Spring cleanups marked Earth Week across the city
Warmer weather is upon us and our outdoor spaces are looking greener by the day. Over the last few months, I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to get outside and speak to many residents in our community.
This past Earth Week marked the first time in two years that the community was really able to come together to celebrate the occasion. Thank you to the CCRA, WRSA and WRCA for hosting the Earth Day Celebration at Port Union Community Recreation Centre on April 23. It was great to see all the families participating in the cleanup, workshops and crafts, then picking up some compost for their gardens!
Throughout the city, over 1,200 community cleanups were organized between April 22 and 24 as part of Clean Toronto Together. The initiative encouraged residents, community groups, schools and businesses to spend at least 20 minutes picking up litter and recycling that accumulated in local parks and other public spaces over the winter. I am so proud of the efforts of all the local schools and associations that stepped up to lend a hand in improving the conditions of our green spaces.
I’d also like to thank all the volunteers who joined my office for a cleanup at Deekshill Park on April 24. Together, we were able to remove many bags of garbage from the park, leaving it cleaner and safer for residents to enjoy.
With the nicer weather, we’ve also had the opportunity to advance some key projects in Scarborough–Rouge Park:
North East Scarborough Community Recreation and Child Care Centre
On April 14, I was pleased to help break ground on the new North East Scarborough Community Recreation and Child Care Centre at Joyce Trimmer Park (Sheppard Avenue East and Conlins Road).
The centre will be the City of Toronto’s first net zero energy and emissions community recreation facility. It will feature rooftop solar panels to generate heat and electricity simultaneously, a solar parking lot canopy to capture sunlight, building-integrated photovoltaic panels on the façade, air-source heat pumps for heating and cooling, and air handling units that can improve heat recovery efficiency.
In addition to many wonderful recreational amenities, the centre will bring 62 new child care spaces to Scarborough–Rouge Park. Construction is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2024. To learn more about the building and its facilities, visit toronto.ca/northeastscarborough.
Port Union Road
City staff continue to be hard at work on the Port Union Road project. Port Union Road, from Island Road to Lawrence Avenue East, will be improved to include the addition of a second northbound lane, complete sidewalks on both sides, raised cycle tracks and centre-turn lanes in some locations. Additional geotechnical investigations are needed and planned for this summer, relocation of Toronto Hydro infrastructure is anticipated to start this fall, and road construction is planned for next year. This project will improve conditions for people walking, cycling, and driving, while better managing traffic flow. To learn more, please visit toronto.ca/portunion.
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