Press Summary
Dundas West: Cooler Than New York
Deirdre Kelly, Toronto Globe and Mail, November 22, 2008
According to Sylvia Fernandez, head of the two-year-old Dundas Street West Business Improvement Area, 13 new and innovative businesses have opened over the past year, driving down the vacancy rate for commercial properties to 13 per cent from last September’s 19 per cent.
“ There aren’t any big chains here,” said Ms. Fernandez, a bookkeeper whose office has been on Dundas Street West for the past seven years. To attract more galleries and specialty businesses, the BIA has established a $400,000 capital budget “to dress up the neighbourhood,” as Ms. Fernandez puts it. Improvements include decorative paving and street furniture.
Lula Lounge’s Jose Ortega, an internationally acclaimed graphic artist, is also on the BIA board and he, too, is contributing to the beautification. Mr. Ortega has created brightly coloured street banners for Dundas Street West, which feature a pair of open hands cradling a neighbourhood growing beneath a golden sun. “That’s what I think of the neighbourhood,” Mr. Ortega says from his art studio on Dundas West. “ It is vibrant, on the cusp of change, but still friendly and unpretentious. For me, it’s cooler than New York.”
SAMBA ON DUNDAS
Dancin’ In The Street: DuWest locals, businesses launch Samba on Dundas to celebrate their neighbourhood
Errol Nazareth, Toronto Sun, August 14, 2009
For the fourth consecutive year, Du West, as this funky part of town is known, will celebrate itself with its annual multi-culti multi-arts Samba on Dundas festival (…) Like my own Queen East neighbourhood, Du West is now home to trendy cafes and high-profile artists and everyone co-exists - from sports bars to artists, bakers to designers.
Sights, sounds and flavours of Brazil hit at Dundas West
Lisa Rainford, Inside Toronto, July 30, 2009
Samba on Dundas brings the sights, sounds and flavours of Brazil to a stretch of Dundas Street West from Gladstone Avenue to Sheridan next month (…) The event i a good fit for the area given the large Brazilian community, according to BIA Chair Sylvia Draper-Fernandez. New this year is a Neighbourhood Day on Saturday. “We’re encouraging all merchants to do something special.” said Draper-Fernandez. “There will be fashion shows, children’s activities, special sales - a little music here and there.”
Coverage of our 2009 festival also featured in the National Post’s top five weekend events, NOW Magazine Festivals Pick for August, BlogTO, Torontoist’s urban planner page and the Brasileiros no Canada and Oi Toronto websites.
Little Portugal Goes Brazilian
Paul Gallant, Eye Weekly, August 20, 2008
If you’re looking for Brazilians, just follow the sound of drums. Or the woman carrying the big green parakeet as casually as if she were carrying a cell phone. Sure enough the lady was headed to the second annual Samba on Dundas festival, hosted by the Dundas West Business Improvement Area, an organization that’s only two years old itself.
“ I like Brazilian music very much.” says Bento Jose, the Portuguese garage owner hosting part of the Samba festival. He stands off to the side of the party and watches. “One of my older brothers lived and died there. Brazil is very nice. But their language is not 100 per cent Portuguese. It’s mixed. It’s a mixed country.”
O Dundas Abriu Alas Para o Samba Passar
Grace Frota
PARKING CAMPAIGN
Recent revelations about Councillor Giambrone personal life has garnered further attention to our BIA’s struggle to retain parkin priveledges. Read the Toronto Star Article Giambrone gossip the talk of Ward 18 from Wednesday February 10, 2010.
The National Post published a piece called Trouble at Home for Adam Giambrone on February 11.
Inside Toronto also published a piece entitled BIA fights loss of Parking Spots.
TTC study slammed
Don Peat, Toronto Sun, November 12, 2009
Merchants on Dundas St. W. are fuming after finally getting a look at TTC traffic studies they say they couldn’t see when city council voted to eliminate on-street, rush-hour parking outside their businesses.
The studies, obtained after the Dundas West BIA filed a Freedom of Information request, show “no significant differences” in TTC travel times between October, 2006 when the parking was banned and October, 2008 when it was allowed under a pilot project.
The BIA says the studies show the parking didn’t slow down TTC street cars and that left-turn prohibitions were working to keep traffic moving.
“It just proves what we’ve been saying all along,” Dundas West BIA chairman Sylvia Draper-Fernandez told the Sun yesterday.
The TTC had produced studies comparing traffic between March, 2006 and March, 2008 which the commission said showed parking led to TTC delays.
Businesses had argued against using those studies because the 2006 study was during a mild March and the 2008 study was during a record snowfall.
“It’s being turned into a highway more and more everyday,” Draper-Fernandez said. “It’s not all about cars, it’s about a thriving neighbourhood.”
Dundas West BIA scales back work on the strip
David Nickle, Inside Toronto, October 21, 2009
BIA Chair Sylvia Fernandez said the board made the decision to scale back much of the work the BIA has been doing in the wake of Toronto council’s decision to drastically reduce parking along Dundas between Dovercourt and Sterling roads.
Fernandez said that has thoroughly demoralized members of the BIA - and made them question the point in continuing to work towards the revitalization of the neighbourhood.
“Clearly our council doesn’t listen,” said Fernandez, who said the city - and their local councillor - haven’t been supportive of them in a variety of areas.
“We can’t deliver anything major to our membership,” she said. “We are tired - we are worn out. We spent an incredible number of hours on this parking issue that didn’t get anywhere … And really, what’s the city doing for us?”
The BIA will be pulling back on a number of things that it’s doing, including organizing a popular Samba festival in the summer. The BIA will go into maintenance mode, in which it still encourages people to organize and will properly account its books.
“We’ll make sure we welcome new members, get publicity out, hook up more with residents in the area - but we’re setting a low budget,” she said.
City leaves Lula Lounge in tight spot
Vanessa Lu, Toronto Star, October 03, 2009
“ You couldn’t print my reaction,” Sylvia Draper-Fernandez, Chair of the Dundas West BIA, said of the decision. BIA members say more spaces than Giambrone suggests, “about 100,” are being lost between Lansdowne and Ossington (…) “The bakeries are worried that Portuguese workers who go there to get their morning coffees and lunches, if they can’t park here, they might go to a strip mall or Tim Hortons,” she said (…) “ Do we just sit back for a year and hope there’ll be a political change?” Draper-Fernandez wondered. “Or do we keep beating our heads against the wall?”
Business owners prepared to shut down bar amid parking war
David Nickle, Inside Toronto, October 2, 2009
BIA Chair Sylvia Fernandez has been leading business leaders in the fight against the changes to the parking (…) along what had been until very recently a depressed strip.
She and other business owners made deputations asking that the pilot project become permanent given that the community had grown and improved significantly - because, she argued, of the available parking.
On Thursday, she was despondent.
“We’re done - until we have another councillor, we’re done,” she said. “He’s punishing us for having to ask for rush-hour parking.”
Parking Cause For Protest On Dundas Street West
CityNews, September 29, 2009
It was a party of a protest along Dundas Street West Monday night.
Music and dancing set the tone for a demonstration that took place outside the Lula Lounge.
The city is planning on cutting down the number of parking spots to make way for streetcars, much to the dismay of the Business Improvement Association.
In a letter to city council, Dundas West BIA Chair Sylvia Draper-Fernandez wrote that “we are flabbergasted to say the least” by the decision to eliminate street parking.
“College, Queen and Roncesvalles are enjoying the same parking they’ve always had,” Draper-Fernandez told CityNews on Tuesday. “We’d like to be on the same footing and at this point, all we’re really asking is defer the matter, let us sit back and come up with a real compromise.”
Dundas West businesses fight to save parking spots
Tess Kalinowski, Toronto Star, September 29, 2009
The city plan, which would also put pay-and-display parking on side streets and eliminate 51 permit-parking spots will devastate some small businesses according to the Dundas West Business Improvement Area (…) “It’s difficult enough to run a live music venue - we’re just worried this will put us over the edge,” said Tracy Jenkins, general manager of Lula Lounge. “I really don’t know if we could survive. We’re already struggling with the economic downturn.”
“ It felt as tough we were talking to the TTC and not to our councillor, since the only factor that they are willing to consider for our neighbourhood is streetcar speed,” she said. “I think we’re all feeling that we don’t have any representation at the municipal level because we have the bad luck having the TTC chair as our councillor.”
Lula Si!
Al Parker, Toronto Sun, September 27, 2009
The Dundas West BIA (Business Improvement Area) is currently involved in a fight with the local councillor about taking away parking spaces in the area and that issue is coming up at council this week (either Wednesday or Thursday).
Now before Adam Giambrone (he would be the local councillor, as well as the main honcho of the TTC and David Miller’s heir-apparent) throws a hissy fit, I can tell you this: No matter what wand he shakes, the area still loses parking in the new plan he recommends.
It’s a complicated fight, I’ll grant you that. It’s all about balancing through-traffic and local needs.
All I know is this: The people who created Lula Lounge — who made it a really great place to be in Toronto, who support an enormous amount of creative energy in this city, and give, give, give to Toronto — are opposed to the Dundas West parking changes. And that’s good enough for me, because these are stand-up guys who have brought a lot of good to this city and never done an iota of bad.
No, let me rephrase that — they aren’t even opposed, nor is the Dundas West BIA. They just want a decision postponed this week. And, believe me, if you’ve ever heard the phrase “Liars figure and figures lie,” this situation has got to be a contender.
All the Dundas West BIA wants is a deferral of this issue for the time being while the very-suspect data put before council can be more thoroughly dissected and debated.
What’s the problem with that? Unless you’re Adam Giambrone and want to show your muscle at a time when the fight is on for Miller’s successor.
And why pick on Dundas West? All they want is exactly the same conditions that College Street — one major intersection north — and Queen Street West — one major intersection south — have.
