NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
| WBCA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Wednesday, December 10, 2025 @ Romero House 1558 Bloor St West 7-9 PM “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead Are you interested in getting involved in your community and making a postive impact? Then don’t miss this meeting! The Westbend Community Association Annual General Meeting is December 10, and this is your chance to stand for a role on our Executive. Chair/Co-Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and Members at Large (this includes heads of subcommittees such as the Garden subcommittee, Development sub-committee, Social and more). Non-elected volunteers are ALWAYS WELCOME to help out with the website, events, initiatives and moreFor more details about what these roles entail, please see our bylaws here. If you have any questions about what is involved, please reach out to info@thewestbend.ca JOIN US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WESTBEND COMMUNITY! Thank you to our friends at Romero House! |
HALLOWE’EN ACTIVITIES IN THE WEST BEND!
Pumpkin Parade in Baird Park!
Nov 1, 6 pm to 8 pm
The Westbend Community Association is hosting a Pumpkin Parade in Baird Park! Bring your Hallowe’en pumpkins to Baird Park on Nov 1 for a final send off for your jack-o’-lantern creations. Come dressed in your Hallowe’en costumes and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate with your neighbours. The City of Toronto will collect all the pumpkins for composting the next day. A great way to meet your neighbours! Baird Park is located at the corner of Keele St. and Glenlake Ave.
FREE AND ALL ARE WELCOME!
WBCA Hallowe’en House Decorating Contest!
VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE HALLOWE’EN DECORATIONS IN THE WESTBEND NEIGHBOURHOOD!!!
EMAIL A PHOTO OF YOUR FAVE HALLOWEEN DECORATED HOUSE TO: NEFATHECAT@PROTONMAIL.COM
Winners announced here in November
October 15, 7-9 pm WBCA Meeting with Guest Speaker Ric Amis on Community Benefits Frameworks
NEW LOCATION: The Glenlake, 2495 Dundas St W, Dundas St W, Toronto
| GUEST SPEAKER RIC AMIS LOCATION: The Glenlake, 2495 Dundas St W, Dundas St W, Toronto Interested in making developers accountable to our community by centring community voices and needs? Join us for a talk with community organizer Ric Amis one of the lead organizers in the creation of the Parkdale Community Benefits Framework Guide for Development without Displacement. The framework outlines minimum standards that developers must follow when investing in Parkdale. It also provides a framework for policy makers, political representatives, and the community to advocate and negotiate sound agreements. We’ve invited Ric to speak to our community about:The Community Benefits Document: How it was created and, most importantly, how it is used in practice.Parkdale’s Strategies: The tactics they’ve used to combat undesirable developments and invite good developments for the community. The Role of Land Trusts: How these organizations have been instrumental in their efforts. Join us on October 15, bring your questions and learn more about how the Westbend community can start to develop a community benefits framework. Ric Amis is a lens-based artist and community organizer. He is the Chair of the Parkdale Resident’s Association, and he remains active in community organizations focused on housing and the arts, including the Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust, Parkdale Residents Association (as Chair), West Side Community Council (as Spokesperson), and Waterfront for All. Please note, the WBCA has postponed our Annual General Meeting until November 19. |
NOTICE OF MEETING Wednesday, September 17
| WESTBEND COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION MEETING SEPTEMBER 17 The West Bend Community Association hopes you had a wonderful summer. Join us for an in-person meeting Wednesday September 17, 2025, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm at Romero House Offices at 1558 Bloor St W, TorontoMeet your neighbours, learn more about what’s happening in the West Bend, and bring your ideas and energy! Thank you to our friends at Romero House! |
#ExperienceTO: West Bend Historical Tour, Saturday Sept 6, 11am-12.30 pm
Led by Alex Rășcanu
Join us for a FREE, public walking tour that will be a good experience for anyone: whether you’re 8 or 80 years old, and whether you’re a curious local, solo traveler, backpacker, newcomer, or part of a group of friends.
Beginning in front of the West Bend “a city within a park” sign in Baird Park (275 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M6P 2K5), the interactive tour will be hosted by your guide Alex Rășcanu. We have two guest speakers who are local community leaders and will facilitate parts of the tour: Domitillah Antoinee (Co-Chair of the West Bend Community Association) and Reverend Nicholas Hatt (Rector of St. Martin-in-the-Fields). The tour will focus on West Bend’s history. The historical tour will conclude at a nearby coffee shop.
