As the proverb says, we live in interesting times. Have we ever had so many local by-elections (plus a provincial general election) in such a short period? I am writing this column in early March, knowing that it will be delivered to your home by the end of the month. What I DON’T know is whether by the time you read this we may once again be in the midst of yet another general election campaign, this time federal.
What we DO know is that, regardless of the political environment, our 2025 Annual General Meeting will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Mon., April 14. It will be an in-person event, in the William Lea Room of the Leaside Gardens. Please mark your calendars.
The AGM is an opportunity to report on the past year’s issues and results. We receive nominations for the LRA board of directors, present a treasurer’s report, and look ahead. We take your questions and suggestions, and invite our Councillor, MPP, and MP to do so as well. You can renew your LRA membership or become a member if you aren’t already one.
If the event falls within the period of a general election, we plan to turn the second part of the AGM into a Don Valley West federal candidates’ debate.
However, the political situation evolves, it will be an interesting and important event! Join us and your fellow Leasiders on April 14th.
Permit parking
Do you live on one of Leaside’s 11 local residential streets being polled for permit parking? When the Leaside Neighbourhood Transportation Plan team began its work a few years ago, they received many complaints about parking issues, particularly regarding daytime parking, and especially from residents living close to shopping areas, construction sites and medical institutions. Polling is now underway, but public reaction is apparently less positive than one might have expected.
The LRA has been contacted by several residents about the hours covered by the permits (overnight, but only until 7a.m., which is criticized as being too early to prevent later all-day non-local parking). Others say there are insufficient parking spaces on streets with shared driveways. Residents of, and tradespeople at new developments are legally excluded from lengthy parking periods by the permit parking program, but there is also some concern that enforcement might be a problem.
It will be interesting to learn the polling results when they are released.
Join us!
The LRA board meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. These are public meetings, which you are welcome to join. Our next monthly meeting is on April 2 via Zoom.
REMEMBER to save the evening of APRIL 14th for our in-person AGM at the Leaside Gardens! For contact information and more details and updates, visit us online at Leasideresidents.ca and press the Contact Us button, or at leasideresidents.ca/contact-us.
