[bounded by Bathurst St, College St, Dovercourt Rd and Dundas St W]
The neighbourhoods north and south of College Street from Bathurst Street to Dovercourt Road are recognized as one of North America’s inspired local areas. College Street is home to some of Toronto’s best restaurants and cafes. To celebrate this vibrant, multicultural neighbourhood, I coordinated the book Little Italy: Toronto’s Renaissance Strip. In photographs and words, its dramatic history is written by local poets and historians. For many years I have worked hard, alongside neighbourhood residents, who are often also local business people, to protect the quality of life in the heart of Canada’s largest city.
In recent years, I spearheaded improvements that both preserve Little Italy’s historic nature and adapt it to the needs of the community that gives it such vibrancy. I am proud to have led the initiative to create the Johnny Lombardi Memorial Piazza in celebration of one of the neighbourhood’s – indeed, the City of Toronto’s – foremost cultural leaders. Across the road, the Royal Theatre [formerly the Pylon Theatre] was saved from extinction by being classified as an historic building, a designation for which I strongly pushed.
I was happy to work with local business owners to create the College Promenade BIA, install a mural on Ossington Avenue at College Street, and expand the boundary of the Little Italy BIA to Bathurst Street. This will allow summer festival-goers fuller enjoyment of the restaurants, shops, and community organizations in the new area.
In addition to ensuring sidewalk improvements and additional tree plantings along College Street, I supported the further greening of Roxton Parkette as well as Fred Hamilton and George Ben Parks.
I advocated successfully for the installation of traffic lights at Ossington and Churchill Avenue, at the request of St. Luke and Ossington-Old Orchard Schools. Furthermore, I helped expand the student drop-off area at Ossington–Old Orchard School.
