Tuesday’s headlines

9 comments

1. It is astounding how much attention that small group of Bloor-Lansdowne residents manages to attract. Pity they don’t use their powers for good.

2. I live in the neighbourhood by Erwin Krickhahn Park. I can’t believe people are *against* expanding the park space onto a small chunk of dead-end road that was used for parking cars and dumping garbage.

   Unfortunately, an anonymous person or group of people handed out flyers in the neighbourhood with false information about the park / possible garden, resulting in a bit of a shitstorm. Someone has also been hanging hand-made posters around the area encouraging people to steal topsoil from the park! Bizarre…

3. “Pity they don’t use their powers for good.” I assume you mean YOUR good.

   Don’t residents in an area deserve to have some priority input into where they live? Or at least be in the loop?

   That said, I don’t agree that their position of do nothing should go unchallenged. They did kill a community garden before that would have been a positive step, all because of their hate on for city non-consultations.

   What these residents are most peeved about is the total lack of consultation or respect for what views they may have. Councillor Giambrone has a well deserved reputation for having a tin ear when it comes to bothering to listen to residents. It’s the old ‘I know what’s best for you folks’ attitude of arrogance.

   I hope this issue gets a full community meeting for consultation.

4. I do live in that neighbourhood — I don’t recall this so-called community organization doing any consultation before deciding to torpedo improvements to the area. How much consultation is enough?

   In reality, I think Giambrone is very responsive to constituent concerns, especially compared to many other councillors. It’s far safer as a councillor to sit around and do nothing; instead, he’s stuck his neck out and become vulnerable to attacks.

5. Paul’s comment: “how much consultation is enough?” I don’t know this issue, BUT can you specify ANY consultation meetings that ALL residents were aware of? I bet you can’t. Consultation that only takes place with specific groups but is not advertised to the community at large is not consultation. Before someone asks “how much consultation is enough” the question that needs to be clarified is WHAT consultation took place? So Paul… maybe you can provide that information.

   I do remember that in 2007 Councillor Giambrone wanted to put a community garden in Erwin Krickhahn Park AND he backed down, apparently in the face of charges that he had not properly consulted the community. Some people claimed that a consultation took place (basically those who supported the idea) BUT the overwhelming majority of residents seemed insistent that the issue had not been raised with them. The issue isn’t whether people support the idea of community gardens or not (I understand the opponents were angry that the kids would be losing their playing field). The issue is whether consultation takes place in a fair and transparent manner or whether only certain people or groups were made aware. The fact is that 2 years ago, on the Erwin Krichan park, the Councillor backed down despite his earlier insistence that he had consulted the community.

   Erwin Krichan wasn’t my issue but I remember it because it happened around the time when the Narrowing Lansdowne issue was playing out. You’ll recall that on that issue, the Councillor claimed to have done a “door to door survey”. He later amended his claim that he “canvassed” the neighborhood — to which one would say, yes he canvassed the neighborhood during his 2006 campaign, but people who lived on this stretch were adamant that he DID NOT SURVEY them on the road issue and that they were waiting for him to make good on a promise to consult with the community — a promise made via via letter to them during the 06 campaign.

   To call a spade a spade, a “door to door survey” about which no hard evidence can be provided AND on a street where many individuals have difficulty communicating in English DOES NOT CUT IT as consultation (the City actually has some very specific rules about what qualifies as a survey, especially when there are concerns about residents’ language barriers). A “survey” provides NO OPPORTUNITY to allow concerns to be addressed in an open and transparent manner. Also, for anyone who cares to look it up, a Nov/06 issue of the Villager (a local paper) carries a quote by Councillor Giambrone that he recognized most people on the street WERE NOT HAPPY with the proposal they had seen… this does not square with his later claims that he surveyed people and found most didn’t care about the issue.

   I want to be very clear. It is not my view that a politician should do what the majority in a particular community want. But it is not defensible that a 4 community consultations take place over a public toilet in a local park in one part of the ward (Dufferin Grove) while a $2 million project that significantly changes a street proceeds on the basis of “claims” about a door to door survey.

   The issue isn’t whether people support road closings, or narrowing streets, or diesel trains or road closures. The issue is whether all residents deserve to have their concerns addressed in an open and transparent manner. Based on my experience and others I have heard from, I would say that is not happening in Councillor Giambrone’s Ward 18. Yes, some people are getting their respective consultations… but many are not.

   The truly sad part is the fact that many are willing to overlook the lack of consultation on particular issues, based soley on whether they agree or disagree with what the politician is doing.

6. The Lansdowne residents, the loud ones, many of us thought the roadwork was great, jumped the shark a long time ago.

7. To Lansdowne,
   Glad you like the changes BUT the issue I raised wasn’t whether some/many people (you or I) thought the changes “were great”. The issue was and should be whether all residents deserve to have their concerns addressed in an open and transparent manner — and also whether consultation takes place in an equitable way across Ward 18. Seems to me you fall into the category of people willing to overlook the lack of consultation on particular issues, based soley on whether you agree or disagree with what the politician is doing. The expression “I’m all right, Jack!” comes to mind.

   I’m also willing to bet you consider yourself to be a civic-minded type.

   PS. rather than make unprovable claims about all the people who like the changes on Lansdowne, maybe you can stick to making claims about things that can be verified…such as what consultation to place or didn’t with respect to the issue under discussion.
   PPS. The Bloor/Lansdowne people mentioned in the Sun today ARE NOT people in my neighborhood…my comments here are based on my experience with this Councillor and his Office.

8. Some of the comments seem off topic. Giambrone is quoted that the was suprised that work started before consultations were complete i.e. others can’t defend him saying there were adequate consulatations if he isn’t even claiming that. Question is who should no what’s going on in Ward?

9. Vic you said, I can’t believe people are *against* expanding of the park space. How do you know what the residents are in favour or against, unless we ask them. They might have legitimate concerns, maybe different from yours or others, but still legitimate. The world is not as black or white as you think, or in this case black, white and Adam.

   Paul this small group of people you mention are called residents, who happenen to live on the same street where the purposed garden is. I believe they have a right to speak out like anyone else does. The other thing you mentioned was, about using their powers to do something good, they are, it’s called freedom of expression, speaking out against unfair treatment, councillor making false promises.

   The Toronto Sun, got it wrong, this is not against right or left. This is about a councillor who has promised to consult with them, but failed to do so. He promised this 2 yrs ago, when they had the first issue. I think people have a right to know what is going on in their back yards. What do you think

   I keep hearing oh, how can they be against community gardens, green space and expanding. Many of these people have come from a country were they lived off their lands to survive, fishing, hunting and growing food, some survived the second war in Europe. My mother grows a garden every year, since coming from Italy back in 60’s and to say we are against garden, you guys have no clue.