Long Branch resident calls on Etobicoke Councillors and residents to stop the severances

Local residemts are asking Councillors and the community to stop the latest developer attempt to chop up property in Long Branch and elsewhere, and to protect Toronto’s neighbourhoods.

Etobicoke, Ontario

A local Long Branch resident is calling upon the Etobicoke Committee of Adjustment and Etobicoke Councillors to reject the application to sever 4 James Street into two (2) smaller lots of land for the building of two two-storey dwellings.

“We are asking the Etobicoke Committee of Adjustment to reject this application and calling on our Councillors to stop this and other on-going severances, to have developers respect the by-laws that are in place and to protect our neighbourhoods from this continued predatory practice,” said Wallace Pidgeon, a Long Branch resident.

“We are calling on Long Branch residents to contact the Committee of Adjustment’s Etobicoke York Panel and ask them to stop this severance.”

On Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 1:00 pm a Public Hearing will take place in the Etobicoke Civic Centre Boardroom, 399 The West Mall to announce the decision on the application.

“Another developer has bought a home in our community and has applied to chop up the property,” said Pidgeon. “This application and issue is not about intensification, it is not about bettering an existing home, it is about a developer changing the shape and face of our neighbourhood.”

“This is not about a family looking to expand their home or even invest in the community,” he added, “it is about an on-going assault on neighbourhoods in Etobicoke and across Toronto that do not add to the value of the community.”

Pidgeon is asking all Long Branch residents to contact the Office of the Committee of Adjustment, Etobicoke Civic Centre and stop the severance of 4 James Street.

“Please attend the Public Hearing. If you cannot take time from work please send a letter, fax or email asking the Committee to stop this and other severances.”

“We have an activist group of Councillors in Etobicoke, such as Etobicoke-Lakeshore’s Mark Grimes, to support our neighbourhoods,” he added.

“Hopefully, this sends a signal that predatory developers are not welcome, families come first and that we want to maintain the integrity of our communities. And we can do this by stopping the severance of 4 James Street.”

For further information please contact:

Wallace Pidgeon
416-255-0176
mwpidgeon@rogers.com

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Contact Information

STOP the 4 James Street property severance:

A letter, fax and email can go a long way to protecting our neighbourhood.

(1) If you can please attend the Public Hearing.
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 1:00 pm
Boardroom, Etobicoke Civic Centre
399 The West Mall
Toronto, Ontario
M9C 5A3

(2) Please send a Letter asking the Office of the Committee of Adjustment to stop the 4 James Street severance application

c/o Susanne Pringle, Manager & Deputy Secretary Treasurer
Office of the Committee of Adjustment
Etobicoke Civic Centre
Toronto, Ontario
M9C 5A3

Etobicoke-York Panel
416-394-8063
FAX: 416-394-6042

(3) Email your opposition to this application to: ctyers@toronto.ca

–AND –

(4) Contact Etobicoke-Lakeshore Councillor Mark Grimes, Ward 6, Etobicoke-Lakeshore

Phone: 416-397-9273
councillor_grimes@toronto.ca

(5) Please share this message with your friends and neighbours – with anyone in your network of contacts who may wish to help the local community with this project.

Please send an email or letter, even if you do not live in Long Branch.

Emails sent even on the morning and at noon on the day of the hearing will be recorded by the committee. 

Letters and emails can have a significant impact with regard to the outcome of such a hearing.

Please send your message today. Your help is much appreciated.

Here’s a PDF version of this news release.

*************************************************************************************

Dear friends, colleagues and supporters,

I am very happy to announce that information on my upcoming book, Along the Shore, scheduled for publication with ECW Press in the spring of 2013, may now be found at www.janefairburn.com.

 I have also developed a Facebook page for the book, Jane Fairburn: Along the Shore, that may be accessed at the top right hand corner of the website by clicking on the “F” badge, or through the following url:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jane-Fairburn-Along-the-Shore/291443484252805.

Please feel free to share this email with any who may be interested. I look forward to sharing in the conversation about the history, landscape, geography and people of the Toronto waterfront.

