Do your part in creating a cleaner, greener and more liveable Toronto by joining us for a Community Environment Day on Thursday, June 6th at Esther Shiner Stadium, 5720 Bathurst Street, between 4pm and 8pm. Please contact us with any questions or comments.

Bring in your unused and unwanted household items and you will help to:

• Extend the life of a product by offering it to someone for reuse.
• Reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and ensure that it is properly recycled.
• Ensure that hazardous waste materials are disposed of safely.

FREE items available for pick up

• Leaf Compost (limit one cubic metre per household)
• Green Bins and Kitchen Containers - Bring damaged bins for exchange or get new bins, bring proof of residence in the last 90 days

Drop off for recycling or proper disposal

• Computer Equipment & Peripherals (e.g., desktops, laptops, hand-held portables, monitors, printing devices, etc.)
• Audio/Visual Equipment & Peripherals (e.g., telephones, cell phones, pda’s and pagers, cameras, small TVs, radios, receivers, speakers, tuners, equalizers, turntables, projectors, recorders, DVD players and VCRs, etc.)
• Household Hazardous Waste (e.g., cleaning supplies and solvents, motor oil, paint, batteries, old/unused medication, mercury thermometers/thermostats, pesticides, fluorescent and compact fluorescent bulbs, propane tanks, etc.)
• Gas-powered lawn and garden equipment (mowers, leaf blowers, trimmers and chainsaws)

Items donated to local schools for reuse

• Art supplies (e.g. pencils, markers, crayons, etc.)
• Buttons, keys, and collectors’ coins and stamps
• Clipboards, corks and cork boards
• CDs and cases
• Children’s books
• Costume jewelry including broken/old watches and clocks with hands
• Dress-up clothing (e.g. costumes, prom dresses, uniforms, etc.)
• Fabric pieces, yarn

Items donated for reuse (please keep separate from others)

• Sporting goods (e.g. skates, and jerseys)
• Books
• Medical equipment in good condition (e.g. eyeglasses, walking aids, hearing aids, etc.)
• Small household items (e.g. dishes, ornaments, etc.)
• Textiles in good condition (e.g. clothing, linens, etc.)
• Non-perishable foods will be donated to a food bank

Everyone is invited you for a community bike ride in Ward 10 to celebrate Toronto Bike Month. Join us as we begin at Esther Shiner Stadium, 5720 Bathurst Street and bike along the beautiful Finch-Hydro Corridor trail through G. Ross Lord park.

Plus enter to Win 1 of 2 $50 gift certificates for the Cyclepath bike store!

This event is presented in conjunction with the North York Cycling and Pedestrian Committee.

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There was great news for Ward 10 and North York residents as City Council supported my motion to make the North York Relief Line a priority as part of Metrolinx’s transit funding.

Building the North York Relief Line is an essential part of Toronto’s transit visioning and I am pleased that my colleagues at City Hall agree. This show of support will ensure that Toronto residents will have a safe and efficient east-west subway option north of Bloor Street. Metrolinx now has a firm message of Toronto’s transit priorities.

The North York Relief Line would complete the unfinished subway construction along Sheppard Avenue between the Sheppard-Yonge and Downsview Stations.

With the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension opening in 2016, it is vital that we create an unbroken loop from Don Mills station, to York University and onward to Vaughan. We have already invested almost $4 billion in to the Sheppard subway line and density is increasing along Sheppard Avenue making the project more cost-effective with each passing month. York University students, seniors and working families will all benefit greatly from its construction.

We paid tribute to World War II veterans by hosting a Victory Day reception at Toronto City Hall on May 8, 2013. I was joined by over thirty World War II veterans and their families, Canadian and American military personnel, diplomats and elected officials for a wreath laying and commemorative ceremony.

It is an honour to pay tribute to these brave veterans and their families whose courage and sacrifices we must never forget. They gave so much to bring peace and freedom to Europe and beyond. The liberty we enjoy today in Canada is made possible by the legacy of Victory Day.

In attendance were members of the Canadian Association of World War II Veterans from the Former Soviet Union, Jewish War Veterans of Canada and representatives from the governments of the United States, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, France, Philippines, New Zealand, Australia, Austria and the Republic of Congo.

Thank you to everyone who attended to show their support and appreciation to the men and women who made our freedom possible. I would like to give a special thanks to Jonathan Delgado-Levin-Turner, Commander, 29th Division Association,  LtCol Alex Moseanu, 32 Signal Regiment, Go drivers Rocco Ferraro and Allan Laite as well as Sonia and Darrin Hoy from the American Legion Post 817-Panorama City, California for their work helping to organize this great event.

Councillors David Shiner, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Josh Colle, Jaye Robinson, Raymond Cho, Doug Holyday, Chin Lee, Michael Thompson and John Parker as well as MPP Mike Colle attended. The young singers from the Cool School Academy performed war-time era songs for the veterans.

