Travels with daughter enable fresh look at community

By Mike Layton  Read more

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Favourites include carol singing, winter solstice

We asked our local representatives how they spend the holidays. Councillors Joe Cressy (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina) and Mike Layton (Ward 19, Trinity-Spadina), Toronto District School Board Trustee Ausma Malik (Ward 10, Trinity-Spadina), and our MPP Han Dong (Trinity-Spadina) shared their favourite traditions, their proudest achievement of the year, and what they are looking forward to working on in 2017. Also, the book they’re looking forward to reading in 2017! Answers compiled by Noelle Defour.  Read more

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Residents glimpse settlement offer

By Brian Burchell

In an effort to bring transparency to the Ontario Municipal Board’s (OMB) mediation process, Joe Cressy (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina) took the unusual step of bringing a developer’s confidential settlement offer to the community for comment before that offer is voted on by Toronto City Council.  Read more

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Protecting the intangible along with the tangible

By Joe Cressy

Ward 20 is home to some of our city’s most vibrant neighbourhoods — communities characterized by unique and diverse groups of neighbours, businesses, physical structures, contemporary public art, and iconic cultural destinations. And, neighbourhoods that are actively working on initiatives to transform forgotten laneways and green spaces, to protect critical historical value, and to build equitable, fair, and livable communities for all our friends and neighbours.  Read more

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New executive director underscores board’s equity focus

By Clarrie Feinstein

Parents at last month’s Toronto District School Board (TDSB)?ward council meeting leveraged a meet-and-greet with the new director of education into an opportunity to question him about the lack of resources at their children’s schools. Dr. John Malloy was at the Oct. 24 meeting at the invitation of Ausma Malik (TDSB Ward 10, Trinity-Spadina) to introduce the board’s new structure and its four new learning centres.  Read more

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City designates Bloor Street a cultural corridor

PICTURE BY SUMMER REID/GLEANER NEWS: The province has forgiven a significant portion of its loan to the Royal Conservatory of Music.

By Annemarie Brissenden, Brian Burchell, and Liivi Sandy  Read more

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PICTURE BY GEREMY BORDONARO/GLEANER NEWS
Mike Layton (Ward 19, Trinity-Spadina) was among the speakers at a late September Bells on Bloor event celebrating the installation of bike lanes between Shaw Street and Avenue Road. Organizers characterized the communal ride during which cyclists — including activist Albert Koehl, Joe Cressy (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina), Gideon Forman from the David Suzuki Foundation, and Jared Kolb from Cycle Toronto — rode a ring around Bloor Street, Sherbourne Street, and Queen’s Park Crescent, as a victory lap. For further information on Bells on Bloor, please visit www.bellsonbloor.org. —Annemarie Brissenden  Read more

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Spadina Avenue high-rise not a bar for height

By Annemarie Brissenden

A 25-storey, 334-unit apartment building is providing the model for a new mixed-student residence at the northwest corner of Spadina and Sussex avenues, but not in the way local residents’ associations would like.  Read more

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Dangerous summer for Toronto pedestrians and cyclists

By Mike Layton

Recent statistics from the Toronto Police Service show a disturbing trend — collisions between vehicles and pedestrians and cyclists are on the rise.  Read more

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TDSB repair backlog reflects critical state of infrastructure

By Annemarie Brissenden

With both the federal and provincial governments making significant investments in public infrastructure, the Ministry of Education’s release of information detailing the maintenance backlog in Ontario raises a serious question: are we doing all that we can to maintain our buildings once they are built? The evidence suggests that we are not, and that our penchant for funding new infrastructure while ignoring our existing capital assets is ringing in a very high cost.  Read more

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TDSB reverses Essex Junior and Senior Public School decision after community uproar

PHOTO BY CLARA FEINSTEIN: The TDSB’s July 2005 attempt to lease Essex Jr. and Sr. Public School (above) backfired in the face of public outcry.  Read more

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Potential disaster averted

By Brian Burchell

Two Canadian Pacific freight trains collided on August 21 sending two locomotives and several rail cars off the tracks just north of Dupont Street near Howland Avenue. The trains were going in opposite directions and one clipped the tail end of the other as it failed to execute a safe pass.  Read more

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Building up will allow us to create the sizable park downtown needs

By Joe Cressy

A central park in downtown Toronto. It’s an old idea whose time has come. Now, all we need is a little creativity, political will, and a commitment from Toronto City Council to invest significant money to make it happen. Let’s get it done.  Read more

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