Regards,

Jane Fairburn

mjanefairburn@rogers.com

We much appreciate this advice.

We’ll make changes in our outline, and in the text that will appear at the Jane’s Walk website, to take into account these comments.

The advice we’ve received is from an observer who’s attended all of the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) walks, Heritage Toronto walks, and many Jane’s Walks.

“My opinion,” the observer notes, “is your outline is a history walk not a Jane’s Walk.”

As well, the e-mail notes that according to the Jane’s Walk home page, “Jane’s Walk often takes Jacobs’ ideas to communities unfamiliar with her ideas, in order to advance local engagement with contemporary urban planning practices.”

While some Jane’s Walks, according to the website, “are focused around historical themes,” the observer comments, the site also notes that while tour guides don’t have to be familiar with Jane Jacobs’ work to lead a tour, people are encouraged to find out more by reading her books or consulting the Jane’s Walk website.

Books by Jane Jacobs, the e-mail notes, can enable a person to walk in a neighbourhood and observe principles such as the concept that parks can unite communities or can serve as a black hole that create barriers.

Similarly one can observe that long blocks without cross-streets obstruct walking or cycling in a residential community, amd that there is a benefit in having variety of new, old,  single and multi-residential housing.

An additional comment is that: Some Jane-like city planning concepts can be applied to the planned walk, David Switzer (he’s the e-mail writer; he’s given me the okay to mention him by name) says. Some of Jane Jacobs’ ideas are dated, or don’t apply, in David’s view.

“The exciting thing about this aspect is that they are contentious,” David Switzer adds: They have to be presented diplomatically but can be used to encourage engagement and debate, as suggested on the Jane’s Walk website.

We much appreciate these comments. They will assist us tremendously in planning for this event.

We owe many thanks to Councillor Grimes’ office for suggesting that we organize this walk, and for providing details about the Jane’s Walk registration process.

We owe thanks as well to Ruth Grier for providing details from her Jane’s Walk along the same route in May 2012. We are following in her footsteps. As well, we owe thanks to staff at Heritage Toronto, who have explained to us the tremendous value of such walks.

Below is a preliminary outline. Fact checking of information in this overview will be a first priority, as will be the addition of information related to the First Nations’ role in the history of Long Branch.

We appreciate the help we’ve received from Bert Crandall and Michael Harrison, in addressing factual errors in earlier drafts of this overview. Getting the facts straight, and avoiding the repetition of errors, is a key task in the development of our script.
Jane’s Walk – Long Branch to the Lakeshore Hospital Grounds
Sunday, May 6, 2012
10:30 am – 12:00 pm

This draft has been prepared by Jaan Pill. We welcome your comments, with a focus on ensuring information is accurate and that it presents a balanced overview of key points that we as residents feel it’s important to share.

Jaan Pill and Mike James will lead the walk, following a format established by long-time Long Branch resident Ruth Grier in a Jane’s Walk in May 2010.

Jaan Pill is a local resident and member of the Long Branch Historic Society. Mike James is a retired school principal with fond memories of growing up in the area  in the 1960s. Mike James grew up in New Toronto, and got to know Long Branch well during those years. I’ve interviewed him for an oral history project and can attest that he has a highly detailed and vivid memory of buildings and personalities from those years.

Start: East Parking Lot at Marie Curtis Park

The walk begins at Marie Curtis Park at the mouth of the Etobicoke Creek, once a major wildlife habitat and scenic beauty location. The municipal boundary separating Toronto and Mississauga follows the original location of the mouth of the creek, which was some distance to the west of where it’s now located. We’ll show maps and aerial photographs to indicate the old boundary. We’ll specify how many metres of land a person would walk along, from current channel that delineates the mouth of Etobicoke Creek, in order to arrive at the Mississauga/Etobicoke border. The walk will include a visit to the border, so that it can be viewed up close.

The park was created as an aftermath of Hurricane Hazel in October 1954. Until the hurricane, what is now a park had been a community of small houses built upon the flood plain agjacent to the creek. The hurricane caused the deaths of seven people and the destruction of many houses.

