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June 2005 Newsletter ~ Toronto
Public Space Committee
1) YEAR OF CREATIVITY? ~
Time to Walk the Walk
2) DO IT YOURSELF! ~ Transit
Shelter Contest!
3) DOWNTOWN DE-FENCE PROJECT
~ The First Fence is Down!
4) THE GUERILLA GARDENERS
~ Pride Planting
5) ANTI-POSTER BYLAW ~ UPDATE
6) BILLS AGAINST BILLBOARDS
~ a polite plea for support
7) TAKE THE LANE ~ TPSC
Ad Campaign Launched
8) TPSC MONTHLY MEETING
~ Wednesday July 6th
9) TTC TV ~ Update
10) TTC EFFICIENCY GUIDE
~ Celebrate Transit
11) ROYAL YORK BIKELANE
~ Royal Mess
12) STYLE IN PROGRESS ~
Largest Graffiti Event in Canada
13) THE HALFTONE CONSIRACY
~ New Poster Project
14) CAR FREE SUNDAYS - City
Says No Funding, Organisers Going Ahead Anyway
15) WALK HERE ~ Community
Green Walking System
16) DELETE! ~ Artists Cover
Vienna Signage to Debate Excess Ads
17) DIRECT CITY ACTION ~
New Activist Citizen's Group
18) WIRELESS TORONTO ~ Free
Internet for the Masses
19) WEBSITE OF THE MONTH
~ Billboard Liberation Front
This month's newsletter is dedicated to Ben Kerr whose music, both political
and whimsical, blessed Toronto's busiest intersection for decades. He
also added some desperately needed creativity into Toronto's electoral
politics by running for mayor in every civic election since 1985. Thanks
Ben.
______________________________________________________________
1) YEAR OF CREATIVITY? Time
to walk the walk
On June 13, Mayor Miller announced that 2006 is Toronto's "Year of
Creativity." We can only hope that it doesn't look anything like
2005. Toronto's "Beautiful City" initiative hasn't produced
much more than a 20 minute clean-up, an attempt to ban community postering
and an anti-graffiti law that is threatening to white-wash some of the
best examples of 'creativity' in the city. The new bylaw could force property
owners to remove graffiti from the sides or back of their building, even
if they think it's art and don't mind it being on their walls. City staff
insist that the graffiti community (some of which is funded by the city)
was consulted on the bylaw and that mural art projects will be protected.
But leaders in the street art community say no one ever asked them for
input and that property owners have been threatened as recently as last
week to remove murals from their back-alleys or be fined.
In addition to lousy legislation, we've also noticed a disturbing trend
of police being used to intimidate groups who have gathered in public
spaces for artistic or political reasons. Recent arrests at Critical Mass
and at a drum circle at Trinity Bellwoods park reflect poorly on the city.
Police harassment of excited cyclists and hippie drummers is not cool.
If City Council is serious about creativity and art then they should be
encouraging grassroots street-level expression, not banning it. Because
creativity exists on our streets and in our parks, not just in theatres
and galleries.
Let's hope that the 2006 'Year of Creativity' looks nothing like 2005.
White walls, clean lamposts and broadway musicals do not make a creative
city.
______________________________________________________________
2) DO IT YOURSELF! ~ Transit
Shelter Contest!
Where the Streets Have No Name.
Four years after Viacom Outdoor began to replace all of our transit shelters,
they seem to have forgotten something. While the seven foot corporate
advertisements were installed right away, the street names on the shelters
somehow got left out. Instead, each shelter simply says "Viacom."
If you want something done right, do it yourself!! We are inviting Torontonians
to decorate their local bus or streetcar shelter with the name of the
closest intersecting street. Take a photo and send it to us. The best
entry wins a full set of subway station buttons from Spacing Magazine!
Visit our website for details and to see the contest
entries we've received so far.
______________________________________________________________
3) DOWNTOWN DE-FENCE PROJECT
~ The First Fence is Down!
See photos at: http://www.publicspace.ca/defence_barton.htm
Why De-Fence?
Because chainlink represents all that is wrong in this world.
A fence discourages communication and collaboration.
A fence marks private property and silently says "my mom never taught
me how to share."
