Gleaner

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Entries Tagged as 'Columns'

FORUM: How will Doug Ford’s 2020 budget impact us? (Nov. 2020)

December 4th, 2020 · Comments Off on FORUM: How will Doug Ford’s 2020 budget impact us? (Nov. 2020)

The government’s Scrooge-like plan is not what we need

By Jessica Bell

It’s easy to make bold and lofty promises at a press conference, but a budget reveals a government’s true priorities. 

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Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion

FORUM: Making it green (Aug. 2020)

September 9th, 2020 · 1 Comment

Parks must grow with the city

By Mike Layton 

As summer slowly comes to a close, it is important to reflect on the ways that our city has developed during these challenging times. Our response to the pandemic has uniquely highlighted that investing in public green spaces and active transportation infrastructure means a better quality of life for Torontonians. 

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Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion

EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (Feb. 2020)

February 27th, 2020 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (Feb. 2020)

READ MORE BY BRETT LAMB:

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Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion

FORUM: Budget challenges at City Hall (Feb. 2020)

February 27th, 2020 · Comments Off on FORUM: Budget challenges at City Hall (Feb. 2020)

Not all priorities can be met by property tax base

By Mike Layton

It is with great pride that I have the privilege of serving on the City of Toronto’s Budget Committee, which allows me the opportunity to help shape the direction of services over the coming year. Simply put, the annual budget is a chance for Toronto to set priorities as a city and take action on what needs to change. 

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Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion

FORUM: Catastrophic climate change is here. How do we respond? (Feb. 2020)

February 27th, 2020 · Comments Off on FORUM: Catastrophic climate change is here. How do we respond? (Feb. 2020)

Australia is the canary, we must act now

By Jessica Bell

Australia is my original home, and it is experiencing a climate catastrophe. Armageddon fires are still burning up the country. Half a billion animals are dead. Towns have been destroyed. Billions are needed for rebuilding.

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Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Fear of high buildings groundless (Feb. 2020)

February 27th, 2020 · 1 Comment

Tall structures can curb urban sprawl

Designed by IBI Group, the Theory Condo building is projected to rise 30 storeys and will house 243 condo units. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS

In May 2020, the Annex Gleaner celebrates 25 years of publishing. In celebration, we are republishing highlights of our past; this feature, Fear of High Buildings Groundless by city-building columnist Alfred Holden, is from May 2001. As thirteen developments are going up in the Annex area it appears Holden’s views were prophetic. 

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Tags: Annex · Columns · History

GREENINGS: Emergency climate calls to city met with busy signal (Jan. 2020)

January 31st, 2020 · Comments Off on GREENINGS: Emergency climate calls to city met with busy signal (Jan. 2020)

City is caught flat-footed as alarm bells ring

By Terri Chu

I was mildly optimistic when Toronto City Council officially declared a “Climate Emergency”, in October, 2019. How naïve I was to think that an “emergency” meant that something might actually happen. The situation appears to me as though teenagers are dialing 911 and screaming in terror into the phone while the operator on the other end says: Please hold, your call is important to us.

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Tags: Annex · Columns · Life

EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (Dec. 2019)

December 9th, 2019 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (Dec. 2019)

READ MORE BY BRETT LAMB:

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Tags: Annex · Editorial · Columns · Opinion

FORUM: Ford plows ahead with cuts (Dec. 2019)

December 9th, 2019 · Comments Off on FORUM: Ford plows ahead with cuts (Dec. 2019)

Back at Queen’s Park, Ford resumes his agenda

By Jessica Bell

After ordering the longest break in almost 25 years, Doug Ford finally let Queen’s Park get back to business last month. While the government signalled they would take a more tempered approach, the legislation the government has introduced shows the premier is continuing his destructive path. 

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Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion

FORUM: Affordable housing is a growing crisis (Dec. 2019)

December 9th, 2019 · Comments Off on FORUM: Affordable housing is a growing crisis (Dec. 2019)

Inclusionary Zoning is the answer for responsible development in Toronto

By Mike Layton

Development in Toronto is continuing to boom. However, we are not building affordable housing at the same pace as we are luxury condominiums. Our waiting lists for affordable housing continue to grow and we are now above 100,000 names on the active waiting list. Last year we only managed to house people in 522 units, while 6,181 names were added to the list.

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Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion

GREENINGS: Moral cowardice fuels our failures (Dec. 2019)

December 9th, 2019 · Comments Off on GREENINGS: Moral cowardice fuels our failures (Dec. 2019)

Silence on Hong Kong and climate crisis has parallels

On November 11, Canadian leaders extolled the virtues of soldiers who lost their lives defending the ideals of democracy. On that day, we might have told the story of the nearly 2,000 Canadian soldiers who fought to defend Hong Kong against Japanese invasion in 1941. Five hundred of those soldiers did not come back, and many others returned deeply scarred after living as prisoners of war. 

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Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion

EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (Nov. 2019)

December 9th, 2019 · 1 Comment

READ MORE BY BRETT LAMB:

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Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion

FORUM: Winter woes in Ward 11 (Nov. 2019)

December 9th, 2019 · 1 Comment

Layton seeks a more “robust” approach to snow clearing

By Mike Layton

Before the weather goes below zero, and the fall rain turns into ice and snow, I thought I could take a moment to talk about a topic that will be top of mind for many Ward 11 residents in the coming months – snow removal.

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Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion