Horn on the Cob performed their 120th porch concert on July 21 before taking their summer break.

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The Annex is facing intense pressure, with 25 major development projects currently underway. Can the neighbourhood grow without losing its unique character? Heritage consultants will be defining that character over the next seven months as they scour the neighbourhood to document 1,007 properties within the boundaries of Dupont, Bloor, Bedford and Bathurst streets.  The goal is for the city to declare the “West Annex”—defined as the area west of Bedford— a Heritage Conservation District (HCD) so that future development takes heritage into consideration.

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Jeanne Lamon was a titan and trailblazer on the classical music scene. Throughout her tenure as Tafelmusik’s director, which lasted from 1981 to 2014, Lamon guided the Toronto-based orchestra and chamber choir from its humble beginnings as a tiny ensemble of young musical idealists into an internationally-acclaimed group known for its commitment to artistic training and baroque music excellence.

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The improving pandemic situation has led to some of the parks that were locked up last year to be set free again. Huron Washington Parkette and Margaret Fairley Park have been restored to their former glory. But, neglect and lack of resources have persisted in others like Sally Bird Park and Euclid Avenue Parkette.

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Budget-conscious theatre buffs rejoice: The Tarragon Theatre is offering a pay-what-you-can 2021-22 subscription season. Artistic Director Richard Rose wants to make the shared experience of theatre broadly accessible after a pandemic year that has kept audiences and actors apart. 

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Christie Pits Park will soon be getting an official beer in its honour. The Henderson Brewing Company, in partnership with Friends of Christie Pits Park (FCPP), is developing a limited-edition brew that will be available mid-August. 

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Brett Lamb’s Editorial Cartoon for the July 2021 issue of the Annex Gleaner.

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Ontario parents have been eagerly awaiting the “robust” plan for a safe re-entry back to classrooms Premier Doug Ford promised in June. The past year has been brutal for both the education and mental health of Ontario students, as they have spent more time out of classroom than young people in any other part of the country. However, the 26 page document outlining how the government intends to keep student’s safe does them no favours: it late (coming out less than a month before the start of school) and is little more than a carbon copy of last year’s failed plan.

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The violence and tactics on display by the City of Toronto in Trinity Bellwoods Park, Alexandra Park and Lamport Park this month is a deeply troubling use of resources and force. The number of armed police present to forcefully remove handfuls of residents experiencing homelessness is disgraceful. idn’t have to be this way and we cannot police our way out of poverty.

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Canada is battling deadly heat waves, volatile weather, intense humidity, epic storms that threaten to overwhelm our city infrastructure, and catastrophic forest fires that are making our air so unhealthy to breathe. Yet we still have leaders who are failing to take the bold steps necessary to lead humanity out of this environmental crisis.

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The Gardiner Museum for Ceramic Art sees museums as more than buildings, but also as communities, that’s why they’re offering free exhibitions, public art projects, family clay activities, outdoor dining, wellness workshops, performances, and more all summer. Better yet, they’re all outside.

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It’s a Sunday afternoon in July at Christie Pits Park. Standing near the baseball diamond, Alan Ross leans back and casts his gaze around the field. “I want you to make a note that I’m doing this under protest,” he says with tongue in cheek, in response to a request for an interview. “I’m not an interesting person.” Baseball fans at the Pits would beg to differ. To many, “Al the Ticket Man,” is a living legend.

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