A fence symbolises apathy towards community and public spaces, drawing
a line of responsibility at the end of one's lawn.
Each time we take down a fence, we open up a new space.
Get involved! Volunteer to help De-Fence! Encourage your neighbours to
take down their chainlink!
Next De-Fencing Day: July 16th.
more at: www.publicspace.ca/defence
______________________________________________________________
4) THE GUERILLA GARDENERS
~ Pride Planting
Toronto is bursting with colour this week! What better way to add to the
Pride festivities than to bring our Guerilla Gardening project into the
heart of the gay village!
We're meeting at noon on SATURDAY outside the YMCA and then travelling
on foot and bikes to two other locations near Buddies in Bad Times and
the 519 Community Centre.
Details and map at: www.publicspace.ca/gardeners
If you can, bring some water, soil or seedlings.
And of course, don't forget your spoon!
Spread the love.
______________________________________________________________
5) ANTI-POSTERING BYLAW
- Update
After a four year campaign, we are very close to winning the ridiculous
war against the anti-postering bylaw. On May 18, City Council debated
the proposal that would have banned posters on 98% of the utility poles
in Toronto.
After hours of debate City Councillors did NOT adopt the anti-postering
bylaw! Instead they voted 21 to 17 to delay the vote and refer the proposal
to the Mayor's office. Mayor Miller was given four months to find an alternative
proposal that works for everyone.
We were thrilled to hear the Mayor stand up in support of freedom of expression
and a vibrant city.
Mayor Miller said "Our first principle has to be about freedom of
speech. This is an an issue that no City Council should take lightly.
The Supreme Court of Canada has said that postering is an appropriate
expression of free speech."
We will need your support again in the fall when this comes back to Council.
Until then, please keep in touch through our newsletter and thanks for
your support and efforts! If it weren't for all the e-mails, phonecalls
and petitions, postering would be illegal in Toronto today.
______________________________________________________________
6) BILLS AGAINST BILLBOARDS
~ a polite plea for support
~ $24 to Launch our Newest Campaign! ~
Now that we're on the verge of ensuring our right to poster, it's time
to start going after the real visual pollution on our streets: commercial
billboards.
We are about to launch our most extensive campaign ever, taking on Toronto's
outdoor advertising industry and turning the tide on the erosion of our
public spaces.
Hundreds of cities across North America have banned new billboards. Toronto
is going in the opposite direction. New billboards appear all the time.
Many of these signs violate the city's sign bylaw by taking advantage
of policy loopholes, while other billboards are simply illegal, with no
permits at all. It time to get them taken down.
But we need your support. We're going up against companies with multi-million
dollar budgets. We, on the other hand, are flat broke. We accept no money
from government grants because we feel it would compromise our ability
to lobby and organise. We don't want money with strings attached. Our
best source of financial support is from you, our supporters!
This newsletter list has close to 800 subscribers. If you each tossed
us a single toonie each month, we could make this campaign take-off and
make a real difference in this city.
So, we are asking you to send us $24. This is a one-year donation that
will keep us operating, doing research, printing reports and maintaining
our website as a public resource. You can send a cheque or cash to the
address below or make a PayPal donation from our website.
If you can't afford to send a donation, we still love you!
But if you can send us $24 (or more!) we guarantee that it will be one
of the best investments you ever make. It will allow us to continue doing
what we do best.
Thank you for your continued support and always feel free to get in touch
with ideas, suggestions and assistance of any kind.
Together, we can reclaim the streets.
publicspace.ca/donate
______________________________________________________________
7) TAKE THE LANE ~ TPSC
ad campaign launched
Most of the promotional campaigns that we've seen produced by the City
of Toronto for cyclists, tell us what we can't do: Don't ride on the sidewalk,
don't be a "Road Warrior", etc.
We thought it was about time for a campaign that encouraged and empowered
cyclists, by reminding us what we CAN do!
Please visit our website to view our "Take the Lane" ad.
www.publicspace.ca/takethelane.htm
Hope you like it!
We are looking for sponsors to help get the ad printed full-page in Eye
and NOW.
______________________________________________________________
8) TPSC MONTHLY MEETING
~ Wednesday July 6th
We hold open monthly public meetings to discuss our current projects,
respond to current events in the city, propose new campaigns and update
old campaigns. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month.
