Toronto has an exciting and diverse music industry, fitting of our City’s global reputation as a world class city. Toronto has been the launch pad for many globally recognized artists and has a proud music heritage.

The music industry in Toronto employs thousands of individuals including musicians, sound technicians, digital music experts, designers, agents, and live music venues employees. Many residents of Ward 19 work in the music industry in one form or another. Many more residents of our neighbourhood enjoy the products of Toronto’s music industry and the live music venues in our neighbourhood and across our city.

Unfortunately, little is known about the economic value or potential of this industry in Toronto and the city doesn’t have a strategy to foster its growth locally and globally. A report on the economic importance of the music industry was conducted for the City of Austin, Texas. This report found that the music industry generated $616 million in economic activity and almost 11,200 jobs. The report also highlighted a correlation between economic investment in technology-based sectors and the scope and breadth of cultural offerings (music, the arts, etc) in a city.

What’s the economic importance of the music industry in Toronto and how can we help it grow?

Toronto’s recently adopted Creative Capital Gains plan (LINK) recognized the lack of understanding of the Toronto Music Industry and responded by recommending that the city conduct a study to investigate Toronto’s music industry and its economic impact, and develop a strategy to promote and foster Toronto’s music cluster.

In response to this recommendation and the need to support economic growth in Toronto’s music sector, I have proposed a motion to the Economic Development Committee on February 22, 2012 (pdf) to initiate above recommendation and ensure both large industry firms as well as smaller independent operators and contractors are included.

Let’s support a strong music industry in Toronto.

Here is my letter to the City of Toronto Economic Development Committee:

January 18, 2012

Economic Development Committee
10th floor, West Tower, City Hall
100 Queen Street West
Toronto, ON M5H 2N2

RE: Implementing Creative Capital Gains Recommendation 3.5 – Fostering Toronto’s Music cluster

Dear Chair Thompson and committee members,

First, allow me to congratulate you on your work on the May 2010 Report – Creative Capital Gains: An Action Plan for Toronto. The report sketches out a path to foster a more vibrant cultural and economic future for Toronto. The detailed recommendations will, when implemented, enhance many of Toronto’s arts and cultural sectors to the benefit of our economy and every Toronto resident.

Of the numerous recommendations in the report, one industry was noticeably underrepresented by comparison to others – Toronto’s music cluster. The Executive Director of Culture for the City of Toronto, cited ‘extreme difficulty’ in reaching out to the local music industry. As a result, the Creative Capital Gains plan recommended that the city: Conduct a study to investigate Toronto’s music industry and its economic impact, and develop a strategy to promote and foster Toronto’s music cluster.

Toronto has an exciting and diverse music industry. This city has been the launch pad for many globally recognized artists and has a proud music heritage. Unfortunately, little is known about the economic value or potential of this industry in Toronto.

A report on the economic importance of the music industry was conducted for the City of Austin, Texas. This report found that the music industry generated $616 million in economic activity and almost 11,200 jobs. The report also highlighted a correlation between economic investment in technology-based sectors and the scope and breadth of cultural offerings (music, the arts, etc) in a city.

In response to the Creative Capital Gains recommendation, Toronto’s Music Industry reacted and formed the Toronto Music Industry Association to help deliver this report and build the infrastructure needed to help foster and support Toronto’s music cluster. Industry is ready to support our city in this effort.

In closing, I urge to the committee to instigate recommendation 3.5 in the Creative Capital Gains report and take advantage of the expertise and enthusiasm of the Toronto Music Industry Association by:

Requesting the Executive Director of Culture conduct a study to investigate Toronto’s music industry and its economic impact and develop a strategy to promote and foster Toronto’s music cluster through consultation with industry stakeholders including, but not limited to, the Toronto Music Industry Association.

Rock on!

