By the HVRA and the ARA
Bill 23, the provincial government’s promise to build 1.5 million homes by 2031 is nothing short of an early Christmas gift to developers.
There’s no guarantee homes will be built, there’s nothing to ensure they will be affordable, and there’s no help for renters.
On June 18, Wiener’s Home Hardware celebrated their 100th anniversary with a block party hosted by the Bloor Annex Business Improvement Area, Annex Residents’ Association, and the Harbord Village Residents’ Association. The community enjoyed live music, food, and got a chance to learn about the history of the family-run store (pictured top-right). The block party gathered four generations of the Wiener family to celebrate (pictured above). Marty Wiener also accepted a plaque from Mayor John Tory, presented by Councillor Mike Layton, on behalf of the Wiener family commemorating the store’s contribution to the community over the past 100 years (pictured right). This celebration will surely be a day Annex residents will remember. —Fox Oliver/Gleaner News.
By MADELINE SMART
with files from HENRY WIERCINSKI, Annex Residents’ Association
Photos by BRIAN BURCHELL, renderings from developers’ and city’s websites
Residents and shoppers alike were surprised to see the Green P parking lot on Madison Avenue close in early January. The city had been leasing the space for Green P but that lease was not renewed by the property owners who also own the adjacent 11 Madison Ave. The owners plan to begin construction soon on the International Estonian Centre, a cultural and community space. In July of 2016, the Gleaner did a feature on that pending development. We include it again here as a reminder.
By Tanya Ielyseieva
A plan to redo Joseph Burr Tyrrell Park (Dalton Road and Bloor St. West) is set to be completed by the end of next year, with construction scheduled to begin next summer.
By Tanya Ielyseieva
Annex neighbours are fighting to stop the demolition of the properties at 661 and 663-665 Huron Street.
The plan to replace the single-family homes would see the construction of a four-storey apartment building with 48 residential units.
By Tanya Ielyseieva
By Juan Romero
If you are on Madison Avenue, just north of Bloor Street West, you will see on the west side of the street a place with benches and grass right behind the Spadina bus station; that place is Paul Martel Park, a spot that the city has apparently forgotten about.
By Ahmed Hagar
A redesigned and more “slender” 29-storey tower looks to be the future for 300 Bloor Street, after a lengthy public process and, finally, an agreement between developers, city councilors, and residents.
By Juan Romero
Annex residents are meeting and eating their way through the neighbourhood. In an initiative launched early this year, the Annex Residents’ Association (ARA) is inviting neighbours to gather at a different local restaurant every month to enjoy some food, support local businesses, and get to know people.
The Annex Residents’ Association (ARA) raised over $3,000 after turning its annual Annex Corn Fest into a silent auction.
“It was a great day. We had a lot of people, because we promoted the event quite well. We had a great participation from businesses around the neighbourhood and members of the community,” said David Harrison, president of the ARA.