President's Report
Jeff Forsyth
Posted April..05
For the first time we will be distributing this month’s newsletter to all the residents in Port Union Village (south of Lawrence Ave west of Port Union Road). Thanks to the efforts of Zane Biblow and residents of the area who have volunteered to distribute the newsletter in this area of our community. To residents of this area, we hope you enjoy receiving this newsletter and welcome your support and any comments you may have.
This month there are a couple of outdoor activities scheduled in our community. The first event is a bird building workshop for children. It is being held on Saturday April 16th at Port Union Recreation Centre. There will be 2 workshops, the first one will start at 10:30 a.m. and the second one will start at 12:30 p.m. The second event is Earth Day that will be held on Saturday April 23rd. Earth Day activities get underway at 9:30 a.m. and will originate at both Port Union Recreation Community Centre and West Rouge Recreation Community Centre. This is a great opportunity for everyone in the family to get out and show we care about our community. Details for both events are contained in this newsletter.
On February 28th I attended a Port Union Waterfront Trail Working Committee meeting. Community representatives provided input to the Toronto Region Conservation Authority staff regarding what we wanted incorporated into the detailed design for the node that projects out into the lake at the bottom of Port Union Road. This area will be the focal point for the trail in our community. Based on the input we provided at this meeting, the Toronto Region Conservation Authority will be hiring a consultant in the next month to carry out the detailed design for this area of the trail.
In February the province issued its Provincial Policy Statement that came into effect on March 1st. This coincides with the effective date of the Strong Communities (Planning Amendment) Act 2004, which requires that planning decisions on applications that are subject to the new policy statement “shall be consistent with” the new policies. This is part of the overall planning reform and changes to the Ontario Municipal Board initiated by the province last summer. CCRA responded to the request for input on planning reforms and changes to the Ontario Municipal Board. These clearer rules are a step toward reforming the Ontario Municipal Board. Full details of the Provincial Policy Statement and information related to planning reform can be found on the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing website www.mah.gov.on.ca
Although our membership drive does not get underway officially until next month we are able to accept your membership payments now on line through our web site www.centennialcra.com Just click on the “PayPal” icon. Thanks to Membership Chair Tony Sibley and our Webmaster Michael Marriott for setting this up.
Jeff Forsyth
President