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ON THE COVER (Feb. 2023)

March 27th, 2023 · Comments Off on ON THE COVER (Feb. 2023)

Bloor Street United Church located at Bloor St. and Huron St. is being reduced to its
original architectural form to make way for luxury condominiums.
(BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS)

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Tags: Annex · News · On the cover

NEWS: 196 years of Black history in Toronto (Feb. 2023)

March 27th, 2023 · Comments Off on NEWS: 196 years of Black history in Toronto (Feb. 2023)

A church founded by former slaves who were rejected by “white” churches

By Hailey Alexander

Founded by former slaves First Baptist Church Toronto is now located at 101 Huron St. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS

First Baptist Church at 101 Huron St. was founded in 1826 by Elder Washington Christian and 12 other formerly enslaved people who escaped to Canada by way of the Underground Railroad. First Baptist Church is the oldest Black institution in Toronto.

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Tags: Annex · News

NEWS: Value Village Boutique takes over former Brunswick House site (Feb. 2023)

March 27th, 2023 · Comments Off on NEWS: Value Village Boutique takes over former Brunswick House site (Feb. 2023)

Boutique version of brand tailored to Annex

Second hand clothing boutique honours a storied past. (BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS)

By Fox Oliver

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Tags: Annex · News

EDITORIAL: We care Mr. Tory (Jan. 2023)

January 24th, 2023 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: We care Mr. Tory (Jan. 2023)

In 2018, and during our last municipal election, Doug Ford’s Conservatives slashed the size of city council in half to 26. This created outsized wards that are too big to manage and a population that feels disconnected from elected representatives. Burned out councillors are also a symptom, and we’ve seen a few—Joe Cressy and Mike Layton, for example, just walked away. Voter turnout is down to 30 per cent of eligible voters casting ballots, and the province under Doug Ford continues to further erode the power and relevance of local government in Ontario.

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Tags: Annex · Editorial · Opinion

FROM THE ARCHIVES (Jan. 2023)

January 24th, 2023 · Comments Off on FROM THE ARCHIVES (Jan. 2023)

BEFORE: Pioneer Hotel, circa 1890. Northwest corner Bloor and Bathurst. Courtesy Toronto Public Library, The Baldwin Collection
NOW: Pizza Pizza, January 2023. Northwest corner Bloor and Bathurst. Brian Burchell/Gleaner News

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Tags: Annex · Archives

EDITORIAL: Bill 23: A housing plan built on corruption (Dec. 2022)

December 13th, 2022 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: Bill 23: A housing plan built on corruption (Dec. 2022)

Back in 2018, Doug Ford spoke his truth and it was caught on camera. The reaction to that video was so swift and forceful that the premier was forced to make a promise: he would never touch the Greenbelt, he said. If we’ve learned anything about Doug Ford since then, it’s that saying one thing and doing another is standard practice, and promises are meant to be broken. In breaking his promise on the Greenbelt, Ford is inflicting incomparable damage on this province that extends from the land to our trust in democratic systems.

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Tags: Annex · Editorial · Opinion

NEWS: Small business tax break scheme not available to everyone (Nov. 2022)

November 22nd, 2022 · Comments Off on NEWS: Small business tax break scheme not available to everyone (Nov. 2022)

No mechanism to force landlords to transmit the savings

Just some of the businesses who have been deemed ineligible for the small business property tax subclass.
NEILAND BRISSENDEN/GLEANER NEWS

By Carly Penrose


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Tags: Annex · News

NEWS: Saxe victorious in Ward 11 (Nov. 2022)

November 22nd, 2022 · 1 Comment

Razor thin win over Norm Di Pasquale 

By Brian Burchell

Dianne Saxe won with a margin of just 123 votes.  She replaces Mike Layton who chose not to run in order to spend more time with his young family. The Gleaner approached Councillor-elect Saxe and asked about her reflections on the campaign, the riding, and what University—Rosedale residents can expect.

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Tags: Annex · News

NEWS: Reflecting on the campaign (Nov. 2022)

November 22nd, 2022 · Comments Off on NEWS: Reflecting on the campaign (Nov. 2022)

Two unsuccessful candidates share their thoughts

Compiled by Brian Burchell

The Gleaner reached out to the top performing candidates to get their take on such a competitive race. 

What are your thoughts about the campaign and in particular the challenge of running against other “progressive” candidates?

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Tags: Annex · News

EDITORIAL: A small business tax break in name only (Oct. 2022)

October 19th, 2022 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: A small business tax break in name only (Oct. 2022)

In November of last year Mayor John Tory announced a new small business tax that was meant to reduce the property tax burden that small businesses must pay to the city. In theory, this meant an across the board decrease of 15 per cent for properties that met two criteria: lot size and value. It turns out however, that the methodology chosen by the city is so flawed that it appears that as many as 20 per cent of properties will not get the break even though they meet the requirements.

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Tags: Annex · Editorial · Opinion

ON THE COVER: Bloor Street United demo begins (Sept. 2022)

September 27th, 2022 · Comments Off on ON THE COVER: Bloor Street United demo begins (Sept. 2022)

Work has begun to in part demolish, and in part to restore, the Bloor Street United Church located at Bloor and Huron streets. A new luxury condo will be constructed to the north and west of the original church building. The section on the left will be removed and the part on the right restored. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS

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Tags: Annex · News

FOCUS: Layton reflects on three terms as city councillor (Sept. 2022)

September 27th, 2022 · Comments Off on FOCUS: Layton reflects on three terms as city councillor (Sept. 2022)

Outgoing Ward 11 representative proud of legacy

A pensive Mike Layton selects a different path as he chooses family over the gruelling life of a Toronto city councillor. COURTESY MIKE LAYTON

By Brian Burchell

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Tags: General

CHATTER: Spadina Station gets a lift—two, actually (Sept. 2022)

September 27th, 2022 · Comments Off on CHATTER: Spadina Station gets a lift—two, actually (Sept. 2022)

The intersection of Spadina Road and Lowther Avenue will be a construction zone as the TTC adds elevators below.
COURTESY THE TORONTO TRANSIT COMMISSION

The TTC is planning to add two elevators to its sprawling Spadina subway station. These will be located under the intersection of Spadina Road and Lowther Avenue.


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Tags: Annex · News