Before I begin, I must admit that I got a huge kick out of Mr. O’Connor Clarke’s “Bloganary Triple Bypass.” If Michael had a near death experience, I flatlined like Kiefer back in 1990!
In any case, I wanted to announce that construction has finally started on the new Don Mills Centre (just between the Dominion and the razed CIBC branch). To be quite honest, I have given up any real fight I had in me because the plan for the new mall doesn’t look half bad. And I’m also looking forward to patronizing eastern Canada’s first McNally Robinson bookstore. I’m not, however, sure about high-density residential being developed in the area, but anything is better than what we have now — thousands of square feet of open fields and dust. It’s a little depressing.
Nonetheless, I still think Cadillac Fairview should step up its community relations efforts by speaking DIRECTLY to residents. STOP USING THE DMRI as your mouthpiece. And how about spending a few dollars on a proper website and some press releases; do the teachers have two much invested in the Maple Leafs’ pathetic roster?
If I had the time, money, influence and connections, I would make one more serious attempt at getting a mall that truly fits the neighbourhood. However, with very little of the above and a sense that no one will ever be happy with whatever goes up, I’m happy just sitting back and hoping for the best.
If you don’t agree and insist on writing me a nasty e-mail, just remember that the community had a similar response from some of its members when CF decided to cover the mall (confirmed by a former resident with close ties to Don Mills). The original Don Mills Centre WAS uncovered and was the talk of the town for nearly three decades.
As far as I’m concerned, the community should be focused on protecting and improving the public lands and infrastructure (some of our schools need some major help). I’d rather have a new mall and some condos than have our schools and parks shut down.
6 responses so far ↓
Eli Gabbay // July 11, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Yes, 50 years ago, it was uncovered mall yes, but you could also see more people riding horses than cars around Don Mills because there were more farms around (confirmed by a former resident of Don Mills), and 50 years ago, we didn’t have the large community of seniors and disabled people that we have now and that depends on an indoor mall.
To say that anything is better than what we have now (thousands of square feet of open fields and dust) would be like, if you wanted to renovate your house, and the builder you hired first takes the house down and you end up with “an open field and dust,” and when they build a new house you don’t like, would you take “It is better than the open field of dust you had before,” for an answer?
Regarding you comment “As far as I’m concerned, the community should be focused on protecting and improving the public lands and infrastructure” – what about the large number of seniors and disabled people in this area? Should we not be concerned about them? They need an indoor mall to shop comfortably in, especially on very cold or hot days, when people are advised to go to a mall to keep comfortable.
My family and I can easily take the car and drive elsewhere, but what about the many seniors who moved to Don Mills because they no longer drive and thought they would always have a mall nearby? What about the disabled people for whom the mall was their main place to go and hang out? Right now, these people are sitting in their houses and apartments because the place is “open fields and dust,” but they will still be in their houses and apartments after the new stores come up, because these will be inaccessible and unaffordable for many of the seniors and disabled.
Fighting a large developer plus the City and the local ratepayers’ group is exhausting, but we have to remind ourselves who it is that we are fighting for.
I’d rather see seniors with canes and disabled folks in scooters in an indoor mall than the new outdoor stores and condos.
Eli Gabbay
Don Mills Friends
http://www.donmillsfriends.org
Paul Zanettos // July 11, 2007 at 2:35 pm
Hi Eli - Before you label me as anti-Senior and minion of the developer, please let me make something clear. I absolutely DESPISE Cadillac Fairview and their approach with this whole process has been nothing less than disgusting. I believe that EVERYONE should be able to use it’s town’s shopping centre and not have to worry about the elements. But I also believe in choice. My 84-year-old grandmother, who is limited in her ability to walk, also enjoys walks to the indoor mall near her seniors’ home in Ottawa and frequents its cafeteria quite a bit. But on cold winter days and during summer heat waves, she either stays at home or meets with friends at another location. In other words, she has a choice — something EVERYONE should have in Don Mills. Let’s not forget that the Don Mills Centre is PRIVATE property. To ensure that we all have choice, we should be concentrating on developing more public space for parks, community centres and adult learning centres. As a kid growing up in the west end of Montreal, I spent more time at the Civic Centre (swimming pool, library, hockey rinks) and at the local park (basketball courts, hockey rinks) than at the local mall. There’s so much more to a community than a shopping centre.
Eli Gabbay // July 16, 2007 at 3:16 pm
I didn’t try to label you as anti-senior; all I was saying is that our fight is mostly for the seniors in the neighbourhood.
Choice is a privilege; I am happy for your grandmother that she has choices, but we cannot assume that everyone else has similar choices. The Don Mills Centre mall was unique in that the merchants and customers there had grown together over three generations, and it had become a community market place, and people had moved around it with the idea that they would never need a car again. The developer should have taken this into account in planning any redevelopment.
Regarding your thoughts on the Don Mills Centre as private property, here is a quote from a letter written by a Don Mills resident to City Council and posted on the Articles and Letters page of our website http://www.donmillsfriends.org)
“Ownership: The claim that Cadillac Fairview owns the property and can do whatever they wish with that property is not true. Homeowners cannot do whatever they wish with their property—they cannot keep chickens or a goat, cannot cut down trees and cannot hold parties and play loud music till 3 a.m. By-laws are enacted and enforced for the benefit of the community as a whole. Why is a developer not required to consider the community as a whole? Cadillac Fairview’s actions to date have shown complete contempt for thousands of people whose lives have already been adversely changed. ”
When a building has functioned as the heart and main market place of a neighbourhood for decades, and when it has been supported and nurtured by thousands of customers during that time, its owner is obliged by common sense and courtesy to take the community’s wishes into account with respect to any changes involving this public facility. The Central Don Mills Secondary Plan was put in place as an insurance policy against inconsiderate developers who lack this common sense and courtesy, but the City has ignored to further other interests.
Eli Gabbay
Rick // July 23, 2007 at 7:20 pm
Sorry to break into this tight blog community… the search into the future of the “Don Mills” led me here. I wanted to find out more because there is such a buzz about which stores will be coming… a bookstore from the West.. Williams Sonoma??? Holt’s??? There is excitement in the air. As for the high-rises… why don’t they give them the extra floors in exchange for some community space… God knows our city council won’t fight for it.. and the so called “Friends” are so caught up fighting with DMRI and DMF tht they’ve lost touch with reality. I just wish CF was more communicative.
Justin // July 27, 2007 at 12:22 am
I have lived since about 1962 in Don mills and remember the huge hulabloo about covering the mall.
CF or who ever owned the mall made a lot of promised that were broken one by one, that made the mall a lot worse off.
First it was going to have a lot of public space, in front of Eaton’s with large trees Kept from before the mall was enclosed.
Then the trees were replace with a water area as alot of space was infilled with junk stores,
This website is very difficult to read, especially for seniors.
Style over function, the material, is fine, curious if there is any real website about what to expect by 2008? from the mall, actually is it a mall if open to the air.
Paul Zanettos // July 27, 2007 at 2:40 pm
First of all, to Rick: I agree with everything you have to say. As far as the stores we can expect to have come next year, I believe we are getting McNally Robinson in (a Chapters-like bookstore with chains in western Canada) and a high-end grocery store (probably a Pusateris or Whole Foods).
And to Justin, I’m glad you are letting everyone know that the fight for “sanctity” of Don Mills has been going on for a long time. I don’t agree with the “twin towers” going up in the area, but it’s high time we all accepted a new and improved Don Mills Centre - for better or for worse. I will try my best to increase the font of the text so it’s easier to read. Thanks for the comment.
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