Dundas merchants miffed at decision to reduce parking
David Nickle, Inside Toronto, September 16, 2009
Business owners were at the community council meeting Tuesday night, urging councillors to put off the decision.
Sylvia Fernandez of the Dundas West Business IMprovement Area said the proposed changes would interfere with the BIA’s plans for beautifying the street. She said the consultation with the business community was inadequate and urged the committee to hold off on a decision until that could take place.
“We have an approved streetscape plan that we assumed our councillor supported, that wanted to create greenspace and seating at many corners,” she said. “Now these corners are being proposed to be used for parking. We have with city funding established murals at these sites and now we are looking to turn it into a mini parking lot.”
Trinity-Spadina Councillor Adam Vaughan (…) said the parking prohibitions did run the risk of harming the growing business community (…) “I think that in the mad rush for efficiency, you sometimes lose the fine grain detail that creates what is becoming an exceptional neighbourhood (…) I worry that this neighbourhood is not being heard.”
Dispute erupts over parking
Vanessa Lu, Toronto Star, June 04, 2009
Local businesses, who were meant to get a boost from the decision to allow rush-hour parking two years ago, are up in arms over losing it.
They’ve put up posters accusing ward councillor Adam Giambrone of neglecting the neighbourhood and turning it into a highway.
“We’re not impressed”, said Sylvia Fernandez, chair of the Dundas West Business Improvement Area. “It’s almost like punishing us for having asked for parking.”
Melanie Janisse, who owns Zoots Cafe near Gladstone Avenue, feels the city is not trying to help the Dundas neighbourhood. “ ‘Who cares? It’s Dundas,’ that’s the attitude. What would happen if you took parking away from College or Queen Sts.?” she asked. “We’re trying to build a community here and our city councillor wants to build a highway.” Janisse argued the real problem is too many cars and not enough traffic lights, saying she has witnessed several fender-benders and even a child being struck. City Hall does not want to tackle a real solution such as car-free zones or a congestion tax like that imposed in London, England, because they’re too costly, Janisse said.
Dundas in fight to keep parking
Don Peat, Toronto Sun, April 5, 2009
A poster, similar to the election campaign signs of Barack Obama, has peppered the stretch of Dundas St. W. businesses east of Lansdowne Ave. While Obama’s sign featured his face over the word HOPE, these signs feature Giambrone’s smiling face and the message: ‘Our neighbourhoods are destinations not highways!’ over the word NOPE!
Dundas West BIA chair Sylvia Draper-Fernandez said the campaign is part of a fight to stop the city removing rush-hour parking from the stretch. They hope the city council will hear their pleas April 29 and allow them to keep the rush-hour parking at least for the time being.
From Hope to Nope
Amanda Happe, Torontoist, April 3, 2009
Businesses along Dundas Street West are channelling the visual language of the American president for a local protest poster campaign.
Organized by the Dundas West Business Improvement Area, the posters oppose the proposed removal of rush-hour parking along the street. Emblazoned with an image of Adam Giambrone, councillor for the area and chair of the TTC, they state that “Our neighbourhoods are destinations, not highways!”
According to an open letter from the BIA to City Council, the reason for the move to rescind the street parking stems from a negative report released in October of 2008 by City Transportation that cites substantial “TTC delays.” INterestingly, the councillor who originaly recommended the on-street, rush-hour parking back in September of 2006 was Adam Giambrone. Two months after this recommendation, Giambrone was re-elected and, shortly thereafter, was allso elected to the position of TTC chair.
Our Parking campaign was also covered in the National Post and on several radio and TV channels, and this comprehensive article in O Milenio.
TERESA’S PLACE
Park planned for unused space
Lisa Rainford, Inside Toronto, August 28, 2008
Excavation started Monday, Aug. 25 on a project spearheaded by the Dundas West Business Improvement Area (BIA) that will turn a piece of land owned by Toronto Community Housing into a public parkette on Dundas Street West just west of Dufferin.
The 125 feet by 12 feet grassy area wasn’t being used by residents, but was well-maintained so BIA Chair Sylvia Draper-Fernandez seized the opportunity to create badly needed community green space. She brokered a deal with the Toronto Community Housing building’s district manager and secured grants from the Evergreen Foundation and the city’s Clean and Beautiful program. Draper-Fernandez also enlisted the help of a landscape architect.
The Dundas West neighbourhood is a densely populated one, but one with little greenery. The Dundas West BIA is working to make the street more attractive in an effort to encourage walking traffic and instill ownership and pride in the neighbourhood among local residents and business owners. The area is scheduled for sidewalk and boulevard repairs which have been delayed by the city from this year until next. The BIA is in the midst of submitting initial drawings to the city for major streetscape improvements to be carried out as part of this construction.
Upon completion, the park will be christened ‘Teresa’s Place’ in memory of Teresa Melo, manager of the local Scotiabank and BIA member, who died in February within two months of being diagnosed with liver cancer.
Essential to the board of the BIA, Melo, who was 41, was an “incredible” person, her fellow BIA member said.
“She was so lively, upbeat. She was very supportive of this initiative,” Draper-Fernandez said.