If you are a student in an Event Planning or similar program, between the ages of 18-30, who loves trees and the environment; and would like to assist in planning for the 3rd Annual Long Branch Tree Fest we would like to hear from you!
As the Events Coordinator, you will be assisting the LBNA (Long Branch Neighbourhood Association) and the Tree Fest Committee to plan, promote and organize the 3rd Annual Long Branch Tree Fest. This will involve developing a promotional plan; writing and distributing press releases; engaging local small businesses, musicians and artists; creating and distributing posters and flyers to local small businesses and within the community; promoting the event on social media; communications and organization with local exhibitors and vendors; coordination of educational events relating to urban trees and the environment; coordination and promotion of children’s activities and other activities as required to ensure a successful Tree Fest, which may be virtual or outdoors, depending on the COVID-19 situation
You will work with subject matter experts knowledgeable about the Long Branch trees, the environment and urban forestry.
In addition to preparing for Tree Fest, you will assist in planning for a series of local Community Stewardship Tree Interpretation walks and bike rides and the launch of our new TreeTrek app for self guided tree interpretive walks and rides throughout Long Branch and our local parks.
The Events Coordinator position is funded through a Canada Summer Jobs Federal Student grant program to the community. The LBNA encourages students in event planning, public relations or related communications programs to apply, including applicants who are women, indigenous students; members of a visible minority and new immigrants/refugees. University and college students are all encouraged to apply.
Interviews will be taking place shortly. Position start date will be in June.
If you are passionate about community events, environmental stewardship and conserving and expanding urban forests, please email your resume and cover letter with why you are interested in this position as soon as possible to Judy Gibson, Chair, Tree Canopy Preservation and Enhancement Committee, Long Branch Neighbourhood Association via email: longbranchnato@gmail.com
Note: The LBNA is required and committed to ensuring a safe, workplace experience for all employees. Employees will be required to follow the in force COVID-19 social distancing, personal and equipment safety and sanitizing procedures at all times.
https://lbna.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019-Tree-Fest-Exhibitors.jpg160240Judy Gibson/wp-content/uploads/LBNA_Logo_2in.svgJudy Gibson2021-05-06 13:53:472021-06-24 23:50:27Job Posting: Special Events Coordinator: Long Branch Tree Fest 2021
If you are a student, between the ages of 18 – 30 years old who loves trees; would like to work outdoors in Long Branch this summer and are going back to school in the fall we would like to hear from you!
You will be assisting the LBNA (Long Branch Neighbourhood Association) in developing an inventory of the trees in Long Branch, and educating the community on the benefits of preserving and growing our Urban Tree Canopy. This neighbourhood was an exclusive cottage community in the late 1800’s featuring densely treed lots. Many of these trees survive today. This project will include identifying Heritage Tree nominees to join the first three which are now officially recognized by Forests Ontario in Long Branch; assisting with the Long Branch Remembers program to plant trees for our Veterans in Long Branch and assisting in Tree Stewardship educational materials and initiatives about the benefits of our Urban tree canopy, native trees and biodiversity.
What You’ll Be Doing
As a member of a 4-person crew, you will spend the summer outdoors to accurately record the Long Branch urban forest inventory, including species and tree health data on public & private land using digital recording and mapping software. You will also identify strategic areas to plant new trees. You will assist in analyzing the tree inventory data collected and prepare reports on the findings. Training and technical support / mentoring will be provided through community partnership with the Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto.
Who Should Apply
This project is funded through a Canada Summer Jobs Federal Student grant program to the community. The LBNA encourages students in (or going into) forestry-related or arboriculture programs or environmental sciences or other related programs to apply, including applicants who are women, indigenous students; members of a visible minority and new immigrants/refugees. University, college and graduating high school students are all encouraged to apply.
Apply Now
Interviews will be taking place shortly. Position start date will be May 31, 2021.
If you are passionate about conserving and expanding urban forests, please email your resume and cover letter with why you are interested in one of these positions as soon as possible to Judy Gibson, Chair, Tree Canopy Preservation and Enhancement Committee, Long Branch Neighbourhood Association via email: longbranchnato@gmail.com
Note: The LBNA is required and committed to ensuring a safe, workplace experience for all employees. Employees will be required to follow the in-force COVID-19 social distancing, personal and equipment safety and sanitizing procedures at all times.
On Friday, April 16, 2021 TLAB Member Stanley Makuch issued a decision refusing severance of 38 Thirty First Street along with the variances associated with the application.
This hearing went on over 8 full days, from its outset on April 1, 2019 to closing arguments on February 22, 2021. The neighbourhood was represented by 5 residents and 3 members of the LBNA.
