There is no mistaking that many of our neighbours along Roncesvalles are cyclists. In mid-January, Roncesvalles residents will have the opportunity to voice their opinions at a public meeting about making the street more cyclist and pedestrian friendly. Walk and Bike for Life, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting personal and public health, is holding a discussion about better integrating cycling into the neighbourhood and enhancing the experience of pedestrians. The goal is to make Roncesvalles a true "slow" street, in the best sense of the word.

The Roncesvalles Renewed Community is invited to review and improve the final draft of the Bloor/Dundas Avenue Study, on Tuesday November 18, 7 p.m. at St. Joan of Arc, 1701 Bloor Street West.

The study area includes Dundas Street, north from the Roncesvalles intersection, up to Glenlake, (as well as Bloor from Dundas to Keele).

The intent is to help integrate the neighbouring visions, enable a better walking environment and ensure a complementary streetscape along Roncesvalles and Dundas up to the subway station. For background materials to date, including a summary of the September 20 community design workshop, see: www.toronto.ca/planning/bloordundas.htm .

Roncesvalles Renewed will update community members on where things stand with the reconstruction of the streetcar tracks on Roncesvalles and our efforts to get the most out of the big dig for our community.

The presentation will be made at the next regular meeting of the Roncesvalles-Macdonell Residents' Association, to be held Tuesday, November 25, 2008, at 7 p.m. at the Fern Avenue Public School, 128 Fern Avenue (east of Roncesvalles).

The digging is expected to begin next summer starting in August and will continue until August 2010.

The Polish Festival came on the heels of Hurricane Ike, so we weren't sure what to expect. But we were lucky.  The rain held off for much of the weekend and record crowds turned out.

Volunteers with Roncesvalles Renewed were at the Festival, handing out our new flyers  -- thanks to Richard Peachey for the great design and to the Roncesvalles BIA for underwriting the cost of the brochures.  And thanks to the dozens of people who stopped to talk about the opportunities to be had from the streetcar track reconstruction in 2010. 

The main purpose of this meeting was to hear a presentation from Peter Simon, of the City of Toronto 's Urban Forestry department, about what would be required for Roncesvalles Renewed, (RR), to become a model for a new approach to tree planting in Toronto, and what role members of RR can play.
Prior to Peter's talk, a few important items were discussed: