Light up your pumpkin one last time, and then have it composted 

BRAMPTON, ON: Pumpkins that adorned homes throughout Brampton on Halloween 

will once again be given a grand send-off on Tuesday, November 1. Residents are 

encouraged to bring their pumpkins to The Great Pumpkin Party, where they can light 

them one final time before being composted  

The Great Pumpkin Party takes place from 5 to 7 pm at Garden Square in front of The 

Rose Theatre Brampton, at the corner of Queen and Main Streets. Now in its third year, 

the event informs and encourages residents about proper waste management and how 

they should compost their Halloween pumpkins rather than just disposing them in the 

garbage. 

The Great Pumpkin Party is sponsored by Regional and City Councillors for Wards 1 

and 5 Elaine Moore and Grant Gibson; Regional and City Councillors for Wards 3 and 4 

John Sanderson and Bob Callahan; Brampton Downtown Development Corporation; the 

Region of Peel; Miller Waste; Canadian Waste Management and SandHill  Disposal & 

Recycling.  

The party will feature a free BBQ; free samosas; hot apple cider generously donated by 

Al Ferri & Sons; along with a harvest cookie for the first 500 children, courtesy of 

Longo’s. Free family friendly activities include educational displays sponsored by 

Brampton Clean City Committee, Brampton Safe City and the Region of Peel. The party 

will also include musical performances by The Rory McDonald Band and Enviro Drum, 

a percussive musical group that plays recyclable products. 

Early Drop Off 

On Tuesday, November 1, on your way to work from 8 to 9 am, drop off your carved 

pumpkin at the Lorna Bissell Fountain at the Rose Theatre.  

RICHMOND HILL – Richmond Hill Mayor Dave Barrow delivered his annual “State of the Town” address at the Richmond Hill Chamber of Commerce Annual Mayor's Luncheon & Member Showcase held on October 21 at the Richmond Hill Country Club.

Despite being amid turbulent financial news from around the world, Mayor Barrow spoke confidently to the audience of mostly small business owners about Richmond Hill’s many recent initiatives and its prosperous future ahead.

“To us, sustainability is more than just ‘greening’ our natural environment and buildings,” said Mayor Barrow. It’s a broader definition that’s about the capacity to endure. It means thinking about the long-term effects of our actions, and considering the environmental, economic and social implications of our choices.”

The Mayor stressed that sustainability is an evolving process about making choices that endure the test of time. He relayed how the Town’s two most important and guiding plans, the Strategic Plan and the Official Plan, speak to a sustainable future in Richmond Hill.

“Our Strategic Plan, which helps guide our decision making at the Town, identifies the importance of the principles of sustainability,” said Mayor Barrow. “In the Official Plan, sustainability reaches well beyond green building requirements or environmental considerations alone. Our Official plan aims to connect us to the landscape through shared systems and multi-purpose solutions that conserve resources and promote economic prosperity.”

Leading with a focus on fiscal responsibility, the Mayor spoke about the Town’s economy and financial situation saying that Richmond Hill has one of the lowest tax rates in the GTA and is one of very few area municipalities that remains debt-free. Mayor Barrow said that the local economy continues to expand and is largely supported by small business, with over 4,000 businesses calling Richmond Hill home, including many national and international corporate headquarters. 

Mayor Barrow discussed the recent social and cultural advancements that the Town has undertaken that focus around equity, social inclusion, security and adaptability.

“Richmond Hill is a community made up of a mosaic of cultures, languages and faiths that values its rich heritage. We are involved citizens who take pride in our record of community involvement in recreation, volunteer service and the arts,” said Mayor Barrow. “Proof of just how committed and engaged our community is was seen earlier this year when we received the most applications ever wanting to join a Town committee!”

Further building on the Town’s commitment to preserving and integrating with the natural environment, the Mayor highlighted the Town’s latest and biggest project in this regard. “If there is one recent project that demonstrates our commitment to sustainability, it is the new Oak Ridges Community Centre,” declared Mayor Barrow. “The Centre will be a landmark facility within an integrated site that achieves the sensitive balance between much-needed recreational services and the natural environment. It will offer dramatic views of Lake Wilcox while providing ecological benefits to the lake and the Oak Ridges Moraine.”

