BPRO AGM: May 14th at Safari
You are cordially invited to the 2026 Annual General Meeting of the Bedford Park Residents Organization. This year’s AGM will be held in person at Safari Bar & Grill. We look forward to seeing you there!
Event Details
Date: Thursday May 14, 2026
Location: Safari Bar & Grill – Second Floor
1749 Avenue Road, Toronto, ON M5M 3Y8
Business Meeting: 7:00 PM (members only for voting; observers welcome)
Guest Speaker: 7:30 PM followed by Q&A and social time (open to all)
Please note: There is no elevator to second floor
Agenda
7:00 PM – Business Meeting
- Land Acknowledgement and Welcome
- Approval of the 2025 AGM Minutes
- Treasurer’s Report
- Membership Report
- President’s Report
- Election of the Board of Directors
7:30 PM – Guest Speaker
We are pleased to welcome Jason Thorne, Chief Planner, City of Toronto, as our guest speaker. Jason will speak about planning topics relevant to our neighbourhood, including density changes, retail in residential areas, and transit-oriented communities. A Q&A session will follow, along with an opportunity to socialize with fellow residents.
Councillor Mike Colle has also been invited to provide an update on local issues.
Important Information
• RSVP Required: Seating is limited. Please RSVP by emailing info@bprotoronto.ca to confirm your attendance (you can simply reply to this email).
• Proxy Voting: If you are unable to attend, please help us ensure quorum by appointing another member to vote on your behalf by completing a proxy form.
• Bring a Guest: Members are welcome to bring guests for the 7:30 PM speaker and social portion of the evening.
• Food & Drinks: Light food will be provided. Drinks are available for individual purchase from the bar.
• Meeting Materials: Proxy forms, 2025 AGM minutes and financial statements will be circulated in advance by email and will also be available as printed copies at the meeting.
Your participation is important to us. BPRO is an all-volunteer organization, and we depend on resident engagement to continue our work advocating for the Bedford Park community.
We look forward to seeing you on May 14th!
The Board of Directors
Bedford Park Residents Organization
Message from the President
AGM
On Thursday May 14 BPRO will be holding its ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING and for the first time in several years, it will be in person at Safari Bar and Grill (1749 Avenue Road second floor). The business portion of the meeting will start at 7:00 p.m.
Following AGM business, we welcome non-members to join us for a presentation by our special guest: Jason Thorne, Chief Planner for the City of Toronto along with some nibbles and socializing.
We require a quorum of members to participate – either by proxy or in person so please complete the Proxy form or RSVP the invitation when they are sent. This will also be an opportunity for anyone interested to step forward and join the Board of Directors.
COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT
In earlier communications I had spelled out BPRO’s intentions to work with other groups and our Councillor’s office to implement 3 ideas for community improvements, namely:
1. Landscape improvements to parkette at Woburn and Jedburg
2. Making Yonge Street sidewalks more attractive and pleasant
3. Replacing rusted street signs with new ones with the Bedford Park name included.
BPRO cannot implement these seemingly 3 simple ideas on our own.
We reached out to the Yonge Lawrence Village Business Improvement Area (local BIA) but the Board of Directors was not interested in meeting our Board.
We reached out to several people in our Councillor’s office over many months but again, received no responses.
We will invite members of the Councillor’s office to attend the AGM and I hope if enough people attend and share their views that this will make an impact.
Hope to see many of you at Safari on May 14 ! Naomi Faulkner
Board Member Profile: John Miles
John Miles has been an active member of the Bedford Park Residents Organization (BPRO) since 2018, starting as a volunteer before joining the Board of Directors. He served as Vice President and most recently as President in 2024–25. An avid gardener, John was instrumental in BPRO’s annual gardening showcase.
Now retired after a 43-year career in retail, human resources, and labour relations, John and his wife Ronnie have lived in Bedford Park since 1986. In retirement, John took up croquet, joining the North Toronto Croquet Club with Ronnie. Within a year, he joined the Board, became Executive Vice President shortly after, and is now in his fifth year as President. The club has grown and is viewed as a leading hub for croquet in Canada, with many of the country’s top players calling it home (including 6 of the top 25 in North America). It was ranked #8 in the 2025 Top 30 Power List, reflecting its presence both nationally and internationally.
John’s ongoing contributions reflect not only a commitment to his local community but the growth of the sport of croquet. In November 2022, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Pin in recognition of his contributions to community service and volunteerism.
Havergal College Athletic Field Initiative
From Havergal College:
Dear Neighbour,
I hope this letter finds you well. We are writing to share a new initiative that underscores our commitment to empowering young women through sport and supporting more recreational athletics in the community.
The school plans to enhance the athletics field, located at the northern edge of our campus on 460 Rosewell Avenue, by installing a highperformance, artificial turf surface and a seasonal air-supported “sports dome.”
Key upgrades will include:
- All-Weather Turf: Installation of a professional turf field will provide a safe, durable and mudfree playing surface year-round.
- Winter Air-Supported Dome: A seasonal, climate-controlled enclosure will allow for
uninterrupted training and play during the colder months. - Community Use: The facility will be open for local leagues and youth programs, serving as a valuable resource for the neighbourhood and partners.
This initiative is part of our long-term strategy to optimize our existing campus facilities
by extending access to high-quality student programs through the winter months, while also providing year-round community access in collaboration with our sports and recreation partners. We look forward to seeing this field become a vibrant center of activity for both our school and the wider community.
Next steps:
Havergal College is undergoing a Minor Variance process as part of a broader Site
Plan Application to obtain the necessary permissions from the City of Toronto for a sports dome on the Junior School field. The details of the application materials are being reviewed by multiple departments at the City.
As part of the process, you can expect:
- A Notice Sign being posted in locations on the property prior to the scheduled
Committee of Adjustment meeting. - A written notice from the City, for residents living within 60 metres of our campus
boundary, with details about the hearing. - No changes to happen to the property until all the necessary permissions have been
granted by the City of Toronto. - If you want to learn more, we invite you to access the City’s digital platform, the Application Information Centre, for further details.