Facing Toronto casino defeat, Mayor Ford declares issue ‘dead’
Councillor Michelle Berardinetti, who has decided to vote against a downtown casino, doubted in an interview whether Ford could convince a majority of council to prolong the debate.“I don’t think there’s much appetite for that,” she said. “This has been going on for months and I think people want us to deal with it.” MoreScarborough traffic signal debate based on emotion: councillor
Councillors are challenged when the city’s experts disagree with residents about an intersection, said Michelle Berardinetti, suggesting her colleagues should not fear to explain how traffic studies work. “Otherwise, we’re going to have a traffic light at every intersection.” More
Toronto council refuses to support provincial transit funding tools
Call to convert Scarborough RT into subway approved by council. More
Southwest Scarborough celebrates opening of affordable housing units
“With the condo king, affordable rental housing is welcome in this city,” said Michelle Berardinetti, the local councillor and a member of Toronto’s affordable housing committee.
“This means 152 brighter futures for the people who live here.” More
Scarborough councillors want subway to replace RT line
Berardinetti said she planned to introduce a motion calling for a Scarborough subway at the May city council meeting when a report on revenue tool recommendations is also introduced for debate. More
Scarborough councillors will support transit taxes — for a subway
Berardinetti said seven of 10 Scarborough councillors have signed a letter supporting the motion. More
Councillors want Scarborough RT converted into a subway in exchange for their support of new transit taxes
The group wants to allocate the first $500-million that flows to Toronto from future provincially imposed revenue tools — should city council agree to them — to the Scarborough subway, ahead of a downtown relief line. More
Toronto councillors look to revive Scarborough subway line
“You’re not going to get Scarborough residents to support any revenue tools if there’s no offer of a subway,” said Berardinetti. More
Clean ups slated for 14 southwest Scarborough parks on Saturday
Noting her Southwest Scarborough ward “has the highest number of complaints for litter and illegal garbage dumping,” Councillor Michelle Berardinetti has organized a clean up of 14 of its local parks this Saturday morning. More
Elephant tug of war: The story of the Toronto Zoo transfer
“When are they leaving?” the child wants to know.
Good luck trying to answer that one. A better question: Why has this gone on for so long? More
Warden Woofs celebrate opening of new dog parkOn Saturday, Jan. 12, dog owners celebrated the off-leash area’s opening with Michelle Berardinetti, the local councillor. More
Warden underpass mural
The underpass marks the dividing line between Ward 35 and Ward 36 (Birch Cliff) and it was Ward 35 councillor Michelle Berardinetti who secured funding. Mural Routes has also been involved in the project. More
Transit, wise spending by city remain priorities for Scarborough councillors
Before the 2010 election in which they chose Ford, Lee and Berardinetti said, Scarborough residents told them they wanted “value for money” from city hall. They wanted more jobs to come to Scarborough, they wanted the city to keep its programs, but they wanted their tax money spent wisely. Read More
Executive Remains Elusive for Council’s Women
Berardinetti, who also spoke with us this week at council, rejected the notion that women ought to be selected to executive merely because of their gender. “I’m not at the table because I’m a woman—it has to be based on your qualifications.” At the same time, she emphasized that “without a doubt, there are gender perspectives at the table.” Berardinetti cited examples of women councillors as “consensus builders…” More
Toronto Council votes to send zoo’s elephants to California — again
“We just want to do what’s best for our elephants, and that’s what we did here today,” said Councillor Michelle Berardinetti, who has fought hard for the move. More
City council votes to transfer elephants to California by end of year
Coun. Michelle Berardinetti is pleased with the decision but is cautiously excited, she said.
“Hold my breath until they arrive in the sanctuary in California because it breaks my heart the fact that they’re still here in Toronto and they’re going to suffer in substandard conditions until they’re removed,” she said.
“But it’s a great day.” More
Toronto City Council kills plastic bag ban
“It’s just a sad day,” said Councillor Michelle Berardinetti. “Without a bag fee or a ban — with either one not in place — people will use those bags and it’s unfortunate for the environment.”
Retailers reaped the 5 cents. Berardinetti had hoped to steer some of that revenue into tree planting, in part to offset destruction by the emerald ash borer. More
Toronto Trashes Its Plastic Bag Ban
On May 14, 2012 Councillor Michelle Berardinetti asked the Executive Committee to consider a proposal asking retailers to donate the proceeds of the plastic bag fee to the City’s efforts to maintain the tree canopy, reopening the issue of the plastic bag fee. More
Councillor quits Mayor Rob Ford’s executive committee
“I’d like to focus on the values that I hold,” Berardinetti, whose ward Ford carried easily in the 2010 election, said in an interview Friday. “And to not feel constrained, and just feel that I can vote according to the wishes of my ward.” Read More
Berardinetti chosen chair of Scarborough Community Council for next two years
Michelle Berardinetti was chosen this week to lead her colleagues for the next two years at Scarborough Community Council.
“I think it matters for the younger generation to see female leadership,” Berardinetti added. Read More
Councillors protect their slush funds
In an effort to bring in some much-needed additional money, Councillor Michelle Berardinetti proposed getting a city report on whether 10% of Section 37 funds given yearly by developers in each city ward could be allocated directly to the TCHC repair backlog anywhere in the city, based on priority.
Berardinetti was simply thinking outside the box, a phrase most of her colleagues love to use but rarely, if ever, practice. Read More
Toronto to get tougher about downspout-disconnection law
After dealing with flooded basements caused by heavy summer rains, Councillor Michelle Berardinetti wants all homeowners to help solve the problem.
