Entries Tagged as 'Columns'
March 22nd, 2017 · Comments Off on GREENINGS (MARCH 2017): Kellie Leitch was right
It’s hard to borrow a cup of sugar…but the problem isn’t Toronto
Kellie Leitch is reportedly getting packets upon packets of sugar in the mail as a response to her comments that in Toronto, you can’t walk next door and borrow a cup of sugar. She’s right, to an extent…just not in Toronto. Read more
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Tags: Annex · Columns · Life
March 5th, 2017 · Comments Off on FORUM (FEBRUARY 2017): Tolls, taxes, and Toronto
Canadian cities receive only 10 cents for each tax dollar they pay
By Mike Layton
With all the talk about tolls and taxes, I feel I need to admit something: I don’t mind paying taxes. Read more
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Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion
January 23rd, 2017 · Comments Off on GREENINGS (JANUARY 2017): Feeling the carbon tax crunch?
Embrace the green and lower your footprint
Christmas came a little late for me this year. I woke up on New Year’s Day and looked out of the window at the gas station sign. The ever slightly higher gas price was a pleasant reminder of the new carbon tax that Ontarians are now paying and I couldn’t be happier. Natural gas will be increased by about 7 cents a cubic metre, and gasoline about 4 cents a litre. This is truly a great day for our children. It’s a small but important step in the right direction. Read more
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Tags: Annex · Columns
October 28th, 2016 · Comments Off on FORUM (OCTOBER 2016) We can do better:
Dangerous summer for Toronto pedestrians and cyclists
By Mike Layton
Recent statistics from the Toronto Police Service show a disturbing trend — collisions between vehicles and pedestrians and cyclists are on the rise. Read more
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Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion
September 15th, 2016 · 1 Comment
Building up will allow us to create the sizable park downtown needs
By Joe Cressy
A central park in downtown Toronto. It’s an old idea whose time has come. Now, all we need is a little creativity, political will, and a commitment from Toronto City Council to invest significant money to make it happen. Let’s get it done. Read more
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Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion
August 25th, 2016 · Comments Off on FORUM (AUGUST 2016): Curious story of Christie Pits pool liner ends in extended hours at Alex Duff
By Mike Layton
The phone started ringing in my office almost immediately. Why is the Alex Duff Memorial Pool closed during the hottest days of summer? Why wasn’t the pool fixed earlier in the season? Why doesn’t it look like anyone is working on it? Read more
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Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion
May 13th, 2016 · Comments Off on FORUM: Bike lanes on Bloor Street
The arrival of cycling in Toronto
By Joe Cressy
For too long, discussions of bike lanes have been divisive in our city. They shouldn’t be. When we do it right, cycling infrastructure can be a win-win for everyone. Read more
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Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion
May 13th, 2016 · Comments Off on GREENINGS (MAY 2016): Cloth diapers have gone from burden of the poor to luxury of the rich in one generation
By Terri Chu
Having a kid is expensive, anybody can tell you that. What nobody told me though was how expensive raising a child can be when you try to stay low on environmental impact. Cloth diapers are a huge capital outlay and I’m not convinced they are used long enough to break even against disposables. Using a diapering service costs around $25 per week while disposables are about $0.30 each, which even at 10 per day comes in at $21. Read more
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Tags: Annex · Columns · Life · Opinion
March 9th, 2016 · Comments Off on DEVELOPINGS: Annual review reflects tension between community activism and OMB
Our third survey of development projects in our coverage area highlights projects that interest us, trends that appall us, and elements that enthrall us. We favour innovative projects that connect with a neighbourhood’s built form, reflect community consultation, and meet the objectives of the City of Toronto’s Official Plan. We take a dim view of developers that do an end run around the process and appeal directly to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), which demonstrates little respect for the city’s urban planning guidelines. And, we — once again — make an argument for razing the OMB. Please click on the image below to enlarge. Read more
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Tags: Annex · News · Columns
February 2nd, 2016 · Comments Off on FORUM: Untapped potential
Animating our local laneways
By Joe Cressy
Downtown communities like ours face unique challenges and countless opportunities. Almost every day, in conversations at our local coffee shops, in public meetings, and as we connect with our neighbours, we look for ways to work together to build our communities. We look for opportunities to enhance our parks, support our neighbours, and to create new public spaces. Read more
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Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion
February 2nd, 2016 · 1 Comment
The energy lost in the pretense of plastic recycling
“Why can’t they take black plastic?” asked my partner, staring at the City of Toronto recycling poster. I didn’t have an answer. Read more
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Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion
November 22nd, 2012 · Comments Off on Forage and Storage – Hello Fall
By Susan Oppenheim
I am a freezer girl and a packrat gourmand. I love the “hunt and gather “ and I live with a 24 hours Sobeys up the lane at Shaw and Dupont, a Loblaws three blocks away at Christie and Dupont and a Fiesta Farms about 20 doors from my house.This week alone I have taken advantage of their in store specials buying ½ price butter, 2 for 1 berry boxes and $4 off litres of maple syrup. Read more
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Tags: Food · Columns
November 20th, 2012 · Comments Off on Precious, not expensive
Terri Chu
Halloween is just around the corner and the day after the candy is safely stowed in kids’ underwear drawers, stores will turn their displays to Christmas. If you’re like me, I cringe on the first garbage day after Christmas to see all the waste the festive season generates. However, with a little bit of effort, we can reduce what hits the Greenlane landfill and save a few trucks from making the 200 kilometre journey with our trash. Read more
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Tags: Annex · Columns