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CCRA
News
Posted May 2013
This year, our Spring membership campaign will not be
canvassing door-to-door. Instead, we are asking you to join or renew your
annual membership by mail or on our website.
CCRA would like to thank the dedicated volunteers who have
contributed their time in past years, canvassing neighbours throughout the
community. You have been an essential part in the growth and longevity of
our Association.
What does my membership
do?
Annual membership campaigns
raise thousands of dollars for the community. Your membership fees are
used within the Centennial neighbourhood to sponsor activities and events
for all ages.
CCRA partners with groups
like Scouts Canada, Sir Oliver Mowat Collegiate, neighbouring West Rouge
and Highland Creek community associations, as well as the City of Toronto
Parks, Forestry and Recreation. Just some of the events supported by your
membership fees are Highland Creek Heritage Day, Winterfest, Earth Day,
Summer Concert Series, CPLC Annual Picnic, Charlottetown French Award and
the Bill Dempsey and Mowat Scholarships.
Are you a member of CCRA? 5
reasons to join:
Community development
CCRA represents the Centennial community in issues of local
planning and development. We have been an active voice in preserving
public park space, the creation of Adams Park and William Alexander
Dempsey Echo Park, lobbying for the Waterfront Trail, Port Union Village
Common and the conservation of Centennial Creek, among many other
achievements.
Community events
CCRA is actively involved in the organization and
sponsorship of special events like Earth Day, Summer Concerts in the Park,
Heritage Day, Winterfest and the Waterfront Festival. We sponsor sports
clubs, school events and activities, the Bill Dempsey Scholarship and
awards for academic excellence and community involvement.
Community news
CCRA keeps you informed through our newsletter 10 months of
the year, delivering to the entire community. CCRA news shares news and
issues of interest to Centennial and the surrounding neighbourhoods, and
gives voice to community and elected representatives.
Community website
ccranews.com is our online resource for community
information, history and resources, with up-to-date news and events for
Centennial and beyond.
Community representation
CCRA provides community representation to all levels of
government.
2012 Federal Electoral Redistribution
Paul Lewkowicz
Posted April 2013
The
Federal Electoral Commission reviews electoral boundaries every 10 years
to make sure that they are suitable in population size. Due to population
growth, Ontario will see 121 electoral districts in the 2015 election, up
from its current 106.
The three-member panel from Ontario redrew the ridings and proposed the
creation of our new electoral district of Scarborough East on August 28,
2012. The Commission treated Scarborough as a historical community and in
doing so decided to keep it separate from Pickering. The riding included
the Malvern, Morningside/Sheppard, West Hill, Highland Creek, Centennial
Scarborough and West Rouge neighbourhoods. The CCRA wrote to the
Commission in support of the new riding and any proposal that
redistributes our riding fully within Scarborough so that we no longer
share the same riding with Pickering.
After
incorporating community input, the Commission redrew our riding of
Scarborough East to include the Guildwood neighbourhood and exclude the
Malvern and Morningside/Sheppard neighbourhoods. So, the new proposed
riding of Scarborough is bordered by Highway 401 to the north, the
Scarborough-Pickering border to the east, Lake Ontario to the south, and
Highland Creek/CN Rail/Bellamy Rd./Bellamy Ravine to the west. A map of
our revised electoral district and surrounding ridings can be found online
under the “Report” tab
here.
The
CCRA supports the proposed new riding of Scarborough East as we feel this
will result in a riding
home to communities that share the same municipal government and similar
political concerns and lead to better representation.
A
report, containing the final draft revised boundaries for Ontario, was
tabled by the Commission for review by the House of Commons on February
25, 2013. Members
of Parliament (MPs) can review the boundaries and file objections with the
Commission in Spring 2013. The public is asked to raise any concerns they
may have with their MP.
In June
2013, the Commission will decide if it will change any of the boundaries
based on the objections from any MPs. In September 2013, the riding
boundaries will be made official, likely coming into effect in the October
2015 federal election. It is important to note that it is the independent
three-member Commission, not the House of Commons, that has the final say
on the riding boundaries.
