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TWRC Port Lands Beautification

Re: TWRC Port Lands Tour

I went. Here are some pics (of mediocre quality, but it gives you an idea):

The protestors out front:



The Mayor and Paula Fletcher chatting with someone:



What the room looked like with all the boards up for reading:





The Mayor giving addressing the crowd outside:



The view from Tommy Thompson Park / Leslie Street Spit, a reminder of why we so desperately need waterfront redevelopment. Lake Ontario is truly beautiful (though the Leslie Spit isn't).





Some thoughts:

This project is enormous. As the mayor said in his address, Canary Wharf is a fraction of the area of this. I hadn't appreciated just how huge this area is and how much work will be required to redevelop it. The potential of it is staggering. It's like a whole other city down there. This helped to explain why it's been so hard to get off the ground.

There weren't many people there. I think people still see it as a bit of a pipe dream.

I chatted with the director of development for the Toronto Film Studios about the new complex to be built down there. Wow. It is unbelievable in scope. I have little doubt in my mind that it will forever alter the Toronto movie industry. The design looks good and this is something I think should be supported.
 
Re: TWRC Port Lands Tour

Oliver Tweed,

You captured my friend and I in your photos!

I spoke with this guy beside the Commissioner's Park panels, could that have been you?

Louroz
 
Re: TWRC Port Lands Tour

hmm... don't think it was me. I thought some forumers might be there, though. What did you think of the event?
 
Re: TWRC Port Lands Tour

I also attended the event. I was lucky enough to hear the mayor speak to the protesters outside the event at around 11:20, hop on the 11:30 tour and get back in time to hear the mayor's speech at noon.

To get to the event. I walked from King St. Subway station for the exercise. I walked down Cherry and then along Commissioners. It'll be nice to have some pedestrian infrastructure built up in the place, as right now there are no sidewalks and the land off the side of the road is uneven.

After signing in and looking around the displays, I head down to catch the bus. The Mayor arrived, and spoke to the protesters. Nothing new in his comments that he hasn't stated before on his position - he's against the new plant and thinks the Hearn should be used for a plant instead. From what I understand of the protestErs position, though, they don't want the plant in the Hearn either, and would like to see conservation and renewable sources of energy used instead, but they were generally polite to the Mayor.

The tour was good. It's amazing how much space there is for development in the area. Usually if I am in the Portlands, I am just down along the water's edge at Cherry beach, so it's easy to forget how large the space is.
 
Re: TWRC Port Lands Tour

Oliver Tweed,

I thought it was good Public Relations for the TWRC. However, I wish they had arranged for at least a free shuttle service from Union Station.

Also the bus tour itself was nice, however, as I suggested above, they should have let people out at places like Cherry Beach for the public to see the work first hand.

Also, they should have put together a neat package together of all the projects. I found myself picking up every little piece of paper.

Finally, I think we are far enough in the process that the TWRC should build and present a scale model of the waterfront project. It would give someone a better perspective of the lands. It could even replace that outdated and embrassing scale model at City Hall.

GregWTravels,

I had the exact same itinerary! We were on the same bus together. I was sitting right up front with a friend.

We took the 172 from Union and had to walk from Cherry Street. The walk was nice and you can't help put think of the potential and imagine the area transformed with Commissioner's Park and with an the Expo on the site.

I suggest an organized meet of UT members next time.

Louroz
 
Re: TWRC Port Lands Tour

That is what stuck out in my mind after going to the event: the potential of this place. It is truly awe-inspiring the massive scale of this thing.

It is exhilarating to imagine the kind of neighbourhood that could eventually be there. I say neighbourhood, but it's seriously big enough to fit the entire downtown inside it. Being down there on such a nice day with the water way off in the distance nearly blew my mind about how nice it would be if the entire portlands and waterfront were opened back up to the city and you could spend the entire day down there by the shimmering blue water. I honestly think our standard of living as a city would be affected. It would be that nice.

Imagine, actually USING one of the greatest bodies of fresh water anywhere on the planet.

It is, however, terrifying to think about the scale on which it could be screwed up.

Having said that, if the Toronto Film Studio development is any indication, things are moving in the right direction. Expo 2015 would also help dramatically with the transportation system. More and more, Expo is looking like something that is not only desirable for the city, but almost essential.
 
Re: Portlands Powerplant Protest

When is this plant supposed to be built? Is there a way out? It doesn't seem as if the media is covering this issue much.
 
Re: Portlands Powerplant Protest

... and it doesn't seem like anybody on this board is concerned about it either.

This is the future of our waterfront vision at stake. Re-industrializing the Portlands contradicts all the studies, e.a's and projects for the waterfront.

I'm baffled that nobody here or in the media is that concerned.
 
Re: Portlands Powerplant Protest

"This is the future of our waterfront vision at stake. Re-industrializing the Portlands contradicts all the studies, e.a's and projects for the waterfront. "

Don't most studies consider the current zoning of the eastern half as too valuable to re-zone with a commercial area as a buffer between it and the residential area on the western edge?

I really don't see a need for concern considering the largest sewage treatement plant in the GTA is next door - not like its directly on the waterfront either
 
Re: Portlands Powerplant Protest

In New York they sink the building, put green roofs on the generation stations and call them parks.

How is a park on a power plant any worse than a linear park on top of a subway tunnel?

I have absolutely no problems with clean (relatively speaking) industrial being nearby but it would sure be nice if it wasn't fugly, met the street well, etc.
 
Re: Portlands Powerplant Protest

^ Depends on the power plant.

blinky.gif
 
Re: Portlands Powerplant Protest

Another point that is absolutely short sighted is that this plant will be burning gas ... GAS! Oil has never been so expensive and at a time where north american policies are finally working towards lessening our dependancy on oil, Ontario is going ahead and building a gas burning plant?
 
Re: Portlands Powerplant Protest

"north american policies are finally working towards lessening our dependancy on oil"

LOL - you actually believe that
 
Re: Portlands Powerplant Protest

I think PEC is only meant to be a plant that is used to provide power during periods of peak demand - and I would imagine natural gas turbines would be perfect for that sort of thing, additional costs notwithstanding.

AoD
 
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