10,000 Residents on Queens Quay West of Bay Street. to Rogers Centre

Chair: Ulla Colgrass Vice-Chair: Allan Rivers Secretary: Marcia Boyd Treasurer: Claire Sparks

February 13, 2007

Dear John Campbell and TWRC Planning:

You will be among the first to hear that YQNA is getting closer to realizing the most important covered pedestrian connection between Downtown and the Waterfront. It will be an extension of the existing PATH system, along the East side of York Street between the new South Entrance of Union Station and the green city-owned site at Queens Quay.

YQNA first launched this idea in November, 2005. Over sixteen months, YQNA representatives have met frequently with City Councillors, City Planners, resident and business groups, the developers of the properties abutting Union Station (Telus/ Menkes), and the developers south of Bremner Blvd and abutting to the Gardiner (Maple Leaf Square/Lanterra), as well as the property developers to the west side of York Street.

Our goal was to negotiate public rights of way for the greater benefit of the people of Toronto to access the Waterfront.

On February 8, 2007, our City Planner Al Rezoski arranged a meeting at City Hall, chaired by Councillors Pam McConnell and attended by Councillor Adam Vaughan as well as representatives of Transportation and Works, Transportation Planning, TTC, Lanterra, Longo Supermarket, Harbourfront Centre, Waterfront Action and the Planning and Development Committee of YQNA.

YQNA also presented your letter of July 11, 2006, as well as other letters of support from Hon Olivia Chow, MP (Trinity-Spadina); William Boyle (Harbourfront Centre) and Ms Mary-Ann George, Senior Transportation Planner – Service Planning.

With overwhelming support, a decision was made to incorporate a right of way and implement the PATH extension along the west side of the Maple Leaf Square property line towards Lake Shore Boulevard.

Councillor McConnell requested that Transportation and Lanterra return to Council in two weeks with the detailed plans for this leg of the public walkway, which will be one below grade. This was agreed.

It was also decided that the walkway will continue south underneath Lake Shore Boulevard. Indeed, the councillors and planners demanded that this densely populated area of Toronto favour pedestrians before traffic. They see this walkway to Union Station as an essential part of the pedestrian infrastructure to the Waterfront.

The City has investigated the infrastructure under Lake Shore Boulevard’s 10 traffic lanes and has located the best possible place for the continued walkway.

The final segment to this PATH extension will end at Queens Quay in the location that TWRC itself has earmarked as the center of the Central Waterfront redesign.

With these decisive developments, the Walkway has entered the public phase as it continues on City-owned sites. We understand that TWRC was reluctant to express opinions on private developments – even though they contain public elements – but now is an excellent time for TWRC to include and support plans for this unique, covered Walkway.

YQNA is ready and willing to meet with TWRC and the West 8 team to get this collaboration underway. The timing is right for us to benefit from the energy that is generated by City planners and councillors in their recognition of this Walkway.

Ideally the first stage would be to appoint consultants to make a study of the Precinct bordered by York Street, Gardiner, Young Street and Queens Quay, similar to the study already commissioned by TWRC for the area north of the Gardiner.

A number of related initiatives financed by TWRC, including the Transit EA for the East Bayfront and the Gardiner Expressway, will have a bearing on the final plans. There are also at least two existing historical buildings that must be preserved, and together may require a study of the density, building mass and detailed civic design in order to bring it all together. We expect this to become a distinctive example of civic planning and architecture that will greet local and foreign visitors to Toronto’s Revitalised Waterfront.

YQNA looks forward to meeting you to discuss the next phase of the Walkway.

Yours truly,

Braz Menezes,

Chair, YQNA Planning and Development Committee.

YQNA, 55 Harbour Square Suite 2011,Toronto ON M5J 2L1 — Tel: 416-867-6200 — E-mail/Chair: colgrass@sympatico.ca www.YQNA.org or info@YQNA.org