Get Involved! All welcome. Juice and cookies will be served, of course.
Next General Meeting:
Wednesday July 6th, 6:30 PM
Location to be announced
www.publicspace.ca/getinvolved.htm
______________________________________________________________
9) TTC TV ~ COMMISSIONERS
APPROVE VIDEO ADVERTISING ON PLATFORMS
On Wednesday May 11, In a 3 to 2 vote, TTC Commissioners voted today in
favour of video advertising on all TTC subway platforms. The plan gives
advertising a higher priority over all other content including time, date,
weather, news and TTC info. Font sizes are reduced from current sizes
and important content is pushed aside to make room for the ads. The TTC
has cheapened the system by selling off more visual space at the expense
of rider convenience, all to make a few easy bucks.
Thanks to the hundreds of supporters who took the time to write letters
and attend meetings.
Stay tuned for the vote on video ads inside SUBWAY CARS! Coming this fall...
more at: www.publicspace.ca/ttcvideo.htm
______________________________________________________________
10) TTC EFFICIENCY GUIDE
~ Celebrate Transit
"Shave seconds off your journey with the TTC Subway Rider Efficiency
Guide." Imagine if you could always step off a subway at the exact
spot where the stairs or escalator are located. Now you can! With the
"TTC Efficiency Guide."
Purchase or download copies of this witty booklet at: ttcrider.ca/
Also visit their "Celebrate Transit" page with lots of links
to neat things transit-related.
ttcrider.ca/celebrate.php
______________________________________________________________
11) ROYAL YORK BIKELANE
~ ROYAL MESS
On May 19, City Council approved a sub-standard bike lane on Royal York
Road in Etobicoke. A crucial part of the City's bike network, the route
had been published in the original Bike Plan, but was deleted at the request
of local Councilor Peter Milczyn by Councillors in a last minute amendment
to the plan.
Staff moved ahead anyway, hoping to convince Council to go ahead with
the much needed lane. In the end, a compromise was worked out by a group
of pro-bike Councillors including Adam Giambrone, Olivia Chow and Glen
Debaermaker.
While the Transportation Association of Canada recommends that bike lanes
be 2m wide, and a minimum of 1.5 m, the Councillors agreed on a pseudo
bikelane called an "edgeline" with a width of 1.2 metres. Cycle
advocates are worried that a precedent has been set and all other proposed
bike lanes in the city are now at risk of being reduced in width below
nationally accepted standards.
Royal York residents cried that the city would have to destroy 227 mature
trees in order to fit the full width bikelane. Journalists picked up on
this rumour and published it as fact, but a quick call to city staff revealed
that the tree claim was not true. Some trees might have been damaged but
not all of them, and many are close to dying anyway.
After speaking with City staff, Council staff, activists and residents
on the street, we believe that there was a better solution than the 1.2
lane. There is clearly enough room on the street to accommodate everyone's
needs and lowering the bar for cyclist safety should not have been the
answer. The Bike Plan is a city-wide network and should not be amended
by local residents who want to create holes in the plan for their own
selfish interests.
While we have trouble supporting the call for Adam Giambrone's resignation
as Chair of the Toronto Cycling Committee (Adam is a good advocate and
besides, who would you get to replace him - Milczyn?), we believe that
the narrow lane was not the best solution.
We encourage people to sign the petition opposing the compromise.
www.petitiononline.com/TOBikes/petition.html
The petition has already been signed by over 1,000 Torontonians, showing
the strength and determination of our city's cyclists. As the petition
says: "Cyclists deserve better. Cyclists deserve respect. Our lives
depend on having safe passage on city roads. We need space to make Toronto
a better place to live and breathe."
______________________________________________________________
12) STYLE IN PROGRESS EVENT 2005
~ July 16 & 17
The largest graffiti and hip hop jam in Canada. Last year over 8000 people
attended this 2-day festival, located in 3 different venues across the
city.
July 16th: Dundas Square
Performances, bboy/bgirl battle and lots of painting including a 76ft
transport truck & lots of large canvases. Film night at 9pm, featuring
"R.F.Supa", a film that was created by Press Pause, a collective
of graffiti and stencil artists from Toronto.
