By Chrystia Freeland
If we were creating our tax system from scratch, what choices would we make as Canadians? Would we give the greatest tax advantages to those who make the most money? Or would we insist on each of us paying our fair share to keep Canada strong?
RE: “Lane name pays tribute to a mare named Crestfallen” (May 2024)
My mother survived the two World Wars and the Great Depression (I’m pretty old, myself!).
Amongst her stories there’s one I’ve never forgotten; the acute pain she suffered as a child with diphtheria. That’s one reason I’ve been so glad my own children and grandchildren have been protected from such misery.
Tags: Annex · Letters · Opinion
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The competing notions of treating illicit drug use as a health issue versus a criminal one is at the heart of a divide between the City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario. The city wants to decriminalize and help people who are addicted and the province thinks it can arrest its way out of the problem.
Tags: Annex · Editorial · Opinion
By Dianne Saxe
Spring arrived early this year with turbulent weather in April and sunshine in May. It’s also been an eventful season: I hope you had a chance to enjoy the total solar eclipse, the Easter parades, Earth Day’s 45th anniversary, Toronto’s luscious bounty of cherry blossoms, and holiday meals with friends and family.
By Jessica Bell
It’s been a very busy period at Queen’s Park. Here are the highlights.
Parents stand up to pending school budget cuts
On May 8, I joined parents, students, teachers, and residents outside Kensington School for a rally to demand better funding for our public schools.
It is very exciting to see the development of the old Honest Ed’s site almost come online. It means there will be more people in this city living close to transit. It means there will be more people in this neighbourhood to sustain the small businesses that make this neighbourhood liveable. We need to support high-density housing projects in this neighbourhood, but we have to make sure that these new projects come with zero new parking spots. We want walkers, cyclists, and transit users. We don’t want to be home to more polluting drivers who make the city dirty and dangerous.
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The Vacant Home Tax (VHT) is an unabashed debacle. The City of Toronto just sent 167,000 homeowners tax bills that include a one per cent VHT levy based on the values of their properties. If, for example, their Municipal Property Assessment Corporation valuation is $800,000, then the city just added a surcharge to their tax bill of $8000. Payable when? Now.
By Dianne Saxe
Spring has arrived. Flowers are pushing up and there are so many ways to enjoy beautiful University-Rosedale. This spring we want to highlight great local music venues, festivals, parks, and environmental events. Hot Docs, Fringe, Jazz Fest—these and other Toronto arts organizations need your support if they are to survive.
Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion
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Tags: Annex · Editorial · Opinion
In an annual report, Ontario’s Acting Auditor General (AG) Nick Stavropoulos contradicts the conclusions of the government’s stated “business case” for moving the Ontario Science Centre to Ontario Place. It turns out the “savings” the government promises taxpayers is anything but.
Tags: Annex · Editorial · Opinion