Councillor Chin Lee Scarborough Rouge River – Ward 41

Toronto City Hall Tel: (416) 392-1375 100 W., Suite A10 Fax: (416) 392-7433 , ON M5H 2N2 [email protected]

16 December 2013

Yvonne Davies City Clerk's Office Scarborough Civic Centre 150 Borough Dr. Toronto, . M5H 2N2

Motion to Introduce New Business

Proposal to Rename Alexmuir Park on Alexmuir Blvd. in Ward 41 to Rosewood Valerie Plunkett Park

Attention Yvonne Davies:

I would like to put forward a motion to introduce new business at the January 2014 meeting of Scarborough Community Council. I would like to introduce a motion that proposes renaming Alexmuir Park on Alexmuir Blvd. in Ward 41 to Rosewood Valerie Plunkett Park. Please see the motion below.

SUMMARY:

Alexander Muir, an educator, soldier, poet and the composer of , made significant contributions to Canada and is memorialized in the naming of Alexmuir Park (Rosewood), Alexmuir Boulevard (Rosewood), Alexmuir Jr. Public School (TDSB- Rosewood), Alexander Muir Junior and Senior Public School (TDSB-Gladstone Ave.), Alexander Muir P.S (York Region District School Board) and Alexander Muir Retirement Residence. His contributions are also on the verge of being further recognized, as artists and artisans across the city of Toronto, the province of Ontario and possibly the nation create functional and non-functional artistic products from the now fallen maple tree that inspired Mr. Muir to pen our nation’s secondary anthem—The Maple Leaf Forever.

Page 1 of 4 Given the extensive and well deserved attention devoted to Mr. Muir we, the residents of the Scarborough community of Rosewood, as represented by the Rosewood Taxpayers’ Association, move that Alexmuir Park, located on Alexmuir Blvd. in the community of Rosewood be renamed “Rosewood Valerie Plunkett Park” in recognition of both the community of Rosewood and the founder and first president of Rosewood Taxpayers’ Association.

First, with regards to the Rosewood component of our proposal--Rosewood Valerie Plunkett Park, identity and name-association help make residents in a community aware of their geographical and political boundaries, their responsibilities within those boundaries, their shared access to natural and manufactured facilities, their shared history and the communal concerns and challenges that confront them.

Several years ago, the City of Scarborough, understanding the importance of identity and name-association and their meaning to and impact on communities, issued street signs in the community of Rosewood that identified, by name, the community of Rosewood beneath each street name, for example, Valdor Drive Rosewood, Havenhill Sq. Rosewood, Carolbreen Sq. Rosewood. In the same spirit and awareness that moved the Council then, we move that Scarborough Community Council again acknowledge the link between identity, name-association and social cohesion by approving the Rosewood component of our proposal--Rosewood Valerie Plunkett Park.

Second, tethering the name of the park to the name of the community (an intuitively logical decision) may result in increased feelings of ownership and responsibility and, rather than seeing the park as the exclusive property of and responsibility of the City of Toronto, residents of the community of Rosewood may come to see the park as the property of the community of Rosewood and consequently exhibit greater care, greater concern, increased engagement and greater communal responsibility for a parkland to which they feel more intimately connected.

Finally, and quite coincidentally, the timing for this proposal is most suitable given that Toronto Parks People is currently working with residents and institutions (Calvary Logos Baptist Church, Rosewood Taxpayers’ Association, Toronto Chinese for Ecological Living) within the community of Rosewood to bring more residential attention, care, enjoyment and usage to the park. It is our feeling that the approval of the Rosewood component of our proposal would catapult us along the path toward making the residents of Rosewood feel a greater sense of ownership, responsibility, enjoyment, cohesion and would bring us closer to achieving the goals being set out by Toronto Parks People and their partners in Rosewood.

Regarding the Valerie Plunkett component of our proposal--Rosewood Valerie Plunkett Park--, Valerie was a tireless community promoter and worker who, for several years, worked diligently to improve the City of Scarborough in general and the community of Rosewood in particular.

