Councillor

Mike Layton
Ward 19 TrinitySpadina

mikelayton.to

Were improving transit for the

King West, Liberty Village, and
Fort York neighbourhoods.
Sign the petition:
http://mikelayton.to/libertyonthego

Dear Neighbours,
I am very proud to work closely with many of you on so many significant local
improvements. We have accomplished so much and there is still a lot of work to
be done to build a strong community.
Together we went up against Las Vegas giants and stopped a mega casino from
being built at Exhibition Place. It was thanks to thousands of you speaking out
at public meetings and signing petitions that my motion to stop the casino was
supported by the majority of City Councillors.

Stay in touch
Visit www.mikelayton.to for city-wide and local
updates on everything from construction notices
to political issues at City Hall. Visit my website to
sign up for my e-newsletter.
twitter.com/m_layton or
Follow me on twitter at
find me on facebook at facebook.com/layton.mike

We need to make improvements to transit in our neighbourhoods. That is why I

have been working to create a more affordable and integrated fare at Exhibition
GO Station and to build a Liberty Village/King West Station on the Kitchener/
Georgetown GO Line. Making it easier for people to take the GO to Union Station
and then hop on the TTC for less, will make room on the 504 King Streetcar. This
extra room will still be needed on the TTCs busiest streetcar route even after the
new vehicles have been rolled out.

Nos Falamos Portugus! Por favor ligue para o

nosso escritrio se precisar assistencia.(416) 3924010

We are building two pedestrian and cycle bridges to help connect communities
on either side of the rail corridors. We have installed traffic lights at East Liberty
and Strachan, added pavement markings and stop signs, as well as improved
lighting throughout neighbourhoods. Significant local park improvements have
also been made with many more to come.

(416) 392-4009.

Parliamo italiano! Se avete bisogno dassistenza,

siete pregati di chiamare (416) 397-4110.

I thank you for the opportunity to serve our community and encourage you to
call, email, or meet with me to discuss any concerns or ideas may have.

Mike Layton
City Councillor
Ward 19, TrinitySpadina
100 Queen Street West
Suite C47
Toronto, ON
M5H 2N2

(416) 392-4009
councillor_layton@
toronto.ca

Councillor Mike Layton

FPO
Union Bug
Executive Assistant
Jamie Kirkpatrick
jkirkpa2@toronto.ca

Special Assistant
Scheduling & Parks
Marco Bianchi
mbianch@toronto.ca

Constituency Assistant
North of College Street
Angela Surdi
asurdi2@toronto.ca

Constituency Assistant
South of College Street to
Rail Corridor
Ashley Da Silva
adasilv2@toronto.ca

Constituency Assistant
South of the Rail Corridor
Heather Leger
hleger@toronto.ca

Liberty on the GO
To address our growing communities we need
to improve transit in the Liberty Village, King
West, and Fort York neighbourhoods.

as it stands, there are currently no significant

plans to improve public transit for this growing
neighbourhood.

That is why I have been working with Metrolinx and the TTC to create a more affordable
and integrated fare at Exhibition GO Station
and to add a Liberty Village/King West Station
on the Kitchener GO Line. Making it easier for
people to take the GO to Union Station (a ride
of less than 8 minutes) and then hop on the
TTC for less, will help make room on the 504
King Streetcar.

We need to use the existing rail lines

Liberty Village is situated between two dedicated rail lines, but they are inaccessible one has
no local stop and the second regularly passes
by the existing station and costs close to $8 per
trip when combined with a TTC fare.

Every day thousands of people living and

working in and around Liberty Village wait as
overflowing streetcars pass on King Street, the
busiest streetcar route in the city, with a hope
that the next one will have enough room to
take one more rider.

We need to create a shared or integrated fare

with GO Transit, as many other cities across
the GTHA already have, so it is affordable
for residents and workers in Liberty Village
to take the GO Train from Exhibition Station to Union Station and then hop on the
TTC without paying twice. We also need to
immediately investigate the land available
on the north and south sides of the Kitchener GO Transit line, for the creation of a
Liberty Village/King Street West stop.

