The rail Dupont rail corridor from the back of 328 Dupont St. The Ontario Municipal Board ruling on a proposed development for the site confirmed the city’s guidelines that new buildings must be built at least 20 metres from a rail line. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS
COURTESY KPMB ARCHITECTS An artist’s rendering of the proposed redevelopment of Bloor Street United Church. The heritage aspects of the church will be restored, and a 38-storey mixed-use tower added to the church grounds.
By Geremy Bordonaro
PICTURE BY GEREMY BORDONARO/GLEANER NEWS Community members celebrated the advent of fall at the Annex Residents’ Association’s annual cornfest on Sept. 17 in Jean Sibelius Square.
Delicious mulberries were at the height of season in early July for the Annex Residents’ Association’s (ARA) first ever Mulberry Festival. Organized by Trees Please, an ARA working group, and sponsored by the association and COBS Bread, the event drew about 70 to 80 participants who celebrated the urban forest and a love of mulberries.
PHOTO COURTESY TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARY: Bloor Street United Church in 1888. The church lost its steps and main entrance when it was truncated in 1927 to make way for the widening of Bloor Street West.
By Geremy Bordonaro
Development dominated the Annex Residents’ Association (ARA) annual general meeting on April 27.
The area has seen an increase in developments over the last few years, most notably the Westbank Projects Corp.’s Mirvish Village development, and that coloured every topic of discussion, from bike lanes to community housing.
The Annex Residents’ Association is launching a new award to recognize the efforts of a resident who contributed to making the community a better place. The Community Builder of the Year award will be given to a person living in the Annex who has made a significant contribution in improving heritage, education, development, or social justice in the area. Nominations are being accepted up until April 23. The prize recipient, along with all of the nominees, will be announced on April 27 during the association’s annual general meeting at Friends’ House. Nominate a candidate by emailing secretary@theara.org with the name and address of the person you are nominating, and your reason for nominating them. Please also include your own name and address.
PHOTO CREDIT BY BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS: Planned by the OMB: College Street is rife with developments denied by the city, only to have been approved on appeal by the provincial agency.
By Annemarie Brissenden
By Brian Burchell
In an effort to bring transparency to the Ontario Municipal Board’s (OMB) mediation process, Joe Cressy (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina) took the unusual step of bringing a developer’s confidential settlement offer to the community for comment before that offer is voted on by Toronto City Council.
PHOTO COURTESY MICHAEL LOW: This old burr oak tree on Spadina Road reflects Toronto’s aging tree canopy. The Toronto Park and Trees Foundation is working to distribute trees throughout the city so that the urban forest will continue to thrive well into the future.
PHOTO BY BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS FILE PHOTO: City of Toronto senior planner Barry Brooks said that one aim of the Bloor Corridor/Annex Block Study is to “protect the significant view of the historical building (above) at 1 Spadina Cres. We are trying not to distract from the spire of that building.”
PHOTO BY GEREMY BORDANARO/GLEANER?NEWS: Doug Eiche (background) sells his honey at the Bloor-Borden Farmers’ Market. An initiative of the Harbord Village Residents’ Association, the market runs every Wednesday until Oct. 19 from 3 to 7 p.m. out of the Green P parking lot just south of Bloor Street between Borden and Lippincott streets. The market’s 22 stalls also offer bread, vegetables, meats, wines, and fruits from a variety of producers.
“This is a major greening initiative for the neighbourhood”—Jonathan Da Silva, Bloor-Annex BIA
By Annemarie Brissenden
Bloor Street West is about to get a whole lot greener, and it’s all thanks to the trees.
Tags: General