To advertise here, please contact Cathy@villagerpublications.com January and February are packed with important events. Family Literacy Day on January 27 promotes the joy of reading together as a family. February is Black History Month, a time to honour the contributions of Black Canadians and foster discussions about diversity, equity, and inclusion in our schools. TVDSB (Ward 11) Update by Trustees Pizzolato and Polhill (Wards 1, 11, 12, 14) Hello, TVDSB families and community members! As we welcome the new year, here are some key updates for January and February. Kindergarten registration for the 2025-2026 school year is now open! Families are encouraged to register early to ensure a smooth start to their child’s education. A virtual Kindergarten Information Session will be held on January 27. Visit tvdsb.ca for more details. Secondary students are reminded to review their timetables as we prepare for the second semester. If adjustments are needed, please contact your school’s guidance department promptly to ensure schedules align with academic and personal goals. To all our secondary students, as exam season approaches, we want to wish you the very best of luck! Your hard work and dedication throughout the semester have prepared you for this moment, and we’re confident in your ability to succeed. Ward 11 Update from City Hall by Skylar Franke, Ward 11 London City Council 519-661-2489, extension 4011 • sfranke@london.ca Hello Wortley Villagers, I hope you all enjoyed your holidays! With the start of the New Year, I’m focusing my attention on the next big items coming to Council this year. Your voice will be instrumental in helping Staff are doing community engagement on the draft Master Mobility Plan (essentially a plan for transportation from now until 2050, including roads, transit, cycling, walking and more). Check out the various maps and submit your comments before the end of March so staff can see if the plan aligns with your transportation needs at getinvolved.london.ca/mobility-master-plan. Urban Growth Boundary Review Staff completed the Land Needs Assessment in 2024, which is a review of all available land within the urban growth boundary to figure out if we need more land to develop, given the provincial requirement to have 25 years of developable land within our boundaries. Staff determined that 450 hectares were needed to expand in the urban growth boundary, however recent changes to provincial policy (requirement to use their projected population targets) pushed that number up to 1,100 hectares. Additional new policy offered the option to expand to a 30 year inventory, instead of 25 years, which pushed the number up to 1,476 hectares. And finally, a consultant report that predominantly engaged the developer industry suggested the random number of 2,000 hectares, which is about 42 to 45 years of developable land. I believe London needs to focus on growing inwards and upwards, and that significant expansion of the urban growth boundary will result in urban sprawl, leapfrog development and offer a significant benefit to property speculators who’s land will come into the urban growth boundary. I also worry about the long us make good decisions. Master Mobility Plan
Winter weather can be unpredictable, so we encourage families to stay informed about bus cancellations or school closures. Updates will be shared on the TVDSB website and local media outlets. Finally, we encourage parents and guardians to participate in school council meetings and board discussions. Your input is invaluable in shaping the future of our schools. Wishing everyone a happy and productive start to 2025! Let’s work together to make this year one of learning, growth, and success for all students. As always, please reach out to me if you have any concerns or questions I can help to address. Take care this winter season and wishing you the best for 2025! term plan for farmland in Southwestern Ontario, given there is no regional growth plan. Given the direction of Council in December, we will only be receiving urban growth boundary maps for the 1,476 and 2,000 hectare options. These are significant amounts of land (for reference, 450 hectares is all of Byron and Riverbend, so these amounts would be three to four times larger). Read more here and sign up to stay informed on this important decision: getinvolved.london.ca/london-plan-review. Green Development Guidelines I have been eagerly awaiting a report back from staff on the development of Green Development Guidelines, which allow municipalities to encourage energy efficiency, better landscaping, bird-friendly design and more in new buildings. These help reduce operating costs, make the buildings more enjoyable to live in and reduce emissions. Many other cities in Ontario already have these standards in effect. Stay tuned for more details!
www.tvdsb.ca
Trustee Polhill
Trustee Pizzolato Lori-Ann Pizzolato l.pizzolato@tvdsb.ca 519-452-2000
Sheri Polhill s.polhill@tvdsb.ca 519-452-2000
Wortley Villager Jan-Feb 2025 • Page 3
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