The Toronto Islands

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Notice of Intended Procurement		Solicitation number:	Ariba Doc No. 2243638006 RFP NO. 9118-20-5024
Commodity:	Professional Services, Architectural Services
Description:	Park Master Plan - Landscape Architecture Park Master Plan - Landscape Architecture *More information will be provided when released in SAP Ariba system* Posted via ARIBA System under Doc No. 2243638006 In early March, 2020, the City of Toronto will release an RFP for the Toronto Island Park Master Plan. The purpose of the Master Plan RFP will be to select a qualified Landscape Architect and Consultant team to provide professional and technical services for the purposes of developing a comprehensive Master Plan for Toronto Island Park. The scope of work includes coordinating with other consultants delivering parallel, but separate, components of the Master Plan initiative in order to deliver a first class park experience to all visitors, though all seasons. The three (3) separate work streams are summarized as follows: Part 1: Park Master Plan - Landscape Architecture Part 2: Public Engagement and Communications Plan Part 3: Business Strategy Important Note: The Public Engagement and Communications Plan is intended to support the other two work streams. Also, a detailed review of all work plans will take place at the beginning of the process to confirm appropriate intersection points and collaboration opportunities/requirements.

 

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Another City contract call document

Notice of Intended Procurement		Solicitation number:	Doc No. 2243638002 (RFP No. 9115-20-5026)
Commodity:	Professional Services, Consulting Services
Description:	For: Toronto Island Business Strategy For: Toronto Island Business Strategy. Professional consulting services. *More information will be provided when released in SAP Ariba system* In March, 2020, the City of Toronto will release an RFP for the Toronto Island Business Strategy. The City is looking to complete a strategic review of business enhancement opportunities for Toronto Island Park. The goals of the review are to: • Build a comprehensive understanding of the existing business opportunities within Toronto Island Park including those opportunities that are currently unfulfilled or missed; • Identify opportunities to improve the overall visitor experience to Toronto Island Park; • Gather information and evidence for decision making on options related to operations and service delivery, provide information useful for future marketing/tendering of those options; • Develop specific recommendations to advance food and beverage opportunities; and • Articulate an achievable (sustainable, fiscally responsible, etc.) plan to advance these opportunities including delivering a sourcing strategy for food and beverage opportunities. The scope of work includes coordinating with other consultants delivering parallel, but separate, components of a broader Toronto Island Master Plan initiative in order to deliver a first class park experience to all visitors, though all seasons. The three (3) separate work streams are summarized as follows: Part 1: Park Master Plan - Landscape Architecture Part 2: Public Engagement and Communications Plan Part 3: Business Strategy Important Note: The Public Engagement and Communications Plan is intended to support the other two work streams. Also, a detailed review of all work plans will take place at the beginning of the process to confirm appropriate intersection points and collaboration opportunities/requirements.

 

[Towered]

I think the Islands would be the perfect place for a heritage streetcar line (Peter Witt's and PCC's) running down a cute Victorian main street lined with shops.

 

[Admiral Beez]

It's a delicate dance that the IJC has to perform, trying to predict seasonal watershed flows in the entire system and balance water levels in all of the lakes. Considerations include water levels, navigation, energy production, shorelines, erosion, etc. The outflow of Lake Ontario is controlled by dams in the Cornwall area; navigation locks do virtually nothing for level control. If you open it up too much you run the risk of flooding downstream, including Montreal.
There are watershed controls on rivers flowing into Lake Ontario, but the major input from Lake Erie and beyond is very limited.

That shouldn’t be a thing. The St. Lawrence is the natural outflow for the Great Lakes, it doesn’t need to be controlled. Instead the flood plains should be clear.

 

[lenaitch]

That shouldn’t be a thing. The St. Lawrence is the natural outflow for the Great Lakes, it doesn’t need to be controlled. Instead the flood plains should be clear.

That's fine so long as we are willing to give up the mWs of power generation and either give up on shipping or spend big bucks on dredging (which increases flow) and lock modifications as the shipping channels and locks would have to be able to accommodate fluctuating water levels. It probably wouldn't matter because I doubt it would be navigable for large ships to handle uncontrolled high seasonal flow rates involved in the ~200' drop from Lake Ontario to Montreal. It wouldn't matter much to Toronto to lose the ones of ships that visit the port but many economies around the Great Lakes would likely be serious impacted.