With a positive outlook to the future, Mayor Barrow concluded by talking about what’s next for Richmond Hill and how the Town will continue to work with residents and businesses in building that future. “As we move forward during the next three years of the Council’s term, we know that we need to continue our commitment to sustainability. The implementation of both our Strategic Plan and Official Plan will play a key role in making this happen and so will a number of other important Town projects and initiatives, said Mayor Barrow. “We will work to involve you in key projects and initiatives in order to best understand the issues affecting our community and how to approach them. This collaboration is the continual and evolving process towards becoming a sustainable community and building the future we all envision for ourselves, our families and friends and neighbours.”

Beverley School located in Toronto's Grange Park neighbourhood is receiving international attention for its work with special needs students. Lesley Stahl from CBS News' 60 Minutes visitedBeverley School last May to see how staff there are using new technologies like tablets to help students communicate and interact with others. Stahl spoke to teachers Ian Stuart, Sabrina Morey, and Stacie Carroll as well as students at the school.

Part of the story focuses on a ten-year-old child with autism who does not speak and was believed to be functioning at the level of a two-year old and how, with the help of an iPad, his teacher learned of his love of opera and classical music. Teacher Ian Stuart was also surprised to learn about the range of the boy's vocabulary after using an app to show the student images that the child could identify by name.

In a story on the 60 Minutes web site, program producers note that the Beverley student "and others whose autism prevents normal speech have made these breakthroughs with the help of tablet computers and special applications that allow them to communicate, some for the first time."

Beverley School is a jewel of the TDSB. Principal Alana Grossman said her staff believe in a team approach as the most effective way to support the educational needs of students who have developmental and/or physical disabilities. "We always want to encourage collaboration and explore creative ways to reach our students," she said. The downtown school has been supporting Toronto students since the 1950s.

The segment airs on CBS on Sunday, October 23 at 7:00 pm. You can watch a preview of the program here. 

For over 200 years, St. Lawrence Market has been an inspiring food and shopping destination. The Market Gallery exhibition, "Meet Me at the Market", on display from October 22, through to February 25, 2012, reveals the history of this iconic Toronto market through photographs, documents, maps and artefacts.

Visitors will be able to compare and discover what was for sale and where it came from. They will find out that in the 19th century the public could buy bear meat, wild swan and deer with the antlers still attached and that the first market on Front Street was a fish market selling salmon caught with spears by candle light. 

The exhibit will review how food production has changed in the city by touching on market gardening, Victory Gardens during two world wars, and local community garden projects. Recent efforts by government and community groups to re-connect neighbourhoods to affordable and sustainable food sources has reflected the public's heightened awareness of how they interact with, and are affected by, their food. 

The historic evolution of the food system from the perspectives of growing, production, distribution and consumption, as well as the role of consumer choices and influences will also be explored. From buying local or imported delicacies to growing food at home, Toronto has had many food choices due to its fertile land and its location as a transportation centre. This exhibition will show how St. Lawrence Market has kept urban consumers connected to local producers while food production has become a global operation.

The Market Gallery is a program of the City of Toronto's Cultural Services division. It presents exhibitions dedicated to Toronto’s art, culture and history and offers educational programs for school groups and adults. The gallery is located on the second floor of the South St. Lawrence Market building, 95 Front Street E. Admission is free.  

Gallery hours are Tuesday to Friday (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Saturday (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Closed Sunday, Monday and holidays. For more information visit http://www.toronto.ca/culture/the_market_gallery.htm.

The Ontario Professional Planners Institute is recognizing Toronto's Lawrence Allen Revitalization Plan with an Excellence in Planning Award in the Municipal Statutory Planning Studies, Reports and Documents category. 

This award recognizes excellence in all aspects of the planning profession and the high calibre of work done by professional planners in communities across Ontario. The award will be presented at a ceremony in Ottawa on October 13.

"I am very proud of our professional planning staff for once again being recognized for their exceptional achievements," said Councillor Peter Milczyn (Ward 5 Etobicoke-Lakeshore), Chair of Toronto's Planning and Growth Management Committee. "The plan for the revitalization of Lawrence Heights has successfully navigated a difficult set of planning challenges. Our staff developed an intelligent plan to guide the future revitalization of this 1950s-era inner suburban neighbourhood."

