The HPCAC
was formed in 1995 by an order-in-council by the City of
1993 - Parks department recommends establishment of an interim community group
1995 - HPCAC
permanently established by City of
1996 - Volunteer Stewardship program initiated working closely with Urban Forestry and High Park Greenhouses
1996 - Began restoration of Grenadier Pond
1996 - Formal Walking Tour program began
1997 - Children’s
Events began – initially to raise funds for the construction of the
1997 - Park Watch launched
1997 - K-9 Committee established
1997 - Experimental controlled burns began
1998 - Adventure Playground constructed
1999 -
1999 - Adopt-a-Plot initiated
2000 - Controlled burns become annual event
2002 - HYPE program initiated
2002
- Development of a 10-year
2003 - City
of
2003 -
2003
- HPCAC archives established at Runnymede library (later moved to
2004 - High Park Nature Centre reopened by High Park Initiatives
2004 - Opening of demonstration wildflower garden on Boulevard beds
2005
- South
2005 - HPCAC awarded City of Toronto Environmental Award of Excellence
2005 - HPI granted 3-year $125,000 grant from Trillium foundation for operation of the Nature Centre
2006 - First planning session held to elicit input from the community (Initial Report)
Our Mandate
The mandate of the HPCAC is to facilitate ongoing public input and assistance in
the stewardship of
2009 High Park Community Advisory Council -
Terms of Reference
2009 HIgh Park Community Advisory Council -
Operating Procedures
2004 City of Toronto - Terms of Reference for Advisory Councils
2004 City of Toronto - Advisory Council Operating Procedures
The documents includes the following statements regarding
the council:
- The purpose of the High Park Community Advisory Council
(HPCAC) will be to facilitate ongoing public input and assistance, indicative
of concerns and interests of the broad range of citizens, to assist the Parks,
Forestry and Recreation division of the City of
- The mandate of the HPCAC is to provide advice to the Parks, Forestry and Recreation division of the City of Toronto respecting public input and involvement in, among other things, the preparation and monitoring of Park policies, goals and objectives, the establishment of linkages with the community to facilitate and coordinate volunteer resources consistent with the City's initiatives, the fostering of linkages with like-minded groups, and raising the public profile of High Park.
- The role of the HPCAC is the preservation and protection
of the cultural, natural and recreation aspects of
The HPCAC operates in partnership with the City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division; Colborne Lodge, City of Toronto Culture Division; and High Park Initiatives, a charitable organization dedicated to providing funding and staffing for HPCAC programs. A Letter of Understanding was established between the two organizations to ensure clarity in responsibilities of the two sister organizations.
Council Members
The HPCAC is a volunteer group made up of a broad range of park users, including
individuals and organized groups. The Council includes local
ratepayer/residents associations, recreational stakeholders, long-term interest
groups, business/park entrepreneurs and a number of members-at-large from the
community.
Executive 2008-2009
Chair - To Be Determined
Vice-Chair - Kim Beemer
Secretary - open
Treasurer - Barrie
Thomson
Co-Chairs,
Natural Environment committee - Karen
Yukich & Sharon Lovett
Chair, Buildings, infrastructure and safety committee - Jerry Hodge
Co-chairs High Park K9 committee -
To Be
Determined
Chair, Culture and Recreation Committee - open
Parks & Recreation Staff Representative - Helen
Sousa
Ward 13 Councillor's Office - Bill Saundercook
Click on any of the above names if you wish to send them an email message.