Provincial law states that riding boundaries are to copy those on the
federal level, except in Northern Ontario. Toronto wards were also
designed in the past to mirror provincial ridings. It is unclear if the
Province or the City of Toronto would adopt the new federal electoral
boundaries as their own. The Ontario Legislature may accept or reject the
new federal ridings, or possibly even create its own redistribution
commission for new provincial riding boundaries. This would not likely
occur until after 2015. The City of Toronto has proposed a ward boundary
review, which won’t begin until 2014 and wouldn’t take into effect until
2018. Information on the ward boundary review is available at on the City
of Toronto website
here.
Posted Mar
2013
2nd Highland Creek Scouts
Kar Rally Day
The annual East Scarborough Kar
Rally Day was held during Scout-Guide Week on Saturday February 23, 2013
at West Rouge Community Centre. Theme this year was the “Science of
Speed”. Eager participants - Cubs, Scouts, Venturers, Rovers and Adults –
both Parents and Leaders, arrived early to weigh in their home built Kars
or Trucks and to see some vehicles from the past in the first ever “Show
and Tell”. Looking at the hand made vehicles from the past, parents could
learn how to build faster vehicles as well as make them look amazing.
Available for very close inspection was a Truck built as a Kub Kar
transporter, equipped with 3 Kub Kars that the owner had built while in
Cub Scouts. One Kub Kar was shaped and painted to look like a GO train
engine. Some Trucks were built like transformers – able to change from a
Truck to a standing monster.
During the day, the Cubs (8-11
years) raced their home built Kars carved from a block of wood in a round
robin style event and by the end of the day, the fastest 12 Kars claimed a
spot on the All Scarborough Team that will race in early March. Two
Beavers also joined us with their Beaver Buggies.
Scout members (11-14 years) and
older youth, plus Adults, raced their own version of Kars or Trucks with
one exception - “Unlimited” class meant that there was no upper weight
limit. Kars and Truck groaned under the weight and zoomed down the track,
making LOTS of noise. One Truck had its box filled with cement making it
VERY heavy. Not to be undone, another Truck carried a 2.6 kilogram weight.
Without a doubt, the Unlimited Class event was the most fun to watch as
many of the vehicles failed to survive due to the effects of gravity and
friction.
Overall it was another very
successful, fun filled day where members of Scouts Canada, East
Scarborough district, came out to play, have fun and trade ideas. Plus
they left with a smile and a custom event crest with a picture of a “Mad
Scientist” on it.
We wish to thank the leaders who
planned this event which include Colette, Barry, Kevin, Bill, Mark, Terry,
Paul and Andrew. Also the leaders and the parents who came out to assist
on the day. A very special “thanks” to West Rouge Sports & Recreation
Association, West Rouge Community Association and CCRA for their support
in Scouting. The annual East Scarborough Rally Day was held during
Scout-Guide Week on Saturday February 23, 2013 at West Rouge Community
Centre. Theme this year was the “Science of Speed”. Eager participants -
Cub Scouts, Scouts, Venturer Scouts, Rover Scouts and Adults – both
Parents and Leaders, arrived early to weigh in their home built Kars or
Trucks and see some vehicles from the past in the first ever “Show and
Tell”. Looking at the hand made vehicles from the past, Parents could
learn how to build faster vehicles as well as make them look amazing.
Available for very close inspection was a Truck built as a Kub Kar
transporter, equipped with 3 Kub Kars that the owner had built while in
Cub Scouts. One Kub Kar was shaped and painted to look like a GO train
engine. Some Trucks were built like transformers – able to change from a
Truck to a standing monster.
During the day Cub Scouts (8-11
years) raced their home built Kars in a round robin style event and by the
end of the day, the fastest 12 Kars claimed a spot on the All Scarborough
Team, that raced against other Cub Scouts from West Scarborough and
Agincourt Areas in early March at Malvern Mall.
Scouts aged members (11-14 years)
and older youth, plus Adults, raced their own version of Kars or Trucks
with one exception - “Unlimited” class meant that there was no upper
weight limit. Kars and Truck groaned under the weight and zoomed down the
track, making LOTS of noise. One Truck had it's box filled with cement
making it VERY heavy. Not to be undone, another Truck carried a 2.6
kilogram weight. Without a doubt, the Unlimited Class event was the most
fun to watch as many of the vehicles failed to survive due to the effects
of gravity and friction.
