By Dimitrije Martinovic
Dimitrije is a staff with FOCUS MEDIA ARTS CENTRE.

Since the sudden announcement by Metrolinks that the new Ontario Line, which will extend from the Science Centre in the north to Ontario Place in the south, will have a subway station in Moss Park (corner of Queen St. East and Sherbourne St), the Moss Park community has been in a state of shock since they had already been planning for a much needed major revitalization project for the area.

In a previous meeting of the Moss Park Community Benefits Coalition held in Feb. 2022, the community was informed as to the scope of the Metro links project by Councillor Kristyn Wan-Tam and the impacts to the community with such massive construction project located in the centre of Moss Park.

Rallying around these many concerns the Moss Park Community Benefits Coalition held another meeting on March 20, 2022 to further inform area residents about what's at stake and what are the next steps.

Mark Clancy from Metrolinks was on hand to explain in greater detail the project, and also how the construction will affect Moss Park which is expect to take ten years. As a result of the construction, just under half of the entirety of the park will be allocated as a construction zone.

In a question and answer period following the Metrolinks presentation, Mark Clancy was asked by a TCH resident, what will be the opportunities available for community members in terms job, scholarship, and or entrepreneurial initiatives?  Mark Clancy cited that Metrolinks has existing community benefits programs that were implemented on the Eglington Crosstown Line and the Finch West LRT.  He said the government commitment to provide job opportunities as a result of infrastructure projects was 10% of the total budget, and that some 200 apprenticeships and several additional professional opportunities were created on the Eglington Crosstown Line. Metrolinks, continued Clancy was looking to implement a similar plan with the Ontario Line.

For area residents the Metrolinks Ontario Line is not the only issue, as the whole of the Downtown East is slated for further development with more and more condominiums projects popping everywhere, what are the plans for inclusionary zoning, affordable housing, and rent geared to income?  

For the Moss Park community these are some key community priorities that remain:
*     Establishment of better processes and outcomes for community led development
*     Moss Park impact assessment
*     Transparency, information sharing and accountability
*     Community improvement including Moss Park and Joh Innes Community Centre
*     Community Benefits Agreement for Ontario Line
*     Moss Park Social Development Plan
*     Clear structure and mechanisms for achieving and monitoring the above commitments

RPTV will be following up in future episodes to see how Metrolinks resolves these issues.