In his 10-page written decision, the presiding chair of the hearing, Mr. Makuch, agreed with the evidence provided by the LBNA and nearby residents that the proposed severance did not conform to the Long Branch Neighbourhood Design Guidelines and the Official Plan. He wrote:
“The proposed dwellings on the lot frontages requested would not fit the character of the area. Indeed, rather than respecting and reinforcing the character of the are they would diminish its cottage like atmosphere and reduce its feeling of openness and harmony.”
We are convinced the strong participation by Long Branch residents in TLAB hearings is making a favourable impression upon the the TLAB members. We are making well-presented cases with hard evidence and, unlike the OMB, which seemingly discouraged resident participation, TLAB is enabling the voices of the residents be heard as they describe the impact of these kinds of developments on them.
https://lbna.ca/wp-content/uploads/38-Thirty-First-Proposal-Rendering.jpg345460Ronald Jamieson/wp-content/uploads/LBNA_Logo_2in.svgRonald Jamieson2021-04-17 15:26:062021-04-17 15:26:09Severance of 38 Thirty First Refused
My neighbour’s property was vandalized on a sunny mid-March day this year. It was bold and in broad daylight, with the rest of the street watching in disbelief.
Many months ago – the new owner of the property next door was refused permission to build an oversized house on a 50 foot lot frontage by the Committee of Adjustment (COA). The proposed house was too big for the neighbourhood, but the bigger problem was the requested new foot print would endanger 3 protected trees on neighbouring properties – two 100-year-old beautiful Silver Maples and a younger but healthy Siberian Elm. In Long Branch, these are significant trees and they were there when the property was purchased. It should have been no surprise that a smaller home to accommodate the trees would have to be built and the trees on the surrounding properties protected.
Neighbours were excited to hear that rather than appeal the decision, the owner was going to build to the bylaws. This should be a happy ending to this story.
Not so.
Then came demolition day,
March 15, 2021 – Day 1
The house was coming down without tree protection for any of the trees. What was in place was flimsy snow fence establishing the illusion of tree protection for the neighbours to see. Fortunately, we long haulers know the difference. Neighbours were all quick to call 311, and were assured that Forestry would be attending the site — within 3-7 days.
March 16, 2021 – Day 2
Demolition continued – no forestry in sight. The 311 calls continued.
March 17, 2021- Day 3
Digging begins on March 17, 2021
On the third day the digging with the backhoe started, and that is when the neighbours and the owner of the trees next door lost it. We all watched in horror as the backhoe came closer and closer to the base of his prized Silver Maple taking roots and soil with it. Emails and text messages were sent out to the surrounding neighbourhood for residents to make some noise. “Call 311, there is illegal digging in protected tree zones happening right now. Take pictures if you can see it, and email and call the Councillor too.”
3 hours later, Forestry attended. But not before a yelling match occurred on the street between neighbours and the builder. A stop work order was finally issued by the City, but the damage was done. To what extent is unknown and may not be fully evident for years.
Gaps in the Process
Through all our phone calls we discovered the City had issued a building permit but no tree injury permits were in place. As a result, no Tree Protection Zone (TPZ) had been defined to protect trees on the subject property or adjoining properties. This is the problem with as-of-right building, everything becomes much less transparent than if the builder had asked for variances. The builder is expected to apply for a tree permit, yet there is nothing in place that we are aware of compelling them to do so.
Work crews putting in Tree Protection Zone barriers on March 24, 2021 – 6 days after demolition was completed.
The responsibility shifts to the neighbours to monitor the build and call to complain. But with a 3-to-7 day City response time, no action can occur in time to prevent irreversible damage to trees that are legally protected under the City’s By-laws.
We are sharing this story with you to illustrate the general rules about building around trees and hopefully save a few trees along the way.
According to the City of Toronto Tree Protection Policy and Specifications for Construction Near Trees – most protected private trees require a MINIMUM tree protection zone of 2.4 m. But in Long Branch, some of our larger trees are required by law to have much, much more. This zone generally stays clear at all times of equipment or digging. Orange snow fence is not tree protection. The Tree Protection Policy is a pretty straightforward and is pretty clear on what needs to be in place for Tree Protection in the City of Toronto.
Every Private tree that is 30cm in diameter or more – is protected. (that is 94.25 cm circumference at chest height) regardless of species or roughly the size of a telephone pole. It is illegal to injure or remove a healthy tree of this size or larger without a permit. All City Trees are protected regardless of size.