"The Lawrence-Allen Revitalization Plan shows how Toronto can harness future growth to revitalize a neighbourhood," said Gary Wright, Toronto's Chief Planner. "This forward-thinking plan is grounded in reinvestment, livability, a strong sense of place and a balanced transportation system. It's an exciting opportunity to lay the groundwork for healthy and prosperous neighbourhoods and a high quality of life."

Located near Lawrence Avenue West and the Allen Expressway, the Lawrence-Allen area is home to 17,000 diverse residents of different cultural backgrounds, religions and ages. The revitalization plan provides a comprehensive planning framework that will guide and manage growth and change in this area over the coming 20 years. 

At the centre of the Lawrence-Allen area is the Lawrence Heights neighbourhood - a social housing community of 1,208 rent-geared-to-income social housing units owned by Toronto Community Housing, developed in the 1950s and today in need of revitalization. 

The plan is largely parks-focused, relying on a network of parks and open spaces to establish focal points and public spaces for community life. "The Commons" at the physical centre of the plan features a large community park, a new community centre, the existing community health centre, new schools and street-related retail uses.  Residential areas surround the Commons, each surrounding a local park or a schoolyard.

The neighbourhood also includes a new network of public streets designed for pedestrians, cyclists, surface transit and automobiles. This system will provide community members with a range of transportation choices and capitalize on the area's two subway stations.  

The revitalization plan sets the stage for the evolution of a diverse and mixed community where the existing social housing will be replaced over time with new social housing. The plan also provides for development of market housing, including private townhouses and condominium apartments. In this way, intensification will lead to a mix of housing that serves a diversity of incomes, ages, populations, and household sizes. Retail, employment, community services, and schools will be located alongside new housing, all within a mix of building types and scales. 

Principles of transit-supportive development heavily influence the plan and the large majority of new residential units are a short walking distance to the area's subway stations.

The Lawrence-Allen Revitalization Plan is the basis for a draft Secondary Plan, expected to be considered by Toronto City Council this fall. The Secondary Plan is the first step to implement the Revitalization Plan. 

The plan is available at www.toronto.ca/planning/lawrence_allen.htm.

The Ontario Professional Planners Institute has also recognized the City of Toronto's Avenues & Mid-Rise Buildings Study with a 2011 Excellence in Planning award in the Community Planning and Development Studies/Reports category. 

The Town of Richmond Hill recorded the second highest number of existing home sales in York Region for August 2011. The 401 houses that sold had an average sale price of $618,000 which was also the second highest average price in York Region behind the Town of Markham. Richmond Hill houses sold on average for 98% of asking and took on average just 23 days to sell.

There are plenty of neighbourhoods and a wide range of house styles in all price ranges to choose from in Richmond Hill. One of the most popular of these neighbourhoods is Mill Pond located north of Major Mackenzie Drive between Bathurst and Yonge Street. This family oriented neighbourhood contains a mix of older and new housing stock. The quaint bungalows located around the actual Mill Pond typically sell in the $400,000-$600,000 price range. Some of these homes have a heritage status. The Heritage Estate subdivision closer to Bathurst Street contains a fine collection of Georgian inspired architecture. These large detached homes sell for between $625,000-$1,200,000. The Pleasantville Public School is a main drawing card.

The Crosby Park neighbourhood north of Major Mackenzie Drive, east of Yonge Street contains mostly 3 bedroom bungalows and heritage homes that sell in the $360,000-$600,000 range. Excellent schools and parks and easy access to GO and York Transit are some of the draws of this neighbourhood. Quiet streets with a mature tree canopy and an old fashioned neighbourhood look are other appealing characteristics of this neighbourhood.

Further east the Bayview Hill neighbourhood at Major Mackenzie and Bayview Avenue offers a large selection of newer homes. Most of these are detached with double or triple car garages. Square footage is typically in the 3500-5,000 square foot range. Prices in Bayview Hill start at $750,000 and go all the way up to $2 million. Big yards with swimming pools are common. The most expensive homes can best be described as mansions with over 7,000 square feet. Bayview Hill Elelmentary and Seconday Schools with their sought after International Baccalaureate programs attract many families to this neighbourhood.

