A report card on our cherished parks
MEGAN BOCCHINFUSO/GLEANER NEWS
Compiled and photos by Megan Bocchinfuso
FOCUS: Grading our greenspace (Fall 2023)
December 5th, 2023 · Comments Off on FOCUS: Grading our greenspace (Fall 2023)
MEGAN BOCCHINFUSO/GLEANER NEWS
GRADING OUR GREENSPACE (Aug. 2022)
August 19th, 2022 · Comments Off on GRADING OUR GREENSPACE (Aug. 2022)
The best and worst of the Annex’s parks
Compiled and photos by Fox Oliver
Every year the Annex Gleaner reviews the abundance of parks in the Annex using a variety of criteria.
While there is no decisive “winner” of the grading, letter grades are assigned to convey the quality of the parks considering aspects such as upkeep, amenities, and accessibility.
NEWS: New mural celebrates Indigenous storytelling (July 2022)
July 18th, 2022 · Comments Off on NEWS: New mural celebrates Indigenous storytelling (July 2022)
Artwork weaves together stories of creation and coexistence
By Meribeth Deen
NEWS: New highrise planned for Bloor and Spadina (May 2022)
May 17th, 2022 · 2 Comments
Residential development will displace businesses
By Fox Oliver
A proposed 37-storey highrise in the heart of the Annex could drastically alter the Bloor and Spadina intersection. On November 8, 2021, developer First Capital proposed the construction of a building at 320, 328, and 332 Bloor St. W.
CHATTER: Annex Residents’ Association AGM covers pressing issues (May 2022)
May 17th, 2022 · Comments Off on CHATTER: Annex Residents’ Association AGM covers pressing issues (May 2022)
The Annex Residents’ Association (ARA) held their annual general meeting on April 21 via Zoom. Those in attendance included members of the ARA, residents and representatives from development teams, city council and Toronto Police Service. The most notable discussions were about improving safety on Avenue Road, the West Annex Heritage Project, vandalism at St. Alban’s Square and the restoration of Paul Martel Park.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR (Dec. 2021)
December 17th, 2021 · Comments Off on LETTER TO THE EDITOR (Dec. 2021)
RE: GRADING OUR GREENSPACE, Fall 2021
Thank you for the recent edition and in particular the area park reviews conducted by your writer Madeline Smart, I really loved the coverage of our parks.
GRADING OUR GREENSPACE (Fall 2021)
November 11th, 2021 · Comments Off on GRADING OUR GREENSPACE (Fall 2021)
As part of the Gleaner’s annual area park reviews, here is Part Two. We grade each park and compare the score with the prior year. We look for amenities, trees, gardens, and cleanliness. We also tell you something you may not know about how the space got its name.
FOCUS: Park set for eco-restoration (Nov. 2020)
December 4th, 2020 · 1 Comment
A team of Indigenous workers are bringing Paul Martel Park back to life
By Tanya Ielyseieva
GRADING OUR GREENSPACE: Grading the green (August 2020)
September 9th, 2020 · 1 Comment
Park it here
In this year’s installment of evaluating park spaces within the Gleaner’s catchment area, our observers noted the impressive revival of Queen’s Park North showing what a great city can do when it focuses its imagination and resources. The neglected Euclid Avenue Park, near Koreatown, shows what happens when these resources are withheld. Compiled by Mary An, Tanya Ielyseieva, and Nicole Stoffman.
OBITUARY: Architect leaves indelibe marks (July 2020)
August 7th, 2020 · Comments Off on OBITUARY: Architect leaves indelibe marks (July 2020)
Martel was a planner and architect who turned parking into parks
COURTESY MICKEY FRATERMAN
By Nicole Stoffman
CHATTER: Park gets a haircut (Nov. 2019)
December 9th, 2019 · Comments Off on CHATTER: Park gets a haircut (Nov. 2019)
After two Gleaner stories amplifying community concerns over the city’s neglect of Paul Martel Park (on Madison north of Bloor), city staff gave the green space a major clean-up and its long promised new sign. Residents are hopeful that park staff bring the planting beds back to life in the spring.
CHATTER: Park still ignored by city (Oct. 2019)
October 17th, 2019 · Comments Off on CHATTER: Park still ignored by city (Oct. 2019)
Despite the public outcry city staff have still not taken steps to address the concerns of residents about the neglect of Paul Martel Park located on Madison Avenue. City councillor for University-Rosedale Mike Layton has joined the chorus of those advocating for a solution, “I have made repeated requests to parks staff to have the signage replaced and attend to the overall state of the park. With two retirements of parks managers within the south district, maintenance this year was a challenge as the positions were not permanently filled until the end of the summer. Now that both those positions have been filled, I’m confident the city will be better able to respond to requests from the community.”
NEWS: City fails to maintain park (Sept. 2019)
October 8th, 2019 · Comments Off on NEWS: City fails to maintain park (Sept. 2019)
Staff unresponsive to concerns about Paul Martel Park
BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS
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.