The talk will include a discussion of Marie Curtis Park as a landfill site in its early years. A valuable reference on this topic is a report by Michael Harrison entitled Toward the ecological restoration of South Etobicoke (1997).

An $8-million Marie Curtis Park Revitalization project is currently under way in Long Branch. On the Mississauga side of Etobicoke Creek, the Lakeview Legacy Project has developed a plan to revitalize the area of parkland that includes the site of Canada’s first Aerodrome, which was managed by J.A.D. McCurdy, Canada’s first pilot and first person to fly an airplane in the British Empire. Also to the west are also located the Arsenal Lands where a Small Arms Plant employed many young women from across Canada during the Second World War.

The walk will also descrive conservation efforts in Long Branch both before and after Hurricane Hazel aimed at protecting the Etibicoke Creek watershed, with a view toward damage caused by flooding. Originally there was an Etobicoke Mimico Conservation Authority. The first head of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, formed some time after Hurricane Haze, was Herbert Richardson, known as the “Father of Conservation” in Ontario.

Colonel Samuel Smith

The British provinces of Upper and Lower Canada were created in 1791. John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, set out to settle the land with retired soldiers. 

The archaeological remains of the Colonel Samuel Smith homestead are located on the school grounds of Parkview School at 85 Forty First St, east of Marie Curtis Park.

After military service with the Queen’s Rangers in the American Revolutionary War, Colonel Samuel Smith was granted a large tract of land in 1793 in Etobicoke. Originally a log cabin to which extensions and siding were added, the colonel’s house was in continuous use for about 152 years from 1797 until around 1949. When the house was demolished in 1955, the original log cabin was discovered inside the building.

Long Branch Park

 In 1871 a son of the colonel named Samuel Bois Smith sold the house and 500 acres to James Eastwood. The latter sold oak and pine from the property and rafted logs down Etobicoke Creek.

In 1883, Eastwood sold 75 acres of the eastern portion of the property, which was subsequently developed into a summer resort named Long Branch Park. There are several versions of how the name was chosen. A generally accepted one is that the developer, Thomas Wilkie, was an American who’d reputedly vacationed in Long Branch, New Jersey.

The Long Branch Hotel, a popular destination for Toronto’s elite citizens, was completed in 1887 and destroyed by fire in 1958. The hotel’s dock was a 45-minute boat ride from the end of Yonge Street. A high fence to keep out rowdy intruders surrounded the hotel property.

Development of cottages in the surrounding area began in 1910. The cottage era lasted until the 1930s, by which time many cottages had been winterized into permanent homes. When the Village of Long Branch was incorporated in 1931, it set up its own police force. Houses along Lake Promenade represent a range of architectural styles. Several old cottages west of Long Branch Avenue remain from an earlier era.

We will describe efforts by the Ratepayers Association of South Long Branch (RASL) to ensure that community interests are taken into account as development of properties proceeds along Lake Promende and nearby areas.

After the opening of the Queen Elizabeth Way in 1939 plans to attract more residents led to bylaws, which allowed 50-foot lots and small apartment buildings. After the Second World War many veterans were given lots and larger properties began to be subdivided. In 1954 the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto was created as a federation of smaller municipalities. In 1967 a further change in municipal organization led to the creation of the Borough of Etobicoke, at which time the Village of Long Branch lost its independence.

Lakeshore Hospital Grounds

Our walk will take us from Long Branch to New Toronto. The original Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital site extended across 171 acres from Lake Shore Blvd. West to Lake Ontario and from what is now Thirteenth Street to Twenty Third Street.

The facility was called the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital when it ceased to operate in 1979. When it first opened, it was called the Mimico Branch Asylum. It’s also been known as the Mimico Insane Asylum; Mimico Hospital for the Insane; Ontario Hospital, Mimico; and later Ontario Hospital, New Toronto.

The hospital itself was east of Kipling. The land to the west of Kipling was the hospital farm where the patients worked. This land was cleared farmland when the first purchase was made for a hospital in 1888.

