Councillor aiming for negotiated settlement By Geremy Bordonaro The Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) has completed its pre-hearing process for 321 Davenport Rd., where Alterra Developments has applied to build an eight-storey glass building including 16 penthouse condominiums and a two-level parking garage on the site. The development would require a by-law amendment, as the application […]

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A tale of two residents’ associations By Geremy Bordonaro The City of Toronto opened a winter respite drop-in shelter in late January in a commercial building that’s not far from the site of a proposed condominium development opposed by local residents like Margaret Atwood and Galen Weston. Even though Atwood and other well-known residents of […]

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Ontario Municipal Board rules in favour of community By Geremy Bordonaro The future of 328 Dupont Street is up in the air after an Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) decision placed strict limitations on a proposed development that would see three buildings rise on the site. The plan was to build a nine-storey building on the […]

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Media coverage saves program for now By Geremy Bordonaro A streak of luck, international media attention, and more than a little bit of hope have saved Newcomer Kitchen, which had its roots in Mirvish Village. The Gleaner first covered the initiative — which gave Syrian refugees temporarily housed in hotels the opportunity to make a home-cooked […]

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Ward boundaries redrawn By Geremy Bordonaro Joe Cressy has confirmed that he will be standing for re-election at the next municipal election. He’s just not sure which ward he’ll be running in, now that the Ontario Municipal Board has approved Toronto City Council’s decision to increase the number of wards from 44 to 47. This […]

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The future of the Annex Family Festival is up in the air after most of its funds were cut by the Bloor Annex BIA at its annual general meeting on January 9. The organization’s board of directors presented the annual budget, which included funding for the festival, for approval by the general members. Barry Alper […]

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Residents still concerned about BSUC proposal By Geremy Bordonaro Many community members remain unhappy with the proposed redevelopment of the Bloor Street United Church, even after the third — and final — community consultation in late November. [pullquote]“It’s a beautiful design but it’s just in the wrong place” —David Harrison, chair, Annex Residents’ Association[/pullquote] The plan calls for a […]

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A celebratory year in review By Annemarie Brissenden Is it possible that we just like cake? Because it seems that we just couldn’t stop celebrating this year. Maybe all the calamity outside our borders made our small local victories all that sweeter. But from bike lanes to major anniversaries to plaque unveilings to greener parks, […]

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UTS launches fundraising campaign By Geremy Bordonaro The University of Toronto Schools (UTS) has launched Building the Future, a $60-million fundraising campaign aimed at restoring its current building and developing a new building that will include a performance centre. Upgrading the facilities is part of the terms of its agreement with the University of Toronto (U […]

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Committee votes in favour of Bloor Street bike lanes By Geremy Bordonaro It’s been a little over a year since bike lanes were installed on a trial basis on Bloor Street between University and Shaw avenues, and it’s looking more and more like they are here to stay. On October 19, Toronto City Council’s Public Works […]

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Mirvish Village icon finds new life By Geremy Bordonaro What are some Annex icons? The Hot Docs Ted Rogers (formerly Bloor) cinema perhaps, or the Trinity St. Paul’s Centre. Some might point to the University of Toronto, or the streets lined with bay and gable style houses. Until recently, surely one would have said Honest […]

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