The City of Toronto has completed a project to provide better access to the Don Valley, south of Lawrence Avenue just east of the Don Valley Parkway in Don Mills, an area named the Charles Sauriol Conservation Area. A new walking trail links Milne Hollow Park at Lawrence Ave. and the DVP with Moccasin Trail Park and the Wynford Concorde neighbourhood. View a larger version of the “trail map” here. Funding was provided by a $500,000 development contribution from the developer of the ‘Accolade’ condominium at Eglinton Ave. and Wynford Drive, and another $300,000 from the City of Toronto. Further funding was provided through the Federal Infrastructure Stimulus Package so that a second bridge linking this project to Moccasin Trail Park could be installed and the trails paved. The new trails are open, the remaining work is expected to be completed in the summer of 2011.

Join the Don Valley volunteers to:

• ensure that this project meets our community needs;
• take care of the Don Valley in the Wynford Heights, Milne Hollow and Moccasin Tail Park areas; and
• review the additional support that may be needed from the community

by filling out a volunteer form. A member of DMRI will contact you to follow up.

You can also join the stewardship group that meets from 10am until noon at the Milne Hollow Park parking lot (south side of Lawrence Avenue east of the DVP before Railside Dr.) every Thursday morning from May 5 to early September to care for this area of the Don Valley. Look for the sign “Charles Sauriol Conservation Area”.

With guidance and materials provided by the City Parks Department, we remove invasive species and help in the natural development of the area. For your protection, wear long sleeves and pants, sturdy boots or shoes, a hat and sun cream and bring drinking water. Gloves and tools are provided.

“Our Don Mills – a community memoir”, written by author Lorne Miller records the events leading to the development of Don Mills in the 1950s, the personal stories of the early residents, and the issues that they had to face. Many of the original owners are still living in the community and their stories reflect the birth of the spirit that is one of the features of this community. This 160 page book is a delightful collection of stories and photos of the community in its early years.

Copies may be obtained at a cost of $25.00 from Better Living Health and Community Services, 1 Overland Drive. Contact Katherine McLeod at 416 447 7244 Ext. 615 Proceeds from the sale of this book support Better Living and the DMRI.

For an outline of this project slated to open in 2013 and located on Wynford Drive west of the DVP overpass, please click on this link.

The City is looking into how to best improve transit service along the Don Mills Road corridor from Steeles to the Bloor-Danforth Subway. The purpose of this study is to determine the best way to create a high quality, higher capacity service in a protected right of way (uninterrupted by vehicular traffic) to serve various communities from North York to downtown Toronto, including York Heights,
Don Mills, Flemingdon Park, Thorncliffe Park, The Danforth and Rosedale. A modern, environmentally-sustainable LRT service is being considered as the transit option. The City and their consultants are now working on the preliminary stages of the study.

For more information, please view the City of Toronto website here.