City Building : Innovation + Job News

A parade tomorrow will officially launch The Bridging Project in the Kingston-Galloway neighbourhood -- a project that organizers hope will transform a neighbourhood while employing local youth.

According to Karin Eaton of the group Mural Routes -- who are organizing the project alongside the City of Toronto, the Scarborough Arts Council, The Amazing Place and Jumblies Theatre -- says the project came out of the work of a U of T geography department social mapping study. "One issue that kept coming up was that the bridge on Lawrence East between Orton Road and Galloway Road was such a barrier in the community," she says. The plan calls to perform an "art intervention" by painting a mural on the bridge over the course of the summer.

The initiative will employ local youth under the guidance of an artist mentor. As of this week, Eaton was still waiting to hear back from funding organizations to determine the number of summer jobs the program will create, but she says 10-15 youth will be employed on the project.

The June 24 launch parade kicks off a 2pm at the northwest end of the bridge, proceeding to the community market at the East Scarborough Storefront.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Karin Eaton, Mural Routes

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In a conference call with reporters May 27, Toronto 2015 Pan-Am Games CEO Ian Troop announced that hiring is underway for an event  that is expected to become a job-creation machine in addition to an international sporting spectacle.

"With a goal of having 25 full-time staff in place by this fall to focus on planning the games, we are nearing the completion of our search for senior leaders to round out our core management team," Troop said. He noted that the chief financial officer and some senior VPs will be appointed in the next few weeks. "Following quickly will be hires for leads on government relations, sports and venues and communications and public relations."

Although the total number of staff the organization will hire is unknown, a representative of the games said by phone that the staging of the games is expected to create 15,000 total jobs -- including construction and tourism positions.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Liz Borowiec, Toronto 2015

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Etobicoke-based Aecon Group -- the largest construction and development infrastructure company in the country -- has landed a $19 million contract to widen a section of the 407 toll highway. The nine-kilometre stretch between Highway 404 and Markham Road will see its median widened to accomodate two new lanes in each direction.

Construction is set to begin immediately and be finished in September. Aecon Senior VP Mitch Patten, could not immediately say how many workers the project is expected to employ, though the number should be substantial.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Mitch Patten, Senior Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, Aecon Group Inc.

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The new waterfront campus of George Brown College -- under construction now and expected to be finished late next year -- will be home to an innovative approach to healthcare education preparing students for the new direction of medical services  in Ontario, according to spokesperson Paul Zanettos.

Zanettos says that the facility will be educating nurses and healthcare practitioners in a way that prepares them for a future in which Family Health Teams and Nurse-Practitioner-led Clinics will be ever more common, in line with priorities announced by the provincial government. The province, as if to underline his point, is a major contributor to the construction of the project, chipping in $61.5 million towards its cost. The school itself is investing $15 million, with additional money for the $175 million project coming from private sector partners.

The project will not only prepare students for the jobs of the future, but will directly create employment too, according to Zanettos. A significant number of workers will have been employed on the construction of the project, and there will be approximately 260 staff and 3,500 students within the George Brown campus building by the time it's complete.



Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Paul Zanettos, Media Relations Consultant, George Brown College

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Locals and politicians from in the Lakeshore community of Etobicoke came out to the official opening of Ken Cox Community Centre on May 15. The new facility, which is situated adjacent to parkland with a view of the lake, was built at 28 Colonel Samuel Smith Drive on the site of Father John Redmond Catholic Secondary School in an arrangement between the Separate School Board and the city.

According to Karen Nesbitt of the city's Parks, Forestry and Recreation department, the community centre employs two full-time staff,   coordinator and a custodian. In addition, the centre will employ 30 part-time staff administering recreation programs that include sports, fitness and dance classes.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Karen Nesbitt, Parks, Recreation and Forestry

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The Thorncliffe branch of the Toronto Public Library re-opened on April 13, after being closed since December 2007. The newly opened library has a staff of 9.58 "full-time equivalents," according to TPL communications officer Edward Karek, and features a host of expanded facilities and services.