A proven way to cut the volume of water flowing into the sewers is to disconnect downspouts so runoff from the roof flows onto the lawn and soaks into the ground, says Berardinetti (Ward 35, Scarborough Southwest). More
Toronto Council meeting wraps with airplane noise and insurance rates request
Councillor Michelle Berardinetti got council to vote 28-3 late Thursday to request the Ontario government amend the Insurance Act to ban insurance companies from risk assessments based on postal code. More
By the numbers: Toronto’s use of plastic bags
Global News looks at plastic bags, the ban and the five-cent fee by the numbers. More
Ban ‘geographic profiling’ for insurance companies: Scarborough councillor
“Nobody wants to feel like their area is being picked on, but it’s all a matter of costs.” More
Scarborough councillor calls for sewer upgrades to avoid flooding
At least 264 homeowners are cleaning up flooded basements after Sunday thunderstorms dropped a whopping 88 mm of rain on southwest Scarborough in two hours.Councillor Michelle Berardinetti (Ward 35, Scarborough Southwest) is one of those homeowners. She was up all night Sunday trying to clear 45 cm of water from her basement, in the area of North Bonnington Ave. and Danforth Rd. More
Berardinetti asks council to approve summer elephant transfer
Councillor Michelle Berardinetti said she will be asking councillors at their July meeting to lock in the transfer of the elephants to a California sanctuary this summer. More
Toronto Zoo elephants’ move south delayed yet again
Councillor Michelle Berardinetti, who pushed to send the elephants to PAWS, says she doesn’t believe zoo staff will find anything objectionable in the shelter’s records. “PAWS is a closed facility. It doesn’t have people walking through every day, so in fact I think the Toronto Zoo is a place where (animals are) more likely to catch TB because you have people walking in all the time.” The biggest health risk currently facing the elephants, she said, is the hole in Iringa’s footpad, which may be alleviated by use of PAWS’ elephant whirlpool bath. Read More
Don Montgomery centre celebrates opening of new youth space
They found a dark place devoted to guns and turned it into a bright refuge where education and their own creativity could flourish. It taught Scarborough youth a lesson about power, namely their own. Read More
Toronto council votes to keep youth outreach workers
Toronto city council has voted 30 to 7 to reverse a decision to get rid of 17 youth outreach workers. Read More
City Council Reaffirms Support for Pride Toronto, Condemns Term “Israeli Apartheid”
Compromise motion resolves conflict around Queers Against Israeli Apartheid’s participation in the Pride parade, at least for the moment. Read More
New Bike Parking Station Opens at Victoria Park Subway Station
The bicycle station will help to encourage cycling because it provides protection from theft, vandalism and inclement weather,” said Councillor Michelle Berardinetti (Ward 35 Scarborough Southwest), speaking on behalf of Mayor Rob Ford at the event. Read More
It’s time to get purposeful with plastic bag fee revenue
Council will discuss the bylaw at a meeting today, where some councillors (and the mayor) will argue to rescind the fee. Others, such as Councillor Michelle Berardinetti, are pushing for a campaign that would encourage big retailers to divert some of the profits to Toronto’s tree canopy. Read More
Council to decide fate of city’s plastic bag fee
Coun. Michelle Berardinetti wants the city to ask retailers to donate the fee to Toronto’s tree-planting program, while Coun. Anthony Perruzza will ask council to support an outright ban of plastic shopping bags. Read More
Scarborough’s BIAs work with what they have
Michelle Berardinetti, the local councillor, said the BIA has done a good job of reforming a stretch of Danforth Avenue that was run down. It is the only true main street in her ward, but it’s also the area with the lowest incomes, she said. Read More
Scarborough neighbourhood residents raise safety concerns: Community walk focuses on issues in and around Pine Hill Cemetery
“You’re the eyes and the ears of the ward,” Berardinetti told residents on the safety walk. Read More
Bureaucracy stymies moving Toronto Zoo elephants
TORONTO - We all know that bureaucracy has its own rules, and if it is ordered to do something with which it disagrees, there are innumerable ways to frustrate achievement. Read More
Bob Barker threatens to pull back money to transfer Toronto Zoo elephants
“I am repulsed by what’s going on in Toronto’s name. Their behaviour is abhorrent,” says Councillor Michelle Berardinetti, who spearheaded last October’s council vote. “It is outrageous, scandalous and the ones who suffer will be the elephants. Read More
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Toronto’s 5-cent bag ‘fee’ should help plant trees, city told
Berardinetti (Ward 35, Scarborough Southwest) represents the most tree-barren ward in Scarborough and would like to turn that around.
But she said the city doesn’t have the multi-millions needed to expand the tree canopy and replace ash trees lost to the emerald ash borer, which is expected to kill most of the city’s estimated 860,000 ash trees by 2017.
So, she’s pushing for a tree summit this fall of tree advocates, government and industry representatives to increase pressure for action. Read More
Ford Picks Cottage Over Pride – again
If he can’t do the flag raising, Berardinetti added she hopes Ford participates in at least one Pride event.
“It’s about inclusivity and there are so many things that Pride represents and I think that he has to at least participate in something,” she said. Read More
Mixed adults shelter determined to repair reputation
Residents reacted and public pressure spurred Scarborough city councillor Michelle Berardinetti to call a town meeting last November to address the community’s concerns. Read More
Scarborough Councillors look to save subway plan
Councillors Michelle Berardinetti, Norm Kelly and Michael Thompson said the proposal would give council a “concrete” plan to fund transit building with reliable funding sources.
“There is no way around it, we really have to look at revenue sources,” Berardinetti said. More
Mayor Rob Ford set to compromise on sale of 675 TCHC houses
Councillor Michelle Berardinetti, a member of Ford’s executive, supports the idea of a task force soliciting independent advice from experts in various fields, looking beyond the issue of the scattered homes. She is prepared to make a motion at executive if one is needed. Read More
Bag Tax Could Save Trees |