How You Can Protect Long Branch Trees
If you see an infraction, you need to initiate a call to 311 and be VERY specific. Tell them it is an emergency. Provide the address, where the tree is, how big it is and the species if you know it. Take photos if you can. Email and call the Councillor’s office as well. I have called in these types of infractions before and the City has arrived in a little as 45 minutes, but in this case, it was three days. So be persistent. Remember, in calling it in, you are not doing anything wrong. The tree canopy belongs to all of us.
Injury or destruction of a protected tree is a Provincial offence and the City has the power to issue fines. In my honest opinion the fines are not enough. But there is also the cost of a stop work order, lost of workdays and remediation of the damage. Finally, there is also the hassle of the neighbourhood scrutiny as you are coming to your jobsite every day.
The Value of Trees
Well landscaped real estate and mature trees can increase land value from 12 to 20%. So that is why I say my neighbour’s property was vandalized this week. Not only is our Long Branch tree canopy beautiful, it is an asset that increases land value. If you calculate using the low end of value of real estate in Long Branch, one of these trees is worth $100,000 and irreplaceable in realistic terms. My neighbour is also on the hook for the emergency visit from his arborist, remediation from his side of property and potentially removal of the tree down the road if it does not survive. It is similar to someone taking a sledgehammer to your Porsche while it is parked in your driveway. After the damage is done, you still own it, it may still work but it’s not the same prized vehicle, and the long-term damage may not be known for awhile.
In closing, I am pretty proud of my neighbours, they were fearless and quick to do what they could to help. None of them are against building a new home, just respect those trees that are here while doing so. This was evident when a different builder renovated and topped up another home on the street a couple of years ago. He removed no protected trees and no objections were filed by the neighbours. The house went up with no delays and now a lovely family has moved in and made it a home.
This year, we got a beautiful white Christmas. The snow formed an eye-pleasing blanket on the ground and branches. It’s lovely to look at, but, the snow should serve as a reminder we have to adapt our driving habits to weather conditions.
Here are 10 tips to help you become a smarter, safer winter driver.
These are MY 10 tips that work for me, not just a random list. I used to work in sales and routinely drove long distances to sales appointments – even through whiteout conditions on the New York State Thruway. (I used to live in Rochester, NY) I always got to my destination in one piece – perhaps not always on time – but I arrived.
1. Plan Your Trip
Whether it’s around town or driving between towns, it helps to plan your trip before you get into your car.
I use Google maps to check out routes to get an estimate of how long to expect the trip to take. That helps me decide when I need to leave to arrive at my destination on time. Google maps usually gives you alternate routes as well.
Check the traffic reports on the radio (680 News has traffic reports every 10 minutes) before you leave to see if your preferred or normal route is affected by accidents or other delays. If there are likely to be delays on your route, plan to leave earlier to ensure you get to your destination on time.
One popular app for navigation is Wayz. It functions as a GPS, but also gets real-time input from real Wayz users about accidents, road closures, construction and detours to be able to suggest alternate routes to get you to your destination.
2. Check the Weather
It’s always a good idea to check what the weather will be for the day to have some idea of how your driving might be affected. Even more so in winter when snow and/or ice play havoc with driving conditions.
Watch for weather forecast that call for a mild day in the morning and cooling down below freezing over the afternoon. These are the conditions that enable black ice to form. It’s hard enough to see in the daytime, but even harder at night.
3. Turn on your Headlights
You’ve probably heard people recommend you turn on your headlights when you’re driving in rain or fog to make your vehicle easier for other drivers to see.
The same principle holds true in winter. Here’s why.
When you turn on your headlights, the brightness cuts through fog or snow to make your car more visible to oncoming motorists. But turning them on also turns on your tail lights making your vehicle easier for motorists coming up behind you to see you.
While most modern vehicles have daytime running lights (DRL) that automatically come on when you start your car, the DRL does not activate your tail lights so, in fog, snow or especially at night, your car becomes a “phantom car” – invisible to anyone coming up behind you.
So, when the weather forecast suggests poor visibility, turn on your headlights. But only use low beam. High beam tends to reflect light back to you from moisture droplets in fog or snow and can actually reduce your ability to see the road ahead. Low beams will allow you to see enough of the roadway ahead of you without blinding oncoming motorists.
4. Equip Your Car With Winter Tires
Once the temperature has dropped below 7° C, if you can do only one thing, it should be to put on winter tires.
Winter tires have a softer rubber compound and different tread pattern compared with summer or all-season tires to give them better traction in snow and on ice.
With All-Season tires on a dry road, a passenger sedan will require 35 meters to stop (about the width of 3 residential lots) from 50 kph. On packed snow, at the same speed, it takes 55 meters to stop. On ice, this jumps to 87 meters – almost the same distance as 7 houses.