The extensive two-year+ renovation was conducted by Levitt Goodman Architects Ltd. and Phillip H. Carter, and doubles the size of the location to 10,000 square feet to serve one of Toronto's most densely-populated communities.

According to the TPL website, other features of the renovation include "many exciting enhancements for the public to enjoy:

• Longer hours: Monday to Thursday from 9 am to 8:30 pm, Friday and Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm., an increase of 11.5 hours per week.
  
  
• A library that is easier to use: Complete barrier-free access to the building including the front entrance, all collections and lounge areas, community rooms, a family washroom and express check-in and check-out.
  
  
• Toronto Public Library's 3rd KidsStop: A literacy rich interactive centre where parents and caregivers learn about the importance of developing pre-literacy skills in their children.
  
  
• Expanded technology: 21 public access computers (a 91% increase), free Wi-Fi internet access and a CD listening station.
  
  
• More to enjoy: Over 11,000 new books, CDs, magazines and DVDs.
  
  
• Your home away from home: Comfortable reading lounges for adults and children, a vibrant teen zone with a large screen TV.
  
  
• More meeting space for the community: A bookable meeting room and a study room."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Edward Karek, Communications Officer, Toronto Public Library

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Reena, a social service agency in Vaughan that serves people with developmental disabilities by housing them and helping them integrate into the community, has secured a $1.5 million grant from the provincial government towards the construction of a new facility in Vaughan.

The new building on the agency's Lebovic Campus will house 84 people and will employ 20 support staff immediately, in addition to the construction trades jobs created before it opens, says Minnie Ross, communications and marketing manager of Reena. She says the number of employees "will increase to 30 or 40 over the next two years."

The new building will also house the agency's professional development training program, creating 56 new training spaces for those considering working with the developmentally disabled, and a day centre serving young adults in the community who require programming during the day.

The agency, founded in 1973, currently provides services to approximately 1,000 individuals, including housing 300 people in 132 group homes, condos and apartments.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Minnie Ross, Communications and Marketing Manager, Reena

WIDEawake Entertainment Group, which in just over the past year has begun managing the soul  singer Sean Jones and purchased legendary hip-hop label Death Row Records is set to open a luxury recording and performing facility in Liberty Village in April.

The new space, WIDEawake Liberty Studios, will encompass 6,000 square feet in all, including a 1,200-square-foot event space/soundstage, music recording studios, editing suites and other facilities for both film and music production.

WIDEawake Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer Robert Thompson-So did not site specific numbers, but said that the company intends to "ramp up basic staff levels to get things going" over the next few months, and expects the site to be a significant employment hub, both directly and through the creative professionals who use the facility.

Thompson-So says the location is of paramount importance to the new venture. "If you spend time in Liberty Village, you see that the growth is just explosive. And the common theme is that every business down here is pushing the creative boundaries." He notes that the neighbourhood is home to both creative industries and the professional services, including entertainment lawyers and managers, who serve them. That makes it a natural home to a facility like one his company plans, he says.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Robert Thompson-So, Vice Chairman and COO, WIDEawake Entertianment Group

Art Starts is a not-for-profit organization with a mandate to "build healthier communities using the arts." It runs neighbourhood cultural centres in at-risk neighbourhoods where artists of all ages can find "relevant creative opportunities."

In an email to supporters, Managing Director Liz Forsberg recently announced the opening of the org's fourth neighbourhood hub, located in Lawrence Heights. Also, Art Starts is moving its headquarters to the Yorkdale Community Arts Centre at Yorkdale Mall as of March 18, a move that Forsberg writes, "is a very exciting opportunity for us; not only will it allow us to share a state-of-the-art facility with all four of the communities we work with, but it will also give us the opportunity to begin developing and offering fee-for-service programs as a means of providing some sustainable funding to our free programs in underserved neighbourhoods."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Art Starts

Innovators and idea people with good strategies or techniques for building a better, greener city have a unique opportunity to reach influential industry players by presenting a seminar at IIDEX/NeoCon's Green Building Festival and Light Canada. The organization that runs the country's largest design and architecture conference has issued a call for presentations.

