December 21st, 2020 · Comments Off on FOCUS: Pivoting from the pulpit with new technology (Dec. 2020)
Churches and synagogues ready for on-line services
By Mary An
Nine months into the global pandemic, religious communities have shifted their pulpits onto digital platforms. With Christmas coming, churches seem to be taking the social isolation mandates that limit their ability to connect physically with congregants in stride, while enjoying expanded audiences and in some cases, even surprisingly intimate connections. Read more
December 4th, 2020 · Comments Off on NEWS: Fairy doors “magically appear” (Nov. 2020)
Though their origin is a mystery, they are being mapped
Martha Davis and Daniel Levine created fairies to go along with the doors as a way to help contribute and keep the community spirit up in Seaton Village. Who built the doors remains a mystery. MARY AN/GLEANER NEWS
A team of Indigenous workers are bringing Paul Martel Park back to life
Paul Richard (left) and Joseph Sagaj, part of a team of Indigenous gardeners, have been working tirelessly to bring Paul Martel Park (located on Madison Avenue, north of Bloor Street) back to its original vision. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS
Jay Macpherson paved way for next generation of female professors
A young Jean Jay Macpherson during her teaching years. COURTESY VICTORIA UNIVERSITY
Correction: On page 11 of the August 2020 issue of the Annex Gleaner, in the annual Grading our Greenspace section, Jay Macpherson was misidentified as “he”. This error was brought to our attention by Alexandra F. Johnston, professor emerita, Department of English, Victoria College, University of Toronto. The Gleaner regrets the error. Read more
November 2nd, 2020 · Comments Off on LIFE: Paying homage to local characters (Oct. 2020)
Vibrant mural meant to appeal to children
MARY AN/GLEANER NEWS
By Mary An
At the intersection of Bloor Street West and Major Street, the Annex has welcomed a new mural. With help from the City of Toronto’s StreetARToronto grant, the Bloor Annex Business Improvement Area (BIA) held a competition last year to fill the wall in a way that would best represent the neighbourhood. Read more
November 2nd, 2020 · Comments Off on NEW IN BUSINESS: New restaurant opens mid-pandemic (Oct. 2020)
Entrepreneur invests in community on a wing and a prayer
Inder Singh, owner of the new Wild Wings in the Annex, took the brave step forward of opening up a restaurant in hopes of supporting his new community. MARY AN/GLEANER NEWS
In this year’s installment of evaluating park spaces within the Gleaner’s catchment area, our observers noted the impressive revival of Queen’s Park North showing what a great city can do when it focuses its imagination and resources. The neglected Euclid Avenue Park, near Koreatown, shows what happens when these resources are withheld. Compiled by Mary An, Tanya Ielyseieva, and Nicole Stoffman.Read more
August 7th, 2020 · Comments Off on LIFE: Tulip Fairies surprise (July 2020)
Neighbourly love abounds in Seaton Village
The Tulip Fairy Family proved that they too, are essential workers, when, on April 2, a woman and her two children purchased all the tulips at Steven’s Convenience at Bathurst and Olive streets. They then mysteriously distributed the flowers to houses in the adjacent area. Their identity remains unknown. —Nicole Stoffman/Gleaner News, photos courtesy of Mable Chu
August 7th, 2020 · Comments Off on GREENINGS: What happens if we don’t want to go back to the “before” times? (July 2020)
Pandemic shows we can live on so much less
While many of us are enjoying cleaner air in the neighbourhood, undoubtably there are people up at night worried about what happens if the air never goes back to being as toxic as it once was. Trillions of dollars are at stake if we, as a society, decide we don’t really want to go back to the “before” times where people drove hours to get to work and mindlessly went shopping for entertainment. Read more
August 7th, 2020 · Comments Off on LIFE: How to arrange flowers in less than 10 easy steps (July 2020)
Flowers in the home relax the mind and nourish the spirit
COURTESY LISA LOMAX
In May 2020, the Annex Gleaner celebrated 25 years of publishing. In acknowledgement of this history we are republishing highlights of our past; this feature, How to arrange flowers in 10 easy steps by gardening columnist Bardi Vorster, is from July 2000. Some guidance still relevant to enjoy summer’s flowery bounty indoors. Read more
Staying home to help stop the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to be the new normal for the foreseeable future.
Read on for our updated guide to Annex resources during COVID-19, the third issue since we all started to hunker down and stay together apart. Read more
June 15th, 2020 · Comments Off on FOCUS: Melodies are good medicine (May 2020)
Ninety-four year-old entertains patients
Music volunteer George Linton entertains patients at long-term care homes and hospitals. Despite being 94 years old Linton looks forward to returning to his unpaid gig post COVID 19. TANYA IELYSEIEVA/GLEANER NEWS
June 15th, 2020 · Comments Off on GREENINGS: Capitalist truths exposed (May 2020)
It’s time to focus on survival
By Terri Chu
India’s population of 1.3 billion people is in a state of “lockdown” until May 3. One of the initial impacts was a massive wave of migrants, suddenly jobless, walking hundreds of kilometres to their home-communities. In the country’s most populated state, Uttar Pradesh, state officials have instructed village councillors not to allow returning labourers in. In India and around the world, Coronavirus is laying bare a capitalistic hard-truth: the poor are expendable. Read more