Further north at Bayview and Elgin Mills the Devonsleigh neighbourhood offers mostly detached 4 bedroom homes in the 2500-3500 square foot range. These trade at the relatively modest price of $475,000-$800,0000.

In Upper Richmond Hill around Yonge Street and Jefferson Forest is where you will find the Macleods Landing and Inspiration neighbourhoods These massive subdivisions stretch all the way from Yonge Street to Bathurst Street. The townhomes and semi-detached houses include 3 bedrooms and 3 washrooms. They are approximately 1500-2,000 square feet and sell for between $4000,000-$500,000.. The larger detached 4 bedroom homes with double car garages sell for between $550,000-$850,000.

At the north end of Richmond Hill in Oak Ridges you will find many recently completed new home subdivisions. Neighbourhood landmarks include: Bathurst Glen Golf Course, Bond Lake and Lake Wilcox. It is still possible to find a random older house in this area for under $400,000 however a new attached or semi-detached townhome sells for between $400,000-$500,000 while detached homes can sell for between $500,000-$1,500,000.

As you can see from this article the Town of Richmond Hill offers a wide range of real estate opportunities for just about every lifestyle and budget. In researching this blog I came across a number of excellent potential real estate sponsors that I would feel confident referring my clients to. If you would like me to make an introduction for you, to a real estate professional in Richmond Hill, I can be reached by email: ddunkelman@sothebysrealty.ca Happy real estate travels. David Dunkelman, Broker, Sotheby's International Realty Canada.

International Greenbuild conference taking place in Toronto this week

This week, the world’s largest green building conference and "expo" is occurring outside the United States for the first time. Toronto was selected by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) as the host city for its 10th anniversary conference in recognition of Toronto's ongoing public and private sector accomplishments in green building. 

From October 4 to 7, the Greenbuild International Conference & Expo will bring nearly 25,000 delegates from 115 countries to Toronto. The conference is expected to generate about $26 million in economic benefits. 

The City of Toronto is sponsoring a Toronto Green Building Guide - produced by the Toronto chapter of the Canada Green Building Council - and is producing a Supplier Directory for the event to elevate the awareness of the projects, companies and policies that have made this city a leader in green building. 

"Green buildings are not about new buildings," said Mayor Rob Ford in his introductory message to the Toronto Green Building Guide. "We have conducted extensive energy-efficient retrofits on our public buildings, saving taxpayers millions of dollars on energy costs. Recently, we connected City Hall to Toronto's Deep Lake Water Cooling System and have sought further reduction in costs to the heating and cooling of our City's seat of government by undertaking a major new window replacement project."

The event will provide tours of notable Toronto green locations. The two legacy projects - Evergreen Brickworks' Chimney Court Children's Greenhouse and the Gateway Gardens Project - have been selected to each receive $5,000. The projects explore and celebrate the theme of teaching children about urban food.

The City of Toronto has been an important proponent of green building in Toronto, playing a pivotal role in the development of Evergreen Brick Works and Artscape Wychwood Barns as well as creating a Podium Green Roof at City Hall. Toronto was the first city in North America to adopt a Green Roof Bylaw that requires and governs the construction of green roofs. The City has a number of funds, policies and programs to encourage sustainable, energy-efficient urban development and retrofitting. 

More information about the City of Toronto's involvement with Greenbuild is available athttp://www.toronto.ca/invest-in-toronto/green.

Toronto was selected by the U.S. Green Building Council as the host city for several reasons, including its growth in the green building movement. Almost 300 building projects are registered and seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, and 44 green building projects are already LEED-certified in the Toronto area. The RBC Centre, TD Centre and the Telus Tower are among the greenest office buildings in North America and they also utilize Enwave Energy Corporation's innovative Deep Lake Water Cooling system. 

Held in conjunction with the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC), Greenbuild has hundreds of educational sessions; dozens of master speakers; summits focused on green jobs, residential and affordable green building; and an international marketplace where more than 1,000 companies showcase the most innovative green building products. More information is available at http://www.greenbuildexpo.org/.