City Council’s approved plan is as follows:

1. Build the Finch West light rail line from Keele and Finch to Humber College.
2. Build the Eglinton Crosstown light-rail underground from Black Creek rising to street level east of Laird Dr.
3. Convert the Scarborough rapid transit line to a light-rail system
4. Create an expert panel on Sheppard transit that will determine the most effective means of delivering rapid transit to the greatest number of riders with the funds currently allocated. The panel must report back by the end of March on the best option for Scarborough: Subways or a light-rail will be decided then.

As well as look at the future feasibility of five transit projects including:

1. Extending the Sheppard subway west from the Yonge line to Downsview Station
2. Extending the Sheppard LRT to the Toronto Zoo
3. Extending the Bloor-Danforth line from Kennedy subway station to the Scarborough Town Centre
4. Extending the Eglinton Crosstown line from Jane St. to Pearson Airport
5. The construction of a Downtown Relief Line.

I was intimately involved in the consensus-building efforts to approve this plan with Council. I was pleased to see that the majority my Council colleagues understood the transit needs for all of Toronto, including the needs of our community and voted to approve the above plan.

Prior to Wednesday’s Council meeting, there was no prospect for a rail line on Finch. It is a huge success that light rail will be now built along Finch and make our communities more accessible. In addition, we set in place a priority for a Downsview-Yonge subway link.

Given the limited funds available, and the necessity for Toronto to have a workable transit expansion plan, I believe the above is the best plan for our community and for Toronto’s transit future.

The first four items will be built with the $8.4 billion in Provincial money committed in 2009 to Toronto’s transit expansion. We do not have control over the amount of money we can dedicate as it is Provincial money, we can only decide on how it is allocated. Council decided on the above plan because it is the most cost-effective solution to bringing the most rail lines to all corners of the City. It serves 120,000 more people than any alternative proposed.

An alternative suggestion for “subways” spearheaded by the Mayor unfortunately did not come forward as a comprehensive plan. So the option to divert available funds to contribute to building a few subway stops in Scarborough was rejected by Council. The mayor commissioned a report on the feasibility of building subways in Scarborough and even this report did not come back with terms favourable to building them.

While I admire the Mayor’s steadfast dedication to subway expansion, the reality is that even if public money were devoted to his plan, heavy tolls on drivers, parking taxes, property tax levies, and massive development along any new subway corridor would still be required to see the plan through. Increasing taxes, fees, and promoting heavy development is something I believe our community has little tolerance for. Moreover, the plan had unclear private financing sources, introduced complicating factors like developer stakeholder relationships and complex partnerships will only serve to slow down expansion plans, if not causing them to collapse outright. TTC riders can no longer afford more delay.

Additionally, going with the Mayor’s vision would cost Toronto taxpayers at least $65 million in unnecessary “sunk costs” related to breaking contracts currently in place. This would be a great waste of money given Toronto’s need to be careful with expenditures.

From experience, I can tell you that expanding Subways is no easy task. For example the current Toronto-York-Spadina extension now under construction in Downsview is a project I advocated and voted for in the 1980’s. Construction only began a few years ago. 25-30 years is not untypical for subway expansion projects and is the time-frame Scarborough residents would likely face to see any Subway project there completed.

Alternatively, the above light rail plan approved by Council is a slightly adjusted plan that has been in place in different forms since 2007-2009. It can be entirely completed with the $8.4 billion currently dedicated. It also has all the necessary environmental studies and consultations completed. In other words, it is a fully-funded, shovel-ready plan and will serve 10’s of thousands of more people across the City than any uncertain subway proposal would. Construction has already started on the Eglinton portion at Black Creek so only a fraction of the $8.4 billion is available to divert elsewhere. This was to go to an unproven subway plan for Scarborough but now due to our efforts at Council, that money will now go into Finch West. The Finch West communities can look forward to greater integration and community renewal when the Finch West light rail line arrives.

Toronto’s transit expansion choice was never one between light rail and subways. This was a choice between building a city-wide light rail plan immediately, versus an idea for subways that had no plan, incomplete funding, required extra taxes levies and tolls, would require decades to build, and only service a small portion of Scarborough residents.

The above plan also sets in place priorities so that when more Provincial or Federal funds become available, a Yonge-Downsview subway link will be built. In other words, Council set in place a plan that is immediately executable, as well as a long-term vision for Toronto’s transit.