Mike Layton

Attachments:
Letter from Jeff Melanson, Special Advisor to Mayor Rob Ford, Arts and Culture
Document entitled “The Role of Music in the Austin Economy: Executive Summary”

Date: Wednesday February 22, 2012
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Place: Sanderson Branch meeting room (lower level) – 327 Bathurst St.

City Planning staff are conducting a study to help determine revitalization and redevelopment guidelines for the Scadding Court Community Centre and Sanderson Branch, Toronto Public Library. The outcomes of this study will help guide the future of the site, which is in an area experiencing re-development, most notably the TCHC/Atkinson Housing Co-op plans
to develop their site. To speak to the planner directly, contact Jeffrey Cantos, at (416) 338-5740 or jcantos@toronto.ca . You may mail your comments to the planner at Toronto and East York District, 100 Queen St W Floor 18E Toronto On, M5H 2N2.

You may also contact Councillor Adam Vaughan, Ward 20, at (416) 392-4042.

Click here for a copy of the meeting notice.

Dear Executive Committee,

I wrote to the TCHC Board in October of last year regarding serious concerns about the sale of the stand-alone units, including the sale of those units housing service agencies. I am relieved that houses such as 981 Dundas Street West currently occupied by Matthew House, an organization providing transitional housing for newly-arrived refugees, have been taken off of the list. However, I am writing today to ask you not to vote for the sale of the remaining 675 stand-alone units and instead consider deferring this item until we have explored all options for coping with our state of good repair backlog.

Toronto’s neighbourhoods are made stronger by their cultural and socio-economic diversity. The TCHC scattered housing not only ensures we can meet the housing needs of families in Toronto but also that our neighbourhoods are mixed income, making Toronto a more accessible and equitable city. Concentrating Rent Geared to Income (RGI) units is a step backwards for this city.

TCHC’s policy is to create mixed income neighbourhoods because they have proven that is where communities thrive. We should not go back on this. However, the plan before us does. In fact, it puts TCHC in a position where it needs to reduce the number of market-based units to make room for the relocation of RGI tenants from the stand-alone homes. This will lead to an increased concentration of RGI housing and over time will significantly decrease the revenue TCHC would have earned from the market-based units.

There are almost 70,000 individuals and families on TCHC’s waiting lists. The sale of 675 stand-alone homes, representing thousands of units, makes little sense in this housing crisis. This puts a significant strain on the City in many other ways as the costly demands placed on other services increases. As the City of Toronto’s Housing Opportunities Toronto report shows, affordable housing costs us significantly less on average per day ($23 per day) than alternatives such as the use of emergency shelters ($69 per day).

If this is the strategy for completing repairs on other units, will we continue to sell off homes and other assets in the future? This is one time funding for repairs and is by no means a sustainable solution to TCHC’s funding needs. Further, the sale of stand-alone units is reducing the availability of housing for larger families and families will not only be displaced through this process but divided as they are forced to split up and move into separate units.

In 2011, City Council voted to sell 22 of TCHC’s stand-alone units. Some of these houses required Ministerial Consent, while others located in my ward did not and could be sold right away. Three houses in my ward have now been sold and another will be up for sale this summer. My constituents are upset at the extremely short notice they have been provided to find new housing, despite the assistance they received from TCHC. Families are being divided and do not have enough time to find homes for everyone, putting families at risk. In fact, we are now facing a move out date of March 1 for tenants in one home who as of last week had not found a new home and are facing dividing a multigenerational family, one member of which uses a wheelchair. Through this process we’ve seen that more notice needs to be given to tenants and more time given to accommodate the unique needs of each family. Multiple moves need to be paid for when families are divided. Further, families with school age children need special consideration for the timing of their move so it does not disrupt their child’s learning. The sale of these homes has placed an unfair burden on our residents.

I have heard from many of the TCHC residents in Ward 19 and their neighbours that tenants are a part of their communities and do not want to be forced to move out of their homes. TCHC does not only provide housing for tenants but homes for people and for families that are members of our communities and loved by neighbours. The sale of these homes takes people and families out of our neighbourhoods.

