Here’s the letter, for your interest, that we’ve prepared regarding 4 James Street

c/o Susanne Pringle, Manager & Deputy Secretary Treasurer Office of the Committee of Adjustment Etobicoke Civic Centre Toronto, Ontario M9C 5A3 February 23, 2012 Dear Susan Pringle: We are writing with regard to 4 James Street in our role as homeowners who have lived in Long Branch for fifteen years. We are aware of the […]

We seek request your help — today — with a letter-writing campaign aimed at protecting Toronto’s neighbourhoods

Media Release February 17, 2012 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 […]

What is a Jane’s Walk? How does it differ from a heritage walk?

We’ve received a valuable e-mail message indicating that it would be a useful exercise for the organizers of the May 6, 2012 Long Branch Jane’s Walk to establish a clear distinction in our minds between a Jane’s Walk and a traditional heritage walk. We much appreciate this advice. We’ll make changes in our outline, and […]

A Jane’s Walk will be held in Long Branch on Sunday, May 6, 2012 starting at 10:30 am in Marie Curtis Park

We’ve registered a Jane’s Walk, with a 10:30 am start at the East Parking Lot at Marie Curtis Park, for Sunday, May 6, 2012. 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 […]

A Conservation Heritage District for Long Branch would be highly valuable in protecting our heritage buildings

Councillor Grimes’ office has previously shared information with us about the steps required to get the Heritage Conservation District under way. Such a project has been discussed before. The previous discussion was valuable. I look forward to working with other Long Branch residents, starting this year, in getting the process moving forward.  

Message from Councillor Grimes in support of Ratepayers Association of South Long Branch (RASL)

I am pleased to share the following e-mail from Councillor Grimes’ office with you. The support of Councillor Grimes’ office for the efforts of the Ratepayers Association of South Long Branch (RASL) is much appreciated. The message, to planning staff at the City of Toronto, is dated January 30, 2012. Subject: Dominion Rd “We have […]

How would you compare Mimico 20/20 and the Lakeview Legacy Project?

Update: A Feb. 15, 2014 Globe and Mail article is entitled: “Aggressive development: Inside the building and selling of a Toronto condo tower.” [End of update]   The following comments are in reply to David Switzer’s helpful comments in response to a previous blog. There is much value in talking about how Mimico and Lakeview […]

We’ve put together a 26-minute online video about Colonel Samuel Smith and his homestead

The story of Colonel Samuel Smith and the efforts to keep his homestead site in public hands are highlighted in these speaking notes for an October 2011 talk about the colonel. The sale of Parkview School, announced in August 2011, turned out to be a ‘good news’ story, thanks to the efforts of Etobicoke-Lakeshore MPP […]

David Juliusson has shared a list of valuable resources for helping us to position Samuel Smith as a historical figure

We owe thanks to David Juliusson, Program Officer, Historic Fort York, City of Toronto, for sharing some great resources regarding the history of warfare it relates to the story of Colonel Samuel Smith: Crowder, Norman K. Early Ontario Settlers, A Source Book. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1993. Fernow, Berthold, ed. Documents relating to the Colonial History of the […]

Was the Samuel Smith log cabin really previously occupied by two brothers?

Jim Gill played a key role, as President of the Long Branch Historical Society at that time, in the initiation of the 1984 preliminary archaeological survey at the Parkview School grounds. The wider context for this narrative is Military History. I mention this because the link in the previous sentence has been read by many visitors […]