A few blocks east of Bathurst Street running north from College Street, you find Croft Street, which is in fact an alleyway. At the gateway to the laneway on College, there is a colourful mural dedicated to the street’s namesake, John Croft. With murals on most of the garage doors and creative pot planters, one could be forgiven for thinking that the laneway itself is a canvas. There are currently two laneway homes on Croft Street, both of which stand out for their uniqueness and contrast to the Victorian character of the neighbourhood.

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The past year has hit restaurants particularly hard, but some eateries are managing not only to survive, but thrive despite the pandemic. Bagel Time, a family-owned chain specializing in fresh, Montreal-style bagels is one such business, having opened its third Toronto location just east of Bathurst Street in December.

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Subways… Subways… Subways.

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Only 10 per cent of low-wage and frontline workers have this benefit. Until Doug Ford eliminated them in 2019, workers in Ontario had two whole days of paid emergency leave. These are the people Ford calls “heroes.”

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Require employers to provide workers with seven paid sick days a year, and an extra 14 days if there is a pandemic. Doug Ford needs to stop abdicating his responsibility to provide protection to workers and say yes to the bill immediately.

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Re-investing money from police budgets into alternate forms of community safety are of paramount importance for our communities because the number of fatal interactions continue unabated.

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Strict COVID-19 protocols being followed By Nicole Stoffman Our beloved Annex stood in for Baltimore when the CBS/MGM TV pilot Clarice took over Walmer Road for three days in October.  Nineties-era Baltimore Police cars, two ambulances, and news trucks labeled “Evening News/Channel 6,” “Breaking News Live Nightly!/Channel 12,” and “News at 5,” lined the street. […]

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Former ARA Chair, Metro and City Councillor Ila Bossons passes at 83 By Nicole Stoffman When big decisions hang in the balance at city hall, councillors often form predictable coalitions along the political spectrum. Ila Bossons was one councillor who bucked that trend. “The middle way is the best way,” the independent candidate declared in 1988, […]

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Bringing chess to life after Chess Institute of Canada founder’s passing By Tanya Ielyseieva 2020 was a good year for chess: the player base at chess.com increased by 66%, and one of the most popular TV series of the year was about a young woman stealthily moving players on a checkered board. Too bad Ted […]

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New builds abound around the Annex The construction of new residential towers has continued unabated in the Annex despite the pandemic. The Gleaner  is distributed to homes between College Street, Dupont Street, Avenue Road and Christie Street. Fourteen development sites, at various stages of completion, currently exist within these boundaries. With one confirmed exception – […]

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New building plan clears hurdles at Committee of Adjustment Residents and shoppers alike were surprised to see the Green P parking lot on Madison Avenue close in early January. The city had been leasing the space for Green P but that lease was not renewed by the property owners who also own the adjacent 11 […]

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