ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PARKS COMMITTEE

AGENDA

Date of Meeting: March 20, 2000 Enquiry: Betty Henderson

Time: 9:30 a.m. Administrator

Location: Committee Room 1 392-8088

City Hall bhender@toronto.ca

100 Queen Street West

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST PURSUANT TO

THE MUNICIPAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST ACT

CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES

DEPUTATIONS/PRESENTATIONS

9:30 a.m. Results of the "Nations in Bloom 1999" Competition

(All Wards) (Ref. Item No. 1)

9:35 a.m. Toronto Wins Economic Development Marketing Awards

(All Wards) (Ref. Item No. 2)

10:00 a.m. Administration of Grants of the City's

Six Major Cultural Organizations

(Ref. Item No. 3)

10:30 a.m. Tourism Toronto

(All Wards) (Ref. Item No. 4)

1:00 p.m. 2000 Operating Budget Review

(Ref. Item No. 6) (Deputation List to be distributed at meeting)

COMMUNICATIONS/REPORTS

1. RESULTS OF THE "NATIONS IN BLOOM 1999" COMPETITION

(All Wards)

(PRESENTATION)

Source: Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism

(February 28, 2000)

Providing an update on the City of Toronto's award-winning performance at the "Nations in Bloom 1999" competition and recommending that:

(1) the Economic Development and Parks Committee be presented with the "Nations in Bloom 1999" award, in recognition of the numerous Departments, community groups, and partners who have helped Toronto achieve environmental excellence; and

(2) the appropriate City officials be authorized and directed to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

2. TORONTO WINS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MARKETING AWARDS

(All Wards)

(PRESENTATION)

Source: Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism

(February 28, 2000)

Advising of Toronto's success at the recent Marketing Awards hosted by The Economic Developers' Council of Ontario (EDCO); presenting these Awards to the Committee; and recommending that this report be received for information.

3. ADMINISTRATION OF GRANTS OF THE CITY'S

SIX MAJOR CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS

(All Wards)

(DEPUTATION ITEM)

Source: Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism

(March 8, 2000)

Responding to the Budget Advisory Committee's request that the Chair, Economic Development and Parks Committee be requested to invite the following organizations to the March 20, 2000 meeting to address the Committee with regard to including the said organizations in the Toronto Arts Council Budget and report thereon to the Budget Advisory Committee:

(i) The National Ballet of Canada;

(ii) The National Ballet School;

(iii) The Toronto Symphony Orchestra;

(iv) The Art Gallery of Ontario;

(v) The Canadian Opera Company; and

(vi) Caribana.

3a. Source: City Clerk

(February 29, 2000)

Advising that the Budget Advisory Committee, during its preliminary review of the 2000 Operating Budget, requested the Chair of the Economic Development and Parks Committee to invite the following organizations to address the Economic Development and Parks Committee with regard to including the said organizations in the Toronto Arts Council Budget and report thereon to the Budget Advisory Committee:

(i) The National Ballet of Canada;

(ii) The National Ballet School;

(iii) The Toronto Symphony Orchestra;

(iv) The Art Gallery of Ontario;

(v) The Canadian Opera Company; and

(vi) Caribana.

4. TOURISM PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH TOURISM TORONTO

(All Wards)

(DEPUTATION ITEM)

Source: Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism

(March 2, 2000)

Presenting the draft terms and conditions of a Tourism Partnership Agreement under which the City will provide funding to Tourism Toronto and recommending that:

(1) authority be granted to enter into a Tourism Partnership Agreement with Tourism Toronto in accordance with the draft terms and conditions attached as "Appendix A" to this report and in a manner satisfactory to the City Solicitor; and

(2) the appropriate City officials be authorized and directed to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

5. PROVINCIAL FUNDING FOR TOURISM TORONTO

(All Wards)

Source: Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism

(March 2, 2000)

Reporting on the Economic Development and Parks Committee's direction to request the Province of Ontario, Ministry of Tourism, to support Tourism Toronto with a grant equal to the amount made by the City of Toronto and recommending that this report be received for information.

6. 2000 OPERATING BUDGET REVIEW

(DEPUTATION ITEM 1:00 P.M.)

Source: City Clerk

(March 6, 2000)

Advising that the Budget Advisory Committee has completed its preliminary review of the 2000 Operating Budget and directed that:

(1) the 2000 Operating Budget be forwarded to the relevant Standing Committees for consideration; and

(2) the Standing Committees be requested to forward their recommendations pertaining to the 2000 Operating Budget to the Budget Advisory Committee prior to the commencement of the "wrap-up" meeting on April 3, 2000;

and forwarding the 2000 Operating Budgets for the following programs:

- Arena Boards of Management;

- Culture;

- Customer and Business Support Services;

- Economic Development;

- Parks and Recreation; and

- Special Events.

6a. Source: Ms. Diane Miles, Resident,

(addressed to Mayor Mel Lastman)

(November 18, 1999)

Urging the City to review its policy of charging user fees for programs at public recreation facilities which were previously free, or available at a nominal cost.

