Proposed hookah lounge category voted down

Bampot Bohemian House of Tea & Board Games on Harbord Street will remove shisha from its menu after a city-wide ban takes effect in April 2016. Corrina King, Gleaner News

By Dilara Kurtaran  Read more

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Organizations working with Lifeline Syria, Canadian Druze Society

St. Thomas’s Anglican Church parishioner Tina J. Park (right) and friend Sowon Kim serve three flavours of fruit punch during a parish hall reception following the church’s Voices of Refuge fundraising concert. Photo courtesy Julia Armstrong

By Summer Reid  Read more

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Policy favours car ownership over public transit

By Terri Chu

To say that another Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) fare hike is disappointing is a mild understatement. When the Yonge line opened in 1954 with its first 12 stations, fares cost 15¢ ($1.34 in today’s dollars). The recent fare hike puts the increase at about 2.5 times above and beyond inflationary rates.  Read more

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A local literary line-up for the holidays

By Annemarie Brissenden  Read more

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Campaign marked by strong candidates

By Annemarie Brissenden

Take a moment and indulge in a thought experiment.

Imagine a room filled with people engaged in the business of politics. It could be in Parliament during question period, a human rights hearing at the United Nations, or a G8 meeting. Do you have the image? Now, take away the men.  Read more

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The community had its first formal opportunity to review Westbank Corp.’s plans for Mirvish Village at a public consultation at the Bickford Centre Cafeteria hosted by the City of Toronto on Oct. 7. The area includes Markham Street, Honest Ed’s, and the adjacent properties on Bathurst Street. Many of those in attendance expressed concerns about adding density to the neighbourhood, and the project’s lack of green space.  Read more

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Research measures economic impact of pilot bike lanes

Kelsey Carriere (right) interviews a legally-blind member of a tandem bicycling club that travels along Harbord Street. Carriere is part of the team studying the demographics of Bloor Street West between Shaw and St. George streets before and after the installation of a pilot bike lane in April 2016. Summer Reid, Gleaner News  Read more

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After the Federal Court ruled in February that Zunera Ishaq, the woman at the centre of a now pivotal controversy, could wear her niqab while taking her oath of Canadian citizenship, Steven Harper’s federal government sought a stay of the ruling pending an appeal. For many, it appeared like an attempt to keep discriminating against Ishaq until the government got its day in court. But during the federal election, the Federal Court of Appeal denied its application, and Ishaq swore her oath, so that only days later she was able to cast her vote, one that would hold greater weight than Mr. Harper could have imagined.  Read more

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Opportunity for positive, visionary change

By Mike Layton

In the last term of City Council we were up against Rob Ford and Stephen Harper. We found ourselves saying “no” and simply fighting to hold on to our public services.  Read more

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Distracted drivers, riders, walkers most vulnerable at intersections

By Scotty Robinson

Speed is not behind the numerous car accidents, injuries, or pedestrian and cyclist deaths that occur. Our system of too many red lights and stop signs has dumbed down the majority of us, including pedestrians and bikers. It’s like zombie land out there, and then once you add in all the cell phones and other distractions, you have super zombies.  Read more

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Liberals take new riding of University-Rosedale

Polling University-Rosedale

Chrystia Freeland, Liberal: 27,849 (49.8%)

Jennifer Hollett, NDP: 15,988 (28.6%)

Karim Jivraj, Conservative: 9,790 (17.5%)

Nick Wright, Green Party: 1,641 (2.9%)

Jesse Waslowski, Libertarian: 233 (0.4%)

Simon Luisi, Animal Alliance/Environment Voters: 126 (0.2%)  Read more

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Memory builds sense of community

The Boys of Major Lane, located south of Harbord Street between Brunswick Avenue and Major Street, honours a group of young men who grew up on Major Street and never returned from the Second World War. Photo by Summer Reid, Gleaner News

By Annemarie Brissenden  Read more

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