Save Union Station

Bulletin

SAVE UNION STATION, Bulletin No. 4, October 31, 2002.

*********
In this issue:
1. Actions – what you can do NOW
2. Administration Committee,
November 5, 11:00 a.m., City Hall
3. Get your friends involved
*********

1. Actions – what you can do right Now.

a) The report of staff to the City’s Administrative Committee will be discussed by the Administration Committee at City Hall on November 5, at 11:00 a.m. All those interested in ensuring that Union Station serves a public purpose in Toronto are encouraged to write to the Committee Secretary, asking to be listed as a deputant. More details on this follow in Item 2 below.

b) Attend the public meeting on Monday, November 4, at 7:30 p.m. in the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, 27 Front Street East. Prior to this meeting, John Sewell will lead a tour of Union station, meeting at the clock on Front Street outside the Station at 6:30 p.m., and ending at the St. Lawrence Centre in time for the meeting.

Speakers at the meeting include David Jeanes of Transport 2000; John Barber, urban columnist of the Globe and Mail; and noted urbanist Jane Jacobs. The chair of the meeting will be Lisa Rochon, the Globe and Mail’s architectural critic.

2. Administration Committee, November 5, 11:00 a.m., City Council chambers, City Hall

The progress report of city staff on Union Station has recently been released. Click here to read the report posted on our web site as: City staff report to Nov. 5 Administration Committee meeting

This report states that negotiations continue towards a final agreement with Union Pearson. What is clear from this report is that the agreement does not contain any requirements for substantially upgrading the transportation aspects of Union Station, nor does it resolve the issue of development rights on Station lands. Further, the actual details of what is being negotiated are not available for public review - only generalities are available.

In regard to transportation elements, for instance, there is no provision that the Station will be modified for high-speed trains, nor that the platforms between the tracks will be widened, nor that a connection be forged between the Station and the Round House to accommodate the Toronto Historical Railway Committee. These are very serious omissions, compounded by the fact that it seems the developer will walk away with the increase in value that comes with new development rights. These are yet more reasons why it is absolutely critical that the documents involved in the Union Pearson bid and the other bid considered, be made public and that negotiations proceed in a much more public fashion.

These points must be made to the City’s Administration Committee on November 5. Every friend of Union Station is requested to write to the Secretary of the Committee and ask to be registered as a deputant when the committee meets on the issue at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, November 5. The letter should indicate the concern about the secrecy of these negotiations and the fact that the public has been excluded so that no one knows if the best interests of Union Station as a heritage structure and as a transportation terminal are being protected. The city has made a mess of commercial arrangements in the past, resulting in the public inquiry to investigate city officials negotiating with those working for benefits from City Hall. What the Administration Committee should be asked to do is the following:

* All plans and documents on this matter be immediately made public;

* The committee arrange to hold public meetings that focus on heritage, transportation, development, and design aspects of any contract around Union Station;

* That no final decision be made by City Council until there has been full and complete public input.

Please use your own words in drafting a letter to the committee asking to speak since you best know your own concerns and how they are best expressed. The more different kinds of voices the committee hears, the more likely the committee members are to grant the request that will open up this deal to public scrutiny.

Letters requesting to speak and a copy of your presentation (one page is perfectly adequate) should be sent to pmorris@city.toronto.on.ca . Patsy Morris is the secretary of the committee and may be telephoned at 416-392-9151.

As well, you could send copies of your presentation to all members of the committee who are as follows:

Doug Holyday (chair):
councillor_holyday@toronto.ca;
fax 416 392 4121

David Soknacki (vice chair):
councillor_soknacki@toronto.ca;
fax 416 392 4006

Brian Ashton:
councillor_ashton@toronto.ca;
fax 416 696 3658

Rob Ford:
councillor_ford@toronto.ca;
fax 416 397 9238

Anne Johnston:
councillor_johnston@toronto.ca;
fax 416 392 4129

David Miller:
councillor_miller@toronto.ca;
416 696 3667

Francis Nunciata:
councillor_nunciata@toronto.ca;
fax 416 392 4118

Paul Sutherland:
councillor_sutherland@toronto.ca;
416 392 4101

3. Get your friends involved

Please send this bulletin to your friends and ask them to attend the public meeting on November 4, and to consider writing a letter as well. It would nice if we could get 50 or more people to attend this very important committee meeting.

To subscribe to this free bulletin, please send an email to signup@saveunionstation.ca, and please visit our website at http://www.saveunionstation.ca