The facility was designed with an intention to integrate the physical environment into the care and treatment of patients. The patient “Cottages” were designed for specific illnesses and treatments and the outdoor space supported a wide range of therapeutic activities. Patients were involved in building and landscape projects along with farming. There was an “Amusement Ground” for dances and theatrical performances.

After the hospital was closed in 1979 it took over a decade of discussion before municipal and provincial governments decided to preserve the land for public purposes. An excellent overview of life at such facilities is provided in a book by Geoffrey Reaume (2009) entitled Remembrance of patients past: Patient life at the Toronto Hospital for the Insane, 1870–1940.

Our walk will also discuss current proposals related to Stormwater Management in South Etobicoke.

Mike James

Mike James, a key speaker during our walk, has what I would describe as a photographic memory of just about every building (what building was at a particular location in the 1960s, who ran which businesses, who the local characters were, etc.) along Lake Shore Blvd. West from the Long Branch GO Station to Dwight Avenue at the New Toronto/Mimico border.

Plus he can tell you the history of all of the land north of there and all the way south to the lake. He took me on a tour (which I video recorded and audio recorded) of the whole area some time ago. I’m looking forward to posting that tour to Vimeo.

A plaque at Marie Curtis Park refers to the “Mississauga Indians.” Is the correct term “Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation”? Determining such details is part of our fact-checking process.

According to a message we’ve received, the proposal would not supersede Heritage Preservation but rather is intended to create an architectural ‘museum’ if the buildings are slated for demolition or renovation: At this a request has been made for a report.

Councillor Paul Ainslie recommends that:

The Economic Development Committee direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, with other relevant City staff, to report back to the Committee to create a policy and process to preserve architectural and historical significant structures and fragments from buildings within the City of Toronto undergoing a demolition or renovations by placing them in appropriate locations throughout the grounds of the Guild Park and Gardens.

Summary

Councillor Paul Ainslie is described as submitting a communication on a policy to preserve structures with architectural and historical significance.

Background Information

(January 12, 2012) Letter from Councillor Ainslie on Creation of Policy to Preserve Structures with Architectural and Historical Significance

http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/ed/bgrd/backgroundfile-45030.pdf

 Comments regarding this proposal

We’ve received the following comments:

“Moving Mimico buildings to Scarborough doesn’t attract me! Sadly this provides developers with an excuse not to design their projects around historic features!”

A second comment that we’ve received asserts:

“I agree;  Why do I need to drive to Scarborough to see Mimico’s history?”

Text of PDF file referred to above

Councillor Paul Ainslie
Toronto City Council
Scarborough East – Ward 43

Chair, Scarborough Community Council
Chair, Government Management Committee
Chair, Toronto Public Library Board

E-mail: councillor_ainslie@toronto.ca,
Website: www.paulainslie.com

Date: January 12, 2012

To: Councillor Michael Thompson, Chair and Members of the Economic Development Committee

From: Councillor Paul Ainslie

Re: Creation of Policy to Preserve Architectural and Historical Significant Structures

The Guild Park & Gardens situated in Scarborough East Ward 43, which I represent contains a number of architectural and historical structures from buildings across the former City of Toronto and southern Ontario. The concept for a structural garden was conceived and carried through by the original owners of the Guild Inn, Rosa and Spencer Clark.

This concept in restoring and preserving our architectural history by displaying them in our city-owned parks and buildings will add texture and interest to our city spaces while respecting the pieces by giving them the audience they deserve.

The Guild Inn Gardens contains many artifacts: Six animal panels from the Bank of Montreal Building, Angel Panels from the North American Life Assurance Company, Margueretta Stone from the University Avenue Armories, Art Deco base-relief blocks from the Toronto Star building, lamps from Sunnyside Boardwalk, Ionic Capitals from the University of Toronto, a wall of decorative stone elements from the Canadian Bank ofCommerce, the Provincial Paper building, and Abitibi Building to name a few.

The Gardens are a unique display of Toronto’s architectural history.

Engaging our Economic Development, Culture and Tourism Division to work with Planning and Building Divisions to create a policy and process to preserve further architectural and historical significant structures from buildings within the City of Toronto undergoing a demolition or renovations will only enhance our City in a positive and productive manner. We need to preserve our past through displaying these pieces of architectural art.