Building affordable transit that reaches all corners of Toronto is the most cost effective use of your tax dollars, and is the best choice to ensure riders get new rapid transit now. Debating further and waiting decades for better transit is not an option.

More reading

Pembina Institute Analysis on Subway Versus Light Rail Plan
Chong Report on the Feasibility of the Sheppard Subway
KPMG Feasibility study on Sheppard Subway
Globe and Mail article on Mayor Ford’s Plan

Recently, the voices of Councillors and  Toronto Transit Commissioners have expressed interest in transit expansion ideas that depart from the Mayor’s costly vision. In the short-term, this would mean directing funds to other areas of the City that are in greater need of a higher order of transit.

Instead of listening and embracing reasonable suggestions, the Mayor maintains that he will not deviate from his preferred vision. In a recent letter posted to his Facebook, the Mayor repeats his reasoning that transit riders want rapid transit and subways are the only solution. Subways may be the preferred option to surface rail until one studies the cost-effectiveness of each. In a world of unlimited finances, subways may be the preferred option. In Toronto’s current fiscal reality, we have $8.2 billion at our disposal, and so we must be creative in its use to maximize results for our City.

Subways are many times more expensive to build than is light rail, and much more expensive to run.  When we have limited building and operation dollars for Transit in Toronto, and city-wide ridership pressures, building a few subway stops along a small section of Sheppard is not a complete transit solution. It is an expensive, unrealistic and irresponsible use of tax dollars. The alternative plan offers 3 light rail lines that reach under-serviced and over-crowded transit areas along Sheppard, Finch, and Eglinton.

The Mayor’s original plan for the Sheppard subway was to have it entirely financed privately and that not a cent of taxpayer money would go into the project. “I’m not quite sure where taxpayers’ money is coming in, when we’re using private money” he said. Even though his “private sector” financing model was contingent on tax and development incentives – which in actuality translate to prolonged costs to taxpayers – technically his promised plan still did not involve the direct and up-front use of tax dollars. Today however, we now know that any Mayor Ford subway plan will be paid for directly with tax money. Gordon Chong (the consultant hired to develop the business model for Mayor Ford’s subway plan) recently stated that up to 90% of any subway plan along Sheppard will be funded by tax dollars. When you think of the transit expansion projects that can be delivered with our very limited capital money, a subway 90% covered by taxpayers is not a cost-effective use of public dollars. The Sheppard subway envisioned by the Mayor is unaffordable to build.

The existing Sheppard subway line does not and will not pay for its own operation for decades. It does not attract enough riders to cover its operational costs. As this chart shows, the current density around the Sheppard subway line is only 68 people/jobs per-hectare (PJH). A subway is only economically viable when the PJH along the subway line is 115-195. As we can see by the chart, the projected ridership even beyond 2031 will not reach this minimum economic viability.  This means that the TTC’s limited operational dollars are taken from other places on the system to cover the cost of operating the current Sheppard subway.

Another claim of the Mayor is that on March 31, 2011 The City of Toronto was in agreement with the Province of Ontario and Metrolinx on a plan to bury the Eglinton LRT and build a subway on Sheppard. This “agreement” known as the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is a non-binding document that was proposed and signed by the Mayor only, and does not have the approval of TTC planning staff, the Toronto Transit Commission, or include the authorization of Council. In other words, it is a document without legal authority. Council is tasked with approving major policy decisions such as transit expansion plans, not the Mayor. This is why we have recently been reading about Commissioners and Councillors who want to revisit transit plans and approve a new plan that makes economic and transit sense. Regardless of what new plan comes forward, citizens can be assured that Council will approve a transit expansion plan that makes the best use of your tax dollars.

The Mayor cites a Pembina Institute (a policy analysis firm) report to support his subway plan. The Pembina Institute is a great source for analyses of TTC expansion proposals. This is why it is important not to ‘cherry-pick’ the information it provides. In a response to Mayor Ford’s claim that the Pembina Institute supports his case for subways it published an article which clarifies “…the entire LRT plan would have served more Torontonians per dollar invested than the mayor’s current plan as well as reducing more greenhouse gas emissions and removing more vehicles from our severely congested streets.” The Mayor needs to come clean with TTC Riders, citizens and taxpayers when it comes to the facts.

The Mayor claims that LRTs are slow. The top speed for an LRT is just marginally slower than the top speed for a subway (LRT 27km/hr, subway 32KM/hr). True, surface rail has to contend with the traffic stream, but with the flexibility around how and where LRTs are built, LRTs can be a very efficient and flexible rapid transit solution. In addition, LRTs tend to encourage economic development in the communities they service, offer increased safety by encouraging more ‘eyes on the street’, they are more accessible, and offer an operational affordability because they do not require expensive-to-run underground stations.