Liberty Villages growth has outpaced investments into local public transit options and

This is one of the few areas with land available

and the City is building an accessible pedes-

The King Streetcar is the busiest

streetcar route in the city

trian and cycling bridge over the corridor that

could easily serve the station.
Lets take advantage of these opportunities
to improve transit. Improvements on the GO
line will make the King Streetcar better.

We need an affordable integrated fare

I recently had a motion adopted by the TTC
to pilot an integrated and affordable fare, but
we need your help to make this a reality. The
TTC and Metrolinx should immediately work
to create an affordable and integrated fare for
travel from Exhibition GO Station to Union
Station and formally explore the possibility
of a Liberty Village/King West Station within
the future development of the lands abutting
the north and south sides of the Georgetown/
Kitchener corridor.
Please sign the petition to the Province to
get them on board with our plan to improve
transit. Visit mikelayton.to/libertyontheGO for
more information and to sign our petition.

New Streetcars
The King streetcar line is the busiest in the city
with over 57,000 daily passengers. The Queen
streetcar has over 45,000 daily passengers. The
lines are over capacity and my office regularly
receives complaints that riders wait for several
cars during rush hour before making their way
on to one with room to board. This is unacceptable. Public transit is meant to get us where we
need to go quickly and affordably.
The TTC has ordered new streetcars to relieve
some of the pressure on the routes moving
through Ward 19. They are scheduled for roll
out between 2014 and 2018. The TTC will
also be constructing (and modifying) streetcar
platforms to allow people with mobility challenges and strollers to easily board the new
low floor streetcars.
The new streetcars are accessible, have more
seats, boarding from all 4 doors, air conditioning and, can accommodate bicycles. Not only are
they modern, spacious, and comfortable, but they
will also increase our rush hour capacity by 32%.
You may have noticed the new streetcars already
as the TTC tests them on our streets. The 510
Spadina, the 511 Bathurst, and the 509 Dundas / Harbourfront are scheduled to be deployed
beginning in 2014. The 501 Queen and the 508
Lakeshore will roll out starting in 2015 with the
504 King route having the new vehicles beginning in 2016.

Unveiling a commemorative plaque recognizing

Scadding Cabin, Torontos oldest built structure.
Built in 1794 for John Scadding, the cabin now rests
in our ward on the Exhibition Grounds.

Councillor Mike Layton

We stopped a mega casino in our neighbourhood

After a year of work, we were able to win
against MGM and other international casino
corporations interested in building a mega casino at Exhibition Place.
Following multiple delays by Mayor Ford,
endless studies and debate, on May 21, 2013
I called a special meeting of Toronto City
Council to put an end to proposed mega casino. At this meeting I moved a simple motion
that City Council oppose the establishment
of any new gaming sites in the City of Toronto. My motion passed 40-4 and the mega casino was stopped.
A downtown mega casino in Toronto would
have cost us more than we could have gained.
A mega casino would hurt our local businesses

and our arts and entertainment communities.

It would strangle an already congested transportation network with thousands more cars.
It would also bring with it significant social
costs related to both addiction and crime that
would hurt our families.
Liberty Village and Fort York are two of our
fastest growing neighbourhoods. Building a
casino in them would have profound effects
on traffic, transit, property values, local businesses, addiction rates, and the quality of life.
When we think about the neighbourhood we
would like to build, it does not include a mega
casino. We can do better and we are doing better than a casino.

June Callwood Park

The construction of June Callwood Park and

much needed green space in the Fort York
neighbourhood is well under way! The park
will contribute to the creation of a larger system of linked public open spaces, including
Fort Yorks Garrison Common and Coronation Park. It will include flexible play areas, a
maze and a puzzle plaza for children of all ages,
seating, an urban forest, public art, and beautiful new gardens.

The park is named in honour of June Callwood,

who passed away in 2007 at the age of 82. June
was one Canadas most acclaimed journalists,
as well as a celebrated author, television host,
feminist, and social activist. She received nearly
20 honorary degrees, as well as Canadas highest honour, Companion of the Order of Canada. She helped found over 50 social organizations including shelters for homeless youth,
abused women and children, and a palliative
care hospice for people living with AIDS.