Please, let’s take more time to consider how to approach this very real funding crisis faced by TCHC so that we can treat people with the dignity they deserve and ensure we continue to create mixed income neighbourhoods that thrive.

Sincerely,

Mike Layton
City Councillor
Ward 19, Trinity-Spadina

Skating
Weather permitting, outdoor rinks are open for public skating from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with scheduled times for leisure skating. CSA-approved hockey helmets are mandatory for children under six years of age, and are recommended for skaters of all ages. Family Day schedules for outdoor rinks and select indoor rinks are available at http://www.toronto.ca/parks or by calling 311.

There is no charge for public skating at indoor or outdoor rinks.

Shinny hockey
Supervised shinny hockey is available free of charge for a variety of ages and skill levels. Some programs are gender-specific. Family Day schedules vary and can be found at http://www.toronto.ca/parks or by calling 311.

CSA-approved hockey helmets are mandatory for all shinny hockey participants. Full face masks are also mandatory for all participants under the age of 19. Neck and mouth guards are strongly recommended as well as other protective equipment. Participants must have their own gloves and stick.

Swimming
Ten City-run indoor pools are open between 2 to 5 p.m. Regular admission fees apply: child $1, adult $2 and family $5.  A list of locations is available at http://www.toronto.ca/parks/swimming

Skiing and Snowboarding
The Toronto Ski & Snowboard Centres will be open on Family Day from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The Earl Bales Ski and Snowboard Centre is located at 4169 Bathurst St., inside Earl Bales Park. The Centennial Park Ski and Snowboard Centre is located at 256 Centennial Park Rd., inside Centennial Park.

Both centres will be open for public skiing and snowboarding as well as offering “discovery” lessons learning how to ski and snowboard and private lessons. Regularly scheduled lessons will not be running.

On Family Day, the Toronto Ski and Snowboard Centres will be doubling ticket times to provide even better value.

Family Day snow pass rates are as follows:

Age 18 and under and 60+
Two hours – $12
Four hours – $15
All day pass – $22

Adults (19-59)
Two hours – $15
Four hours – $19
All day pass – $25

Regular rental rates apply.

The use of a recognized ski or snowboard helmet for all participants is strongly recommended.

Note: Centennial has a beginner run that is serviced by a carpet lift. Lift ticket sales for the carpet lift are limited to reflect lower hill area capacity.

For information about the Toronto Ski and Snowboard Centres, call 311 or visit http://www.toronto.ca/parks/skiing.

Riverdale Farm
This Family Day, residents are encouraged to visit the cows, horses, donkey, sheep, goats, geese, rabbits and farm cats at Riverdale Farm (201 Winchester St.).

Families can also play board games, enjoy a sewing craft with the Cabbagetown Quilters Guild, or visit the Cabbagetown Regent Park Museum. Hot chocolate and other treats will also be available.

Drop-in activities run from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. The farm is open from 9 a.m. to 5.p.m. Admission and programs are free. For more information, call 416-392-6794 or visit http://www.toronto.ca/parks.

High Park Zoo
Located on Deer Pen Road, the High Park Zoo offers visitors an opportunity to see both domestic and exotic animals including bison, llamas, peacocks, deer, highland cattle and sheep. The zoo is open daily year round to visitors from 7 a.m. to dusk. For more information, call 311 or visit http://www.toronto.ca/parks.

Discover the Shared Path
The Shared Path, which is the newest of the Discovery Walks, includes 15 kilometres of trails through a series of park areas along the banks of the Humber River. Visit http://www.toronto.ca/parks/trails/discover.htm.

The Discovery Walks program is a series of 10 self-guided walks linking ravines, parks and neighbourhoods. Ranging from 1.5 to 18 kilometres, the walks are designed to showcase Toronto’s outstanding natural features, and cultural and historical attractions. Maps are available to download at http://www.toronto.ca/parks/trails/discover.htm.

