ballot, is not longer actively campaigning and has throw his support behind mark Dewdney.

- Joanna Lavoie

Posted in East York - Beach, News