Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by jezebel on March 17, 2010 at 4:02pm

haha - that's too funny. I think she meant physical boundaries of the neighbourhood (which street to which). Nonetheless, I think that was just thrown in there to say they are not just focusing on the TTC/Leslie St. issue.

Judith said:

AllyMacD...
You wrote WHAT???
" We are actively seeking feedback for the mandate and what boudaries should be considered for Leslieville". ".

I don't know if we should even take your 'ramblings' serious, but WHAT in the world are you talking about. Boundaries?!

F.Y.I ..AllyMacD,
We live in a free and strong Canada and that includes our little corner right here in Leslieville. How dare you and your cohorts to even think "considering" placing boundaries on the residents of Leslieville or on Leslieville as a whole, how dare you? Please don't respond, we have read enough.

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Permalink Reply by Pat on March 17, 2010 at 6:47pm

Ally, if you're really and truly open, the minutes should be posted in a publicly accessible manner. People shouldn't have to ask for them from an association.

AllyMacD said:

If members of this site were not able to attend the meeting and would like the minutes please e-mail the association and ask for a copy. All the points being made are valid and appreciated.

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Permalink Reply by Hewie Ardo on March 17, 2010 at 8:10pm

Personally I think this is a power trip for you AllyMacD, as the Cheese Shop situation was. Whether you truthfully want to help the neighborhood or only put forward your personal agenda is in question. Do not say you speak for the residents of Leslieville by giving your "group" this name ... it does not speak for the community.

AllyMacD said:

The meeting last week was was done to touch base with the community and identify those interested in establishing a resident's association and to also identify other issues that should be focussed on. The TTC discussion took place during the first part of the meeting and then the floor was opened up for 2 sets of questions, ones relating to TTC (about 15 minutes) and the remainder of the time focussing on non TTC issues and after the formal meeting was adjourned an informal meet and greet was done to ensure anyone who was not comfortable speaking in front of a group could be heard. The hall was filled to capacity and we had standing room only. There are many supporters of this initiative. We are actively seeking feedback for the mandate and what boudaries should be considered for Leslieville. This is not a closed process we held the first meeting to open a dialogue with the community and to inform neighbours about the first issue identified as a concern to some of the residents.
If members of this site were not able to attend the meeting and would like the minutes please e-mail the association and ask for a copy. All the points being made are valid and appreciated. I would like to stress that an open forum was held and that community input was received and continues to be received. If you would like a second meeting that focuses solely on the formation of the association then please e-mail this suggestion. If you would like to be directly part of the process then e-mail and ask to be included.
This is not happening behind closed doors. I am talking about it to ensure everyone is informed and aware of its creation to ensure that everyone has the chance to be part of its development. The founding members are just the individuals who saw the value of uniting neighbours above and beyond politics and specific issues and have volunteered their time, expertise (we have a wide variety of professionals from all walks of life) and money to make it a reality.

We want to do this for the community and believe it critical and necessary for the community to help design the association, hence the initial meeting.I apologize if this has not been stated more clearly in earlier discussions.

Jen C said:

Add me to the chorus of those who are less than thrilled that a group opposed to the TTC plans for Ashbridges to have called themselves the Leslieville Residents Association. I am even more concerned that this self appointed group has now decided to incorporate and that their mandate will now represent all Leslievillers with zero community input.

I would strongly suggest this so called Residents Association cease all incorporation plans until a public forum is held and clear mandate is decided upon by all residents who wish to have a voice.

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Permalink Reply by Hewie Ardo on March 17, 2010 at 8:13pm

I agree 100%.

Chris B said:

I'm with Robin and Nancy - nothing I've read about this group supports any suggestion that they "represent" Leslieville in a broader sense, or that their mandate goes beyond getting the TTC tracks moved off of Leslie St (or perhaps publicly attacking a local business that didn't want to give a cheese discount).
They should not be using that name unless and until they establish some credibility in that regard.



Robin on Brooklyn said:

+1 that a name change is necessary. As Nolin and others have said, your group has not been chosen by the community, therefore, you are not representing the community, nor its views.

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Permalink Reply by AllyMacD on March 17, 2010 at 8:18pm

I 100% agree, the minutes, to my knowledge, have not been prepared so my suggestion was to ensure anyone interested in them now would be added to the distribution list if they had not signed up with the other neary 200 people last week. A web site is being developed and all information will be available there.

