happy new year!

BEST WISHES FOR A SIMPLER, HAPPIER AND MORE PEACEFUL LIFE IN 2008

Complete The Streets

Here's a new phrase you may not have encountered before, "Complete The Streets". As with many good ideas, this one comes to us from our neighbours to the south, concerned that their streets are designed only for speeding cars, or worse, creeping traffic jams (think Markham, Morningside, Lawrence or Kingston Road at rush hour).

The Complete the Streets movement believes that our cities and towns ought to be for everyone, whether young or old, motorist or bicyclist, walker or wheelchair user, bus rider, homeowner or shopkeeper.

By an exclusive focus on cars, our streets are becoming unsafe for people on foot or bike and unpleasant for everybody. This is especially true for those who live on our major streets and have to endure the rush hour parade everyday. In communities across the United States, a movement is growing to "complete the streets".

States, cities, and towns are asking their planners engineers and designers to build road networks that welcome all citizens.

Members of the movement come from widely diverse groups, from America Bikes and AARP, Smart Growth America and the American Society of Landscape Architects to Paralyzed Veterans of America. The Institute of Transportation Engineers is even on board, amazing for a profession long known as the "throughput crowd" for its pushing of maximum numbers of vehicles at maximum feasible speed through cities and villages alike.

States and cities are getting the message. Illinois this fall passed a complete streets law requiring the state's transportation department to include bicycling and walking facilities in all its urban-area projects. Five other states (Massachusetts, Florida, Maryland, Oregon, Rhode Island) now have some form of complete streets law on the books. More than 50 metro regions, counties or cities -- Charlotte to Johnson County, Kan., Salt Lake City to Seattle -- have passed similar statutes. Many others are now considering them.

Chicago, for example, is moving to narrower traffic lanes, median "refuges" and curb extensions for pedestrians, as well as converting four-lane roadways into three lanes with marked bike lanes.

Here in Scarborough Guildwood, we are seeing the evolution of the of the Toronto Bike Plan, which is to make every Toronto street “bicycle friendly”. The bikeway network establishes priority routes with a formal bikeway facility to provide a higher level of comfort for cyclists. The proposed network routes, because they are very visible through their design, pavement markings and signage, have an important role in encouraging cycling.

The 1999 Cycling Survey highlighted the critical importance of bikeways for achieving the Toronto Bicycle Plan goal of doubling the number of trips by 2011. More than nine in ten Toronto cyclists (93%) are comfortable cycling on bike trails or paths, more than eight in ten
(87%) on residential streets, and more than five in ten (53%) on major roads with bike lanes. However less than two in ten cyclists (18%) are comfortable cycling on major roads without bike
lanes.

Current Bikeways with signs are #16 which runs the length of Coronation, #79 which follows Morningside from Coronation to Guildwood Parkway, #77 which runs from Lawrence to Guildwood along Galloway, #4 running along Guildwood Parkway and #12 which runs up Livingston, through the Guildwood GO station to Morningside Park.

Having had the unfortunate experience of witnessing a cyclist fall under the wheels of a cement truck last year, on Eglinton just past Leslie, I am aware that Toronto's major thoroughfares are not yet "complete". They still belong exclusively to the automobile. But I am encouraged by the appearance of Toronto Bikeway signs that are springing up. Now if we could just get the bike lanes painted on those same streets, we would be making a good and safer beginning.

Yes, Christmas IS about GIFTS

I remember Christmas morning as a child, the house silent and dark, not a creature stirring, not even my parents. I had no clock in my room, but the darkness and general quiet of the house told me it was way too early to get up to see what Santa had left under the tree. I would have to wait in silent and painful anticipation until the night brightened somewhat or I could hear movement elsewhere in the house.

My brother, who shared my room, was a heavy sleeper, even at Christmas time. Sometimes I would try to wake him up so that the blame for disturbing the household could be more fairly shared. I would try tactics like whispering, "Are you awake?" or saying his name out loud. Then even louder. Or maybe poking him with my finger.

I was seldom successful, but Christmas morning eventually managed to arrive every year and the beauty and magic of a gift laden tree, a glow in the pre-dawn light, would be a thrill beyond measure.

Eventually I grew up and had children of my own and I got to enjoy Christmas from the opposite side of the experience, the thrill of my daughters on Christmas morning mirroring all the joys of my own childhood. Now as a grandfather to three grandchildren, that act of giving and the joy my grandchildren get in receiving is still one of life's great pleasures.

So, it annoys me when decent and sincere members of the Green movement, deride the giving of gifts at Christmas and treat gift giving as crime against nature.

Christmas is about Gifts and giving. In a very real sense Christmas will not come if that is given up. There is no crime in gifts and gift giving. They are an intrinsic part of Christmas.

