[bounded by Grace St, Bloor St, Dovercourt Rd, and College St]
This residential neighbourhood of quiet, tree-lined streets is known for its attractive gardens and scenic charm. Bickford Park is nestled in this neighbourhood and is the location of one of Ward 19’s three off-leash dog areas.
Through an ongoing collaboration between my office and the local community group – the Friends of Bickford Park – this ravine has become one of Ward 19’s green jewels as well as one of its best kept secrets. Stop by and see the top of the buried bridge that once spanned Garrison Creek at the south edge of Bickford Park on Harbord Street.
In recent years, I have helped complete numerous projects in this neighbourhood. Among these several centred on Bickford, itself. I am proud to have initiated the greening of Bickford Centre’s parking lot as well as a link for the bike path on the park’s west and north-west side. I continue to support the Friends of Bickford Park in their commitment to naturalizing public spaces by planting new trees and improving pedestrian access along the north-east path. Also, the community is happy to see its safety improved for its younger members with the upgrade of playground equipment and the replacement of a chain link fence at Harbord Park.
I have worked hard to make sure that this scenic neighbourhood and its streets stay friendly to our residents, pedestrians, and bicyclists. After a petition and a favourable vote by community members, I helped ensure the installation of speed humps on Grace Street between Bloor Street West and Harbord Street. A little further west at Dovercourt Road and Hallam Street, I backed the installation of a traffic light to address traffic concerns after receiving the results of a community poll. A petition from local residents near Bloor Street West and Montrose Avenue led to a second traffic light being secured to increase pedestrian safety for those crossing Bloor near Christie Pits.
Finally I am proud to have been a part of commemorating well-loved local heroes Nancy Pocock, a peace activist and humanitarian, and Arnie Achtman, an actor, educator, and broadcaster, by naming lanes in their honour.
