A car washing machine cleans a Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) streetcar at the St. Clair Car House in 1934. The site at Christie Street and St. Clair Avenue West was a streetcar maintenance facility from 1913 to 1978, and then fell into disrepair for several years until Artscape, a not-for-profit urban development organization, redeveloped the site into a community cultural centre. On March 3, Artscape Wychwood Barns celebrated its 10th anniversary with The 512 Showcase!, a talent show hosted by Amanda Martinez featuring a diverse range of local performers. COURTESY CITY OF TORONTO ARCHIVES  Read more

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A tale of two residents’ associations

The City of Toronto opened a respite shelter at 348 Davenport Rd. in late January. The shelter will be open until April, when it city staff will decide on a permanent use for the site. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS

By Geremy Bordonaro  Read more

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Ontario Municipal Board rules in favour of community

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  Read more

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The Stop’s Farmers’ Market runs every Saturday year round from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Artscape Wychwood Barns at St. Clair Avenue West and Christie Street. It’s one of many community activities at the cultural community hub, which opened in 2008 and includes 26 artist live/work studios, 15 artist work studios, and nine non-profit arts and environmental organizations. For more information on the Barns, please visit www.artscapewychwoodbarns.ca. COURTESY ARTSCAPE  Read more

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Safe Rail Communities, a local advocacy group, has drafted its Rail Emergency Preparedness Toolkit as part of its Rail Safety Improvement Program. Funded by Transport Canada, the toolkit provides residents living near rail tracks with emergency contacts in case of a train derailment.  Read more

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Bateman’s Bicycle Company celebrated a milestone when its 2018 racing team reached 75 members. This year’s team includes 25 new and 50 returning racers.

The 10-year-old bike shop, which has three locations in the Annex, founded its cycling team in 2012 with one member. Now in its sixth year, the team has cyclists from as young as eight years to over 60 years of age from the community.  Read more

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An artificial rink in Christie Pits Park has been renamed after Sid Smith, the eighth captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The name change happened after the city received an application for the change last year from a private citizen.  Read more

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A dissenter makes his case

By Annemarie Brissenden

Do bike lanes make cycling inherently safer?

That question was up for debate at January’s Grounds for Thought, which runs the last Tuesday of every month at the Green Beanery at Bloor and Bathurst streets. With free coffee on offer, Grounds for Thought is an homage to the coffee houses of old, places where dissent and unconventional ideas were not only welcomed but encouraged.  Read more

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More how nice!

EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (Dec. 2017)

EDITORIAL CARTOON How nice! (August 2017)

EDITORIAL CARTOON How nice! (JULY 2017)

EDITORIAL CARTOON: how nice! by blamb (June 2017)

EDITORIAL CARTOON: TCHC (May 2017)

EDITORIAL CARTOON: The Grand Tory (April 2017)  Read more

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Provincially mandated taxes are driving out local entrepreneurs

By Joe Cressy

I spend a lot of time in this newspaper talking about the need to build a liveable city. A city that is affordable for all. A city that has the parks and services required to foster inclusive neighbourhoods. A city that takes care of the most vulnerable. And, a city that protects and supports arts and culture, because at the end of the day a city without culture would be a city missing something.  Read more

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A case for inclusivity and fairness

By Jessica Bell

I’ve been a community organizer and an executive director of non-profits for nearly 20 years, winning real change for human rights and the environment.  Read more

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The danger of equating pop culture with the periodic table

This neighbourhood is known for great people and I’m lucky enough to call many of them neighbours. I had the pleasure of joining some friends for dinner recently. After dinner, the gracious host pulled out a game and continued their after-dinner tradition of playing the latest trivia game they received for Christmas.  Read more

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