Tory pledges to protect students at Toronto school beside condo development

Mayor John Tory says he will do whatever he can to protect the health and safety of elementary students at a midtown Toronto school given that a condo tower is slated to be built next door.

Tory made the promise to John Fisher Junior Public School students on the weekend. The school, at 40 Erskine Ave., is located in the Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue area. A 35-storey condo tower is planned to be built right next to the school.

"I promise residents that this development will be held to the very highest standards when it comes to the health and safety of the children and the well-being of the neighbourhood and local families," Tory said in a statement attached to a tweet.

Parents concerned about dust, noise

Parents whose children attend the school have expressed concerns about the possible dust, noise and vibrations from the construction project.

The mayor said he has met with Coun. Jaye Robinson, Ward 25 Don Valley West, and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, who is the MPP for the area, about the proposed development.

"We are all working hard to address the community concerns," he said.

City opposed development

Tory notes in his statement that the city and the councillor opposed the development but it was forced on the city by the Ontario Municipal Board.

The OMB decision "is no reason to abandon the well-being of a stable neighbourhood or one of Toronto's most respected public schools," he said.

The developer, KG Group, has informed the Toronto District School Boardthat it no longer wants to use part of the school grounds as a staging area for construction, according to a letter to parents by Gerri Gershon, TDSB trustee for Don Valley West.

The board plans to relocate the school's playground away from the construction side of the school property.

The school, which runs from kindergarten to grade six and which offers French immersion, is the oldest elementary school in the Toronto District School Board.