City Museums and historic sites

Colborne Lodge (11 Colborne Lodge Dr., just north of The Queensway)
Families can learn whether or not British soldiers fell through the ice on Grenadier Pond during the Battle of York in 1813, as well as other connections to the War of 1812 and High Park. For children, shakos (soldier’s hats) will be available for purchase.  Family Day opening hours: noon to 4 p.m. (tours at 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:15 p.m.) Admission on Family Day: pay what you can. Regular opening hours: Friday to Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.

Fort York National Historic Site (250 Fort York Bld.)
Children can try an authentic War of 1812 soldiers’ drill, learn how officers trained with the sword and experience a game that the soldiers’ children might have played during that time. Families can take a tour of the site, including the Officers’ Mess and 1826 kitchen. Hot chocolate in front of a roaring fire will also be on offer. Family Day opening hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with activities scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission on Family Day: pay what you can. Regular opening hours: Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Gibson House (5172 Yonge St., north of the North York Centre Subway station. Gibson House is located behind the construction site. Take the laneway north of the construction to get to the museum)
Visitors to Gibson House will be able to listen to fascinating stories about the family that helped found the town of York. Children are also invited to help prepare traditional 1850s treats and hot cider will be available in the historic kitchen. Family Day opening hours: noon to 5 p.m. Admission on Family Day: pay what you can. Regular opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

Mackenzie House (82 Bond St.)
In celebration of Black History Month, visitors to Mackenzie House this Family Day will have the opportunity to learn about the early Black community in Toronto, including its newspaper publishers. Visitors will also be able to print a souvenir copy of Mary Ann Shadd Cary’s newspaper, The Provincial Freeman, in a re-created 1850s printshop. Family Day opening hours: noon to 5 p.m. Admission on Family Day: pay what you can. Regular opening hours: Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

Montgomery’s Inn (4709 Dundas St. W. at Islington Avenue)
For Family Day, Montgomery’s Inn will hold an Irish Ceilidh (a traditional Gaelic social gathering) from 1 to 5 p.m. Learn Irish dancing by Maureen O’Leary of Maureen’s Reel Irish Dancing. The lesson will be held at 2 p.m., followed by a dance at 4 p.m. Visitors will also be given the opportunity to learn how to prepare traditional Irish treats. Resident storyteller Nan Brien will share stories that will also feature puppetry at 1:30 and 3 p.m. Family Day opening hours: 1 to 5 p.m. Admission on Family Day: pay what you can and no pre-registration required. Regular opening hours: Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m

Scarborough Museum (1007 Brimley Rd., north of Lawrence Avenue in Thomson Memorial Park)
This Family Day, visit the Scarborough Museum for fun activities for the whole family.  Activities include pioneer crafts, snow painting, scavenger hunts and woodstove baking. Hot chocolate will also be available. Family Day opening hours: noon to 4 p.m. Admission on Family Day: pay what you can. Regular opening hours: Tuesdays, noon to 8 p.m., Wednesday to Friday., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday., noon to 4 p.m.

Spadina Museum: Historic House & Gardens (285 Spadina Rd next door to Casa Loma)
Families are invited to discover the Austin family through a tour and a scavenger hunt at the Spadina Museum this Family Day. Decorate cupcakes in the museum’s historic 1930s kitchen. Family Day opening hours: noon to 5 p.m. Admission on Family Day: pay what you can. Regular opening hours: Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

Todmorden Mills Heritage Site (67 Pottery Rd)
Todmorden Mills will present tours and visitors will be able to prepare traditional treats in the museum’s 19th century open hearth. Children will also be able to make homemade crafts. Family Day opening hours: noon to 4 p.m.  Admission on Family Day: pay what you can.

City of Toronto Museums accept group bookings seven days a week- morning, afternoon, and evening all year round.

There are more opportunities to enjoy an afternoon with your family at the City of Toronto Museums. Launching this winter are Family FUNdays. They include P.A. Days (with the exception of Gibson House), Sundays (up to March 4) as well as the official Family Day holiday. On these occasions the museums provide tours and activities for children and their families. Admission is pay what you can (except P.A. day camps at Scarborough Museum). More information is available at www.toronto.ca/fundays.

