Public meeting to discuss 184 Wallace Avenue

There will be a public meeting on Thursday at 7pm to discuss the developer's plans for 184 Wallace Avenue. The meeting will be held in the Ambrico room of the Wallace-Emerson Community Centre located on the west side of Dufferin south of Dupont beside the Galleria Mall. The owner of the property, Fernanado Matos, is supposed to be there. He has applied to the Committee of Adjustment for a minor variance "to convert the existing two unit dwelling to a mixed-use building containing office/program space and 10 dwelling units." The application was supposed to be heard on July 4, but it was deferred so that public consultation could take place.

A previous meeting on July 19 attracted a large number of concerned local residents. There have been conflicting stories about what is planned for the property. Bloor and Lansdowne has a number of serious social problems and many residents are worried that the proposed changes to 184 Wallace will bring more vulnerable people to the area. A lot of people think our neighbourhood is being used as a dumping ground. Some residents believe people who need help are being put in the neighbourhood without adequate supports. I share some of those concerns.

There are a lot of suffering people in Toronto and I don't want to deprive anyone of help and support. However, I can't help but notice that within walking distance of my home there is the Savard's shelter for seriously mentally ill women and a men's shelter run by the Christie-Ossington Neighbourhood Centre. There are also a number of halfway houses in the area. Is this concentration of homes for troubled people typical of Toronto? Do they have this concentration in Rosedale or the Beaches? Are we doing people with psychological or addiction problems a favour by placing them in an area well-known for its drug trade?

I don't have the solution to Toronto's social problems. Everyone should have a home. There should be help for people who need it, but putting so many vulnerable people in one neighbourhood doesn't sound like good public policy to me.