Winter tires decrease stopping distances by about 33% to about 38 meters on snow and 58 meters on ice. This means that winter tires can allow you to brake in the same distance on snow as all-season tires on dry pavement.
When Spring comes around, replace your winter tires with summer or all-season tires. The softer compound used to give winter tires better grip also make them much more prone to wear in warmer weather.
5. Leave More Space
Just accept that it takes more distance to stop on winter roads than on dry pavement.
Increase the distance you leave between your car and the vehicle in front of you to compensate for this increased stopping distance.
Also, when passing, allow more space between your car and other vehicles. Winter roads can present unexpected problems like black ice or ridges of unplowed snow or slush on the roadway. These can cause your car or others to unexpectedly veer from their intended course.
6. Easy does It
A smart winter driver avoids making sudden moves when he or she is driving. This includes braking, steering, lane changes.
If you feel you are losing control, DO. NOT. BRAKE. Let off the accelerator. Gently. Do not apply any braking force as you start to skid or you’ll make the situation much worse by locking your wheels. Only when the car is back in a straight line should you use the brakes. Or when you’re already so far gone that you’re absolutely, positively going to hit something. At that point, braking won’t prevent the collision, but it’ll help you in the first few milliseconds after the impact.
7. Don’t Crowd Plows
While it is legal to pass a snowplow or a sanding/salting truck, always give the operators of these vehicles plenty of room to work to prevent collisions and to get roads cleared faster.
The operators are also trained to move over to allow traffic behind them to get past, so just be patient.
It may be frustrating to be following a slow-moving plow, but at least you will be travelling on a roadway that is relatively clear of ice and snow.
It’s tempting to just pass the plow, but the roadway in the passing lane may not be cleared of snow and you risk losing control and possibly colliding with the plow while passing. If you’re going to pass, make certain the passing lane is relatively clear.
8. Slow Down
Don’t drive so fast during the winter. Slow down.
Stopping distances are a function of four things: 1, your reaction time, 2, your speed, 3, the curb weight of your vehicle and 4, road conditions. Even if you have snow tires, at any given speed, it will take longer to stop than on warm, dry pavement.
The chart below compares stopping distance on dry pavement vs, on wet or snowy roads. The blue bar represents the distance you would travel while you react to something you see on the road. The red bar represents how far your car will travel from the time you step on the brake until you come to a complete stop.
The weight of your vehicle affects stopping distance because your vehicle’s momentum is a combination of speed and weight. So, if you’re used to driving a small sedan, when driving an SUV or pickup, it will take longer to stop than you’re used to.
By planning your route and making allowances for bad weather, it’s a lot easier to feel you can drive at a slower speed.
9. All Wheel Drive Is Not A Cure
All Wheel Drive gives drivers a false sense of security. Most drivers with AWD think their vehicles can handle any kind of conditions because all it needs is one wheel to get traction to be able to maneuver the car.
Unfortunately, on ice for example, if you’re not equipped with snow tires, you’ll end up in an all wheel skid. Your AWD vehicle still needs tires that can get traction on road surfaces to maintain control.
If your vehicle is a pickup or SUV, don’t be tempted to drive faster because your vehicle has AWD. The centre of gravity on SUVs and pickups is higher than for sedans, and you can roll your vehicle over more easily than if you were driving a sedan.
10. Arrive Alive. It’s Important.
If you pull out all the stops when you’re driving just to be able to make your destination on time, you’re probably taking unnecessary risks for you and your passengers.
I’ve seen cars skid off the road because drivers were going too fast for conditions or braked suddenly and went into a spin.
By taking my time, I managed to get through areas where cars, trucks and buses had gone off the road. I never had a customer complain that I was late for an appointment during a snowstorm. They always appreciated that I arrive, and arrived safely.
/wp-content/uploads/LBNA_Logo_2in.svg00Ronald Jamieson/wp-content/uploads/LBNA_Logo_2in.svgRonald Jamieson2021-01-07 15:34:042021-01-07 15:34:07How to be a Smarter Winter Driver
We have experienced two types of auto-related crimes in Long Branch: theft of valuables from cars and theft of the cars themselves.
N.B. This chart shows auto theft statistics for ALL of 22 Division, so it is not just data for Long Branch.
First Principles
If you fail to lock the doors to your car, you leave a huge opportunity for thieves to enter it. Therefore, the best way to prevent thieves from getting into your car is to lock it whenever it is parked. (This includes not only at your home, but also when you go out shopping.)
Some of you may have seen security cam video of thieves checking car doors. They’re looking for cars that are unlocked, because they represent opportunities for quick entry and exit compared to vehicles that ARE locked.