Moreover, because dedicated LRT lanes are built down the centre of wide suburban avenues like Sheppard, Finch, and the outskirts of Eglinton, they act to reduce road congestion; they hold more people than buses and streetcars and are modular so they can be expanded as necessary.

Light Rail offers a real rapid transit solution for Toronto. The LRT lines in the Transit City plan have their Environmental Assessments complete, their public consultations complete and have funding in place approved by Council. The projects are truly shovel-ready. LRTs are a deliverable transit solution. None of this can be said for the Mayor’s subway plan. The Mayor’s subway plan is simply a house of cards. How it will fall will be up to Council.

Foregoing our LRT obligations will cost the city at least $65 million in cancellation penalties. When the TTC is struggling to find funding to maintain current service levels, spending $65 million to cancel ready-to-deliver transit expansion plans is downright irresponsible.

Having recently travelled the extremely crowded Finch bus, I can say with some authority that Finch riders need a transit solution fast. Finch riders want us to provide a plan that makes sense, and is quick to deliver and the Finch LRT is the best way to achieve this.

As a Councillor it is my role to ensure your tax dollars are spent they best way they can be. As a TTC Commissioner it is my role to ensure that transit planning in Toronto makes sense. Recently we are hearing the voices of other Councillors and Commissioners who also want transit expansion to make sense in this City. I am encouraged that whatever transit plan comes forward, it will be a plan that your Council will approve and we will make decisions based on the best evidence available and good transit planning principles.

We need to get Toronto moving, and you can rest assured I will continue to work towards that goal for TTC riders, for taxpayers and for Toronto’s citizens.

Consider joining the TTC Riders group and visiting CodeRedTO’s website. Also pay attention to the agendas for upcoming Toronto Transit Commission Meetings. Transit expansion plans will soon come to the Commission. You should consider making a deputation to tell the Commission how you feel about Transit in Toronto.

-Maria

The 2012 Toronto City Budget proposed cuts to Libraries, Childcare, investment to community services, cuts to priority centres, TTC bus routes, police, fire, paramedics, street cleaning, garbage services, etc..

Indiscriminate cuts were not what Torontonians voted for. Making indiscriminate cuts to our services embody a narrow view of our City that most Torontonians don’t share. Torontonians know that these kinds of cuts to our services would create irreparable harm to our community and you demanded we stand up for you.

That is why tens of thousands of you came to depute at our committees, signed many petitions, and attended many community meetings on the 2012 service cuts. In Downsview, over 150 of you came to our meeting on the budget Cuts. You demanded I return to City Council and save important services while ensure a balanced budget. I said it could be done and we did it.

Last Tuesday, your City Council stood up for Toronto. A massive Motion was introduced to save many critical services we all rely on. To save these services, the motion used a tiny portion of our $154 million in surplus money. I supported this motion because it invested important funds in our community and as a result many critical services were saved.

Among what was saved included $4 million to restore Library hours, $5 million to restore service to the TTC, reversed fees for children, youth and older adult programs at Priority Community Centres, ice rinks, community investment programs, reversed daycare fees, reversed pool fees for children and seniors, 3 daycares saved, 3 transitional homes saved.

Still, despite efforts, not all services could be saved from the Mayor’s chopping block. Among these include eliminating 1100 front-line workers, elimination of 4 free garbage tags, street sweeping was cut back from twice a month to once a month, reduced tree and shrub maintenance, 236 police officers cut, 68 firefighters cut, 36 paramedics cut, and the elimination of the Christmas Bureau which coordinates the distribution of gifts to needy kids and more.

Importantly however, Torontonians sent the message that it will not tolerate indiscriminate cuts to the services they rely on. They are willing to hold the Mayor to his “guarantee” that services will not be cut to balance the budget. Services are important to Toronto and your Council showed that it will stand up for you. I will continue to stand up for you.

-Maria

TONIGHT January 11, 2012 @ 7 pm
Downsview Secondary School, Cafeteria
7 Hawksdale Road

Guest speakers include:
Shelley Carroll, Toronto City Councillor
Mike Layton, Totonto City Councillor
Adam Vaughan, Toronto City Councillor

Cuts include:
58 student nutrition programs that help 14,000 kids
19,444 fewer library hours, less first-print material
Introduction of fees for children and youth at Priority Community Centres
17 of 29 Youth Outreach Workers eliminated, who mentor troubled youth
TTC fare hike and reduced service

Learn how these potential major service cuts can affect you, what your City Council is doing about it.