My office hosted a Israel flag-raising ceremony at Toronto City Hall in celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day. Representatives of the Israeli government, Mayor Rob Ford, members of Toronto City Council, The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, Jewish National Fund, B’nai Brith and members of Toronto’s Jewish community attended the event.

It was a wonderful event where we reaffirmed our bonds with the State of Israel –  that remarkable land that defies imagination with so much history in so little geography. As Torontonians, our connections with Israel have never been stronger.  We share the values of a democratic society and links through popular culture, the arts and commerce.

This year marks the second year in a row that we raised the flag of Israel at City Hall. It is another example of this City Council’s principled leadership. My Council colleagues joined with me in condemning the disparaging ideology of the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid, updating the city’s anti-discrimination policy to help stop bullying and demonization as well as updating the city’s list of holidays of religious significance so that scheduling of meetings is done with respect and tolerance.

We were honoured to have the new Consul General of Israel in Toronto DJ Schneeweiss in attendance as well as my fellow City Councillors David Shiner, Josh Colle, Karen Stintz, Mary-Margaret McMahon and Michael Thompson.

Thank you to the Friends of Earl Bales Park for helping us organize a fantastic community clean-up in Earl Bales Park. Hundreds of local residents came out to lend a hand and help beautify this great park in Ward 10.

It was also wonderful to have Mayor Rob Ford join in and broadcast his radio show live from the park during the event with my Council colleagues Doug Ford, Gary Crawford and Norm Kelly.

Thank you again to Pizza Pizza, Tim Hortons, Park People, Live Green Toronto, ANC(Action for Neighbourhood Change ) Bathurst Finch, Filipino-Canadian Adventist Church, BIBAK Organization, North York CC, Successful Women Council , CCYSR SEPYR  and the Mountain Province Association of Canada for all their help with this event.

I was joined by Toronto Community Housing President and CEO Eugene Jones and Hugh Lawson, Director, Strategic Planning and Stakeholder Relations for an affordable housing meeting at the Bernard Betel Centre, 1003 Steeles Avenue West. Local residents had the opportunity to ask questions regarding their individual housing cases as well as discuss larger issues within Toronto’s affordable housing system.

Affordable housing is one of the most difficult issues facing our city with over 87,000 households on the waiting list. At the same time, our commitment to providing affordable housing to those in need is one of the things that makes Toronto one of the great cities in the world. While many challenges remain, I am confidant that this City Council and Toronto Community Housing under the new leadership of Eugene Jones are moving in the right direction.

Almost 100 residents attended the meeting to bring their concerns directly to Toronto Community Housing senior staff.

I am really appreciative of Mr. Jones and Mr. Lawson for taking time out of their busy schedules to attend this meeting. It makes an enormous difference to residents to know that the leadership of Toronto Community Housing is available to respond to their feedback and provide honest answers to tough questions.

My office has already hosted several great community meetings in the Bathurst-Finch Community Hub.

Residents in Ward 10 are celebrating the official opening of the Bathurst-Finch Community Hub at 540 Finch Avenue West. The Hub will provide additional community space, co-op opportunities for students and impressive resources for all adults, notably seniors, veterans and new Canadians.

After working on this project for years as a school board Trustee and now as a City Councillor, it is great to see this facility officially open to the public. My office has held several community meetings in the Hub and the building is already proving to be a vital neighbourhood resource.

The facility is a result of a partnership between Unison Health and Community Services, the City of Toronto and eleven anchor and supporting partners.

Thank you to Unison Health and Community Services for their support of this project. I look forward to continuing to work with them on great community initiatives in Ward 10.

FRIENDS OF EARL BALES…

Let’s Clean Our Community Together!

Equipment will be provided—just bring your friends and family for a fun time!

Don’t forget to dress appropriately because RAIN OR SHINE …
We can’t wait to see you there!

When: Sunday, April 14th, 2013

1:00—3:00pm Community Clean Up
3:00—4:00pm Music and Entertainment

Where: Earl Bales Park, 4169 Bathurst Street (Meet in front Community Centre)

Councillor Pasternak invites you to a community meeting to discuss Toronto’s affordable housing strategy.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Bernard Betel Centre, 1003 Steeles Ave. W.

With special guests Eugene Jones, Jr., President and CEO, Toronto Community Housing and Hugh Lawson, Director, Strategic Planning and Stakeholder Relations, Toronto Community Housing.

Learn about:

• Toronto Community Housing’s mission and programs
• How to apply for affordable housing
• Rent subsidies and eligibility requirements
• Steps being taken by the City of Toronto to add affordable housing spaces and reduce the wait list.

For more information, contact us at 416-392-1371 or councillor_pasternak@toronto.ca.

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