The Green Building Festival, now in its fifth year, is the largest exposition on sustainable building, and according to the IIDEX website, the emphasis is on "cutting-edge innovation, technical detail and measurable results."

The call for presentations reads, "If you have an interesting presentation or an idea that could be developed into an educational session, you are invited to submit an on-line proposal. Conference speakers gain visibility in the industry, as well as contribute to the advancement of the profession." Anyone with an innovative green building concept or business looking to gain widespread exposure can read the details and apply here. A review of last year's show, for those looking to get a sense of what it's all about and whether their presentation would be a good fit, is here.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: IIDEX/NeoCon

This week at the York Woods Library Theatre, the Black Creek Community Micro-Credit Program officially declared itself open for lending. The program in the at-risk community of Jane-Finch aims to provide small loans of up to $5,000 to entrepreneurs with solid business plans who would not otherwise qualify for conventional bank loans.

According to Dr. Barry Rieder, the program's chair, the fund hopes to provide as many as 20 loans to small businesses in its first year of operation. The project, with the support of the Access Community Capital Fund (recent recipients of a Trillium Foundation grant to support micro-credit programs) and the Alterna Savings credit union, provides what Rieder characterizes as "character references" and loan guarantees to successful loan applicants. The projects the program funds will create jobs and stimulate the economy in the local community.

The program is a project of the 10-year-old Black Creek Community Capacity Building Group, an organization set up to build the both the strength and reputation of the Black Creek Community around Jane-Finch, one of the City of Toronto's priority neighbourhoods.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Dr. Barry Rieder, Chair, Black Creek Community Micro-Credit Program

Rexdale, one of Toronto's priority neighbourhoods, just became home to a new program that aims to fill a whole lot of economic and social priorities in one swoop: youth employment, local business assistance and sustainability, just for a start.

Cool Rexdale is simple enough -- it offers Rexdale businesses that need to replace their roofs a hand in installing a green roof. The installation itself will save the business money on energy bills while greening the local environment, but the program goes further than that. By taking advantage of government incentives  and Clinton Foundation negotiating power, building owners are offered discounts of up to $100,000 on building materials.

Meanwhile the program also serves the at-risk youth of Rexdale by providing jobs for them as pre-apprentice roofers.

Brian Denney of Toronto and Region Conservation sums it up in an announcement, saying, "The Cool Rexdale Program is exciting because it helps businesses realize the financial benefits of reduced energy costs, while having a positive impact on the environment, and ensuring that local residents share in the benefits of the emerging green economy."

Toronto and Region Conservation is just one of a laundry list of partners in the project under the banner Partners in Project Green, though the Greater Toronto Airports Authority is leading the charge since the area falls under Pearson Airport's Eco-Business Zone.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Partners in Project Green

The Toronto Port Authority, long portrayed as an environmental villain by Toronto island residents opposed to its operation of an airport on the Toronto waterfront, has announced an ambitious program of green improvements, part of a $16 million infrastructure spending initiative.

Headlines last week in the daily papers brought news of the TPA's plan to construct a pedestrian tunnel from the Toronto mainland to the airport -- contentious because of previous, thwarted plans to build a bridge. But buried in the news cycle was the announcement that all of the TPA's operations will be powered by renewable energy bought through a partnership with Bullfrog Power.

On the enviro front, the federal government agency responsible for Toronto's port further plans to invest $1 million in creating fish habitat, making a change to green lubricants for servicing all its machinery and vigilantly enforcing anti-idling laws. It's a small part of $16 million in capital expenditures in this year's TPA budget that includes resurfacing runways, constructing a sound barrier and upgrading equipment. The changes anticipate a growth in air traffic at the airport of over 35 per cent.

