Park and road improvements happening in Centennial
We hosted our first Harvest Fest last month! Big thanks to the staff at the Port Union Recreation Centre, my office staff, the volunteers, vendors and community organizations that made the event a success. It was attended by over 800 residents.
Special thanks to CUPE Local 416 for the community barbecue, 43 Division CPLC for the ice cream truck, Mike Jahshan of Remax for the pumpkin giveaway and COBS Bread Bakery at Morningside Crossing for the raffle prize.
Mayor Olivia Chow and I had fun judging the Best Pumpkin Contest. I’m hoping this will become a new annual event in our community to celebrate fall, promote local farms and bring community together.
Port Union Road
Port Union Road is on its way to being wider and more pedestrian-friendly. Once construction is complete, Port Union Road will have a new northbound vehicle lane, raised cycle tracks and continuous sidewalks on both sides of the street. New centre-turn lanes will be placed at select locations, and curb extensions with raised pedestrian crossings will be added at side streets to improve road safety.
More information on the progress of the Port Union Road improvements can be found at toronto.ca/portunionroad. The website also provides a link to sign up for regular updates.
Wanita Park and Colonel Danforth Dog Park
The new and improved playground at Wanita Park (at Meadowvale and Lawrence) is now open. Improvements include a swing set with two belt swings, one toddler swing and one accessible swing. Play structures with slides, a play theatre, climbing options, and monkey bars have also been installed.
We’ve heard requests for additional and improved dog parks in our ward. In response, the Colonel Danforth dog park (off Old Kingston Road) has been expanded with a new grass and wood chip area. Construction is complete and the fencing will be removed once the sod has taken.
Thank you to all the residents who completed the surveys to help shape the new design of these parks. A community survey will also soon launch for a new 2 600 m2 dog off-leash area in Bob Hunter Park (Meadowvale and Generation Blvd). We will share updates about the community survey in our e-news.
Happy 50th to Scarborough Civic Centre!
In October, the Scarborough Civic Centre (SCC) celebrated its 50th anniversary. The occasion was marked with the introduction of a new Koi fish to the pond in the atrium and an event celebrating one of Scarborough’s most recognizable and well-known buildings.
Conceived under the leadership of the first Mayor of Scarborough, Albert Campbell, the SCC was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on June 29, 1973. Dubbed “the first totally planned town centre in North America,” its central location makes it a popular place for community and city-led events, such as Nuit Blanche.
The SCC is an architectural marvel, designed by renowned Canadian architect Raymond Moriyama, who sadly passed away in September at 93. Inside the main hall is a series of polished metal sculptures resembling birds rising toward the ceiling from the main floor, designed by Toronto artist James Sutherland in 1972. The impressive space is also home to the 100th branch of the Toronto Public Library and remains a valuable resource to our Scarborough community.
We’re Working for You
For assistance with municipal issues, to stay up to date on local projects, and/or to receive my newsletter, please email councillor_mckelvie@toronto.ca.