Recommendation:

The Economic Development Committee Direct the General Manager of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism, the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, with other relevant City staff, report back to the committee to create a policy and process to preserve architectural and historical significant structures and fragments from buildings within the City of Toronto undergoing a demolition or renovations by placing them in appropriate locations throughout the grounds of the Guild Park & Gardens

Sincerely,

Councillor Paul Ainslie
City of Toronto, Scarborough East Ward 43

This was a key question that emerged at a December 7, 2011 public meeting related to Mimico 2020.

A recent public meeting involving two presentations, seven workshops, and a plenary session on Saturday, February 11, 2012 at John English Junior Middle School has offered Mimico residents a means to begin articulating the community’s interests regarding the Mimico 2020 project.

In this blog and subsequent ones I’ll share key points that stayed in mind after this event.

I found the presentations and plenary sessions highly productive and valuable. Similarly, I found the workshop that I attended (and facilitated), on Heritage Preservation, highly valuable as a way to share information, meet new people, and to articulate a vision related to heritage preservation.

The heritage preservation workshop affirmed strong support for the position that the heritage buildings at the Amedea Garden Court apartments should be preserved in their entirety and integrated into the redevelopment of the site. It also affirmed that any discussion of tradeoffs (that is, this building is more important than that building, and so on) should only be judged by heritage planning professionals in the City of Toronto planning department.

The heritage workshop also discussed possible ways in which local residents can ensure that their interests are taken into account with regard to the options related to the future of the Mimico Wesley United Church. We’ll share additional information after we’ve gathered information about the heritage features of the church and proposals that have been advanced regarding possible next steps related to it.

At one level, the church is separate from the Mimico 2020 planning process, as I understand. What happens with regard to the church may be of relevance, however, with regard to broader heritage issues in Mimico and Toronto.

The half-day event provided residents with an opportunity to network, share information, and take the first steps toward articulating the community’s vision with regard to Mimico 2020. Several people that I met were attending such an event for the first time. It was great to meet with them, and to learn from their experiences.

The February 11, 2012 meeting, which was organized by the Etobicoke-Lakeshore Community Groups Network, included two well-received and informative presentations.

The first speaker was Ken Greenberg of Greenberg Consultants Inc., a lifelong friend of Jane Jacobs who spoke of how other communities around the world are participating in the revitalization of their waterfronts. A copy of Walking home: The life and lessons of a city builder, a recent book by Ken Greenberg, was awarded as a door prize at the conclusion of this meeting, attended by about 100 people.

The second speaker was Elise Hug of the Tower Renewal Program, who spoke of a Toronto-based program focusing on the reuse of existing buildings to enhance their role in the community. Her presentation was equally engaging and valuable.

The following topics were covered in the workshops that followed the opening plenary session.

Workshop topics

The quotations are from a handout distributed at the event.

1. Building Height & Density
“What limits do you want on the size of new buildings?”

2. Housing Mix & Rental
“What variety of unit sizes and ownership? How are rental units an important part of revitalization?”

3. Heritage Preservation
“How can we protect Mimico’s unique character and include its historical buildings in revitalization?”

4. Community Assets
“How can new community amenities, open spaces, and access to the lake be included in revitalization?”

5. Transportation
“How can sidewalks, bike routes, roads and public transit work better for the current and future community?”

6. Economic Revitalization
“How can we help local employment opportunities, businesses, and retail thrive?”

7. Livability
“What makes a community a joy to live in?”

Additional background regarding the Mimico 2020 planing process can be found elsewhere on this website.

One of the most significant heritage resources in the Mimico 2020 revitalization area is the Ormsby/Franceschini Estate, now the Amedeo Garden Court apartment complex.

The existing heritage elements of the Ormsby/Franceschini Estate were listed under the Ontario Heritage Act in 2006.

On April 1, 2011 the Toronto Preservation Panel adopted a report from Heritage Preservation Services recommending designation of all existing heritage elements of the Ormsby/Franceschini Estate under the Ontario Heritage Act.

On April 21, 2011, the recommendation was considered by the Etobicoke-York Community Council and referred to the Toronto Planning Department to be considered as part of the Mimico 2020 Revitalization Initiative.

At the same time, the Longo Corporation submitted an application to redevelop the Ormsby/Franceschini Estate (Amedeo Garden Court apartment complex).

The preliminary report prepared by Toronto Planning staff notes that review of the application will include “devising an appropriate approach to the site’s identified heritage features” (though none of the features appear on the site plan they submitted with the application).

Toronto Official Plan

The Toronto Official Plan indicates that “heritage buildings and features are conserved” (pp. 1-4).

The main policies are contained in section 3.1.5 – Heritage Resources (pp. 3-10).

The lead-in statement says, “Our heritage buildings, districts and landscapes create a unique sense of place and a rooted sense of local identity and continuity for Torontonians.”

Policy #2 under this section states that “Heritage resources on properties listed on the City’s Inventory of Heritage Properties will be conserved” (pp. 3-10).

Position on preservation of the Ormsby/Franceschini Estate

According to heritage planning principles the first position is to save all the heritage buildings and landscaping features on site in their current locations.

Moving buildings or structures destroys their context and hence their story and historical significance.

The buildings and landscaping elements (garden/stone walls along Lake Shore Blvd West) together are more than the sum of their parts.

They should be preserved in their entirely and integrated into the redevelopment of the site. Any discussion of tradeoffs (i.e., this building is more important than that building, etc.) should only be judged by the heritage planning professionals in the City of Toronto planning department.

To suggest otherwise undercuts their position which is that all the heritage buildings and landscaping elements are worthy of designation under the Ontario Heritage Act and therefore should be protected and preserved as part of the redevelopment of the site.

We need to support what the heritage planning professionals in the city have to say.

There may come a time when these type of decisions need to be made but it is very important that the heritage planning staff make that call and be supported by the community and those interested in the heritage of the property.

Speaking with one voice will be the strongest position.

Any questions related to tradeoffs should be referred to the heritage planning professionals that the city has to advise them.

Mimico Built Heritage Resources Study

In the late fall of 2011, the city of Toronto retained a heritage consultant to undertake a built heritage resources study as part of the Mimico 2020 process.

According to the Scope of Work document, the goal of the study is to “provide inventory data and recommendations for further detailed work to ensure the protection of all individually significant and collective Cultural Heritage Resources (CHR) in the study area, and to effectively integrate the CHRs with future planning and development stages”.

“The finds of these investigations will be collated in a single Final Study Report, culminating in recommendations consistent with the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Culture’s Eight Guiding Principles in the Conservation of Built Heritage Properties. These will set out the necessary steps to ensure the wise use, management and protection of identified cultural heritage resources, including (but not limited to) appropriate tools for heritage conservation within the Revitalization Plan, recommendations for listings and designations and a summary of built form performance standards for development on or adjacent to significant heritage resources.”

The work on the study continues.

Resources

The following documents may be useful.

City of Toronto Heritage Inventory                                      http://app.toronto.ca/HeritagePreservation/setup.do?action=init

City of Toronto: Ormsby/Franceschini (Mimico Estates) Designation Report http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2011/pb/bgrd/backgroundfile-36799.pdf

Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada http://www.historicplaces.ca/media/18072/81468-parks-s+g-eng-web2.pdf

Eight Guiding Principles in the Conservation of Built Heritage Properties http://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/heritage/InfoSheet_8%20Guiding%20Principles.pdf

Mimico Beach Estates Blog                                                                               http://mimicoestates.blogspot.com/2010/04/ormscliffemyrtle-villa-estate.html

Ontario Heritage Act
http://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/heritage/heritage_act.shtml

Ontario Heritage Tool Kit
http://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/heritage/heritage_toolkit.shtml

My next step has involved calculating how quickly I would need to speak in order to deliver the text within 3 minutes. My calculation has yielded a speech rate of about 210 syllables per minute with the draft I’ve been working with. After completing this calculation, I’ve shortened the text a bit more in order to slightly reduce the rate of speaking.

