December 9th, 2019 · Comments Off on FORUM: Ford plows ahead with cuts (Dec. 2019)
Back at Queen’s Park, Ford resumes his agenda
By Jessica Bell
After ordering the longest break in almost 25 years, Doug Ford finally let Queen’s Park get back to business last month. While the government signalled they would take a more tempered approach, the legislation the government has introduced shows the premier is continuing his destructive path. Read more
December 9th, 2019 · Comments Off on FORUM: Affordable housing is a growing crisis (Dec. 2019)
Inclusionary Zoning is the answer for responsible development in Toronto
By Mike Layton
Development in Toronto is continuing to boom. However, we are not building affordable housing at the same pace as we are luxury condominiums. Our waiting lists for affordable housing continue to grow and we are now above 100,000 names on the active waiting list. Last year we only managed to house people in 522 units, while 6,181 names were added to the list. Read more
December 9th, 2019 · Comments Off on GREENINGS: Moral cowardice fuels our failures (Dec. 2019)
Silence on Hong Kong and climate crisis has parallels
On November 11, Canadian leaders extolled the virtues of soldiers who lost their lives defending the ideals of democracy. On that day, we might have told the story of the nearly 2,000 Canadian soldiers who fought to defend Hong Kong against Japanese invasion in 1941. Five hundred of those soldiers did not come back, and many others returned deeply scarred after living as prisoners of war. Read more
Layton seeks a more “robust” approach to snow clearing
By Mike Layton
Before the weather goes below zero, and the fall rain turns into ice and snow, I thought I could take a moment to talk about a topic that will be top of mind for many Ward 11 residents in the coming months – snow removal. Read more
Bling bling! Jaws dropped and the media was bedazzled by the newly unveiled Toronto Raptors championship rings on October 23. For the team’s opening game, each player was awarded a golf-ball of 10 karat gold covered in 14 carat diamonds, and the nearly 20,000 fans watching at Scotiabank Arena were given replicas. Instead of being star struck, I feel sick. Instead of celebrating the making and baring of those rings, we should be denouncing them and the culture that clouds the story they really tell. Read more
Since the province decided to cut Council in half, there has been a clear trend of decision making that aims to marginalize the City of Toronto and its residents’ voices on many critical issues. The trend continued this month as the province revealed details of their plan to try and steal our subway, and made life-and-death decisions about addiction treatment. Read more
May 28th, 2019 · Comments Off on GREENINGS: Plastic ban born of necessity (May 2019)
China done with being the world’s dumping ground
By Terri Chu
The Ontario government has announced it is mulling a ban on single-use plastics. As environmentalists rejoice at the small bone this gas guzzling loving government throws at us, we should all take a moment to thank China for this small miracle from the “red tape cutting” bandits. Read more
In the Annex and Harbord Village, large maples and majestic Dutch elms are maturing and dying out. The trees that are taking their place tend to be smaller ornamental trees, throwing the future of the area’s beloved canopy into question. Read more
April 23rd, 2019 · Comments Off on GREENINGS: Confronting consumption (Spring 2019)
What does the emergence of Marie Kondo mean?
By Terri Chu
Few celebrities have given me hope about the fate of the planet quite like Marie Kondo has. We literally created a mega celebrity out of a woman who teaches you how to throw stuff away. Did coffee just come out your nose? Stop to think about this. A person who teaches you to throw things away is a social media superstar making millions from Youtube, Instagram, and books. Read more