SEE MORE FROM THE ARCHIVES:

• FROM THE ARCHIVES (Jan. 2023)

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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.  Read more

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Outgoing Ward 11 representative proud of legacy

By Brian Burchell  Read more

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Doug Ford has lowered the discourse for campaign-time politics by sucking another party into a vacuum of sorts. The PCs have given free licence plate renewals and are promising a five-cent drop in the gasoline tax—if reelected. 

The Liberals have countered with a buck-a-fare public transit plan. It feels like we are at the CNE with hucksters competing for attention.  Read more

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PHOTO COURTESY ARLYN MCADOREY: A Canadian Pacific Railway locomotive derailed near Howland Avenue and Dupont Street on Aug. 21 after two of its freight trains collided, the cause of which remains unknown. Posting on Twitter shortly after the derailment, Transport Canada said that its rail and dangerous goods specialists were on site, and that a minister’s observer had examined the scene. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has also announced that the derailment is under investigation. The Gleaner will follow up in the September edition.

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Annual parks survey returns

Upkeep, or lack thereof, marks the return of our popular Grading our Greenspace feature. Published in two parts, we visit parks in our coverage area and review them based on cleanliness, amenities, and atmosphere. Our round-up reflects a mixed bag: some parks continued to be great, while others seem to have dipped further into mediocrity. Unkempt parks, with uncut grass, poorly maintained amenities, and dying flowerbeds, are a major complaint among park users, something that shouldn’t be difficult to address. With greenspace at a premium in our neighbourhoods, our parks have become more important than ever. What our reviews demonstrate is that parks, when well maintained, are thriving community hubs. We’ll publish our second part in the July edition and look forward to your comments, whether they be on parks or on our reviews. All reviews and photography were done by Geremy Bordonaro and Emily Rea.  Read more

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Concerns raised about lack of consultation for Central Tech space

PHOTO COURTESY RON BERNASCH/JSW+ ASSOCIATES: The landscape architect overseeing the enhancements said the aim is to emulate a university campus.

By Geremy Bordonaro  Read more

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Community meeting scheduled for June 13

PHOTO COURTESY WESTBANK PROJECTS CORP./Henriquez Partners Architects: A new on-site park is part of Westbank’s revised rezoning application. Still at the conceptual stage, it will include a dog run, water feature, and urban agriculture.

By Annemarie Brissenden  Read more

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The Toronto Police Service’s recent crackdown on 45 pot dispensaries, many of which are just steps from the Annex, signals the City of Toronto’s frustration with the federal government’s lack of progress on the decriminalization of marijuana, as well as the need for a framework regulating the production, distribution, and sale of the green bud. Although a Liberal campaign promise to amend the decriminalization of pot is expected to be realized in 2017, entrepreneurs have already begun to establish a thriving retail market.  Read more

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PHOTO COURTESY HVRA: Wendy Smith accepts the 2015 Peggy Kurtin Memorial Award on behalf of the Harbord Village Residents’ Association (HVRA). Presented annually by the Toronto Historical Association, the award recognized the HVRA’s oral history project, as well as its website.

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Photo Courtesy Philip Desjardins

A canoeist portages across Bay Street on Davenport Road during last year’s Davenportage, an annual trek made by history buffs along Gete-Onigaming, an old Aboriginal trail that links the Humber and Don rivers. “Portage” by Philip Desjardins is one of 15 photographs that comprise Solitaire, curated by Becky Parsons for QSQ Giclee Boutique (845 College St.). This solo exhibition, which is part of the Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival 2016, explores translations of the 18th century card game through 15 photographs presented alongside captions that suggest a range of interpretations.  Read more

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Plan to transform underutilized space

By Annemarie Brissenden

Bloor Street West is about to get a whole lot greener, and it’s all thanks to the trees.  Read more

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Pharmacy drugstore chain says it will respect building’s heritage

By Annemarie Brissenden

After one last weekend-long blowout, the doors of the Brunswick House closed for good, leaving the neighbourhood eagerly anticipating the site’s next, presumably quieter and more agreeable, incarnation.  Read more

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