 

[Admiral Beez]

That's fine so long as...............

I'm not sure I can untie your knickers, but we can run the hydroelectric dam as usual, but beyond that let the natural flow of water out of the Great Lakes. It's the holding back of water in order to protect ill-conceived developments on flood plains down river that need to stop.

 

[lenaitch]

Well, it seems we perhaps can agree to disagree. I would ague that water level management has enabled poor land use planning (down river and our side a well) but is not the reason for it. Great Lakes water levels tend to cyclic fluctuation. Huron-Michigan is high as well and it's not regulated.

Analysis of the Impacts of Man-Made Features on the Stationarity and Dependence of Monthly Mean Maximum and Minimum Water Levels in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River of North America

Various manmade features (diversions, dredging, regulation, etc.) have affected water levels in the Great Lakes and their outlets since the 19th century. The goal of this study is to analyze the impacts of such features on the stationarity and dependence between monthly mean maximum and minimum...

www.mdpi.com

What Caused the Ongoing Flooding on Lake Ontario? - Eos

The floodwaters have also affected residents downstream along the Saint Lawrence River. Although politicians quickly blamed regulations, scientists say it was a perfect storm of natural factors.

eos.org

My knickers are fine, thanks for asking.

 

[AlbertC]

It could be a while before Toronto Islands open up to visitors again, mayor says

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

“We are very conscious of the fact that people want to use the islands and the businesses over there want to have the people over there and we are looking at it all the time but I expect it will be a while yet before that is open,” he said.

Tory said that it would be difficult to gradually reopen the islands and that it would have to largely be a “package deal” with all of its beaches and parkland reopening at once.

He said that any plan to reopen the islands would also be complicated by Transport Canada regulations, which currently require that ferries operate at half capacity in order to promote physical distancing.

At this point it is unclear how long those regulations will remain in effect.

It could be a while before Toronto Islands open up to visitors again, mayor says

Mayor John Tory says that it could be a "while" until the Toronto Islands are opened up to visitors again.

toronto.ctvnews.ca

 

[innsertnamehere]

Build a bridge!

 

[Towered]

Build a bridge!

Pedestrian and cycling only.

Actually, I would even like a streetcar track extended to the islands to exclusively run PCC's and Peter Witts. It would add a lot of charm.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Oh for sure, pedestrian / cycling only. Maybe build it to handle select vehicles for easier and cheaper servicing of the islands.

Wards Island would probably hate it but it would be great to connect the islands to the new parks system getting built in the Portlands.

 

[SunriseChampion]

I'm planning on busting out my canoe soon. Are they going to shoot me down as I traverse the western channel to get my arse to Ward's?

 

[AlbertC]

Toronto’s starved for green space. So why no footbridge to the Islands?

Mon., May 25, 2020

Matt Elliott: Toronto’s starved for green space. So why no footbridge to the Islands?

What should be Toronto’s signature park is once again out of reach to most. It’s a ridiculous status quo, writes Matt Elliott.

www.thestar.com

Outline - Read & annotate without distractions

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outline.com

 

[Towered]

Toronto’s starved for green space. So why no footbridge to the Islands?

Mon., May 25, 2020

Matt Elliott: Toronto’s starved for green space. So why no footbridge to the Islands?

What should be Toronto’s signature park is once again out of reach to most. It’s a ridiculous status quo, writes Matt Elliott.

www.thestar.com

Outline - Read & annotate without distractions

Outline is a free service for reading and annotating news articles. We remove the clutter so you can analyze and comment on the content.

outline.com

It really is time to explore the bridge option again. Last time it was seriously considered was when Lastman was mayor I think, and then Miller got elected partially because he promised to kill the proposal.

 

[Northern Light]

It really is time to explore the bridge option again. Last time it was seriously considered was when Lastman was mayor I think, and then Miller got elected partially because he promised to kill the proposal.

There was never a serious proposal for a foot bridge.

There was a proposal for a bridge to the island airport which materialized as a tunnel instead.

We have that tunnel now.

The issue is when you get out at the airport there is no walk-around to the islands park system.

But if you close that airport, and make it parkspace, problem solved. No additional bridges required.