YQNA – Page 14 – York Quay Neighbourhood Association

Serious Setback for Jets

by YQNA April 4, 2014

Transport Canada oversees all airports in Canada. No airport or airline can override their federal safety regulations. To see what Billy Bishop would look like as a jet airport, Transport Action Ontario superimposed the federal rules for extended runways, jet-blast zones, safety zones and marine exclusion zones. Only exemptions could change that picture.

City Council spent all of April 1, 2014 grappling with Porter’s request to include jets on the Island Airport. Would the Waterfront be dominated by a jet airport with extended runways blocking sailing and future developments? Despite a costly advertising campaign by Porter, a privately owned company, the bid for fast approval suffered serious jet lag when Council voted to defer the expansion pending extensive studies until 2015 or later. The grassroots group NoJetsTO had good reason to celebrate.

Councillor Pam McConnell reported: “Council did not approve Island Airport expansion or the introduction of jets… The reports presented to City Council were never an endorsement of airport expansion or the operation of jets on the Island Airport. Rather, the studies highlighted many unresolved problems and contain numerous conditions before City Council should even contemplate amending the Tripartite Agreement.”

YQNA and many other citizens groups have worked tirelessly to educate people about this issue, which comes down to: Save our Waterfront! It belongs to all of Toronto, as NoJetsTO showed with 13,000 city-wide signatures on their petition. It is remarkable that Robert Deluce’s request could get so far before brakes were applied. This jet airport has no master plan, no environmental assessment, no business plan, no infrastructure plans, no certified jets, and no application for this airport has even been received by Transport Canada, which oversees all Canadian airports.

With so little information coming from Mr. Deluce and his landlord, the Toronto Port Authority, an impressive illustrated document from Transport Action Ontario fills a void. Their aeronautical experts applied all of Transport Canada’s safety regulations to the proposed jet airport; only exemptions could change this picture of the inner harbour. It shows extended runways, jet-blast zones, safety zones and marine exclusion zones. [See complete report here.]

As councillor Peter Milczyn said: “A larger airport on the lake is not the City’s or the people of Toronto’s vision for our Waterfront.”

April 4, 2014 0 comment

Join a Dragon Team!

by YQNA March 4, 2014

Dream of summer — how about joining friends and neighbours in the first York Quay Dragon Boat Team? You don’t need any special skills or be young and musclebound, just have an adventurous spirit and a taste for the outdoors. Tim MacFarlane of the non-profit Rusty Dragons offers to coach a new team on the Waterfront. Here is a team he formed for the Harbord Village Residents Association.

If enough sign up to make a team, they will practice once a week for 7 weeks in May and June. At the end, the team will paddle in the fun Canada Day Dragon Race on the Islands. There is a single registration fee of $75 for the whole experience — practices and regatta. Tim will adjust the times of practice to fit the schedules of a York Quay team, so don’t hesitate to grab this opportunity. The dragon boat training starts at the Ashbridge’s Park near Lake Shore Blv. and Woodbine Park. To join the team, contact Tim MacFarlane at [email protected]. Registration is now OPEN! You can register here.

Another summer dream — join the Harbourfront Canoe & Kayak Centre right in our neighbourhood, at Queens Quay W. and Rees Street. It is a hub of canoeing and kayaking activities all summer. Beginners can sign up for the “Social Paddle” on Wed-Thur-Fri evenings all summer, with trained instructors taking the group for a leisurely paddle to the island lagoons and ending with a BBQ. Boats, paddle and equipment are provided for this unique Toronto experience for all age groups.The HCKC offers training, boats and events for all skill levels in this gorgeous setting. It is a treasured Toronto tradition not to be missed! Look at their website for details or call 416 203-2277, email: [email protected].

March 4, 2014 0 comment

City Council yqna

Jen Chan Goes to Queens Park

by YQNA February 18, 2014

Jen Chan, assistant to City Councillor Adam Vaughan, has been our friend and unwavering connection to City Hall for more than seven years. She had close connections to the Waterfront long before working with Adam, so we consider her part of the neighbourhood. Over the years, we have relied on Jen to give us the right information about the explosion of developments and challenges in our neighbourhood, and we listened to her discreet advice on what YQNA could do for best results at City Hall. She was invaluable and much liked by all.

Now Jen has taken a new job as Senior Associate at the Ontario Growth Secretariat and will be working with municipalities in the GTA on development plans and Greenbelt protection. We are very happy for her big career move to Provincial Government, though sad to see her leave as our Waterfront liaison to Adam. YQNA held a festive send-off for Jen on February 17 in the Radisson’s beautiful “View” party room facing the lake. The big turnout included YQNA, BQNA, GWNA, TICA, Jen’s City Hall colleagues and NoJetsTO. Here is Jen with a picture of the Waterfront as her farewell gift from YQNA, and below with Marcia Boyd, a fan of Jen since she started working with YQNA.

February 18, 2014 0 comment

Island Airport yqna

Hal Beck Gets Award From MPP

by YQNA January 13, 2014

Hal Beck (left) with our MPP Rosario Marchese on the festive award night in Chinatown.

Hal Beck, YQNA member and our expert on matters related to the Island Airport (BBTCA), was recently given a citizens award by MPP Rosario Marchese. Our member of provincial parliament said, “I was proud to recognize 58 wonderful Trinity-Spadina volunteers at my second annual Community Appreciation Event.” Hal is an engineer and project analyst. He applies his outstanding skills with great perseverance and represents YQNA in the airport’s liaison committees. Readers can sample his work in Hal Beck – Health Study – Island Airport 2013-10-16, which points out the need for further health studies around the airport. We have learned a great deal from Hal and congratulate him for receiving this award.

January 13, 2014 6 comments

Radisson Admiral Hotel yqna

YQNA Celebrates at the Radisson

by YQNA December 14, 2013

A great lunch was served at the Radisson Admiral Hotel on Queens Quay, where YQNA is very fortunate to hold our by-monthly meetings. Here is the cheerful and well-fed group of YQNA members in the Watermark Restaurant decorated in the holiday spirit. On the far left is Dermot McKeown, general manager of the hotel and generous supporter of YQNA. We would not have succeeded or grown as well as we have without the hospitality of Mr. McKeown and the hotel staff.

Everyone is welcome to our next meeting, January 14, 2014 at 7 pm at the Radisson, with Toronto’s chief planner Jennifer Keesmaat as guest speaker. As usual we will gather for refreshments in the Watermark Lounge after the meeting. It is a great place to socialize and chat about the ideas that were floated at our meeting.

YQNA thanks everyone who worked with us in 2013 to make the Waterfront a better place to live. We have much to look forward to in 2014 — especially the return of streetcars on the newly designed Queens Quay. We wish everyone a great holiday and best wishes for the new year.

December 14, 2013 0 comment