Guildwood Village- www.guildwood.on.ca - The Guild Renaissance Group
Area: the residential area south of Kingston Road, west of Grey Abbey Ravine, east of Bellamy Ravine Creek
November 6, 2009
Recommencement of Construction - Guild Inn Shoreline Regeneration Project
Dear Residents of Guildwood Village,
The Guildwood Community is thriving and evolving to serve it’s community better. This summer saw the
introduction of a farmers market at Livingston Rd. and Guildwood Pkwy., where music and organically local grown food was offered. Currently raised flower beds are being installed along Guildwood Pkwy as part of the beautification program. These are just several of the projects taking place across the Ward.
In August a partnership was approved by Toronto City Council for Centennial College to construct a new home for their Cultural and Heritage Institute on the grounds of the Guild Inn. The multi-phase development will
eventually include a new hotel and a conference centre complex in the restorated historic Bickford Residence.
I worked with the Guild Park Advisory Committee made up of citizen members, the Guildwood Village Community Association, The Guild Renaissance Group and City Staff to make this happen. I am very satisfied the Bickford Residence will be restored in this new partnership as the previous proponent did not have a clause to restore the building. The tower which is now down did not have a historical designation. The tower’s demolition was a main request from the residents of the community as well as Centennial College.
To save money and inconvenience for the Guildwood community, I arranged for the Toronto Conservation
Authority to use the concrete from the tower demolition site for their Guild Inn Shoreline Regeneration Project. It reduced close to 500 dump truck trips through the Guildwood community.
Centennial is in the process to secure a private hotel developer/operator to invest about $40 million in this project. The City of Toronto will make a $4.2 million investment in the Culture Precinct of the park, which will remain in public hands.
The proposal is a combination of new construction, restoration and site improvements respecting the history of the existing site. Centennial College will be leasing the Bickford Residence, not the park land.
I am very happy with this project and believe that Centennial College is a good fit for our community. The College is a Scarborough-based institution which offers a world-renowned hospitality, tourism and culture program. The City of Toronto will enter into a Letter of Intent with Centennial College, followed by a long-term sublease with a not-for-profit corporation that will be incorporated and controlled by the college. The City currently leases the property from the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.
This summer the Provincial Ministry of Natural Resources permitted Toronto Hydro to install a wind anemomter in Lake Ontario off the Scarborough Bluffs. I have spoken and written to the parties involved to express my
disapproval of this installation and have advised the proper authorities that this is not the proper location for the possibility of the installation of wind turbines.
Local Road Resurfacing
To start this summer 2009
Guildwood Village
-Schubert Drive from Guildwood Pkwy to Dearham Wood Local Road Resurfacing
-Rossini Place Local Road Resurfacing
-Lausanne Cres from Dearham Wood to Wooster Road Local Road Resurfacing
-Cushendunn Road from Fordover Drive to Fintona Avenue – Local Road Resurfacing
-Poplar Road from Guildwood Pkwy to Dearham Wood Local Road Resurfacing
-Chantry Court Local Road Resurfacing
-Wooster Wood from Dearham Wood to Lausanne Cres Local Road Resurfacing
-Scarcliff Gardens Guildwood Pkwy to Cumber Avenue Local Road Resurfacing
-Westlake Road Road Resurfacing Kingston Rd to Livingston Rd Local Road Resurfacing