A slighly slower speech rate will provide more time for pauses. Below is the most recent version of the remarks I’ve prepared for a March 2012 event celebrating the 25th anniversary of  the ISTAR clinic. I like working on such a project, a few minutes every day before the presentation.

Some people like to calculate speaking rates in terms of words per minute. I prefer the more precise method of calculating syllables per minute. After years of practice, I can listen to a recording of my speech and estimate the rate within 5 or 10 syllables of what the calculated rate will be.

_________________________________________________________________________

Good evening. I began to stutter at the age of 6. In my teens and early twenties, I stuttered severely. Sometimes I could not get out any words at all.

I had some treatment over the years, but I did almost no public speaking until I attended ISTAR in July 1987.

At the ISTAR clinic, I relearned how to speak. I like to say I learned Fluency as a Second Language. I received expert, individualized instruction regarding the application, in everyday situations, of a set of five clearly defined fluency skills.

After the clinic, I practised my new fluency skills every day for over four years. It took a while to adjust to my new situation. Each time I’d be making a fluent presentation to a large audience, a voice inside me would say, “You’re not supposed to be able to do this. You’re supposed to be falling flat on your face.”

That voice really bothered me. At first I thought I should get some psychotherapy. But then I realized that what I really needed to do was to compare notes with other people who stutter. As a result, I formed a self-help group in Toronto in 1988. About a year later, a speech therapist, Tony Churchill, told me at one of our meetings that the inner voice was telling me I needed to adjust to some changes that had occurred in my life. After that, the inner voice never bothered me again.

Around that time, Einer Boberg contacted several self-help groups across Canada, and suggested we organize a national conference. That conference took place in Banff, Alberta in 1991 and led to the founding of the Canadian Stuttering Association. In those years, I was also active as a volunteer at the international level. In that role, I was a co-founder of the Estonian Stuttering Association and the International Stuttering Association.

Einer Boberg, Deborah Kully, Marilyn Langevin, and many others at ISTAR have provided effective treatment for large numbers of people who stutter over the years. ISTAR practises a data-driven, evidence-based approach to stuttering treatment. The program is continuously updated. I find these ways of doing things tremendously inspiring. I wish you continued success in your work, on behalf of people who stutter, and their families, in the years ahead.

I really enjoy the process of rehearsing and developing such a talk. I’ll be using a stopwatch to ensure I’m exactly on target in terms of the length.

__________________________________________________________________________

Good evening. I began to stutter at the age of 6. In my teens and early twenties, I stuttered severely. Sometimes I could not get out any words at all.

I had some treatment over the years. But I was not able to do much in the way of public speaking until I attended the ISTAR clinic in July 1987

After the clinic, I practised my new fluency skills every day for over four years. It took a while to adjust to my new situation. Each time I’d be making a fluent presentation to a large audience, a voice inside me would say, “You’re not supposed to be able to do this. You’re supposed to be falling flat on your face.”

That voice really bothered me. At first I thought I should get some psychotherapy. But then I realized that what I needed to do was to compare notes with other people who stutter. As a result, I formed a self-help group for people who stutter in Toronto in September 1988. About a year later, a speech therapist, Tony Churchill, told me at a meeting that the inner voice was telling me I needed to adjust to some changes that had occurred in my life. After that, the inner voice never bothered me again.

In the late 1980s, Einer Boberg contacted several self-help groups in Canada, and suggested we organize a national conference for people who stutter. We organized such a conference in August 1991. That event led to the founding of the Canadian Stuttering Association.

Einer Boberg also got me and others involved in volunteer work at the international level, starting with the International Fluency Association. In the course of that work, I was involved in the founding of the Estonian Stuttering Association in 1993, and the International Stuttering Association in 1995.

Einer Boberg, Deborah Kully, Marilyn Langevin, and many others at ISTAR have provided effective treatment for large numbers of people who stutter. ISTAR practises a data-driven, evidence-based approach to the treatment of stuttering. The program is continuously updated, from one year to the next. These ways of doing things inspire me tremendously. I wish you continued success in your work, on behalf of those of us who stutter, and our families, in the years ahead.

 c/o Montgomery’s Inn, 4709 Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario M9A 1A8

February 4, 2012

We have some major catching up to do as our email list becomes operational at last!