First, with regard to her service to Scarborough, Valerie established strong and effective relationships with all levels of governments, 42nd police division, the fire department and Page 2 of 4 local schools. In addition to other initiatives, she worked to block a proposal by the Shell gas station, located at the corner of Brimley Rd. and Finch Ave. E, to erect publicity flags and to become a 24-hour service facility. Valerie interpreted the proposal as an unsophisticated commercial affront to the residential culture of the neighbouring community of Rosewood. For somewhat similar reasons, she also resisted the proposal by a local church to expand their parking facilities into the Hydro One corridor.

Second, in her service to the community of Rosewood, home to Alexmuir Park, she founded the community’s Taxpayers’ Association and registered it under the name Rosewood Taxpayers’ Association. Subsequently, she worked with the association’s executive members to grow the membership in the association to just under 1000 members in a community of almost 1600 homes. In this regard she brought a sense of unity, social cohesion, single mindedness and purpose to an otherwise fragmented community. She created an institution for local representation—an advocacy entity.

Third, in her capacity as president of Rosewood Taxpayers’ Association, she brought the community together by hosting two general meetings annually and communicating with residents through newsletters, flyers and emails.

Fourth, Valerie worked hard to improve property standards in the community by organizing two community clean-up events in each year--spring and fall. Her efforts in this regard were well supported by community members and by all political representatives. Moreover, she was the architect behind the Rosewood Beautification Project that saw the development of a gateway garden and welcome sign located at the intersection of Alexmuir Blvd. and Finch Ave E. Through general meetings, newsletters, flyers, letters and home visits, she kept residents informed of new by-laws that impacted the community and older by-laws that required compliance.

Fifth, Valerie supported students and families in the community by ensuring that Rosewood Taxpayers’ Association made annual financial contributions to both Alexmuir Jr. Public School and St Marguerite Bourgeoys Catholic School. Further to this, she, through the Association, supported the annual police picnic and made this a more accessible environment where residents of Rosewood could take their family and have fun while getting to know the local police, and by so doing, build a better relationship with the police that serve the community of Rosewood.

Sixth, Valerie enriched the social infrastructure of the community by initiating an annual dinner and dance that allowed community members to get together, meet each other and socialize. She also supported the popular Chit-Chat Club—a social gathering that allowed Rosewood’s residents to gather and share their ideas, passions, hopes and humour.

Finally, Valerie worked to create a safe community and to build meaniful infrastructure in and around the community of Rosewood. She worked tirelessly to put the name of the community on each road sign in the community. She was able to have a bench installed at the bus stop at the intersection of Alexmuir and Finch Ave E. Valerie also worked to have stop signs erected in the community and bicycle posts erected at the Finch and Page 3 of 4

Brimley bus stop. For her, safety of the community and its residents were of great concern. In addition to inviting the police, the fire department and others to speak at general meetings, she turned her attention to Alexmuir Park where she worked hard to increase and improve the lighting and consequently the safety of the very park that we, the residents of Rosewood, submit ought to bear her name—Rosewood Valerie Plunkett Park.

In closing, whereas the residents of Rosewood, in making their best efforts, have presented the Scarborough Community Council with a petition of some 400 names and whereas only 200 plus of the 400 are considered legitimate vis-à-vis the strict rules governing a legitimate petition, I submit that all signatures are true, sincere, authentic and devoid of manipulation. This petition, in its flaws-and-all totality, is a true representation of the desires of the residents of the community and a true expression of how we feel regarding the significance and importance of identity, name-association and the role played by our Association’s founder and first president Valerie Plunkett. On behalf of the residents of the community of Rosewood, I encourage the members of the SCC to, once again, bring name-association to the community of Rosewood and simultaneously celebrate one of Scarborough’s tireless activists by renaming Alexmuir Park, Rosewood Valerie Plunkett Park.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Scarborough Council requests Parks, Forestry and Recreation staff to report back on the request to rename Alexmuir Park on Alexmuir Blvd. in Ward 41 to Rosewood Valerie Plunkett Park.

December 12, 2013

Sincerely,

Councillor Chin Lee Ward 41 - Scarborough Rouge River

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