6b. Source: Mr. David E. Garrick, Resident

(March 5, 2000)

Expressing his opposition to user fees as being extremely unfair to the average resident of the City, and suggesting ways the City could find savings in the existing budget.

6c. Source: Ms. Cheryl Ilic, Resident,

(addressed to Councillor Chris Korwin-Kuczynski)

(March 6, 2000)

Informing Councillor Chris Korwin-Kuczynski, High Park, that she cannot afford to pay user fees and as a result she has not been able to attend the Aquafit classes offered at the McCormick Recreation Centre, which she had used for the past six years.

7. RECREATION USER FEES AND WELCOME POLICY

PRELIMINARY EVALUATION - ALL WARDS

Source: Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism

(March 8, 2000)

Providing an initial assessment of the impact of the implementation of the new Harmonization of Recreation User Fees and Welcome Policy; outlining some preliminary strategies adopted by the Department to address a number of challenges; and noting that an additional supporting statistical information report will be distributed with the supplementary agenda.

8. "cOMPLETE COUNT COMMITTEE" - sTATISTICS cANADA

AND THE cITY OF TORONTO

source: Mr. Douglas Newson, Director,

Ontario Region, Statistics Canada

(February 28, 2000)

Respecting the "Combined Count Committee" - a combined effort between Statistics Canada and the City of Toronto to promote the 2001 Census, and requesting permission for Mr. Gregg Connolly and Mr. Richard Chartash, Statistics Canada, to make a presentation to the Committee.

9. INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND TORONTO'S

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

Source: Councillor Joan King, Seneca Heights

(February 18, 2000)

Advising that Council, when developing its Economic Development Strategy, should consider the role that International Associations, such as the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), could take in helping the City attract businesses and in supporting new business clusters in Toronto and requesting that the Commissioner of Economic Development and Parks Committee be directed to report on the role and potential contribution of International Associations in our Economic Development Strategy and International Framework.

10. 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES - INSTALLATION OF

ELEVATORS AT EVERY SUBWAY STATION

Source: Mr. Rick Ducharme, Chief General Manager

Toronto Transit Commission

(February 25, 2000)

Providing information concerning the cost of installing at least one elevator at every subway station in the City of Toronto by the year 2008 for physically challenged residents in Toronto and around the world who will be visiting Toronto during the 2008 Olympic games, including the feasibility of cost sharing the construction of these elevators by the Federal and Provincial Governments.

11. TOURIST ATTRACTION DIRECTIONAL SIGNAGE

(All Wards)

Source: Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism

(February 28, 2000)

Responding to a request from the Economic Development and Parks Committee to report, in consultation with Transportation staff and TEDCO, on roadway directional signage to tourism attractions, including the Docks Entertainment Complex and other attractions in the Portlands Area, and recommending that:

(1) the request for directional signage to the Docks Entertainment Complex be forwarded to the Transportation Services Division for consideration in the preparation of the policy to harmonize road signage by-laws throughout the City of Toronto;

(2) the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services be requested to consult with the Economic Development Division in developing the signage by-law harmonization policy to ensure that the interests of tourism attractions are considered in the development of the new policy; and

(3) the appropriate City officials be authorized and directed to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

12. PLAN FOR CULTURE, ARTS AND HERITAGE DIVISION

(All Wards)

Source: Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism

(March 2, 2000)

Responding to the Economic Development and Parks Committee's request to report on a plan for Culture, Arts and Heritage and recommending that:

(1) the Culture Division, in consultation with the Toronto Arts Council, report to the May 15, 2000 meeting of the Economic Development and Parks Committee on the plan for Culture, Arts and Heritage Division; and

(2) the appropriate City officials be authorized and directed to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

13. TORONTO NEW MEDIA WORKS STUDY AND UPDATE ON

CITY OF TORONTO'S INVOLVEMENT IN NEW MEDIA

INITIATIVES (All Wards)

Source: Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism

(February 28, 2000)

Providing information about the City of Toronto Economic Development Division's involvement in Toronto's rapidly growing new media sector; an update on several ongoing initiatives; and recommending that this report be received for information.

14. TORONTO COMPETES: AN ASSESSMENT OF TORONTO'S

GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS (All Wards)

Source: Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism

(March 2, 2000)

Summarizing some of the key findings of "Toronto Competes: An Assessment of Toronto's Global Competitiveness"; outlining the steps to completion of the City's Economic Development Strategy; and recommending that this report be received for information.

15. FILM AND TELEVISION INDUSTRY - 1999 YEAR END REVIEW

(All Wards)

Source: Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism

(February 28, 2000)

Providing an overview of activity generated during 1999 by the Toronto Film and Television Office and recommending that this report be received for information.

16. THE INTERIOR DESIGN SHOW

Source: Mr. Steven Levy, Director and Ms. Shauna Levy,

Associate Director, The Interior Design Show

(February 3, 2000)

Forwarding a package of promotion and advertising material from the Interior Design Show and expressing appreciation for the City's support.

ANY OTHER MATTERS