But they are just a part, and we do have to realize there is more to Christmas than gifts alone. Christmas is also about peace, and family and joy and love and caroling and feasting. At its heart it is a religious experience whose time of year is shared with Eidul-Adha the Festival of Sacrifice, and Chanukkah. In recent times the gift giving part has tended to overwhelm the rest of what Christmas is also about. While there is no magical formula guaranteed to create the Christmas spirit, there are essential ingredients, and gifts are part of the mix. However, there is a real danger that gifts and gift giving, along with the relentless advertising urging us to buy, are hijacking the whole experience. I know our economy depends substantially on consumer spending at this time of year, but it seems to me, the value of gift receiving should decrease as a proportion of the Christmas mix, the older you get.

As a fairly affluent adult, my needs and wants are few and simple, I no longer need much in the way of gifts. There is little I want that I can't purchase for myself, in a size that actually fits me and in a colour I actually like. I see little value in gift receiving for most Canadian adults. My grand children yes, me no. Those less fortunate yes, me no. There are other tangible ways to demonstrate our caring for the important adults in our lives.

The gifting part of the Christmas mix, for me, is in giving to my grandchildren, the joy I experience in their delight and the memories the experience ignites in me. Carols, gathering together with friends, sharing joy and food and drink, a quiet walk on a winters evening, large flakes of snow gently falling, are equally important and critical to the Christmas spirit which is, after all, about the awareness of being apart of something greater than ourselves.

So from all of us here at the Scarborough Guildwood Green Party of Ontario Constituency Association, whatever your religious practices and beliefs, or lack thereof, let me wish you the Happiest of Holidays and may the spirit of the season awaken in you. Peace.

Garbage

Today is garbage day in my small area of Scarborough Guildwood. We have three people in our home and we generated about a quarter of a garbage pail of waste in the past two weeks (roughly half a green bag worth). We're not proud of it, but it represents the inevitable residue after recycling, reusing and composting. The garbage truck has come by and our waste has been whisked off to begin its journey to the land fill in Michigan.

Try as we might, we are still years away from being the kind of environmentally friendly society in which nothing goes to waste. Toronto has chosen to bury our waste, out of sight, out of the City and, hopefully, out of mind. Durham is toying with the idea of burning theirs.

On Thursday January 10, 2008, Dr. Paul Connett, noted specialist in Waste Management and Phd at Cambridge University, with 22 years experience in waste management will address Durham's incineration plan at a Town Hall meeting at CAW Local 222 Union Hall at 1425 Philip Murray Ave in Oshawa.

As Durham Environmental Watch notes on its website:

As municipalities determine the costs associated with their disposal options, it is important that they consider the health and social costs associated with the pollution from incineration facilities. More specifically, these costs would include the cost of global warming, acid rain, and an increase in chemicals in our air, land and water associated with emissions of certain pollutants to the atmosphere and to waterways. The increased likelihood of adverse impacts on human health associated with air pollution emissions and the release of toxic substances to the environment also carry a cost. Studies have calculated the total social cost of incineration and landfill, and their findings show that incineration costs are much higher than landfill, both fiscally and socially.

No one wants landfill. But the assertion that incineration will eliminate landfill is just plain false. It will simply add to the problems we face and is not a sustainable solution. There are better alternatives.

Letter from the President of the GPO

Hello and let me introduce myself.

I'm Lawson Hunter, newly elected GPO
President at the Nov. 24 Annual
General Meeting.  I hope to
communicate with all CA presidents
on a regular basis,to keep you
informed and up to date and to
give you a contact should
you need to share a thought or concern with the Provincial
Executive.  I'd also like you to make contact with the
Regional Reps from your Region.  I'm hoping that
you can establish a relationship with your Regional Reps
as part of their responsibility is to be a conduit between
your local activities and those of the central party.
It's about better communications and inclusivity.


More to come, thanks for your involvement in helping
the Green Party grow.

Lawson Hunter
GPO President


The GPO is hoping to fill some necessary positions from
the general membership.  If you could disseminate the following
message to everyone in your riding membership list, that would
be appreciated and save the centralparty from making a
massive email.


Call for Functionaries and committee members

The GPO Provincial Executive is now accepting applications
for the following positions to assist with the operations of
the Party and to fulfill specific roles as described by the
GPO Constitution.  Send names, contact info, and a brief bio
to Lawson Hunter, GPO President at lawson@electgreens.ca and
cc. Jessica Fracassi at gpoadmin@magma.ca

Communications Coordinator
Operations Coordinator
Fundraising Coordinator
Youth Coordinator
Information Technology Management Coordinator (website)
Male Provincial Secretary

Deadline will be December 14th

Green Christmas Carols

Consumer Wonderland

(To the tune of Winter Wonderland, lyrics by Erica Avery)

The TV's on / are you watching?
Another product / that they're hawking
one more thing you need
to make life complete
Welcome to Consumer Wonderland

In the stores / you will hear it
"Pricey gifts / show holiday spirit"
That's what they call it
to get to your wallet
Welcome to Consumer Wonderland

At the mall we can go out shopping
and buy lots of stuff we can't afford
we'll have lots of fun with our new toys
until we realize that we're still bored
When you shop / ain't it thrilling
until / you get the billing
the money you still owe the stuff broke long ago
Welcome to Consumer Wonderland


Uh Oh We're In The Red, Dear

(To the tune of Rudolph the red-nose reindeer)

Uh oh we're in the red, dear
On our credit card it shows
Christmas is almost over
But the debit line still grows
Shopping like Santa's zombies
Sent our budget down in flames
But all our Christmas spirit
Helped the giant retail chains

I'm so foggy Christmas Eve
Wondering how we'll pay
Christmas doesn't seem so bright
When our finances are tight

So here's a plan for next year
Let's forget the shopping spree
Let's give a gift of love, so
All our Christmas gifts are free


God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Slow down ye frantic shoppers for there's something we must say
If you would spare a moment all the stores would go away
Big business has been telling us what Christmas means today

Now it's time we decided for ourselves, for ourselves
Yes it's time we decided for ourselves.