As I said I responded to Nolin's personal request to me for a response regarding the mandate. I respect what Nolin has done with this site and his visions for Stomp and uniting the community and wanted to honour his request as I knew other members of the Association are not current members of this site and would not be available to provide an update. This is why I keep directing everyone to the e-mail as I am respecting the work our volunteers are doing and want to ensure we maintain one official source for information and updates.

I am not sure if the fact that Bruce Brackett, the man responsible for the resurection of Leslieville and a strong voice in our community, being part of this Association as a founding member and a supporter of the name will change anyone's opinion.

I will not be responding to further replies via this site. All questions, concerns, and individuals interested in volunteering and joining are requested to e-mail the LRA directly.

Thanks!

Pat said:

Ally, if you're really and truly open, the minutes should be posted in a publicly accessible manner. People shouldn't have to ask for them from an association.

AllyMacD said:

If members of this site were not able to attend the meeting and would like the minutes please e-mail the association and ask for a copy. All the points being made are valid and appreciated.

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Permalink Reply by Georgene Bull on March 17, 2010 at 8:21pm

I attended the meeting and found that it was not an "anti-TTC meeting" - it was a small group of volunteers trying to inspire their neighbours to come together to identify issues / concerns / ideas for further discussion / exploration and to actively contribute to the growth and success of the community. People talked about traffic issues, and concerns about safety for pedestrians and cyclists. Several people attending had family members who had been badly injured in accidents. There is also great interest in the next steps for "greening" the area around the Lakeshore and improving access to the waterfront.

The proposed TTC project was discussed because many people had not received a notice from the TTC, or had tossed it away with their junk mail without understanding the implications. Speakers talked about the toxic waste that sits on the site and concerns about how the contaminated soil will be handled so it doesn't travel from the site to homes in Leslieville and the Beach. IMO, that is not an anti-TTC discussion - it's a pro-public health and safety discussion.

I met "old-timers" who talked about the 1970's when school children here were tested for lead contamination in their blood. Back in those days, community associations were formed to deal effectively with the various levels of government involved in cleaning up the neighbourhood. Some people at the meeting talked about the experience of having all of their topsoil replaced during a government project called "Get the Lead Out". Kind of makes you wonder what's in your backyard, especially if you are growing your own veggies . . .

Any Leslieville resident who wants to join the association can do so. People at the meeting signed up for specific areas of interest - there was a long list. As for what constitutes Leslieville, from speaking with people at the meeting, I discovered there is no clear definition of the geographical boundaries of Leslieville. That's no surprise - same as The Beach - realtors tend to stretch the limits if a neighbourhood name has perceived cache.

I too would prefer not to be a Leslievillian - I tend to mis-speak and say LeslieVILLAIN!

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Permalink Reply by Carolyn Scharf on March 17, 2010 at 8:53pm

I received the notice of this meeting, and it certainly didn't leave me with the impression that this was a meeting about starting a residents association. It was very much positioned as a meeting about the streetcar yard and the route up Leslie. I find it very ironic that this group was apparently started because they felt that the communication from the city was lacking, and yet their own communication about this meeting was very misleading. Kinda funny, actually...

I guess we're all going to have to get involved, because given the way this association has started, I don't think we can trust them to represent our interests, and they seem quite intent on claiming they do. Sigh...

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Permalink Reply by Hewie Ardo on March 17, 2010 at 10:12pm

Funny how early on you stated

"I hope this has helped clarify the objectives. We are still in the early stages (less that 24 hours ago!) and I will be happy to update as we go. We will also have a website to help keep residents up to date on our progress."

Yet in your latest you state: "I will not be responding to further replies via this site."

If this shows your commitment then you are indeed in it for only yourself!


AllyMacD said:

I 100% agree, the minutes, to my knowledge, have not been prepared so my suggestion was to ensure anyone interested in them now would be added to the distribution list if they had not signed up with the other neary 200 people last week. A web site is being developed and all information will be available there.

As I said I responded to Nolin's personal request to me for a response regarding the mandate. I respect what Nolin has done with this site and his visions for Stomp and uniting the community and wanted to honour his request as I knew other members of the Association are not current members of this site and would not be available to provide an update. This is why I keep directing everyone to the e-mail as I am respecting the work our volunteers are doing and want to ensure we maintain one official source for information and updates.