Overall it was another
very successful, fun filled day where members of Scouts Canada, East
Scarborough district, came out to play, have fun and trade ideas plus
leave with a smile and a custom event crest with a picture of a “Mad
Scientist” on it.
Posted Mar 2013
Outdoor ice rinks in Scarborough: Seeking
community opinion
At the February 2013 meeting of the CCRA
Executive, Scott Harrison (son of the late Scarborough controller and
Metro councillor Brian Harrison) shared a presentation regarding outdoor
ice rinks in Scarborough. The Executive learned that Scarborough has one
city-run outdoor artificial rink (at Scarborough Civic Centre), while
there are 53 such rinks maintained throughout the rest of the City of
Toronto.

Mr. Harrison grew up in Scarborough and
remembers non-natural outdoor rinks that have since been covered. Properly
run, outdoor rinks provide a lively community winter gathering space for
all ages, newcomers trying skates for the first time, young and adult
shinny hockey players and even non-skaters who come for hot chocolate and
the pleasure of just watching. Scarborough’s one city-maintained outdoor
artificial rink, unlike many in Toronto, does not have space for pick-up
hockey or shinny.
Some City Councillors, including Mayor Rob
Ford, have expressed surprise at the lack of outdoor rinks in Scarborough
(Etobicoke alone has 25), however Mr. Harrison has been informed by City
staff that demand has been met. He was told that the allocation can be
reviewed if he is able to show a different result to a demands analysis.
Following a motion by Ward 37 Councillor
Michael Thompson, Scarborough Community Council has requested a report
about Scarborough’s rinks and opportunities for free skating and shinny
hockey. In order to give voice to as many as possible, Mr. Harrison would
like to hear from the Centennial community on this matter.
CCRA has agreed to assist Mr. Harrison with his outreach,
and invites you to provide your feedback by completing the
online form or printing and dropping it in the CCRA mailbox at Port
Union Community Centre, 5450 Lawrence Avenue East. You can also mail it to
Scott Harrison, 19 Falaise Rd., Scarborough Ontario M1E 3B6 or email him
at
scott_harrison1@rogers.com
More information about outdoor artificial
ice rinks in Toronto:
Task Force on the State of Hockey in Scarborough, June 22, 2010
Fair Share Scarborough, 2007 (Report from Ward 40 Councillor Norm
Kelly)
Scarborough Mirror, Feb. 1, 2013
Joe Warmington, The Toronto Sun, Jan. 14, 2013
Posted Mar 2013
Calling All Dog Lovers
As our community continues to grow many concerned dog
owners are looking to off-leash dog parks as a solution to their need for
a place to spend quality time with their pets. But just what is a "dog
park" and what benefits can one bring to our neighbourhood-even if you
don’t own a dog?
A dog park is typically a fenced area within a city
owned and/or operated park or green space, where people and their dogs can
play together. As the names imply, these places offer dogs off-leash play
areas where their owners can enjoy a park-like setting and the chance to
socialize with other canines and their owners.
Dog parks are more than just a place for Rover to roam
however. Dog parks offer a number of benefits for dogs, their owners and
the surrounding community, non-dog owners included. Some of these benefits
include:
Allows dogs to exercise and socialize safely
Puppies and adult dogs need room to run, and enclosed
play areas provide them with the opportunity to do so while preventing
them from endangering themselves and others (for example, by running into
the path of an oncoming vehicle, or park pedestrian). In addition, dogs
who are accustomed to playing with animals and people other than their
owners are more likely to be well-socialized and react well toward
strangers. Many dog owners report that after a visit to the local
off-leash park, their dog is less agitated, more relaxed, and generally
nicer to be around.
Promotes responsible dog ownership
Dog parks prevent off-leash animals from being let
loose in other recreational areas where they could infringe on the rights
of other community residents and park users such as joggers, small
children and those who may be afraid of dogs. Dog parks also make it
easier for the city to enforce leash laws, and basic rules of dog
ownership (i.e. cleaning up after one’s dog; always controlling the dogs’
behaviour) since dog park users have no reason to allow their dogs to be
off-leash when outside of the dog park.