The design of the park is inspired by a clip

from June Callwoods last interview, when
she spoke the words I believe in Kindness.
These words were graphically transposed
onto the park site, and the sound pattern was
used to create the path of circulation through
the park, as well as the series of clearings. The
June Callwood Park is scheduled to open in
the Fall of 2014.

Ontario Place and Exhibition

Ontario Place and the Exhibition Grounds are
both in our ward. Ontario Place has been an
important 96-acre public and family friendly
space in Toronto and a destination since 1971.
It is land that was originally dedicated to The
People of Ontario Past, Present and Future.
In February 2012, the Ontario Government
announced the closure of Ontario Place. The
Province is now going through a planning
process to transform Ontario Place into a
year-round, multi-use waterfront community
and urban park. At the same time, the City
and Exhibition Place Board of Governors are
moving through a planning process for the future of Exhibition Place.
Councillor Mike Layton

Throughout this process I have maintained

that Ontario Place must remain a public
space. More recently, I have requested that
the Province work more closely with Exhibition Place to develop a joint strategy for revitalization and to include you, the local community, more closely in the process.
We need to ensure the planning for the area
addresses key issues such as infrastructure,
transportation, public realm, and heritage.
Any planning process around Ontario Place
and the Exhibition grounds must include
your input and consider both the impacts on
your neighbourhood and the potential contributions.
3

Lights for
Liberty!
Traffic lights have now been installed at East
Liberty and Strachan. The City was waiting
until Metrolinx completed its work on the
corridor to begin installation of the permanent lights at East Liberty Street and Strachan Avenue. It is clear that waiting for action
to be taken was not an option for our growing
community.
My office and hundreds of residents through
the LVRA pushed to get temporary lights installed at the intersection and in 2013 this
was finally done. These lights are an important step in significantly improving what we
all know is a packed and difficult intersection.
When Metrolinx completes its work on the
corridor and the intersection is properly
aligned, permanent lights and turning
lanes will be installed. We have lots of work
to do to improve transit in the neighbourhood
and the lights are an important piece that will
significantly improve the current situation.

Photo by: Todd Hofley

Fort York Library

strong sense of place and referencing the historic wood cribbing excavated on the site. The
public spaces of the library are directly connected with the park.
The new library will include a broad range
of collections; meeting, collaborative and
study spaces; increased access to technology for research, learning, working and recreation. The library will have a collection size
of 35,000 items for all ages, include zones for
adults, teens, and children, comfortable reading lounges, free access to high-speed internet and even an outdoor reading garden and
green roof.

rendering from KPMB Architects

The new Fort York library is opening this year

at the northeast corner of Bathurst and Fort
York Boulevard. The library has been designed
as pavilions in the park, and pedestrian pathways on the east and south encourage public
access to the future park and Fort York.

Moodie, a collaboration between visual artist

Charles Pachter and poet Margaret Atwoood.
Pachters drawing will be incorporated into
the perforations of the west facing fins, and
Atwoods poetry will be installed on public elements at grade.

It will be a 15,000 square foot two storey building with a view to Fort York and the downtown core. An integrated public art project is
planned based on The Journals of Susannah

The two storeys are connected by a douglas

fir clad stair and atrium visible as one enters.
The ceiling of the second floor is constructed
of douglas fir beams and decking, creating a

The architect of the library is the firm of Kuwabara Payne Mckenna Blumberg (KPMB),
a Toronto based firm responsible for the TIFF
Bell Light Box, the Royal Conservatory Centre for Performance and Learning, as well as
the National Ballet School and Gardiner Museum. The library is a much needed amenity
to help build our community in the Fort York
neighbourhood.

Protecting our Waterfront

City Council has been debating the expansion
of the island airport to allow large jets. I am
concerned about the environmental and neighbourhood impacts of this proposed expansion.
The increased noise and pollution from jets, the
increased flight patterns across the waterfront,
and paving over more of the lake to extend the
runway will spoil our wonderful recreational
space of Toronto Island and waterfront.
In 1983, the Tripartite Agreement that the City
of Toronto entered into with the Federal Government and the Toronto Port Authority placed

very specific restrictions on the airport to protect neighbourhoods on the waterfront. The
agreements restricted airport expansion so that
new neighbourhoods could be built in the area.
The addition of jets and changes to the Tripartite Agreement threaten the liveability of these
neighbourhoods.
Our city has spent considerable time and money
to revitalize our waterfront so it can be a place
of pride for our citys residents. Any changes to
our waterfront must help and not harm these
efforts.

