A weekly Annex touchstone I’m on the edge of retirement and looking for new routines, especially ones that will get me out of bed before noon.  I currently don’t work on Wednesdays, and I usually go to the gym in the morning. Recently however, the gym has been replaced by the dentist.  I’m good with […]

[Read more →]

Part 1 of this year’s Grading our Greenspace This is the first instalment of our annual look at neighbourhood greenspaces. Each year, the Annex Gleaner visits and evaluates the parks and parkettes across our coverage area using a range of criteria. While there is no single overall winner, letter grades are assigned to reflect the […]

[Read more →]

Cycle shop has become something of a local legend By Howard Pressburger Finally, there is some good weather, and I’m walking home from the gym, and I run into Aaron Enchin outside his store, Curbside Cycle. We stand in the sunshine, a warm breeze blowing, and have a friendly chat. And Aaron points across the […]

[Read more →]

Gender equity representation an ongoing challenge By Mackenzie Currier “There’s a wide range of people who come from a wide range of ages, genders, and backgrounds in all sorts of ways. But, I guess everyone likes to chat, (and) everyone’s into chess, and so it creates a common denominator,” shares one player at Pub Chess […]

[Read more →]

I almost parted ways with my savoured sushi knife By Howard Pressburger Like most of you, every morning when I wake up, after I do my calisthenics and take my blood pressure, I thank my lucky stars I live in the Annex. Also, like most of you, if I didn’t have to visit my in-laws, […]

[Read more →]

Former inhabitants include a grocer, a milliner, and a deaconess By Mike Mastromatteo On Follis Avenue, running west from Bathurst Street to Christie Street, there is a row of mostly semi-detached, two-storey dwellings.  The house at 27 Follis is the focus of this month’s “walls” story. Among the many families and boarders who have called […]

[Read more →]

A contrast in two Annex cafés By Howard Pressburger The absolute worst news I ever got from my family doctor was to cut coffee out of my diet.  Okay, maybe I am exaggerating. He actually told me to cut down to two coffees a day; still, this was devastating.  Like anyone else faced with life-altering […]

[Read more →]

A Japanese forger demonstrates a craft with a rich history By Rose Haberer Sparks flew on Oct. 4, when master blacksmith Masashi Yamamoto, one of Japan’s premier knifemakers, performed a live forging demonstration in Toronto’s Annex at Knifewear (517 Bloor St. W.). Knife enthusiasts and curious passersby gathered to witness the spectacle.  Japanese knifemaking carries […]

[Read more →]

The city is considering applying the HCD designation to the West Annex as part of its Phase II Heritage Conservation District Study. By Damola Omole On Oct. 21, 2025, City of Toronto planning staff hosted an open house at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto (NCCT), where individuals from the Annex neighbourhood provided feedback on […]

[Read more →]

Publisher held their annual wayzgoose on Sept. 4 By Drew Glennie Located on bpNichol Lane, a hidden road nestled between Huron and St. George streets, Coach House Books has been printing and publishing books since it was founded by Stan Bevington in 1965.  According to publicist James Lindsay, their wayzgoose has been held annually for […]

[Read more →]

St. George Street home has many stories to tell By Michael Mastromatteo   This is the first in a series of columns speculating on the lived history of various houses in the Annex. Imagine that the “walls” of these homes secretly absorb some of the actions and experience of those living within. If we accept […]

[Read more →]

Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre to host JCC Warriors By Rose Haberer The Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre (MNjcc), located at 750 Spadina Ave., is tipping off a new chapter this fall with the launch of its boys U13 (under 13 years of age) rep basketball team. As part of the JCC Warriors program, the […]

[Read more →]