Provides an outlet for dog owners to socialize
Dog parks are a great place for owners to meet other
people with common interests and have the pleasure of watching their dogs
at play. These interactions help neighbours get to know each other and to
build an even stronger sense of community. It also provides opportunities
for owners to ask questions of other owners and find solutions to problems
they might be having with their dog.
Make for a better community by promoting public
health and safety
Dog parks help contribute to overall physical fitness
of people by encouraging them to enjoy the outdoors and to exercise with
their dogs. In addition to a well-exercised owner, well-exercised dogs are
better neighbours who are less likely to be aggressive, create a nuisance,
bark excessively and destroy property. Having dogs present in the park,
along with their owners, also helps to deter crime.
So, how do we go about exploring this opportunity and
the benefits that a dog park will bring to the Rouge Hill community? The
Rouge Hill Dog Owners Association, is seeking to make a
formal request to the City to have an off leash area established within
one of the City owned parks within our neighbourhood. Potential locations
currently under consideration include: Centennial Park, Wanita Park and
Bill Hancox Park. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Dog
Owners’ Association, have ideas on locations or would like to share your
support of this initiative, please visit us on Facebook.
Posted Dec 2012
Highland Creek
Incineration Plant Petition Update
The CCRA is extremely pleased to report
that City Council’s Public Works and Infrastructure Committee received a
report from staff that called for a new environmental assessment to be
conducted on the Highland Creek Treatment Plant. This puts to a close a
previous decision by City Council that overrode a staff recommendation to
upgrade an incinerator and instead authorized the trucking of sludge.
The staff report states that “community
members living near the HCTP [Highland Creek Treatment Plant] consistently
expressed concern with any option that would increase the trucking of
biosolids through a predominantly residential community” and that
“additional public meetings were held and several local community members
expressed their concerns to the City and the Ministry of the Environment
[MOE] with Council's final decision. Acceptance of the BMP [Biosolids
Master Plan] by the MOE has been delayed as a result."
So, the Ministry of Environment asked the
City to conduct a Schedule B Environmental Assessment on the Highland
Creek Treatment Plant. The staff report recommending this new
environmental assessment was received for information at the Public Works
and Infrastructure Committee on November 14. Fortunately, one Councillor
in favour of trucking of sludge was unsuccessful in his attempt to delay
receipt of the staff report and to try to get a new environmental
assessment without further public consultation. The CCRA wrote to
Councillors in support of the staff report and new environmental
assessment with public consultation.
Staff are now preparing the terms of
reference for the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the new Schedule B
environmental assessment. Proposals are expected to be received from
consulting engineers by the end of the year. The new environmental
assessment will begin in January 2013 and will take approximately 9 months
to complete and will again review all methods on the future of the plant
(trucking of sludge, upgrading incinerator, etc.).
This reveals that our efforts to get City
Council to reconsider its decision were successful as the Ministry of
Environment recognized our concerns by asking for a new environmental
assessment. A big thank you goes to everyone who signed the petition,
wrote to City Council, and took a lawn sign. A thank you also goes to
members of the Highland Creek Treatment Plant Neighbourhood Liaison
Committee who led this cause and supported the CCRA’s efforts. If you have
a lawn sign, we will be taking them down before the end of the year.
Please keep them up until then or store them close by.
However, we must stay vigilant as there
will be future public consultation as part of the new environmental
assessment. The CCRA will continue to advocate for the best solution to
the Highland Creek Treatment Plant. We will support an option that is
based on sound evidence-based research and decision making and is
supported by the community. We will continue to ask for your input and
support, particularly in 2013!
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CCRA
Newsletter
This is the printed version
of the online site. The CCRA newsletter publishes monthly with the
exception of July and August. It covers the area bound by the Highland
Creek from the east, Port Union road from the west, Highway 2 from the
North and Lake Ontario from the south.
Run entirely by volunteers, the newsletter is
delivered to over 3900 homes, usually by the first week of every month.
It is a collection of news items; reports from our elected officials;
letters and articles from community residents.
To have your letter or feature article
considered for publication, it must be placed in the CCRA mailbox at the
Port Union Community Centre by the tenth of the month preceding
publication date. E-mail is also accepted (c/o
webmaster@ccranews.com) or any member of the
executive.
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