St Lawrence Market

[evandyk]

The last two years have been pretty hard on this neighbourhood. Even before the pandemic, it had a lot of people with marginal housing, depending on social services. The pandemic has obviously hurt a lot of people in both of those situations, and then we have added a bunch of temporary shelters.

It will bounce back eventually, but there are a lot of problems right now. Just yesterday, my wife stepped out of our place with the toddler to head to daycare and there was a bunch of used needles scattered around the doorway. I have no animosity to people who are living on the streets in difficult situations around here, but the City (and province/feds) could do so much more to help. There are a bunch of organizations who provide housing that could step in if only there was funding.

 

[dusk]

Genuine question, is there a reason other neighbourhood cannot pick up the slack? This area is slammed with shelters as it is. I read through the material above and it seems very wishy washy.

 

[evandyk]

There are a lot of reasons. Racism. Classism. Nimbyism. etc.

 

[DSC]

Auditor General's work-plan for 2022

This MAY throw some light on the Wellington fiasco!

 

[CityPainter]

This is a touch outside the St. Lawrence Market area and into Corktown, but it's part of the same project as the Esplanade reconstruction recently discussed, so I hope it's ok post it here. The bike lane now extends along Mill St from Parliament St to Cherry St, and here they have included planters to help separate the bikes from the cars. They are also in the midst of building a curb cut where the Parliament Square park path meets Parliament Street, which will lead the bikes directly through the middle of the intersection into the bike lane, rather that through the crosswalks.

I'm not sure when the separate path for bikes will be added through the park -- I hope the Ontario Line work does not interfere with that plan, because even though I'm in support of these bike lanes I have some apprehension about more cyclists speeding through the park on the current path that is shared with pedestrians.

 

[DSC]

This is a touch outside the St. Lawrence Market area and into Corktown, but it's part of the same project as the Esplanade reconstruction recently discussed, so I hope it's ok post it here. The bike lane now extends along Mill St from Parliament St to Cherry St, and here they have included planters to help separate the bikes from the cars. They are also in the midst of building a curb cut where the Parliament Square park path meets Parliament Street, which will lead the bikes directly through the middle of the intersection into the bike lane, rather that through the crosswalks.

View attachment 358955

View attachment 358956

I'm not sure when the separate path for bikes will be added through the park -- I hope the Ontario Line work does not interfere with that plan, because even though I'm in support of these bike lanes I have some apprehension about more cyclists speeding through the park on the current path that is shared with pedestrians.

There are more pics on the Bike Lanes page https://urbantoronto.ca/forum/threa...s-headed-downtown.15478/page-236#post-1750950

The path through Parliament Sq Park will be redone in 2022. Pedestrians will use current one and cyclists will have a new separate one running through southern part of what is now the Green P lot. That MAY be what all the roadwork in your photo is preparing for.

 

[DSC]

At Council in July a motion from Wong-Tam was passed asking Staff to report next week on the City's streetlighting contract with Toronto Hydro Street Lighting and on 'decorative lighting'. Predictably, there is no report.
See:

Shining a Light on Toronto Hydro by Updating Street Lighting Options​

http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2021.IE23.21

Of course, Matt Elliott reports that as of August there were 393 overdue Reports to Council.

See: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/con...-delays-and-reduced-service-at-city-hall.html

Wong-Tam's office tells me that this report is now promised in December. We shall see!

 

[daniel_kryz]

Wong-Tam's office tells me that this report is now promised in December. We shall see!

Thanks for the info!

 

[DOWNTOWNTO27]

Attached is the actual notice that was sent out to some addresses nearby. Pretty disappointing to see the proposed rendering. Appears to be some sort of cladding to go over the limestone. Agreed that this area (of which I too live in) is getting pretty slammed with shelters, drug paraphernalia, disturbed individuals. This is purely anecdotal but since Covid hit, there has been a huge increase in ambulances and police vehicles that always seem to be driving at very high speeds looking for someone/something. The neighborhood does not seem to be heading in the right direction. It also looks like the City wants to extend those shelter hotels.

The City have just announced a public meeting to discuss their (firm, it appears) plan to open an Indigenous Men's Shelter at 67 Adelaide St E. (Corner of Church) in 2024. It will replace the Women's Drop-in Centre that has been there for some years. .(This is a few yards from the recently opened men's shelter at 76 Church Street, in the former back-packers hostel). SEE; https://www.toronto.ca/community-pe...lacement-expansion-projects/67-adelaide-st-e/ and https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/9794-Final76-ChurchPublicEventPresentationAODA.pdf

Though I support shelters it does seem that this part of St Lawrence is seeing more than its fair share as it is not far from the Novotel on The Esplanade and the Salvation Army hostel on Jarvis at Adelaide. Interestingly, a familiar face is the coordinator of the "public consultation" Joe Mihevc, Community Engagement Facilitator

 

[EddyMCD]

Why do the local councilors not fight against these types of projects in the SLM like they would in other areas of the City? The east end of downtown already houses a disproportionate share of social services compared to other areas in the City. They need to spread things out.

 

[evandyk]

The local councillors support setting up the shelters because without them, people are living on the streets of the ward without services. Our neighbourhoods can't force other parts of the city to support people in need, but on a short term basis, having shelters in St. Lawrence is better than not having them.

 

[DOWNTOWNTO27]

The local councillors support setting up the shelters because without them, people are living on the streets of the ward without services. Our neighbourhoods can't force other parts of the city to support people in need, but on a short term basis, having shelters in St. Lawrence is better than not having them.

The City could and should do a better job of spreading them out. The St. Lawrence neighbourhood is disproportionately heavy on shelters and the current situation is upsetting a lot of residents.

 

[evandyk]

Yes, the City could and should, but the question was why the local councillors don't fight them.

 

[dusk]

Absolutely tired of what the neighbourhood has become. In the last five years it went from quite tolerable to intolerable.

 

[DSC]

Absolutely tired of what the neighbourhood has become. In the last five years it went from quite tolerable to intolerable.

I think your outrage is somewhat out of control. The neighbourhood has changed over the last 20 years and I too do not like all of them but a great deal is FAR better.