To some folks Christmas means a time for gathering with friends
And enemies might take it as a time to make amends
But TV says it's time for pricey gifts and selfish ends

Now it's time we decided for ourselves, for ourselves
Yes it's time we decided for ourselves.

Some people feel that Christmas is when Jesus makes a call
For others it's a time to stress good will and peace to all
But advertisers tell us it means Santa's at the mall

Now it's time we decided for ourselves, for ourselves
Yes it's time we decided for ourselves.

Jingle All The Way

Chorus:
Profits here, profits there,
profits everywhere
Christmas time is funny
we smell money in the air
Advertise, glamorize,
fool you with a flair.
Let's make sure that Christmas
is a businesslike affair.

You're eating up our lies and dashing to the stores
Then all our prices rise and how the money pours
If we don't keep you drugged and watching your TV
You might see the hypocrisy
then where would business be?

Chorus

We'll tell you how to think and tell you what to try
What to eat and drink and how to live and die
And if our plan succeeds, when Christmas-time is nigh
Instead of seeking love and peace you'll hunt for gifts to buy

Chorus

Buy and Sell

To the tune, Silver Bells; by Erica Avery

City Sidewalks busy sidewalks
lined with advertising
It's the big retail season of Christmas
Children begging for each new thing
toys for mile after mile
and the mood of the season is clear

Chorus:
Buy and sell (buy and sell)
Buy and sell (buy and sell)
It's Christmas time for consumers
Ching-a-ching (ching-a-ching)
Cash tills ring (cash tills ring)
Must we spend Christmas this way?

Maxing credit, running debits
buying things we don't need
with the money we don't really have
Children crying, parents sighing
there's no time for our friends
and the reason behind it is clear

Chorus"

The Theft of Privacy

My daughter and her husband recently purchased a home in a new subdivision north of Whitby. It is a beautiful two story home with a modest but functional backyard on an attractive street. The original plans for the subdivision called for a small plaza to be built at the end of their street with a convenience store, drug store, dry cleaners and pet food shop shown on the plans as examples of the type of stores that might lease the plaza.

Since it was a new subdivision, the street behind their home was still under construction at the time of their purchase. However they had looked at the plans for those homes and saw nothing that would concern them. Of course there was a slight rise in the surface of the land that would make the elevation of those homes one-half story higher than their own, but those houses were to the north and there would be no problem with sunlight being blocked.

What they were unprepared for was the construction of wooden decks on those new houses being built way up on the second story. Being all ready half a story higher than my daughter's, the owners of those houses can sit on their second story balcony and look south out over the roof of the other houses almost to Lake Ontario in the distance.

Well, you might think, that would certainly be an attractive feature. But what it also means, given the smallness of the backyards in that neighbourhood, is that my daughter has families sitting out all summer looking directly down into her backyard and watching everything she and her family do in their yard. Functionally, what it means is that my daughter and her family have had their privacy stolen. With the family behind them virtually living on their deck all summer, my daughter can never go into her backyard without being under constant observation and being the occasional object of discussion.

It can also be argued that my daughter has been robbed of at least some of the value of her home. The lack of privacy in her backyard would become immediately obvious to any interested purchaser. Of course that is why the construction of the homes behind my daughter's street were delayed until all the houses on her street were already purchased.

This unhappy little story raises the question of the value of privacy, not only in new subdivisions, but in more established subdivisions such as are found in Scarborough Guildwood. New purchasers are beginning to put up two story homes in neighbourhoods comprised of one story bungalows. While not many blatantly put up decks on the second story, where they sit snooping on their neighbours, there is little to stop them from doing so.

How much is our privacy worth?

Of course there is more to my daughter's story. Once all the homes in her new subdivision were built, the developer immediately applied for a variance to permit him to change the zoning to allow him to replace the planned small plaza with even more housing. And, of course, that variance was immediately granted despite almost universal community outrage. Now, instead of being able to walk to the store, my daughter has to drive. Instead of an environmentally friendly neighbourhood, she is forced to add an increasing share of carbon dioxide and methane to our climate woes.

As the population increases and with it the density, privacy and the quality of our lives need to be balanced against the need for more compact neighbourhoods. Developers need to be encouraged, or legislated, to build more environmentally friendly communities where our homes can be a refuge and where automobiles are not required for us to reach out for basic necessities such as milk or bread.

The Green Party stands for well designed and livable communities.