The City of Toronto has been working with local

Toronto artists to paint the Citys traffic signal
boxes. Outside the Box is being implemented by
StreetARToronto. This is an example of one of the
many boxes painted in our ward. This box can be
found at Dundas Street West and Montrose Avenue
and was done by artist Jeff Blackburn.

Councillor Mike Layton

Niagara Neighbourhood South Planning Strategy

I have initiated a planning study of the Niagara
South neighbourhood and specifically the lands
bordered by Bathurst Street, Strachan Avenue,
Wellington Street, and the rail corridor. The
study will engage area stakeholders, including
landowners, residents, and business owners to
develop a long term vision for the area.

existing City-services, and the established

neighbourhood, provide a framework for any
new developments, identify opportunities for
public realm improvements, recognize the
importance of protecting employment lands,
and consider traffic, noise, and odour issues
related to existing employment uses.

This area includes the Quality Meats operations, and the City-owned shelter, day care,
and works yard. It will discuss potential
changes to the types of employment on the
land, the appropriate built form, transition
and buffering of new developments, as well as
pedestrian, cycling, and park space improvements. It will also take into account the importance of maintaining views of the Fort York
National Historic Site. This study will identify
the areas unique heritage attributes, protect

Much of the land in the area needs to be remediated since the sites include a former lead smelting operation, former incinerator, former casket
manufacturer, as well as the abattoir operated by
Quality Meat Packers and the City Works yard.
The area also includes many amenities that are
important to the community, including the day
care, shelter housing, the community gardens,
and the future southern extension of Stanley
Park which will provide the north landing of the
Fort York Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge.

A map of the study area for the Niagara

Neighbourhood South Planning Strategy

Bridging our Communities

We are building two very important bridges in
the King West, Liberty Village, Niagara, and
Fort York neighbourhoods. These pedestrian
and cycling bridges will help move people
across the rail corridors and connect us to our
neighbours, local stores, and parks.
The Environmental Assessment for the Liberty Village Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge is
complete. In late 2013 we moved into the design phase of the bridge. I was successful in
my push to secure funds in the Citys capital
plan to pay for the construction of the bridge.

When Mayor Ford first took office, his administration attempted to stop the Fort York
bridge. After a long battle, and working together with many in the community, we managed to save the bridge. I have been working
to get all of the City divisions, including Planning, Waterfront Toronto, BUILD Toronto,
and Transportation Services to the same table
to ensure we move forward as quickly as possible on building the Fort York Bridge.

Liberty Village Pedestrian and Cycling Bridge

Stanley Park
Update
Work toward further improving Stanley Park
continues with a distinct focus on ensuring the
safety and accessibility of the space for all parks
users.We have already seen the installation of our
brand new ping pong tables, and will soon see
path and seating upgrades, accessibility ramps,
and a new fence around the playground coming
to the area of the park north of King Street.
On the south side of the park, we expect to see
the berms and fence removed along the north
end to make way for more seating for casual
park users and open sight lines into and out of
the park. In addition to these changes, the entire
park will see an increase in the amount of light
standards in an effort to ensure that everyone
feels safe in their neighbourhood park.
A contractor has been hired to start this work
beginning mid-August with the installation of
the new light standards. Workers will be mindful to limit the impact the construction will have
on park and permit field usage and create safe
working zones for those inside the park. Access
to the wading pool will not be impacted by the
construction.
One of the new ping pong tables in Stanley Park in
in use.
Photo by: Andrew Louis

Councillor Mike Layton

Improving
Traffic in Your
Neighbourhood
The very rapid and recent growth in the Liberty Village, Fort York, and King Street West
neighbourhoods has resulted in significant
strains on the local transportation network.

