A vision for Scarborough!
Jennifer McKelvie, President of CCRA
I went on a field trip with the Scarborough Community Renewal Organization (SCRO) to Mississauga and was inspired by their thriving city centre! Mississauga undertook an extensive public engagement initiative that led to creation of an ambitious strategic plan to attract corporate headquarters and create a rich cultural experience. As we toured around their city centre, I found myself most drawn to the small changes they made that had high impact. They added turf to their city square and turned their fountain into a splash pad. This created an inviting environment and useable space where children were having fun playing. It’s a small change, but it was truly transformative. Imagine how we could improve the Scarborough Civic Centre with some vision and investment.
This month SCRO sent a letter to Mayor Tory advocating for a feasibility study for a Living Art Centre in Scarborough. A Living Arts facility would stimulate growth of eastern Toronto’s arts and cultural communities, serve as a vehicle for rebranding Scarborough, create jobs and be a cultural and entertainment hub for all Toronto residents. By providing performance and conference space, we could create a multiuse space that can stimulate Scarborough’s economy. The City of Toronto is developing a new Economic Development and Culture plan and I am hopeful a feasibility study for a new cultural hub in Scarborough will be included.
The Scarborough Waterfront Project environmental assessment is planned to go to Toronto Council in October. I will be working with the other four local community associations in Scarborough (West Rouge, Highland Creek, Coronation and Guildwood Village) to submit a deputation. A big thanks to our Past President Jeff Forsyth for his hard work representing our community on the Scarborough Waterfront stakeholder committee.
Over the summer, the CCRA executive canvassed their streets for membership. I am delighted to announce the Kelsey Dorval sold the most memberships and won a gift certificate from La Lune Spa. Congratulations Kelsey and thank you Denise for organizing our summer canvassing! Our priority activity next year will be resuming our door to door canvassing and increasing our membership. There is still several months left to buy your 2017 membership. Contact us if you aren’t sure if you are a member and we can check and get you signed up.
The CCRA executive will hold our Annual General Meeting in November. We are always looking for new volunteers to join us. If you want to learn more about what we do and how you can get involved, feel free to call me at 416-931-0960 or e-mail me at graymckelvie@gmail.com.