A patch of progress on Eastern Ave.
A sidewalk sinkhole big enough to bring wheelchairs and mobility scooters to a dead stop is no longer an obstacle on Eastern Ave.
Our column last Monday was about two problems on Eastern, west of Coxwell Ave. — a large hole caused by a washout, and a utility pole put up in the middle of the same sidewalk, about 100 metres away.
It looked like a leaky water main was to blame for the hole, so we asked the city to fix it.
Lyne Kyle, a spokesperson for Toronto Water, emailed Tuesday to confirm that a ruptured water main had just been repaired, along with the sidewalk.
We returned on the weekend to find the hole filled with fresh asphalt, and also got a note from Kevin McCurley, who first told us about it, saying he was pleased that the city moved so quickly.
But we’re still waiting for Toronto Hydro to explain why it erected a pole in the middle of a sidewalk, when there are much better places to put it.
Our April 15 column was about two rust-eaten electrical boxes on Yonge St. in Richmond Hill, one on the east side, south of Regatta Ave., and another near the southeast corner of Yonge and Worthington Ave.
An outraged reader said it sends the wrong message to visitors and tourists, adding that it may be acceptable in a “banana republic,” but certainly not in York Region.
Eric Fagen, who deals with media for Power-Stream, Richmond Hill’s electrical utility, emailed the day following our column to say that it is “in the process of making arrangements to have the boxes removed or replaced.”
Last Tuesday, we reported on a large pile of garbage that was illegally dumped next to a building on the grounds of the Finch TTC station, on Hendon Ave., just west of Yonge St.
When we looked closely at the trash, it was obvious it came from a nearby restaurant and that whoever dumped it there, just a short hop from the busy intersection of Yonge and Finch Ave., was incredibly bold.
TTC spokesperson Jessica Martin left us a voice mail saying the trash was cleaned up within a day of our column, while Paul Moloney, who first told us about it, sent us a note to confirm it. What’s broken in your neighbourhood? Wherever you are in Greater Toronto, we want to know. To contact us, go to thestar.com/yourtoronto/the_fixer, call us at 416-869-4823 or email jlakey@thestar.ca. To read our blog, go to thestar.com/news/the_fixer. Report problems and follow us on Twitter @TOStarFixer.