Local Businesses And Community Groups Join Together To Call On City To Improve Safety At Intersection Of Don Mills Road And Kern Road

Author: Toronto Real Estate Admin / Category: Toronto Realtor

TORONTO, February 8, 2018
Prominent local businesses and community organizations are calling on the City of Toronto to improve the safety of the intersection at Don Mills Road and Kern Road by installing a traffic signal.

“We have serious concerns about the safety of this intersection.  It has a long history of serious accidents, and an even longer history of close calls.  We are concerned that it may only be a matter of time before something tragic happens at this intersection,” said John DiMichele, Chief Executive Officer of the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB).

The Toronto Real Estate Board, whose offices are located at the corner of Don Mills Road and Kern Road, is joined in calling for City action at this intersection, by numerous other businesses and community organizations in the same area, including:

  • Don Mills Children’s Centre
  • North York Community Christian Church
  • Met Scan Canada Inc.
  • Commerce Press Inc.
  • Bernstein Diet and Health Clinics

Together, these organizations have launched NoMoreCloseCalls.ca to help make the voices of the people who live, work, study, visit and drop off their children near this intersection heard.

“We have been asking the City to do something about this intersection for years, but unfortunately nothing has been done and accidents and close calls continue to happen. The number and speed of vehicles on Don Mills Road, along with other factors, make it very dangerous for vehicles attempting to turn from Kern Road, and for pedestrians trying to reach the TTC stops on either side of Don Mills Road,” said DiMichele.

The area surrounding the intersection of Don Mills Road and Kern Road includes several churches, child care facilities, schools and businesses that employ hundreds of people with thousands of visitors and customers.

Additional Quotes:

“The children that we care for travel through this intersection every day when they are dropped off and picked up. Their parents have expressed concerns about this intersection to us. Something needs to be done before something tragic happens.”

Sameah Noori, Don Mills Children’s Centre

“Our parishioners have told us many times that they are concerned about the safety of the intersection of Don Mills Road and Kern Road, especially our senior parishioner drivers. We don’t understand why the City has not done anything even though we have asked many times.”

Rev. Sunny Wong, North York Christian Community Church

“As a former Deputy Chief for the Toronto Police Service, I believe that the City needs to take a close look at the safety of the Don Mills Road and Kern Road intersection.  The many incidents and close calls that occur at this intersection cannot be ignored. Police cars from 33 division regularly monitor the traffic for hours a day from the east side parking lot noting the challenging traffic issues. This activity consumes officers time and could be used elsewhere if the intersection had a signalized light.”

Kim Derry, CEO and President, Met Scan Inc.

“Our employees travel through this intersection every day and they often feel unsafe making turns here. It’s time for the City to do something.”

Corey Elmaleh, Commerce Press Inc.

“When the people who use this intersection every day continuously raise concerns, the City should take heed. It’s time for action.”

Lenora Blackstein, Dr. Bernstein Diet and Health Clinics

Article source: http://www.trebhome.com/market_news/release_market_updates/news2018/nr_close_calls.htm

Affordable rental housing celebrated in Ottawa

Author: Toronto Real Estate Admin / Category: News Bulletin

OTTAWA, ON, February 6, 2018 — More families, seniors, chronically homeless men and women, and people living with disabilities will now have a place to call home in Ottawa. The federal, provincial and municipal governments are investing over $74 million to create more than 675 affordable housing units.

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), along with the Honourable Peter Milczyn, Ontario’s Minister of Housing and Minister Responsible for the Poverty Reduction Strategy, made the announcement today. Jim Watson, Mayor of the City of Ottawa, also participated in the event.

The announcement took place at an official opening for a new affordable housing development at 455 Via Verona Avenue in Ottawa, built in partnership with the Multifaith Housing Initiative. The development will provide 98 affordable apartments, including 10 accessible units.

Quick facts:

  • The governments of Canada and Ontario jointly contributed over $54 million through the Investment in Affordable Housing (IAH) Agreement.
  • The City of Ottawa also contributed more than $20 million to these projects.
  • Canada’s first ever National Housing Strategy is a 10-year, $40-billion plan that will give more Canadians a place to call home. Under the National Housing Strategy, the federal government will recognize and progressively implement every Canadian’s right to access housing that meets their needs and that they can afford.

Quotes:

“Our Government is taking action to strengthen the middle class. Through new investments in the National Housing Strategy, we will ensure that more Canadians have access to housing that meets their needs and that they can afford. We will reduce housing need, lift more Canadians out of poverty, and contribute to strong, more inclusive communities.”
— The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)

“As a government, it’s our vision that every family has an affordable place to call home. When all three levels of government work together we can build strong, inclusive communities and reach our goal of ending chronic homelessness by 2025.”
— The Honourable Peter Milczyn, Ontario Minister of Housing and Minister Responsible for the Poverty Reduction Strategy

“The City of Ottawa is committed to providing access to safe and affordable housing to all its residents. These important investments will help our most vulnerable residents find a stable place they can call home. By working collaboratively with the Provincial and Federal Governments and with our service providers, the City is increasing its affordable and supportive housing stock and remains on track to meet its goal of ending chronic homelessness by 2024.”
— Jim Watson, Mayor, City of Ottawa

“Ottawa has a pressing need for safe, affordable housing, and projects like The Haven can be life-altering. By helping to provide nice, safe homes, the community of partners behind these initiatives, and in particular governments at all levels, have answered the prayers of single parents and their children, persons with physical disabilities, new Canadians, and hundreds of others.”
— Mike Ward, President, Multifaith Housing Initiative

Associated links:

  • As Canada’s authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. For more information, follow us on Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.
  • Investing in affordable housing programs is part of Ontario’s plan to create jobs, grow the economy and help people in their everyday lives. Since 2003, the province has committed more than $5 billion in funding for affordable housing, which has helped support more than 22,000 new affordable rental housing units, more than 335,000 repairs and improvements to social and affordable housing units and rental and down payment assistance to more than 93,000 households in need. These investments complement the commitments made through Ontario’s recent Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy update, and support the province’s goal of ending chronic homelessness by 2025. For more information on affordable housing in Ontario, visit ontario.ca/affordablehousing or follow us on Twitter.

Media contacts:

Émilie Gauduchon
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Duclos
819-654-5546
emilie.gauduchon@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Wilbur McLean
Public Affairs
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
416-218-3331
wmclean@cmhc-schl.gc.ca

Matt Ostergard
Senior Communications Advisor
Office of Minister Milczyn
416-585-7647
matt.ostergard@ontario.ca

Conrad Spezowka
Communications
Ministry of Housing
416-585-7066
MHO.media@ontario.ca

Backgrounder

 

Article source: http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/corp/nero/nere/2018/2018-02-06-1345.cfm