Deja vu ...

August 1997 - The Intracorp Easement (across the Manson Site)
About thirty truckloads of asbestos waste were removed from the site before the Ministry of the Environment were notified - not by the contractor, not by the consultant, not by the City of Scarborough, but following a tip from an observant passer-by.

August 2000 - The Manson Site
About twenty truckloads of asbestos waste were removed from the site before the community was notified - not by the contractor, not by the consultant, not by the City of Toronto, but following a tip from an observant passer-by.

City staff and Councillor Moeser insisted that they did not know about the work on site. Here's the documented time-line. Judge for yourself.

June 15

Site start up meeting. City Communications, City Building staff and Councillor Moeser were present. CCRA was not informed of the meeting

July 6

Minutes of above meeting were available but were not sent to the CCRA.

July/August

Work was delayed because of legalities but hydro and water were installed on site.

August 8

City Inspectors on site.

August 9

Excavation of asbestos began. Twenty truckloads were removed. City of Toronto Building Inspectors, Ministries of Labour and Environment were on site. CCRA was still not informed.

August 17

When asked why the CCRA had been excluded from the communications loop, Councillor Moeser and City Buildings staff told us that they had not been aware that work was underway.

So, let's compare these two incidents:

CCRA NEWS, October 1997
Intracorp Easement

Events of August/September 2000
The Manson Site
.

"On August 21 a member of the West Rouge Community association was travelling on the GO train. He saw the work taking place and called …"

On Tuesday August 14 a member of the CCRA was travelling on the GO train. He saw the work taking place on the Manson site and called…

"Between August 15 and 19, thirty-one truckloads of asbestos containing material were removed from the … site and driven to a landfill site in Moore County."

Between August 9 and 15, twenty truckloads of asbestos containing material were removed from the site and driven to a landfill site near Sarnia.

"A meeting was called at the City of Scarborough on August 29 to discuss the "breakdown in communication" (an expression used several times by the parties concerned)…"

A PRC meeting was called by the City of Toronto on September 6, to discuss, among other things, the "breakdown in communication" (an expression used several times by the City of Toronto staff)

"Why was no report made except by a member of the community who was travelling on the GO train and saw the work being done?"

Why was there no communication to the CCRA except from one of the community who was travelling on the GO train and saw the work being done?

"The community associations had previously stated that they wished to be informed if any work was to proceed on the Manson property. Why then was the community not notified that this easement was under construction?"

The community associations had previously stated that they wished to be informed before any work was to proceed on the Manson property. Why then, was the community not notified that work had begun?

CCRA NEWS, October 1997, page 13

"Councillors Report, Ron Moeser, Ward 9,"

CCRA newsletter, October 2000

President’s Report, Gay Cowbourne

"The community associations and I were appalled to learn that the work had begun without consultation with the CCRA, WRCA, and my office. The work should not have proceeded without first contacting all the parties given the history of this property."

And: "NO WORK WILL PROCEED UNTIL ALL OF US FEEL ASSURED THAT THE SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY IS PROTECTED."

The CCRA was appalled to learn that the work had begun, and had continued, without consultation with the community associations, from either Councillor Moeser or the City of Toronto staff. The work should not have proceeded without first contacting all the parties given the history of this property and the commitment made by the City of Toronto.

"What I find inexcusable is that two companies, Proctor Redfern and R.V. Anderson, who have a long history in the environmental field failed to contact all the parties prior to the work commencing on the Manson Site. The community has a right to know what safeguards and procedures are in place before any work proceeds."

What I find inexcusable is that the City of Toronto, which has a long history in the environmental field, and also in community relations, failed to contact all the parties prior to the work commencing on the Manson Site. The community has a right to know what safeguards and procedures are in place before any work proceeds.



To quote Robert Davis, City of Toronto Public Communications and Community Outreach group member following the October, 1999 Open House:

'I've never met such a group of cynical people'.

Well, Bob, if this isn't the sort of thing that would make people cynical ... just what is??