Gridlock and crowded streetcars have made

streets impassable and leave TTC riders
frustrated as they watch full streetcars pass
them by.
I am installing new traffic lights and crosswalks, building bridges and advocating for an
affordable and integrated transit fare on GO
Transit, but more needs to be done. The already approved additional density could cripple our transportation system.

This is why I have asked City Planning and

Transportation Services to work together on a
planning and transit study of the Liberty Village, Ordnance Triangle, Fort York, and King
West neighbourhood. The study will commence in late 2014. It will take into account
the transportation impacts of recent developments on the road network serving this area,
identify a strategy for implementing solutions,
and identify a framework that considers transit and traffic when evaluating development
applications in the study area.

Bike Sharing is
coming to you!
BIXI Toronto is now Bike Share Toronto. The
Citys popular bike sharing program has been
saved and is now controlled by the Toronto
Parking Authority (TPA). The TPA has chosen
Alta Bicycle Share, which runs systems in New
York, Chicago, and other cities, to manage and
operate the program.
I have been working to expanding bike sharing
in our ward since I took office. We now have a
few stations along Queen Street West with approved new stations for the King West neighbourhood and along Bloor Street West.
Now that our bike sharing program is on secure footing, we will be looking into adding
more stations throughout Ward 19.
You can find out more at bikesharetoronto.com.
New bike sharing station at Queen and Niagara.

Cycling
Part of relieving car traffic and pressure on
the King streetcar is providing safe and inviting alternatives - such as better cycling infrastructure. While we build pedestrian and cycling bridges and expand Bike Share Toronto
we are also expanding the bikeway network in
your neighbourhood.

The West Toronto Railpath:

Winter Cycling:

More Bike Parking:

Cycling is not only an option in the warmer

months. There are thousands of winter cyclists in Toronto and I am among them. However, when it comes to snow clearing bike
lanes have not seemed to be a priority for the
City. Thats why I passed a motion at Council equesting Transportation Services create a
network of snow routes for Torontos bikeway
that receive priority clearing, similar to the
consideration that exists for the automobile.

In 2013, I added 30% more bike parking

along Queen Street West through a bicycle
parking study. The bike parking included bike
stands, multi-bike racks, on-street corral, and
bike shelters. The study is testing different designs through public feedback and determining how to make optimal use of very limited
public space available for bike parking. The
lessons learned on Queen West will inform
bike parking expansions throughout the City.

The West Toronto Railpath is a trail connection along the Kitchener/Georgetown GO

Transit rail corridor. In 2008, the path from
north of Dupont Street to the Dundas Street
West overpass was completed. The detailed
extension of the railpath passed Strachan
Avenue is now being studied. Our goal is to
begin construction of the Railpath extension
in 2015 once Metrolinx has completed their
construction on the rail corridor.

Shaw Street Bikeway:

The Shaw Street Bikeway was recently completed. Its 4km of cycling infrastructure that
stretches from Douro Street all the way north
to Davenport Road. North of Dundas Street
West contra-flow cycling lanes were installed
to allow cyclists to travel northbound on
this southbound one-way street. This spring,
the Shaw Street Bikeway will be further improved with new, more durable, road markings added to the street.

Proposed extensions for the West Toronto Railpath

Bike Parking on Queen

Street (Photo by Jesse
Demb)

Councillor Mike Layton

Strachan Overpass Update

Strachan Avenue is being raised close to 2
metres to pass over the rail corridor, while the
rail corridor is being lowered from Bathurst
Street to King Street West roughly 8 metres
at Strachan Avenue. While the construction
has been taking place, Strachan has been
temporarily realigned to the west.
In November 2013, the last GO train crossed
Strachan Avenue at street level. All trains are
now traveling in the lowered corridor under
Strachan Avenue. Work is now underway to
install the Strachan bridge over the corridor
so that Strachan can be returned to its permanent alignment.

Strachan Avenue Overpass Rendering from Metrolinx

Bathurst Street Study

I have initiated a study to develop a built form
and land use vision for Bathurst Street between Queen and Dupont. Bathurst Street
plays a unique role as a boundary between the
area our Official Plan identifies as Downtown and Central Waterfront and the rest of
the city. The purpose of this study is to develop a planning and urban design framework
that addresses land use, built form, heritage,
and the public realm. This means planning
for more green space and trees on Bathurst,
bike parking, and benches. It also will help
the City protect heritage buildings, as well as
promote and expand the existing small scale
retail along Bathurst Street.