Montgomery’s Inn Museum INNovators (a.k.a. Montgomery’s INNovators) was incorporated on Oct. 1, 2011 as a non-profit corporation. Within weeks we learned that the Inn was on the list of four City museums targetted for closure in January.

Since the INNovators is an entirely volunteer organization, the circumstances were quite overwhelming.

Needless to say, none of the new directors had experience getting a brand new non-profit corporation up and running, while at the same time trying to deal with such an extraordinary situation at the City!

This is an update and a thank you for your patience. There are still glitches to work out, and we’re doing our best. Please let us know if you are receiving this message by regular mail, but do have an email address.

FIRST, thank you for showing your support for the Inn by joining Montgomery’s INNovators. There are now close to 400 members. Because of you, we have a significant voice at City Hall, and will continue to speak out on behalf of the Inn and its community.

SECOND, the decision made by City Council on Jan. 17 about the 2012 budget confirmed the decision to not close any museums in 2012. But the future beyond June, 2012, remains uncertain.

THIRD, three reviews of the structure and operations of Museum Services are to be done between now and the end of May. The Inn’s funding, governance, and/or operations will probably all be affected.

More information about the reviews is posted on our website.

The single most important thing that all of us need to do is STAY POSITIVE. There is good reason to be optimistic that Montgomery’s Inn will move into a new phase of its life, strong and healthy.

What you can do

• If you’re a volunteer, keep volunteering…and thank you! The value of volunteers’ contributions is truly immeasurable. 
• If you’re not a volunteer now, please consider becoming one.
• Since you’re already a member of the INNovators, encourage others to join. The bigger our membership, the bigger our voice will be at City Hall. Membership is a statement of support for the Inn and the INNovator.
• If you’re a casual visitor, become a regular visitor.
• If you’ve never taken a tour of the historic house, there was never a better time
• Take a few minutes and write us a letter or email about what makes Montgomery’s Inn special to you. We need your storie
• Buy our bread, which continued to be available from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Inn. Bread and fruitcakes are the main source of our income right now.
• Come for tea, Tuesday to Sunday, 2 to 4 p.m. See the new floor in the Tea Room!
• Come for special events, workshops, community gatherings.
• Spread the word that the Inn has facilities to rent: two large rooms (one will hold up to 70 people, and the other up to 50, depending on the room configuration needed). The Inn also has a modern kitchen that is inspected by Public Health.
• Book a birthday party, a pizza party, a meeting, a cooking session in the historic kitchen, or a day of bread baking. This helps to generate revenue for the Inn, and tells City Hall that the Inn is an important and well-used community facility.
• Sponsor a visit to the Inn, or a special program, for a community group that might not otherwise come (e.g., seniors, children, newcomers, food bank users). The INNovators have allocated a portion of its income for this purpose.

What it means to be a member of the INNovators

Montgomery’s Inn is the only one of ten City-owned and operated museums that set up a non-profit friends group when the City-appointed board was dissolved last April. The Inn, therefore, is the only one of the museums with a voice to advocate on its behalf during the current upheaval. We cannot overstress how important this is.

• By joining the INNovators, you are lending us your voice. The INNovators speak on behalf of the Inn, and its communities of place and interest. The more members there are, the bigger our voice is.
• Members elect the board of directors at the Annual General Meeting. You also have a vote when changes to the bylaws are considered. The constitution and bylaws belong to the members, and state how the organization operates.
• Members will receive updates and announcements about events at the Inn, and about the activities of the INNovators. We have been unable until very recently to communicate with you regularly, and will try to avoid the temptation to make up for lost time by overwhelming you.

We expect the first Annual General Meeting to be in April. There will be an election of directors at that time. There are currently five directors who were appointed to act as the interim board until the first AGM.

- Janice Etter, President, Montgomery’s INNovators

NOTE: The latest article about the Inn and the INNovators that appeared in The Etobicoke Guardian can be found can be found at this link.