Members-at large elected for 2008-2009
John Cleary
Bob Glover
Jerry Hodge
Cindy Carroll
Kim Beemer
Norm Chew
Amy Ratelle
Bernard Sanders
Paul Wehrle
Karyn Morris
Members-at large elected for 2007-2008
Ali Mustafa
Jane Brown
Irene Kay
Diane Buckell
Local community group and agency/organization representatives
Allotment garden committee - Lynn Green
Park Watch -
Volunter Stewardship Program - Sharon Lovett & Jane Schmitt
Children's events - Robin Sorys
Walking
Nature Centre - Diana Teal
Ontario Insect Association - Karen
Yukich
Toronto Ornithological Club - Don
Barnett
Toronto Field Naturalists - Wendy
Rothwell
Parkdale High Park Rotary Club - Scott Bartle
Bloor
West Village Residents association
West Bend Residents association - Ken Sharratt
High Park Residents association - Karen Palkowski
Parkdale Residents association - Craig
Peskett
Roncesvalles/MacDonnell Residents association
- Peter Elston
Sunnyside Residents association - Riina Bray
Swansea Area Ratepayers
Association - Position Vacant
High Park Baseball League - John Primeau
High Park Tennis Club - Jane Devan
Community Bicycle Network - Arlene Clement
Howard Park Tennis Club - Jenny Chiu
Grenadier Group - Sam
Caragianakos
Canadian Stage Company - Tyler Devine
Ontario
Foundation for Visually Impaired Children (
Trackless train
Taiaiako'n Historical Preservation
Society
City-sponsored programs non-voting members
Colborne Lodge - Cheryl
Hart
Children's Garden
and Exploring Toronto Programs - Keely Forth
HPCAC Meetings
HPCAC meetings are open to the general public and held at the Howard Park
Tennis Club at 6.30 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of every month from September
through May (except December).
The Briefing Notes are used to present information, proposals, ideas to the Council. Vetting of the idea should first go through the appropriate committee structure (see below), presented to the Executive and then finally to the entire Council for approval.
Committees/Organization
The HPCAC is supported by four core (voting) committees:
The Natural Environment committee advises the Parks, Forestry and
Recreation Division on comprehensive park management and operations practices.
It also builds community support for sound environmental practices, behaviors and
experiences within the Park.
The Buildings, Infrastructure and Safety committee advises the Parks, Forestry and
Recreation Division on infrastructure maintenance and improvements. This would
cover issues around roads, lighting, buildings and other structures and
anything related to safety.
The Culture and Recreation committee advised the Parks, Forestry and
Recreation Division on the cultural and recreational environments and programs
within
The
in addition the HPCAC has several ad-hoc and non-voting committees including
Executive Committee includes the Chair, Vice Chair, Past Chair, Secretary and Treasurer;
the Chairs of four core commitees; City councillor and Parks and Recreation
staff representatives. The role of the executive is to: set the agenda for the
upcoming HPCAC meetings; provide prompt advice, but no set decisions, to groups
interested in attending or working with the HPCAC; appoint a spokesperson to
represent the council in matters that require immediate attention; however the
executive role is not to act independent of the council..
The Program Group Committee supports and facilitates
cooperation among various local community groups and agencies including the
High Park Nature Centre, Volunteer Stewardship Program, Walking Tours, Park
Watch, Children’s Programs and K-9; and City-sponsored programs operating in
High Park including Colborne Lodge and the Children's Garden.
Our Annual General Meeting is usually held at the Grenadier Café and Tea House
at 6.30 p.m. on the third Wednesday in June.
1st Wednesday HPCAC Executive Meeting
2nd Wednesday HPI Board Meeting
4th Wednesday HPCAC General Meeting (Except July, Aug, Dec)
January Winter Fun day
March Easter-Egg Hunt
March Prescribed Burn
April Jamie Bell Adventure Playground Maintenance
May
May 31 HPI Fiscal Year End
Mid-June Police Appreciation Day
3rd Wednesday of June HPCAC Annual General Meeting
September Orientation Sessions for New Members
1st Sunday of October Harvest Festival
October Pumpkin Float
Funding and staffing for HPCAC-sponsored programs are provided through High Park Initiatives, a charitable corporation established for this purpose. High Park Initiatives is registered with the Canadian Customs and Revenue Agency as a charitable organization (86638 9505 RR001).
Archival information about the High Park Community Advisory
Council and the natural restoration of
Some historical information about