July 17: Queen West Alleys from Spadina to Portland
Over 100 writers will paint together all day, revamping the alleys and
interacting with the public. A full roster of djs to complete the vibe.
This peaceful display of camaraderie is a prime example of the fact that
graffiti is not gang related. Come witness the amazing talent and good
vibes created by this subculture.
Please come out and show your support of graffiti and urban art in Toronto
along with some of Canada's best hip hop music and breakdancers.
For more info: www.styleinprogress.ca
______________________________________________________________
13) THE HALFTONE CONSPIRACY
~ New Poster Project
The Halftone Conspiracy is a collaborative poster project. Monthly, the
co-conspirators gather, with posters they've created in hand, to transform
a pre-determined location. The posters can be of any size, shape or method
that the conspirator chooses. The only rule is that the conspirator must
create their poster based on the selected theme.
halftoneconspiracy.net
______________________________________________________________
14) CAR FREE SUNDAYS - City
says no funding, organisers going ahead anyway
Kensington's Pedestrian Sundays was refused funding from City Council
this month, but they
are going ahead anyway with the car-free events on July 17th, July 31st,
August 14th, and August 28th! For more info, or to get involved, please
visit their website: pskensington.ca
______________________________________________________________
15) WALK HERE ~ Community
Green Walking System
WALK HERE is a community and public artwork that helps green and connect
the Dupont West neighbourhood by creating an art-embedded walking system
throughout the community that pulls it together as a place.
Opening of Walk Here: Community Green Walking System
At CANADA DAY festival • Friday July 1st • 12:00 - 5:00
Wallace Emerson Park (Dufferin and Dupont west end of the park)
WALK HERE, phase one, opening at Wallace Emerson Park, west end, with
installed art projects; “Walking Walk Here”, stainless steel
sculptures based on local primary schoolchildren’s drawing, “Constellation”
bronzes by a number local artists and “Contained” which incorporates
recycled glass works created with help from high school students and community
participation.
Lots more at: www.digin.ca
______________________________________________________________
16) DELETE! ~ Artists cover
Vienna signage to debate excess ads
All the signs in a popular Vienna shopping district have been swathed
in bright yellow fabric as part of an art project designed to spark debate
about excess advertising.
All advertising signs, slogans, pictograms, company names and logos –
everything from the Starbucks coffee chain symbol to the signage for a
bank – have been covered as part of the two-week project entitled
"Delete!"
more at: http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2005/06/15/Arts/noadart050615.html
______________________________________________________________
17) DIRECT CITY ACTION ~
New Activist Citizen's Group
Former mayor John Sewell has initiated a new grassroots group dedicated
to putting pressure on Toronto Liberal MPs to boost funding for for transit,
immigrant settlement, health, education, etc.
Meetings are open to the public. Next meeting is: Monday June 27, 7:30pm,
Innis College Cafe (beside the Town Hall) St. George and Sussex Streets
www.directcityaction.ca
______________________________________________________________
18) WIRELESS TORONTO ~ New
Group Working Towards Free Internet for the Masses
Wireless Toronto is a new not-for-profit group dedicated to bringing no-fee
wireless Internet access to Toronto. Their aim is to encourage the growth
of wireless networking and to build community in interesting and innovative
ways.
To get involved or to offer a "hotspot", please visit: http://wirelesstoronto.ca
______________________________________________________________
19) WEBSITE OF THE MONTH
~ Billboard Liberation Front
The Art & Science of Billboard Improvement
"Look up! Billboards have become as ubiquitous as human suffering,
as difficult to ignore as a beggar's outstretched fist. Every time you
leave your couch or cubicle, momentarily severing the electronic umbilicus,
you enter the realm of their impressions...The procedures outlined here
are based on our 20+ years' experience executing billboard improvements
professionally, safely, and (knock wood) without injury or arrest."
A comprehensive guide to the alteration of outdoor advertising
www.billboardliberation.com/guidebook.html
==============================
Toronto Public Space Committee
~ Reclaiming the Streets ~
www.publicspace.ca
253 College Street, Box 372
Toronto, ON M5T 1R5
contact @publicspace.ca
416.654.TPSC
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