May 12th, 2021 · Comments Off on NEWS: Tenants at risk of eviction (Apr. 2021)
Critics see government’s “protections” as toothless
By Nicole Stoffman
Seven percent of Ontario tenants, or 98,000 families, can’t pay their full rent because of pandemic-related job loss. They are accumulating rent arrears that many will never be able to repay, according to the Federation of Rental Providers of Ontario (FRPO). In the Annex alone, 16 eviction applications have been made since November. Read more
May 12th, 2021 · Comments Off on NEWS: Light sculptures appear on Bloor (Apr. 2021)
BIA pays homage to its many food establishments during COVID
The colourful strainers and colanders catch the eye during the day and vibrate unique mandela effects during the night. This cylinder artwork can be found lighting up the new parkette on Brunswick Avenue at Bloor Street West MARY AN/GLEANER NEWS
May 12th, 2021 · Comments Off on CHATTER: The pivot to the mask trade (Apr. 2021)
Stores like David Dunkley Fine Millinery at 974 Bathurst St. have successfully re-tooled to make protective masks for their customers. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS
Rainbows, sparkles and onesies, it turns out, are no match for a global pandemic. That’s what Lien Nguyen and her business partner found out after COVID-19 forced numerous strategic pivots just to stay alive. Their enterprise, the Unicorn Café, opened up in January of 2020 at 561 Bloor Street W., and attempted to continue running via Uber Eats. Like many businesses, the Unicorn Café entered the mask trade and in that, found some hope. Read more
May 12th, 2021 · Comments Off on CHATTER: Tarragon’s Reinvention (Apr. 2021)
Fans of original Canadian theatre will be pleased to know that the Tarragon is not gone. On offer in May are audio dramas Scorched and Come Home-The Legend of Daddy Hall. Visit tickets.tarragontheatre.com. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS
The Tarragon Theatre has stayed afloat through the third wave of this pandemic by bringing theatre lovers a full season of audio dramas. This art form enjoyed its golden age in the 40s and had been enjoying a rebirth which has boomed with the pandemic. Theatres have been discovering its usefulness as a cheaper and more reliable way to deliver shows than filmed productions or Zoom plays. Actors record their parts remotely, which are combined by the producers who then add in the sound design. Read more
March 26th, 2021 · Comments Off on ON THE COVER (Mar. 2021)
The Bloor Annex BIA, in partnership with STEPS Public Art and local artists Chris Foster and Layne Hinton, has transformed three of their new parkettes into lighting spectacles. These kinetic installations use bright light sources that slowly pass through a long column of common kitchen colanders. The patterns create dynamic projections that shift as the light passes through in a gesture to the diversity of restaurants that are a staple of the Annex. On site along Bloor St. at Robert St., Major St., and Brunswick Ave. until May 31. COURTESY MELANIE RAMSAY, BLOOR ANNEX BIA
March 26th, 2021 · Comments Off on NEWS: Community input changes Bloor/Spadina build (Mar. 2021)
Developer returns to the table with a 35-storey plan for corner
A mix of commercial and residential development is proposed for the northwest corner of Bloor and Spadina. The plan includes a commercial podium. COURTESY IBI GROUP
March 26th, 2021 · Comments Off on NEWS: Permanent pad for the Pits (Mar. 2021)
Layton leads the initiative to get skateboarding pad installed quickly
DIY skateboarding ramps and half-pipes in Sid Smith Rink are finding a new permanent home in Christie Pits. COURTESY MIGS BARTULA, CO-CHAIR OF THE TORONTO SKATEBOARDING COMMITTEE
March 26th, 2021 · Comments Off on CHATTER: Runners Shop keeps the pace during pandemic (Mar. 2021)
The Runners Shop team, celebrating one year in the Annex, includes (from L to R): Tara Lapstra, Greg Lindsay, and owner Lynne Bourque. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS
March 2021 marks one year since the start of the first lockdown in Toronto under the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto. It also marks a year since The Runners Shop moved to a more visible location at 374 Bloor St. W. The store’s opening came on February 18, just four weeks before the first lockdown. Read more
March 26th, 2021 · Comments Off on CHATTER: “One-legged stool” build plan quashed on Prince Arthur (Mar. 2021)
After years of opposition, many Annex residents relished the defeat of a proposed development on 64 Prince Arthur Ave. The proposal was brought to the City of Toronto twice – the first time as a 29-storey condominium building with luxury rentals, the second time as a 19-storey building. In both instances, the design was one of twisting steel and glass that would have stood in stark contrast to the low-rise brick and vine neighbourhood. At the end of January, the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) wholly dismissed the developers’ appeal. Read more