If you have a garage, use it! By parking your car in a garage, you not only keep your vehicle out of sight, but also any valuables in your car are also out of sight. When your car is not visible to thieves, it’s off their radar.
By the way, lock your garage, too. If a thief can open your garage door, he can also close it to prevent anyone from seeing him while he tries to get into your car as well as time to break in undetected.
How Thieves Circumvent Locked Cars
As in life, nothing is 100% certain. Even if you lock your car and park in a garage, it does not provide 100% protection from theft. The two principles we described above will deter a casual thief, but not a thief who is determined to get into your vehicle.
Here are some common ways a more determined thief can use.
If your car is parked outside, a thief can break one of the windows to be able to reach in and grab valuables that might be visible.
High-rise apartment dwellers or condo owners park their vehicles in underground parking garages, which means they are out of sight of passersby on the street or even from many of the other residents of the building who may also park underground.
This means a thief has much more opportunity to operate without being seen and has more time to enter a vehicle – especially at night when there is very little traffic in an underground garage.
A thief can get into your car not only by breaking a window, but also by forcing open a door or sun roof.
Keyless Entry
A criminal can enter and steal your car in under 60 seconds – even if you have keyless or remote locking systems on your vehicle.
Professional car thieves have increasingly been using a technique called a “relay attack” to enter locked vehicles. Here’s how it works.
Your car’s locking system and the remote fob communicate with each other using low powered radio waves that are only effective when the car door and the fob are within one meter (or 36 inches) of each other.
Research by Tracker, a car security company, revealed that 50% of those surveyed leave their keys either in the hallway of their house or a key pot elsewhere.
The photo below illustrates how a team of thieves perform a relay attack.
The criminal on the right is holding a device that pings the car’s locking system, basically impersonating the key. The car’s locking system replies to the ping by sending out a signal that’s intended to connect with the key fob. The device the criminal on the right is holding relays that signal to the device the criminal to the left is holding. This device amplifies the signal enough to be able to communicate with a key fob within 10 to 15 meters of the front door. When the key fob in the house receives this relayed signal, it responds with a signal to unlock the doors that is relayed back through the two devices the thieves are using. The same process can be used on the ignition system to start the vehicle.
To illustrate how prevalent the relay attack is being used, company Tracker revealed that 92% of the cars it recovered last year were taken without using the keys. This is an increase from 2018’s figure which stood at 88% and a worrying increase of 26% compared with four years ago. The figure in 2016 stood at 66%.
Click here to see a video of a car being stolen in Scarborough in mid-2020 so you can see just how quick this can happen.
Models Most Likely to be Stolen
There are rings of professional car thieves who steal cars to order – usually for shipment overseas. If your car is stolen by one of these rings, it can be inside a shipping container within hours of being stolen.
Here is the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s Top 10 list of stolen vehicles.
2018 Honda CR-V 4DR AWD SUV
2017 Lexus RX350/RX450H 4DR AWD SUV
2017 Honda CR-V 4DR AWD SUV
2018 Lexus RX350/RX350L/RX450H/RX450HL 4DR AWD SUV
2018 Ford F150 4WD Pickup
2019 Honda CR-V 4DR AWD SUV
2018 Toyota Highlander 4DR 4WD SUV
2017 Toyota Highlander 4DR 4WD SUV
2019 Lexus RX350/RX350L/RX450H/RX450HL 4DR AWD SUV
2017 Dodge Ram 1500 4WD Pickup
Note that most of these are not what we would consider luxury vehicles
What You Can Do
Here are 5 things you can do to prevent your car or truck from being stolen.
Block electronic key fob signals: A Faraday box or wallet, is the best way to block out any electronic signals, (A Faraday box is made from metal – either solid or metal mesh – and blocks radio waves.)
Keep keys out of sight: Leaving keys in the hallway or on the kitchen worktop means thieves can easily employ the relay technique if it is within proximity or, failing that, break in and swipe them.
Add layers of security: Physical barriers can be effective in deterring thieves. Consider adding a crook lock or wheel clamp to your car.
Install a ‘ghost immobilizer’: For another layer of protection, add a secondary barrier to your car’s factory fitted immobilizer by having a unique access code to start your car.
Invest in a tracking device: A tracking device won’t stop your vehicle being stolen, but it significantly increases chances of police recovering and returning it
https://lbna.ca/wp-content/uploads/Car-theft.jpg175287Ronald Jamieson/wp-content/uploads/LBNA_Logo_2in.svgRonald Jamieson2020-12-29 09:00:002020-12-24 22:54:25Keep Your Car Safe