I am not sure if the fact that Bruce Brackett, the man responsible for the resurection of Leslieville and a strong voice in our community, being part of this Association as a founding member and a supporter of the name will change anyone's opinion.

I will not be responding to further replies via this site. All questions, concerns, and individuals interested in volunteering and joining are requested to e-mail the LRA directly.

Thanks!

Pat said:

Ally, if you're really and truly open, the minutes should be posted in a publicly accessible manner. People shouldn't have to ask for them from an association.

AllyMacD said:

If members of this site were not able to attend the meeting and would like the minutes please e-mail the association and ask for a copy. All the points being made are valid and appreciated.

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Permalink Reply by Jen C on March 17, 2010 at 10:19pm

Carolyn,

I found the meeting notice in a pile of papers this evening. You're very correct in your assessment. The first paragraph mentions forming a Leslieville Residents Association, but the only concern mentioned by group is the TTC yard. If the true intention was to form a Resident's Association, it should have been done completely separate from the TTC discussion and with far more community consultation than has occurred to date.

Given the backlash around this group's presumptuous titling, I would suggest they rename their group immediately to something that more specifically addresses their concerns with this one neighbourhood issue. Extending their mandate to anything beyond that seems doomed to failure considering the objections posted here.

Carolyn Scharf said:

I received the notice of this meeting, and it certainly didn't leave me with the impression that this was a meeting about starting a residents association. It was very much positioned as a meeting about the streetcar yard and the route up Leslie. I find it very ironic that this group was apparently started because they felt that the communication from the city was lacking, and yet their own communication about this meeting was very misleading. Kinda funny, actually...

I guess we're all going to have to get involved, because given the way this association has started, I don't think we can trust them to represent our interests, and they seem quite intent on claiming they do. Sigh...

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Permalink Reply by Pat on March 17, 2010 at 11:05pm

I confess, I feel mislead about the sheet I received, which indicated the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the TTC yard and the route to it.
I threw it out: so I am simply going on memory, but do not recall the page indicating in any way that the group was forming to address larger issues that apply to the larger community of Leslieville.
This is one of the reasons I want to see the minutes of the meeting published. I don't know what is conjecture, extrapolation, wishes, or fact, coming out of the meeting.

...pat.

Jen C said:

Carolyn,

I found the meeting notice in a pile of papers this evening. You're very correct in your assessment. The first paragraph mentions forming a Leslieville Residents Association, but the only concern mentioned by group is the TTC yard. If the true intention was to form a Resident's Association, it should have been done completely separate from the TTC discussion and with far more community consultation than has occurred to date.

Given the backlash around this group's presumptuous titling, I would suggest they rename their group immediately to something that more specifically addresses their concerns with this one neighbourhood issue. Extending their mandate to anything beyond that seems doomed to failure considering the objections posted here.

Carolyn Scharf said:

I received the notice of this meeting, and it certainly didn't leave me with the impression that this was a meeting about starting a residents association. It was very much positioned as a meeting about the streetcar yard and the route up Leslie. I find it very ironic that this group was apparently started because they felt that the communication from the city was lacking, and yet their own communication about this meeting was very misleading. Kinda funny, actually...

I guess we're all going to have to get involved, because given the way this association has started, I don't think we can trust them to represent our interests, and they seem quite intent on claiming they do. Sigh...

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Permalink Reply by Pat on March 17, 2010 at 11:34pm

Yet another question: is this a ratepayers association (which has some implications, including that it is solely homeowners or owners of business locations) or a residents association (which has a different set of implications: that it is only people who live in the area, not business owners/renters)? There is much that leaves me confused about this. I'm feeling quite unhappy.

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Permalink Reply by Laurie on Brooklyn on March 18, 2010 at 10:50am

I agree with the majority - the name must be changed and the mandate clarified. The flyer was misleading For the record I support the location of the yard (as having the least impact). I am uncomfortable with a "residents association" that suggests that it reflects the views of Leslievillers without actually canvassing the broader neighbourhood to see what they really think.

It is also incumbent on all of us to let the City/TTC know our views on the issue, pro or con, and correct misconceptions in the media.

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