In 2011, the Mayor asked all City departments to cut 10% from their operating budgets. In addition, $3 million was spent on outside consultants to complete a “Core Service” review. The conclusion of their review is that they found no wasteful spending. Over 90% of city services had to be delivered by law, 8% were traditional such as Homes for the Aged, and 1% was discretionary.

They also found that 85% of the service we deliver is already below standard so any more cuts will further reduce already low service standards.

Currently low standards are due to a hiring freeze imposed on departments in 2011. Many are now understaffed. For example, it can now take up to a year if not more to complete traffic investigations for speed limit reductions, stop signs and traffic lights, which are important safety measures that many in our community rely on.

It is important to remember that as a candidate in October 2010 Mayoral hopeful Rob Ford guaranteed that he would not eliminate services, or eliminate front line workers. It is important to keep that guarantee in mind and stand up for our services.

It is also important to recognize that Toronto is not the best it could be for everyone. Many in our community are on fixed-income and they cannot afford to pay more but they also cannot afford to have the services they rely on cut. This is why I provide property tax and water fee relief clinics in our community in addition to standing up for the services we rely on. Both services and costs are equally important and require a thoughtful approach when we make changes.

In 2011, TTC cuts affected those who rely on it most, like those who commute during hours when safety is compromised. One mother in our community now must walk over a kilometre at midnight through dark side streets after her shift ends. In 2010 she used to have a bus arrive at her doorstep.

Further TTC cuts proposed for 2012 will create a ‘rush hour’ experience all day long as crowding levels on buses are intentionally increased to meet the Mayor’s budget demands. Dialysis patients will no longer be able to use Wheel-trans to get to and from the hospital as their service is also being cut.

Libraries in Downsview are also facing service cuts. Fewer operating hours and fewer new materials are proposed. Jane-Sheppard library is facing approx 130 annual hours cut when youth readership is increasing. Downsview Public Library is facing over 300 of its operating hours cut.

The Hardship Fund is another service poised for elimination. This is a program designed to help pay for items like prosthetic devices, hearing aids, eyeglasses and more. A motion I introduced to protect it lost by one vote, 23 to 22. This program costs very little, about .25¢ per homeowner to ensure over 1,500 residents can rely on it for their basic health and well-being.

In September 2011, fees were introduced for Adults in Priority Centres and attendance dropped off by 70%. Priority Centres serve the most vulnerable and keep kids off the streets. Now similar fees target children and youth, who will inevitably be left behind simply because they can no longer afford programs.

These are the Torontonians we should be helping most, not punishing. We need to be careful or else Toronto’s most needy will fall through the cracks.

The 2012 budget requires a careful hand. I will continue to stand up for our community, for residents who both rely on our services as well as those who need relief from increasing costs.

Dear Community Residents

Murray Road Land Listing

The sale/lease listing of the former Sunrise Propane facility is not new. In fact, the (private) listing expires later this month and the owners have said that they will probably not re-list in the foreseeable future. The MLS listing was suspended today,  December 6. The landowners are looking for the land to be re-used. Ongoing discussions suggest that the listing was intended only for the purposes of publicizing eventual, not immediate intentions.

Re: Zoning Issues
The land is zoned for industrial use. It was zoned this way before I became the area’s representative. Industrial use of the land is not only inappropriate next to a residential community; industrial-zoned land is not worth as much as land which is zoned residential. Therefore, there is a strong financial incentive for the landowners to eventually sell the land as residential, not immediately sell the land as industrial.

My Initial strategy was to have the City purchase the land outright from the proceeds of the sale of the Oriole Works Yard, and use that money to expand the City’s Works facility on Murray Rd. City staff was working on this project when they were ordered to stop due to budget constraints at City Hall.

I initiated a process to have the land re-zoned for more appropriate use, as I do not believe that it is suitable to have industrial facilities next to schools or residential communities. A community panel has been working closely with all land holders in the area to re-zone some parcels of Downsview land, including the Murray Rd site. Community residents in the Ancaster area as well as area business owners are members of this panel. It is apparent that the conversion and sale of the Murray Rd site to residential use would be most appropriate and remove any potential for re-industrialization. Discussions with the landowners suggest they are agreeable with plans to re-zone the land to residential.

