Grassroots activism marks annual review By Annemarie Brissenden DEVELOPMENT DRIVES DENSITY DOWNTOWN When was the Annex deemed downtown? Although the question — asked at a community consultation about one of the many “vertical rooming houses” inching up the midtown skyline — remains unanswered, it underscores the tension between residents, who see their treasured neighbourhood as […]

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Proposed hookah lounge category voted down   By Dilara Kurtaran Local shisha bar owners are scrambling to change their business model after city councillors voted 34 to three to ban shisha from Toronto’s lounges and restaurants starting in April 2016. Toronto is the latest city to ban shisha. Peterborough, Brantford, and Barrie are three of […]

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Organizations working with Lifeline Syria, Canadian Druze Society By Summer Reid The Annex is a hive of activity as members of local churches, community organizations, and grassroots groups buzz with activities aimed at raising money to support the upcoming influx of Syrian refugees. Their efforts are culminating just as the federal government has outlined #WelcomeRefugees, […]

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Policy favours car ownership over public transit By Terri Chu To say that another Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) fare hike is disappointing is a mild understatement. When the Yonge line opened in 1954 with its first 12 stations, fares cost 15¢ ($1.34 in today’s dollars). The recent fare hike puts the increase at about 2.5 […]

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A local literary line-up for the holidays By Annemarie Brissenden Annex publisher Coach House Books, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year and operates out of bpNichol Lane, boasts a bevy of award-winning reads: Fifteen Dogs gain human consciousness and language in André Alexis’s Giller Prize- and Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize-winning novel; editors John […]

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Campaign marked by strong candidates By Annemarie Brissenden Take a moment and indulge in a thought experiment. Imagine a room filled with people engaged in the business of politics. It could be in Parliament during question period, a human rights hearing at the United Nations, or a G8 meeting. Do you have the image? Now, […]

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The community had its first formal opportunity to review Westbank Corp.’s plans for Mirvish Village at a public consultation at the Bickford Centre Cafeteria hosted by the City of Toronto on Oct. 7. The area includes Markham Street, Honest Ed’s, and the adjacent properties on Bathurst Street. Many of those in attendance expressed concerns about […]

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Research measures economic impact of pilot bike lanes By Summer Reid A study investigating the demographics of Bloor Street began last month in the Annex. Aimed at understanding how people travel to and from the area, and what business they conduct along the street, it will also measure what impact, if any, the April 2016 […]

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After the Federal Court ruled in February that Zunera Ishaq, the woman at the centre of a now pivotal controversy, could wear her niqab while taking her oath of Canadian citizenship, Steven Harper’s federal government sought a stay of the ruling pending an appeal. For many, it appeared like an attempt to keep discriminating against […]

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Opportunity for positive, visionary change By Mike Layton In the last term of City Council we were up against Rob Ford and Stephen Harper. We found ourselves saying “no” and simply fighting to hold on to our public services. We lost some battles. We watched our waste collection get handed over to the lowest private […]

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Distracted drivers, riders, walkers most vulnerable at intersections By Scotty Robinson Speed is not behind the numerous car accidents, injuries, or pedestrian and cyclist deaths that occur. Our system of too many red lights and stop signs has dumbed down the majority of us, including pedestrians and bikers. It’s like zombie land out there, and […]

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