3459-3461 Dundas St West Community Consultation Meeting on Sept 3, 6pm
The City has received a Zoning By-law Amendment application for 3459-3461 Dundas St West and resultantly City Planning has scheduled a virtual Community Consultation Meeting for the evening of September 3rd at 6pm.
A plan has been proposed to redevelop this space into a 7-storey mixed-use building with retail on the ground floor, containing 34 residential units, 38 bike parking spaces, and 0 vehicle parking spaces. Next month’s meeting, consisting of a short presentation of the proposal by the applicant, followed by a presentation from City Planning Staff, and concluding with a Q&A session, will allow you to view the proposal and share your thoughts.
Councillor Perks, City Planning staff, and the applicant will be in attendance to help answer any questions that may arise. You can register for the meeting here: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/b8ab74f0-2a70-4c78-a22f-7b3d59465cd7@f0bc8ec6-9ed8-4d0c-9189-411ad949cc65.
Further information on the project and what is being proposed can be found on the City’s Application Information Centre website here: http://www.toronto.ca/3459DundasStW.
Railside Garden Clean Up! Saturday, August 2, 1 pm
Join us for mid-summer garden maintenance in the railside garden on Dundas West, just near the overpass at Glenlake. Bring your trimmers and cutters.
See you there!
Let’s get social! – In person meeting
Meet new people and learn more about your community association for our last meeting of the year.
As our previously scheduled meeting date of June 11 conflicts with the West Toronto Heritage study open house we will move our meeting date and location to:
Wednesday June 18, 2025 at Whelan’s Gate Pub
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
We will cover WBCA business from 7:00-7:30 and then spend time socialising!
Come out and join us!
See their site below.
City Council is considering zoning bylaw amendments that would make it easier to open small-scale retail, service and office uses in residential zones across Toronto.
This is the The Neighbourhood Retail and Services study and there are 2 upcoming virtual public consultations:
June 18 – 6:00 – 8:00pm
June 19 – 1:00 – 3:00pm
Click the image for more information and to register for the virtual consultation sessions:
DEADLINE EXTENDED!!!
DON’T FORGET TO FILL OUT OUR SURVEY BELOW –
The deadline has been extended until June 15. 2025
It’s only 10 short questions and your opinions will help inform what kind of community association YOU want to see.
Take a couple of minutes to tell us what issues are important to you in the West Bend community.
Click here to take the survey. Your feedback will help to focus WBCA activities and events to better meet the needs of residents.
The Annual Wanda Street Party is happening Saturday June 7.
Check out their flyer for details!
Notice of Meeting
Wednesday March 19, 2025
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Indian Road Crescent Junior Public School – 285 Indian Rd Crescent
2nd floor staff room – accessibility: stairs to 2nd floor
Agenda:
We will discuss local concerns and have updates on several development and city planning initiatives that impact the West Bend neighbourhood including:
- Pedestrian safety
- Development proposal – 2461-2475 Dundas St. W. (Dundas/Glenlake)
- There will be an update on the appeal that was made to the OLT
- The WBCA was granted status as a Participant – and statement was accepted
- Decision on the Party Status for an individual has been deferred to May – discuss whether there is value in having an individual continuing to pursue party status – what are the potential costs
- Next steps
- Visit our development page for additional details
- Committee of Adjustments
- The City retained KPMG to conduct a review on how to improve the effective participation of the public and applicants in the public hearing process. A final report with 15 recommendations was written. 1 recommendation was to regularly engage with applicants and members of the public outside of the public hearing process. There is a meeting on April 14 and we will discuss participation.
- Visit our development page for background information including a link to the report
- Housing Action Plan; Avenues, Mid-rise and Mixed Use Areas Study
- New Avenues – Keele – what will be subject to re-zoning
- Higher Density on Avenues near subway stations like Dundas West
- Re-zoning residential lands at rear of shallow lots
- Neighbourhood and Retail Services
- Status update & next steps
- Loss of Dwelling Rooms
- Due to demolition of rooming houses by developments
- Definitions of Dwelling Rooms and Dwelling Units
- Garden Suites
- Monitor and review
Action Required! – Dundas/Glenlake development
Visit our Development Projects page for details on what action you can take!