Toronto Zoo
The Toronto Zoo will be open on Family Day. More information is available at http://www.torontozoo.com.

Other municipal services and facilities
City of Toronto offices will be closed on Family Day. All City emergency services and 24-hour operations will continue to be provided.

Municipal childcare centres will be closed on Family Day.

The Toronto Public Library and all its local branches will also be closed on Family Day.

The TTC will provide holiday service on most of its routes on February 20. More information is available at http://www.ttc.ca.

The site, toronto.ca/torontostreets, shows on-going and emergency road construction, existing travel conditions on City roads and a variety of special events taking place.

The goal is to help residents and visitors get around the city as easily as possible.  By making this site one of your favourites and checking it before you leave home, you can find the best route for where you want to go.

Of course, Toronto is known for its wide range of special events and community activities and using this website will help you get to these locations more easily.  If you are trying to get somewhere else, however, we can also help you steer clear of busy areas in the city so that you can get to your destination, hassle free.

The City is also offering those interested the opportunity to receive e-mail information about emergency road closures as they happen.  To subscribe to receive these updates, visit www.toronto.ca/e-updates.

The exhibition identifies the Canadian, British, First Nations and American combatants who died in the battle. Their names are recorded in a newly commissioned Book of Remembrance and their sacrifices are brought to life through artifacts, custom-designed maps and first-person accounts.

“After 200 years of peace, it is time to honour all the combatants at the Battle of York who lost their lives,” said Councillor Michael Thompson (Ward 37 Scarborough Centre), Co-chair of the War of 1812 Bicentennial Commemoration Steering Committee. “It is also fitting that the exhibition will be the first of many City programs for the War of 1812 Bicentennial.”

Historian Richard Gerrard led a team of researchers on an investigative quest through archives, libraries and private collections in Canada, the United States and England to identify as many of the fallen combatants as possible.

As a result of that research, funded by a grant from the Department of Canadian Heritage, 181 names have been inscribed in a book called “A War of 1812 Book of Remembrance – York, Upper Canada 1812-1815.” It is the exhibition’s centrepiece.

“Finding the Fallen: The Battle of York Remembered” presents a rare opportunity to see archeologically discovered artifacts from the actual battleground. Also on display is a newly acquired painting.

“For Toronto, the commemoration of the War of 1812 is not about glorification of war, nor about myth-making,” said Blake Goldring, Chairman and CEO of AGF Management Ltd. and Co-chair of the War of 1812 Bicentennial Commemoration Steering Committee. “It’s about honouring those who fulfilled their duties in that long ago conflict, making it possible for us to exist as a nation today. The exhibition is a moving reminder of the realities of war.”

This exhibition is one of more than a hundred inspiring bicentennial commemorative events to be staged in Toronto as part of the War of 1812 Bicentennial Commemoration in 2012 and 2013. In the two centuries following the war, Toronto has grown to become Canada’s leader in finance, commerce, education, transportation and manufacturing. From a garrison town of 700 to a modern metropolis of 2.7 million, Toronto has earned a global reputation as a progressive urban centre that celebrates its past and works for a better future.

More information about the City’s bicentennial program is available at http://www.toronto.ca/1812.

The Market Gallery is a program of City of Toronto’s Cultural Services. It presents exhibitions dedicated to Toronto’s art, culture and history and offers educational programs for school groups and adults. Located on the second floor of South St. Lawrence Market, 95 Front St. E., the gallery is open Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

More information about the gallery is available at http://www.toronto.ca/culture/the_market_gallery.htm.

For residents north of Dundas St W, collections will be changing to “Thursday 1″, effective Tuesday April 3, 2012.

These changes will be communicated to all residents in advance through a delivery of notices and new collection calendar by Solid Waste Management.  Staff will work with residents and will accommodate requests for collections in the event that a resident is out of town or has misplaced the notice/calendar that was mailed to them.

The following are attached for your reference:

1. A new collection schedule boundary map for all Wards outlining the collection schedule changes;
2. a Residential Daytime Collection Area Map specific  to Ward 19 which shows the existing schedule and the new schedule;
3. and a copy of a calendar/notice which will be mailed to affected residents in the Ward.

All of this information will be provided to the 311 Contact Centre to assist with the provision of information to residents during the transition to the new collection day.

Please do not hesitate to contact our office if you have further questions.

Starting 2:00 am, Saturday, February 4, until 4:00 am, Monday, February 6, the Bathurst Street at King Street intersection will be closed, with the exception of one southbound lane, during the removal of a Tower Crane and the removal of a portion of the streetcar overhead network.

As a result, 511 BATHURST streetcars will divert in both directions via King Street, Spadina Avenue and Queens Quay.

A 511 BATHURST replacement bus service will be provided between Queen Street (Wolseley Loop) and Exhibition Loop, diverting northbound via east on Fleet Street, north and east Fort York Boulevard, north on Bathurst Street, east on King Street, north on Portland Street, west on Richmond Street and north on Bathurst Street.

The 310 BATHURST all-night bus will divert northbound via north on Bathurst, east on King Street, north on Portland Street, west on Richmond Street and north on Bathurst Street.

Black History Month began in the United States as “Negro History Week” in February 1926, through the work of African American scholar Dr. Carter G. Woodson. His aim was to raise awareness and understanding in the school curriculum of the African experience around the world. The United States began to formally celebrate Black History Month in the 1960s. Through community activities, organizers sought to present a more balanced and accurate picture of Black history.

In the 1950’s, community organizations such as the Canadian Negro Women’s Association began to celebrate the importance of the history of the black community in Toronto. In 1979, Toronto became the first municipality in Canada to proclaim Black History Month through efforts of many individuals and organizations such as the Ontario Black History Society. In 1995, Toronto Area MP Jean Augustine introduced a motion which was passed unanimously by the House of Commons to recognise Black History Month across Canada.

Black History Month is an opportunity for the City of Toronto to recognize the past and present contributions that African Canadians make to the life of Toronto in such areas as education, medicine, art, culture, public service, economic development, politics and human rights.

This year, Toronto Museums will host film, theatre and children’s activities. Montgomery’s Inn presents the true story of Joshua Glover, who escaped slavery and ended up working at the inn. Mackenzie House gives visitors an opportunity to learn about the 19th century Black press in Toronto.

Fort York, in partnership with the Ontario Black History Society, is presenting the documentary Underground Railway: The William Still Story. Visitors can also tour Fort York and learn about the contributions of early Black settlers in the defence of Upper Canada during the War of 1812.

The Toronto Public Library will feature visits and interviews involving authors, spoken-word poets, musicians and journalists. The library’s Rita Cox Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection holds more than 16,000 items.

More details about Black History Month events are available at http://www.toronto.ca/blackhistory/events.htm.

The exhibition will give TDSB teachers, many of whom are trained artists themselves, the opportunity to share their artistic expressions with their colleagues, the general public, and their students.

“One of my longtime wishes as a member of Propeller and as a former Visual Arts teacher with the TDSB, has been to organize such an exhibition,” said Joseph Muscat, Chair of the Propeller Centre for the Visual Arts. “It’s an acknowledgement and appreciation of their tremendous dedication, encouragement and inspiration to their students.”

The Propeller Centre for the Visual Arts is an artist run centre on Queen Street West in the heart of the Gallery District in downtown Toronto. It was founded by students from the Ontario College of Art in 1996 to help art students propel their career into the art world by showcasing their work alongside professional artists.

The exhibition runs from February 1st through 12th, with the opening reception on Thursday, February 2^nd, from 6pm – 10pm. For more information call (416) 504-7142.