London’s Ward 2 residents have some new recreation amenities to enjoy now that the majority of East Lions Park is open for use starting today.

The park boasts a brand-new tennis court, two dedicated pickleball courts, a full basketball court, walking paths and even a couple sets of lounge chairs to enjoy the scenery. A unique first in London, the park also features a ping pong table with a metal net – just bring your paddles and a ping pong ball and you are all set to play. All of these features are now ready for the public to get out and enjoy.

Community safety and concerns about crime have been on the rise in Ward 2 and across the city recently.

There is a sense that incidents of cars, sheds, and homes being broken into are on the rise in our area. This sense is not limited to the Argyle area. Council members from across the city, whether it is Councillor Lehman in Oakridge, or Councillor Peloza in White Oaks, or Councillor Squire in Old North, we are hearing these concerns all across the city.

In response to concerns I recently hosted a virtual townhall meeting with Constable Fickling and PC Fountain from the London Police Service.

This summer will see the city move forward with bike lanes on Brydges & Wavell Street. The project will also travel up Saskatoon and eventually continue up Second St. to Fanshawe College. This is part of the city’s “Cycling Master Plan” approved in 2016.

Although not originally scheduled until 2025 we are moving ahead because the federal government is now funding this project.

As part of my effort to keep constituents informed, each year I have a newsletter delivered to every household.

Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic, we made lots of community progress on infrastructure renewal of our sewers and roads, on road safety, and on improvements to our parks and public spaces. I look forward to continuing to work to make our neighbourhoods better.

Here is the 2020 edition in both jpeg format and PDF for those who prefer a downloadable version for e-readers:

Click Here for PDF

https://omny.fm/shows/london-live-with-mike-stubbs/ward-2-councillor-shawn-lewis-on-photo-radar

Last year Advisory Committees sat almost as long at Council (197hrs vs. 211hrs) and required well over 2500 hours of city staff time. These are not limited to the clerk staff either, it includes hours spent by senior management addressing these committees; the City Engineer, Manager for Roads, Manager for Parks & Rec, etc.

There are several areas in the Argyle neighbourhood where crossing the road safely can present a challenge.

I worked with the Ward 2 community, including our school communities and the people at Trinity United Church and Community Centre. Then, I took that community feedback to city staff. As a result, 10 of the 34 new pedestrian crosswalks approved by City Council for 2020 installations are in Ward 2!

Even during COVID-19, I am continuing to fight to ensure that Ward 2’s long list of needs gets addressed, keeping the promise I made to residents when I ran to be your City Councillor.

As we mark the Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, unable to gather for public ceremonies or at the local Royal Canadian Legion branches due to COVID-19, it is still important to remember.

It had been our intention to host a public information session to share the design concept our staff have put together to enhance a local project that is close to my heart, the development of London’s own Vimy Ridge Park in Ward 2 at the southeast corner of Hale and Trafalgar.

Since we are unable to do that, I worked with staff to mark today by releasing the information to you online so that you can see the current memorial features as well as the concept for the future improvements to Vimy Ridge Park.

From the London Free Press:

Coun. Shawn Lewis spent much of his long weekend listening to Londoners voicing frustrations about city hall’s snow-removal service.