[M II A II R II K]

New residents association snowballs in Liberty Village


Jan 09, 2012

By ERIN HATFIELD

Read More: http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/lo...iberty-village

When he decided to launch a Liberty Village residents association in the fall, the response was far greater than Todd Hofley said he ever imagined it would be. The most recent meeting drew a packed house and there are already nearly 200 people on the association's Facebook page. The success of the area's newest residents association, Hofley said, is because the people of Liberty Village crave connection with their neighbours and they care about how the Toronto enclave develops. "People are really passionate about this area and they want to make it even better than it already is," Hofley said. "They are really enthusiastic and that is what it takes to make a neighbourhood better."

Hofley moved into Liberty Village one year ago, but before that he lived just outside its borders at King Street West and Shaw Avenue and has watched the area grow and develop for the past 10 years. "It is really amazing what has developed," Hofley said. The condo building Hofley lives in has a Facebook page to connect its residents. "Most people view condos as vertical gated communities where people don't talk to each other," Hofley said. "That is absolutely not the case in our condo building." With the success of that group in mind Hofley went about creating the Liberty Village Residents Association (LVRA). The creation of the LVRA was really about giving people a voice and helping them connect with each other and give them a voice in the future of the area. "There is a lot of development going on but there is no one talking about what the residents need or want," he said.

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