Community AIR, an activist group who have long opposed the TPA and the island airport, maintains the position that "a large, polluting airport within two kilometres of the city downtown will ruin the quality of life of all Torontonians."�

City Patron, a new non-profit organization in Toronto, seeks to introduce an innovative element to the work of independent activists by adding an ingredient so often lacking from their lives: money.

The prime example -- and City Patron test case -- is Dave Meslin, an activist who founded the Toronto Public Space Committee, the Toronto Cyclists Union, Dandyhorse magazine, City Idol and helped set up Spacing magazine and most recently, the Better Ballots Initiative, among other endeavors. Meslin, or "Mez," as he's known, has helped influence the city's political life for the past 10 years through his initiatives. Yet, perhaps unsurprisingly, he often has difficulty making ends meet.

City Patron argues that we need people like Meslin, and that we lack a way to fund their work. "Just as engines need spark plugs, cities need people who can turn good ideas into action.The private sector knows this. The marketplace celebrates innovators and entrepreneurs who dream up the next big idea for a product or a company. But in the civic arena, it's a different story," the org's website declares.

So City Patron is asking people to chip in. By committing to pay $20 or $30 per month (or any other voluntary amount), large groups of people will provide innovative social activists with a salary of $30,000-$40,000 per year. In exchange for their micropatronage, donors will receive monthly updates on the activist's work. As it launched earlier this month, Dave Meslin was the initial "City Builder" seeking funding, but more candidates will be announced on the site this month.

Peter MacLeod, the founder of the project (who works to "reinvent public consultation" in his day job at MASS LBP), says that in the first 10 days the project's website was live, $10,000 in donations were pledged, alongside multiple offers of partnerships from charitable organizations and hundreds of emails.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Peter MacLeod, founder, City Patron

When you think of the GTA as a hotbed of innovation and a magnet for newcomers looking to relocate, the Town of Richmond Hill may not be the first locale that springs to mind. But according to a study of 50 cities conducted by the Conference Board of Canada, the suburban municipality just north of Toronto is among Canada's elite "City Magnets."

"It's not that Richmond Hill blows away everybody on all the indicators," says Mario Lefebvre, director the Conference Board's Centre for Municipal Studies, "but it offers a perfect mix of very well-balanced results across the field." Lefebvre notes that Richmond Hill was second in all of Canada in the "Innovation" category of the study, a result of its high proportion of well-educated citizens and of those employed in the sciences or in computer-related fields. It also did notably well in the "Education" category, partially a result of the high ratio of teachers to students in its school system.

Of course, for some people whose sense of Yonge Street is already oriented north of Steeles, the news was no surprise. "We have always known that Richmond Hill is a great place to live, play and work," said Mayor Dave Barrow in a statement by email. "But it's always nice when it's statistically proven and people outside the community recognize this as well."

The Conference Board of Canada is a non-profit public policy think tank. The report, entitled "City Magnets II: Benchmarking the Attractiveness of 50 Canadian Cities" graded municipalities for their performance in seven major categories thought to be attractive to migrants: Society, Health, Economy, Environment, Education, Innovation, and Housing. Alongside Richmond Hill, Calgary, Waterloo, Vancouver, St. John's and Ottawa also managed an overall "A" grade. Five GTA cities scored "B" grades on the survey (Markham, Vaughan, Oakville, Toronto and Burlington), with the region securing five of the 14 top spots.

Many might have expected the City of Toronto to score better, particularly since it attracts some 85,000 immigrants per year from outside the country, more than any other city in Canada -- surely a testament to its status as a "magnet." But Lefebvre notes that this is partially offset by the 25,000 people per year who migrate out of Toronto to other Canadian cities. "Some of those 25,000 were originally international migrants who decide to move on.... in this case Montreal and Toronto are not doing so well when it comes to inter-city and inter-provincial migration," he says.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Sources: Mario Lefebvre, Director, Centre for Municipal Studies, Conference Board of Canada
Office of Dave Barrow, Mayor, Town of Richmond Hill