Volume 47 No. 10
BEACHMETRO.COM
July 17, 2018
City to consider Danforth bike lanes By Josh Sherman
CYCLING ADVOCATES are making the case for bike lanes on Danforth Avenue ahead of a council vote that could see the street redesigned. On July 23, council will decide whether to undertake a Complete Streets study for the Danforth, an early step towards the possible installation of bike lanes on the avenue. “The feasibility of and design options for cycling facilities would be part of the study, as well as pedestrian and road safety improvements,” city spokesperson Cheryl San Juan explained in a statement. According to the city of Toronto’s website, Complete Streets are “streets that are designed
to be safe for all users: people who walk, bicycle, take transit or drive, and people of varying ages and levels of ability.” Ward 32 Coun. Mary-Margaret McMahon put forward the motion to undertake the study at East York Community Council on July 4. “We heard loudly and clearly from the community that they were interested in Complete Streets on the Danforth,” said McMahon. “It’s the right thing to do,” she added. Cycling advocates in the east end have been pushing for bike lanes along the avenue for some time.
PHOTO: SUSAN LEGGE
Plastic Ocean screening at The Fox Left to right: Beach brothers Tyler and Alex Mifflin, also known as The Water Brothers, screened an episode of their eco-adventure series, Plastic Ocean, last week at The Fox theatre. The evening was hosted by local MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith and included a Q&A with the duo as well as plastic pollution expert and University of Toronto professor Chelsea Rochman (not shown). In attendance was Beaches—East York councillor MaryMargaret McMahon who announced that the public works committee is working on banning plastic straws in Toronto. A second screening of the show is planned for July 31. See MP Erskine-Smith’s column on page 6 for details.
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Danforth Rocks returns to Stephenson Park By Josh Sherman
IT WAS about four years ago that Peter Woodcock wanted to see more activity in Stephenson Park, which he lives across the street from. As a way to encourage neighbours to take advantage of the local green space, he started bringing local musicians there, beginning with an opera singer and harp player. “Everybody brought their chairs, and they sat in rows,” says Woodcock, who estimates about 40 people turned up at the inaugural gig. Sound was a bit of an issue at the time. “They (the musicians) would stop as the trains roared by,” he said. That’s not much of a problem any more. “The sound’s better,” he laughed. “It’s nice to have some amplifiers to drown out the GO Train.”
That isn’t the only improvement. It has surprised Woodcock to see the growth of the informal events,
“” “It’s a familyfriendly, wellrounded series …” – Peter Woodcock
which through the Danforth Village BIA last year, became Danforth Rocks, a decidedly more-organized series of concerts each Wednesday evening in August.
Danforth Rocks is back this year and kicks off at 6 p.m. on Aug. 1 with the Stephen Stanley Band, who are returning from a European tour. In addition to improved sound, some new acts are going to be taking the stage. “We try to mix it up a little bit,” said Woodcock, describing the programming. For example, departing from the rock ‘n’ roll of the Stephen Stanley Band, Woodcock says Danforth Rocks newcomer Jenna Marie will be bringing an “R&B jazzy kind of flair” on Aug. 22. A different Ontario craft brewery will be on hand at each concert, starting with Great Lakes Brewery on Aug. 1. There are plans to have some businesses from the local BIA set up as vendors, but nothing has firmed up yet. Press Books, who served up
PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED
The second annual Danforth Rocks concert series will take place each Wednesday evening in August.
lemonade and coffee in 2017, will be returning, as will local Turkish restaurant, Tuana. Last year there was face painting, and more
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entertainment for kids is expected this time around. “It’s a family-friendly wellrounded series,” said Woodcock.
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