May 3, 2015 Jane’s Walk in Mississauga at Small Arms Building focused on the past, and the future

Over the past four years I’ve been involved in the organizing of Jane’s Walks in Toronto.

Recently I also helped out with the organizing of a Jane’s Walk in Mississauga:

Ward 1 Councillor Jim Tovey leads Jane’s Walk in Lakeview (Mississauga) at 12:00 noon on Sunday, May 3, 2015

The Mississauga walk, which was entitled: “Small Arms Building – Saved from Destruction in 2009,” had a good turnout and a uniformly positive response from the participants.

History and heritage – and the future

A key concept that I took away from the May 3, 2015 walk is that the Small Arms Building, where the walk began, is concerned as much with the future as it is with history and heritage.

The building is slated for repurposing as a community resource focusing upon the arts, culture, and science.

A number of sponsors have stepped forward to assist in the development of the project. The names of the sponsors were posted at a prominent place at the meeting room where the walk began.

Click here to access the list of sponsors >

A Small Arms Garden Group has been established. Volunteers are fixing up the grounds around the building.

A next step involves the removal of graffiti from the property.

As well, trained volunteers from Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga have recently demolished the interior of the south end of the building as a first step in its repurposing.

Click here to access Heritage Mississauga overview of Small Arms Ltd. story >

Jim Tovey – Ward 1 and Region of Peel Councillor

Jim Tovey’s biography’s biography reads as follows:

Jim Tovey is Councillor for Ward 1 in Mississauga and a Region of Peel Councillor. One of six children born to Second World War veteran John Tovey and Joan Mann, a war bride from London England, Jim was born and raised in Victory Village in Mississauga. After a fifteen-year career as a vocalist, Jim returned to school for training in carpentry and architectural technology.

As President of the Lakeview Ratepayers Association Jim led that group to become the first citizen group in North America to create a community-driven Master Plan adopted by all levels of Government. The Legacy Project has received two National awards for Urban Planning.

Among other positions, Jim represents Mississauga on the Credit Valley and Toronto Regional Conservation Authorities and the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.

[End of text]

Wooden baffles along Waterfront Trail

Jim Tovey did a great job in leading the May 3, 2015 Jane’s Walk in Lakeview. He and other speakers shared extensive information, and engaged in many dialogues, at our stops along the way.

The walk began with a tour of the Small Arms Building, followed by a visit to the nearby Hanlan Water Project construction site. At the latter site, the walk attendees met William Turner, Project Manager, Hanlan Feedermain, Region of Peel, who provided a comprehensive overview of the feedermain construction process. As well, he answered many questions about the next steps and processes associated with the project.

From there, we proceeded west along Lakeshore Road East to the east side of Applewood Creek. At that point, we switched direction and proceeded south along the Waterfront Trail, where wooden baffles and a rifle range backstop from the Long Branch Rifle Range are located.

Click here to access a previous post about the wooden baffles >

Click here to access a Google Map Aerial View of the baffles >

Lakeview Waterfront Connection Project

At the shoreline of Lake Ontario, just east of Applewood Creek, we next attended a presentation and conversation focusing upon the next steps in the Lakeview Waterfront Connection Project.

The presentation featured staff from Credit Valley Conservation and the Region of Peel.

Kate Hayes, Manager, Aquatic and Wetland Ecosystem Restoration, Credit Valley Conservation, spoke on behalf of Credit Vally Conservation.

Janice Hatton, Manager, Lakeview Waterfront Connection, Region of Peel, spoke on behalf of the Region of Peel.

In the distance we could see the western pier of the G.E. Booth Wastewater Treatment Plant. The next steps in the Lakeshore Waterfront Connection Project include the provision of public access to the shoreline between Applewood Creek and the western pier.

Click here to access a blog about a recent media event related to the western pier >

Jane’s Walk networking

The walk involved a great deal of networking, which I found highly valuable. Among the people that I met was an events organizer, Lou J. Klevinas of Mississauga and Collingwood, who had learned about the Small Arms Building just some days ago and was totally fascinated with the back story that goes with it. He wanted to learn everything he can — the square footage, the previous uses, the plans for repurposing.

Lou Klevinas works with Business Improvement Areas (BIA) in Ontario including ones in Port Credit and Collingwood.

In Port Credit, he is working with the General Manager and also the Events Specialist in charge of the Port Credit Farmer’s Market, Buskerfest, Waterfront Festival, Port Credit Comedy Festival, and Southside Shuffle. In Collingwood he’s assisting in similar events and also launching the first annual Collingwood Comedy Festival.

June 13, 2015 Long Branch Fest

I have an interest in BIAs because I’m involved with a storytelling event related to the history of Long Branch (Toronto), where I live, just across the border from Lakeview (Mississauga).

Jaan Pill and Tara Mazurk will stage the event at the conclusion of the Long Branch Fest on June 13, 2015.

The event is being organized by the Long Branch BIA; my contact with regard to the project is Corey Bowes, owner of the Silver Lion Framing Shop in Long Branch.

Through Corey, I’ve been in touch recently with Tara Mazurk, Curator of the L Space Gallery at the Humber College Lakeshore Campus on Colonel Samuel Smith Drive near Kipling Ave. and Lake Shore Blvd. West in New Toronto.

As part of ongoing networking, that I enjoy taking part in, I have introduced Lou Klevinas to Corey Bowes and Tara Mazurk.

John Danahy of the University of Toronto attended the May 3, 2015 Jane’s Walk

At the May 3, 2015 Jane’s Walk, I was also very pleased to meet John Danahy of the University of Toronto. Previous blog posts highlight John Danahy’s involvement with the Lakeview Ratepayers Association and the development of the Lakeview Legacy Project.

Some years ago, at a presentation by John Danahy in Mimico (see link in previous paragraph), I learned about the 3P Strategy developed by the Lakeview Ratepayers Association. The community-initiated projects that are underway in Lakeview are, in my view, exquisitely well planned, imaginative, and clearly communicated.

3P Strategy was developed by the Lakeview Ratepayers Association

The following text is based on a slide from John Danahy’s talk on January 18, 2012 at the Mimico Centennial Library in south Etobicoke:

Proactive: Be proactive in identifying what negatively impacts your community, and more importantly, what may negatively impact your community in the near or distant future.

Persistent: Be persistent in gaining, and sharing with your community, the knowledge required to make fair, informed decisions, and to be able to engage all stakeholders in the discussion.

Positive: Never offer a solution to a difficult issue unless it is a positive solution. If you cannot find a solution where there are no losers, revert to the second “P,” Persistent.

[End of text]

Origins of the 3P Strategy

At a conversation, among participants at a Jane’s Walk meeting that we staged at the Long Branch Library on Saturday, April 18, 2015, Jim Tovey shared details about the 3P Strategy that I had previously not been aware of. He explained that he has been a paddler all of his life. As I recall, he may have said that it was his father who had introduced him to the sport of canoeing in the wilderness.

When you’re paddling in the Canadian wilderness, and an emergency arises, you need to have a strategy to deal with the situation, whatever it may be. That’s how the 3P Strategy originated, Jim Tovey explained, at our meeting at the long Branch Library on April 18, 2015.

High school reunion

In the next while, I look forward to sharing more information about the three Jane’s Walks that I’ve been involved with during 2015. In the meantime, however, my first priority will be to focus upon the next steps for the MCHS 2015 ’60s Reunion and Celebration of the ’60s that I’m helping to organize. The event will take place at Old Mill Toronto on October 17, 2015.