In the meantime, in order to preserve the existing scale and character of the street until
the Bathurst Study is complete, we have put
in place and Interim Control By-law that will
prohibit new retail and service uses as well as
additions to existing retail and service uses for
the lands on and flanking Bathurst Street, between Dupont Street and Queen Street West.
The City held many public meetings throughout 2013 and there will be more to come in
2014. The Study should be finalized by mid
2014. Contact my office to get involved or find
out more.

One of the many public meetings to develop a vision

for Bathurst Street from Dupont to Queen Street
West.

Fort York
Boulevard
Connection
I have been working towards greater connectivity in the Fort York Neighbourhood and
much needs to be done as the neighbourhood
is built over the coming years. Fort York Boulevard is connecting east of Bathurst Street.
First, the connection will be available for
westbound traffic from CityPlace and soon
after it will also be opened up for eastbound
traffic across Bathurst.

Tucked behind Montrose Avenue and facing Bickford

Park is a laneway steeped in tradition. The Gall
family has been bringing neighbours together for
decades sharing in the roasting of peppers and
the making of peperonata. Neighbours cherish the
tradition and to celebrate the Galls contribution
to the community they requested that the laneway
be named Peperonata Lane. In fall 2013 the official
(and beautiful) lane-naming took place.

Councillor Mike Layton

Protecting Condo Owners

Earlier this term I moved a motion to protect
condo owners by asking Council to endorse
the Property Owners Protection Act, 2012, a
private members bill put forward by our MPP
Rosario Marchese.
Toronto is home to an impressive number of
new condominium owners. Since Ontarios
Condominium Act passed in 1998, there have
been many changes in the housing industry,
particularly with the number of new condominium developments.
Problems have been raised related to construction, inadequate disclosure by developers, minimal to no soundproofing between
units, improper use of reserve funds, misuse of
proxy votes during annual general meetings,

and inadequate warranty coverage. However,

the only form of dispute resolution available
to most owners is through the courts, which is
expensive and time-consuming.
Private Members Bill 72 amends the Condominium Act (1998), the Building Code Act,
(1992) and the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act so that purchasers of new condominiums have better protection.
The main focus of the bill is to provide a better
and more affordable way to resolve disputes
between owners, condo boards, property
managers, and developers. It also establishes
better building standards and warranty coverage for purchasers of new condominium
units.

Stanley Park Off Leash Dog Area

The annual Trinity

Bellwoods Community
yard sale.

Get Involved
My office is always available to
help. I regularly post updates on
my website mikelayton.to, but I
encourage you to get involved
in a local residents group
as well. I work very closely
with many of the community
associations listed here. They
work very hard to keep me
up to date and advocate for
changes from much needed
street sweeping along Strachan
and street lighting needs on
East Liberty, to policy pieces
such as improved transit
services and requesting a new
GO Station.

Liberty Village Residents

Association

Todd Hofley President

libertyresidents@gmail.com

Niagara Neighbourhood Now

w
 ww.facebook.com/pages/
Niagara-Neighbourhood-NowNNNow/125908167507647

twitter.com/libertyresident

Friends of Fort York

w
 ww.facebook.com/
groups/134014576700915/

Stephen Otto Chair

info@fortyork.ca
www.fortyork.ca

Liberty Village BIA

www.lvbia.com

w
 ww.facebook.com/pages/Friendsof-Fort-York/126934687317176

twitter.com/GiveMeLibertyTO

Friends of Liberty Village Parks

w
 ww.facebook.com/LibertyVillageBIA

Fort York Neighbourhood

Association

Vicki Trottier Chair

fortyorkneighbourhood@gmail.com
w
 ww.facebook.com/
groups/308729295861921/

w
 ww.facebook.com/groups/lvparkfriends/
Please contact my office with any
questions, comments or issues.
100 Queen Street West
Suite C47
Toronto, ON M5H 2N2
(416) 392-4009

councillor_layton@toronto.ca
www.mikelayton.to
8

Councillor Mike Layton