Parking restricted during Canadian Open

Twenty-four more neighbouring residential streets will be subject to no parking regulations during the 2010 RBC Canadian Open at St. George's Golf and Country Club.

Councillors voted last week to endorse city staff's extended list of 50 affected streets prepared after two public meetings in early March with Etobicoke Centre Councillor Gloria Lindsay Luby and area residents.

Without debate, Etobicoke York Community Council politicians voted to recommend Toronto City Council approve the measure, as well as another to close Islington Avenue to vehicle traffic from Eglinton Avenue West to The Kingsway from July 10 to July 30.

Closing Islington Avenue is necessary to position television and commmunication equipment and ancillary facilities related to the needs of players, spectators, the media and sponsors, a city staff report states.

The plan proposes mitigating measures to minimize traffic impacts from the Open on area neighbourhoods.

Normally, parking is allowed for up to three hours on most streets in the vicinity of St. George's, a city staff report indicates.

To discourage on-street parking, parking on 50 adjacent neighbourhood roads will be prohibited from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the tournament, which runs from July 19 to July 25.

Residents who require on-street parking for a special event at their home during that time can apply for parking consideration through Toronto police's parking enforcement unit.

Exception to these parking regulations will be in effect on the following streets. Those residents must obtain "hang tags" for their vehicles, distributed by mail or available at St. George's.

- Islington Avenue between The Kingsway and Ridgevalley Crescent;

- Ridgevalley Crescent and Ridgecross Road;

- Prince George Drive east of Princess Anne Crescent; and

- Princess Margaret Boulevard east of Palace Arch Drive

Further, city staff adopted a Toronto Police recommendation to make The Kingsway between Kipling and Islington avenues a "no stopping" area from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. during tournament play.

Staff recommended, and councillors endorsed, an extension of The Kingsway "no stopping" regulation farther east to encompass the area between Kipling Avenue and Hartfield Road.

TTC bus service will be rerouted on The Kingsway during the three-week closure of Islington Avenue.

Following residents' concerns, now only southbound TTC buses will be rerouted around the closure via The Kingsway, Princess Margaret Boulevard, Bemersyde Drive and Eglinton Avenue West.

Northbound buses will continue along The Kingsway to Kipling Avenue, to Eglinton Avenue West and then back to Islington Avenue.

Councillors voted to recommend city council receive the event's traffic management plan prepared by IBI Group, an engineering consulting firm retained by Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA).

RCGA organizers are responsible for all costs associated with the proposed temporary parking restrictions.

During the Open, golfers will use Islington Golf and Country Club as a practise and driving range. Plans for spectator parking or shuttles to the course have yet to be announced by RCGA.

"Time and again we hear that the quality of the golf course is of utmost importance to PGA Tour players. There are few courses in the world as fine as St. George's..." Scott Simmons, RCGA CEO said in a statement in 2008 when the association announced the 2010 Open's site.

Jim Little, RBC chief brand and communications officer agreed.

"To stage the championship at one of Canada's finest, historic courses in the middle of our biggest city will certainly help to make what is already a great event even better," Little said.

Dating from 1929, the Stanley Thompson-designed course is consistently rated in the top three in Canada and the top 100 in the world.

The venerable Etobicoke club has previously hosted four Canadian Opens, but none since 1968.