We are currently in the process of an Official Plan Review (OPR). The OPR happens every 5 years as per Ontario law and looks at re-zoning properties in the City. I took the OPR as an opportunity to bring to the table land holders in Downsview along with City staff to align land-holder intentions with City staff know-how, and design proposals to for zoning changes. This year, we have held 3 of these panel meetings to chart a path on this issue. Some Murray Road residents were present at the last panel meeting and were satisfied that things were progressing well. The panel will be making proposals to staff when the review process happens in 2012. This is an opportunity to renew Downsview for decades to come and it requires continued and careful guidance.

A meeting will be held in January to update Murray Road residents on the potential for re-zoning of the land on Murray Road.

Harmonized Zoning By-Law
I don’t believe it is appropriate to have industrial plants next to residential communities or schools. That is why I worked diligently to get added protections for Downsview residents in the Harmonized Zoning By-Law. When the Harmonized Zoning By-law was repealed earlier this year, I moved a motion to retain the protections it contained for Downsview. Retained, and now applied to all old existing By-laws is the prohibition of any industry with potentially hazardous or fuel processing uses within 500 meters of residences and schools.

My motion was adopted unanimously by City Council. However, according to Ontario law, such a prohibition activates only once the use ceases on the land. That means that the cement batching plant must stop its operation before the new By-Law initializes. Nonetheless, it is an important protection. If a land sale occurs and this sale is intended for a non-cement-bathing purpose, the By-Law protection would be enacted. I maintain that the best use of this particular parcel of land on Murray Rd. is non-industrial which is why re-zoning is essential for our community and other stake-holders.

I hope that I have clarified some of the issues at hand. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office.

Sincerely,

Maria

Toronto needs more and better transit, not less.

On January 8, 2012 Toronto transit riders can expect over 204,000 fewer bus and streetcar trips to service Toronto. This will create a feeling of all-day ‘rush hour’ as more people will be crammed into fewer buses and streetcars.

TTC managers identify these reductions as a “major service cut”.

This is in spite the Mayor’s explicit election assurance to Torontonians that “services will not be cut, guaranteed”.

The TTC service cut decision was made at the September 16, 2011 meeting of the TTC. The decision is a result of a directive by the Mayor’s office to cut 10% from each department, including the TTC. We have to stand up for Toronto transit riders.

I was the only TTC Commissioner to vote against these major service cuts to our buses and streetcars. In fact I moved a motion to reject the 10% cut to the TTC. My motion lost despite the fact that Torontonians want more and better transit, not less. Click here to watch my video from the September 16 TTC meeting.

This represents the second in a series of similar cuts in TTC services. As you may recall, on May 8, 2011, 41 bus routes were cut from TTC operations. This forced some in my community to now face kilometre-long late-night walks through dark streets. Click here to watch a video example of the walk some TTC riders now have to endure.

Demand for transit in Toronto is rapidly growing. Toronto experienced record ridership this year. In 2012, the TTC can expect to have 15 million more riders. A shrinking TTC service is not the answer. Bringing service levels to pre-2004 standards, as these current cuts do, is the wrong direction.

These major service cuts are unnecessary, unneeded, and irresponsible.

Service changes of this sort usually come by way of a report with recommendations to City Council. Council has the choice to then modify, adopt, or reject the recommendations.  However, the move to cut 10% from each department was a directive given by the Mayor’s office, not Council or City Staff. No report came to council recommending these cuts. A 10% cut to these departments not only means fewer buses, it also means fewer library hours, fewer childcare spaces, fewer environment days, fewer seniors homes, fewer police, dirtier and snowier streets, etc.

The biggest cut to the TTC thus far was the Mayor’s move to ‘kill’ Transit City. This fully-funded shovel-ready plan to build many light rail lines across Toronto would have given many communities more and better transit. During his first day in office, the Mayor announced the plan as “dead” in preference for a privately-funded Subway along a shortened stretch of Sheppard Avenue East. This despite no vote coming to Council on the matter. The Mayor now seeks to use public funds to pay for this unproven subway line despite a promise that no tax dollars would go towards the project.

The communities along Finch almost had new rapid transit at their doorstep through the Transit City plan. Now they can expect over 16,000 less vehicle trips in 2012 and to feel rush-hour all day with these major service cuts. It is a tragic waste of an opportunity to give Toronto more and better transit.

The Toronto Board of Trade is in concert with demands that we need funding for more and better transit and transportation options to address an ever-increasing state of congestion on our roads.