FOSTRA is hosting Dr Carolyn Whitzman at their AGM on January 23, 2025.
Registration closes 6 PM on January 21st via https://forms.gle/Y1rzygDHtnPf5Gez6
FOSTRA has noted few guidelines for the event
- Registration closes 6PM January 21st. Once we have all the attendees registered, we will issue a Zoom link to the meeting.
- Attendees will be required to mute their audio and turn off their video for the presentation portion
- Registrants can submit a question in advance, and 2-3 will be chosen to forward to Dr Whitzman.
Questions from the floor will not be accepted due to the expected attendee volume. - Once the presentation is over, FoSTRA members are welcome to attend the rest of the AGM; non-members will be asked to log out so we can proceed with the main program of the AGM
- The presentation will be recorded and made available to attendees and posted on FoSTRA social media. External recordings (notetakers like Fathom, for example) will not be approved
Meeting Notice: Wednesday January 15, 2024, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Indian Rd Cres Jr Public School – 285 Indian Rd Cres – 2nd Floor staff room – Accessibility: stairs to 2nd floor.
We will have guest speakers from Goodwood Tree Company present on tree health and answer your tree/shrub related questions! Check out their site below:
Rachael & Son Tree Health Experts will also present. Their site can be accessed below
Councillor Gord Perks is hosting a budget town hall on January 20th. Visit his site for more information.
Come and share in holiday cheer!!
Join us on Wednesday December 4th at 7:00 pm at Gabby’s at 3026 Dundas St West for a drink, bite and great conversation to start off the winter holiday season!
Gabby’s – https://www.gabbys.ca/
Join us in person for our next meeting:
Wednesday November 20, 2024
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Indian Road Crescent Junior Public School – 285 Indian Rd Crescent
2nd floor staff room – accessibility: stairs to 2nd floor
Agenda:
We will have a brief overview of development in the area and key factors that are important for residents regarding new projects. We will then develop a plan on how to engage and solicit feedback from the wider West Bend community. Click on “Development Projects” on our site to see the presentation details!
There is a city proposal to expand the range of retail and service provided in neighbourhoods and nearby major streets – This is in front of the Planning and Housing Committee on Dec 5, 2024. You can read more about it here: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/ph/bgrd/backgroundfile-245316.pdf
Come with your ideas about a speakers list! We have lots of great ideas but are always looking for more! Our speaker series focuses on learning related to area residents’ interests. We’ve previously heard from our political representatives, had presentations on laneway housing, heat pumps, and native gardening.
Save the date! Book the evening of Wednesday December 4, 2024 in your calendar for a winter holiday get together at a local establishment.
Do you have web design skills? We’re seeking volunteers with knowledge of WordPress to help us maintain our site.
We look forward to seeing all of you next week!
Reports have come out that the Ontario government plans to bring forward legislation that would block the installation of bike lanes where motor vehicle lanes would have to be reduced.
Click the image below to add your voice to the Cycle Toronto petition!
Join us for our AGM this Wednesday October 23, 2024
This is our annual general meeting and will include a financial update and nominations for Officer and Executive positions.
Meetings are open to the public for anyone to attend.
Those with paid memberships are eligible to vote.
Membership fees for 2024-2025 are $20.00 per person and you can register in person at the meeting.
Date: Wednesday October 23, 2024
Time: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Location: Indian Road Crescent Junior Public school – 2nd floor staff lounge
Accessibility: Flights of stairs from 1st to 2nd floor
Agenda:
Welcome & Land acknowledgement
Financial update
Website & mailing list update
Nominations & voting for officer positions
Dundas/Glenlake development update
Speaker series
New business
September 18, 2024
Our rental application for Indian Road Crescent Junior Public School for the 2024 – 2025 meeting year has been approved!
Our first meeting will be: Wednesday September 18, 2024 from 7:00 – 9:00 and will take place in the gymnasium.
Guest Speaker: Councillor Gord Perks will be in attendance to talk about Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods.
The Junction Residents association is holding s hosting a virtual meeting with the Taiaiako’n-Parkdale-High Park candidates on Wednesday April 16th (7-9pm) virtually