Attendance: Brian & Emily MacConnell, David Self, Wendy Fletcher, Gord Hart, Linda DeGiorgio, Beth Marcilio, Mike Hussey, Anita Kung, Florence & Dick Watts.

1. Street Beautification/Gardens/Trees
   1. Councillor Palacio’s survey – every household in this ward 17 area should have received a survey to complete. Florence will try to obtain more copies to distribute to those who did not receive it Some executive members have submitted their completed forms expressing concern about reduced assistance from Parks and Forestry, and suggesting that an arrangement be worked out between Public Works and Parks which would enable Parks to assist us in making landscape improvements to Glenholme and Springmount steps.
   
   
   2. Oakwood Ave Trees – some of the new trees need to be replaced. Also of concern is the number of trees being felled in the neighbourhood. They seem to mostly be Norway Maples. While we cannot stop the removal of dead trees it is important to pursue replacement of the trees. The Asian Longhorn beetle has not been reported in the downtown area. About 10 000 trees are being cut down in the north-west part of the city. Hardwood trees are the beetle’s trees of choice. It would be wise for everyone to check their trees regularly for possible signs of the beetles. A photo of “signs and symptoms” was circulated to those attending the meeting.
   3. ‘Stop ahead’ sign near Oakwood on Regal Rd – has been posted for more than six months. The City will be requested to take down the warning sign.


2. City Council / Community Council / Ward 17
   1. Sidewalk repairs & OMG container at Dufferin/Davenport corner – the request for a garbage container at the corner has been denied citing that there is not enough room on the corner for a container. A container is already available north of Davenport by the bus stop. However, that does not help with all the garbage that is being thrown onto the grounds and in the naturalized gardens. How can garbage be reduced at that corner?
   2. City Budget Consultation Fri Feb 13th – The Mayor and Cesar Palacio were present at the meeting. David Soknacki, chair of the budget review committee, presented the budget problem and all three councillors asked attendees to participate in an exercise to help suggest where $344 million can be cut. It became apparent that Council has real control over a very small part of the budget. The Police budget is by far the largest portion of the budget but the Councillors have restricted access as to its details. Some attendees proposed that Council continue its efforts with all three levels of government to increase the powers of the City of Toronto over fiscal matters in its areas of responsibility.


3. St. Clair Transit Study
   1. community Workshop, Mon Jan 26th – The EA team presented the options being considered and the criteria for evaluating them. They then received suggested additions to the list of criteria and the relative weights that should be given to them. Some of the suggestions have now been incorporated into more recent EA Team documents.
   2. St. Clair West BIA meeting with EA Team Feb 5th – Some RHRA attendees felt that a few merchants expressed hostile feelings towards the EA team. However, in the end the EA team did a good job answering questions from the floor.
   3. Cesar Palacio’s meeting with Mayor Miller and Study Area councillors Feb 9th – Councillor Palacio believes there are not enough public meetings or workshops scheduled to permit sufficient public input into the process. A couple of additional public meetings and workshops have since been added. A follow-up meeting is scheduled for March 1.
   4. Feb 10th SWRC – Dick is trying to interest SWRC in convening a meeting of all groups west of Winona to discuss future initiatives regarding the EA Study. A meeting on this is being considered for Feb 23rd.
   5. SCRIPT meeting for dedicated Right of Way (ROW) Feb 11th – about 20 photos were displayed of various DROW’s in place in different cities. Interestingly very few cars appeared in any of the photos.
   6. Public Meeting Feb 19th – will be held at JJP for residents of this area. It is highly recommended that people attend. The available options will be presented as well as the evaluation criteria. The bottom line is that the TTC tracks must be repaired in the next year. Traffic congestion in the area is bad and is expected to worsen with time. The big question is how to improve the flow of traffic without disrupting the community and businesses in the area.
   7. RHRA initiatives re the Transit Study – a pilot survey has been drafted and handed out to the members present at the meeting. It is to be completed and returned to Mike Hussey at 3 Glenholme by Sunday February 22. Feedback will possibly be used to expand the survey for wider use in Regal Heights in hopes of feeling out what the residents of this area want.


4. SWRC Capital Works Projects, Study Design meeting Feb 10th a team of consultants (Brown and Storey, Architects and Richard Gilbert, Transportation Consultant) has begun a study of potential capital works projects for St. Clair Avenue. Recommendations from this study are expected to play an integral role in the long-term development of St. Clair West. Locations near Caledonia and Weston Road have been identified as potential GO stations linking to the TTC. However, significantly more development in the area would need to happen first.



5. Heritage/History
   1. Dufferin/St. Clair Library murals – the library is in the final stages of drafting a contract with Lazlo Czer, the mural restorer. Hopefully the restoration will begin in the next couple of months. The work will be done during the hours that the library is closed.


6. Finances/ Membership
   1. funds available – in the bank $1065.61 in petty cash $ 102.75


7. Schools
   1. Oakwood Collegiate
      1. Oakwood gardens – Jennifer Gordon, environmental club chairman from OCI, has approached Florence for help in creating more gardens. Bulbs have been planted by the students in the beds along the cast iron fence on Oakwood Ave and they also hope to revamp the circular bed at the corner of Oakwood and St. Clair. Initiatives have also been made to consider a garden on the north side of the school. Design ideas are being developed jointly by the Environment club and Regal Heights representatives.
      2. Blockbuster mural – Blockbuster is donating supplies for a mural to be created for the side of the building by the Art Club of OCI.
      3. Jennifer also expressed interest in a recycling and litter clean up – Florence has invited the students to join in with RHRA during the City’s May Clean Up day.
   2. Regal Road School
      1. advertising signs – Avenue Road Roofing has posted signs high on the fence at the school. Jeri Brodie (RHRA School Council Rep.) will be asked to see what might be done to reduce this inappropriate use of school property
      2. portico restoration progress – no news. It is hoped that Jeri could become part of the committee with Principal Meighan to continue to pursue the restoration efforts.
      3. the windsocks on the north fence of Regal Road School were replaced last spring and are still retaining their bright colours.
   
   
8. Other
   1. ice rink at Humewood School – there has been a rink established by parents there for the past twenty years and it is operating successfully again this year.
   2. ice rink at Wychwood Car Barns – two rinks are being maintained by the residents, one for shinny and one for pleasure skating. It is well used by the community. Drop by and check it out.


Next Meeting: Tuesday March 16th, 7:30 pm at a location to be announced.