I believe holding officials accountable to their promises is important. This is why as a Councillor I will fight these unnecessary cuts to our much-needed services and as a TTC Commissioner I will continue to stand up for TTC Riders.

More information on these cuts including affected routes can be found here.

Please join the TTC Riders campaign and help stand up for more and better transit in Toronto.

Regards,

-Maria

Wilson Avenue Resurfacing & Streetscaping

Expected Project Start Date

Spring, 2012

Expected Completion Date:  [Fall, 2012]

The City of Toronto will be resurfacing and improving the streetscape of Wilson Avenue in order to improve the local area. This project is part of the council approved 2012 Capital Works Program.

This work will take place on Wilson Avenue between Keele Street and approximately 100 meters east of Dufferin Street.

Further notice will be given prior to construction with a more accurate start date and other information regarding the work. Your co-operation and patience during the construction period is crucial and appreciated.

Map of Work Area

Project Details

The work will include road resurfacing, spot repairs to the curb and sidewalk, boulevard and streetscape improvements, and improvements to the storm water gathering system.

Many people have placed precast concrete curbs, planted landscaping, fences, irrigation systems or other physical features in front of their home which are within the City property limits. These may be in the way of the construction. In such cases, residents are advised to remove these items prior to the beginning of construction in order to avoid unnecessary damage. The City will not be responsible for damage to any privately owned items installed on the City’s property.

This construction work will require temporary traffic lane closures. It may also mean that there is limited access to private property. The City’s contractor will notify property owners of these types of disruptions beforehand.   Alternate parking arrangements will be made if access to driveways is limited. Access for all services (i.e. garbage collection, emergency vehicles or any other usual services) will be maintained.  Every effort will be made to complete all works under this project with minimum inconvenience to the public.

Next Steps

Indicate the next steps in the process:

1. Any approvals that are required
2. Final Design / Contract preparation
3. Pre-construction structural surveys required
4. Further construction notice

For more information:

Project website
www.toronto.ca/improvements

Contact:
Greg Ruffa P.Eng.
gruffa@toronto.ca

416-395-6296

24 Hours:
General Inquiries
311

TTY
416-338-0889

Toronto- Today, the federally-owned and operated Downsview Park evicted the Canadian Air & Space Museum; a charity and tenant on the federal parkland. News of the eviction came as a shock to the local community.

“I am deeply disappointed at the news of Downsview Park’s callous eviction of the Canadian Air & Space Museum which holds some of the best examples of Canadian ingenuity and aerospace history,” said Toronto City Councillor and local representative, Maria Augimeri. “It shows that the Federal Government is so fixated on the bottom line it’s even willing to throw the Avro Arrow to the curb for collection” she criticized.
The museum contained a life-sized replica of the Canadian-designed Avro Arrow. News of the eviction was swift as the idea of orphaning the replica of a fighter jet regarded as the pinnacle of Cold War Aerospace ingenuity seemed like a callous way to deal with ‘back-rent’.

“The Federal Government should be stepping up and asking how they can help preserve the rich Canadian history that exists in this museum, not asking how they can get a better deal on the land,” Augimeri said.
The community of Downsview is not unfamiliar with clashes involving the federally-owned and operated Downsview Park. Against strong local resistance, the Federal government departed from promised plans to keep the Park as green space and is now seeking development of the open park land into condominium buildings and commercial districts.

“At the request of my community I’ve been demanding that the Federal government hold to its promise to keep the park as green space, and they come back at us with development plans,” said Augimeri. It’s no surprise that with the same carelessness, they toss to the curb a museum that represents the amazing history of Downsview and Canada. It just blows my mind,” she added.

For many years, the Canadian Air & Space Museum was considered a jewel in the heart of the community of Downsview. Downsview blossomed out of the wealth that the aerospace industry brought to the area. The entire local economy was once directly or indirectly linked to Canada’s endeavours in aerospace.

Many of the aircraft that trained Canadian Airmen, such as the Moth and the Chipmunk have their origins in Downsview. Canada’s first Satellite, the Alouette I was first assembled and tested in the building the Canadian Air and Space Museum occupies today.

“The Canadian Air & Space Museum has been a wonderful community partner and friend for over a decade and I am distressed at the prospect that our community will no longer be blessed with its presence,” said Augimeri.

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For more information: Councillor_Augimeri@toronto.ca or 416-392-4021. Follow on www.twitter.com/MariaAugimeri