Gleaner

Serving Toronto's most liveable community with the Annex Gleaner

EDITORIAL: Bat crazy (Jan. 2020)

January 31st, 2020 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: Bat crazy (Jan. 2020)

The government that decimated the Endangered Species Act is now in the business of protecting bats. At least that’s what Ontario’s Minister of Environment, Jeff Yurek, claimed when he revoked the approval of the Nation Rise wind farm project on December 4. As costs pile up, so do the false premises that come with the Ford regime’s attack on green energy.

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Tags: Annex · Editorial · Opinion

FORUM: Build a more livable city, together (Jan. 2020)

January 31st, 2020 · Comments Off on FORUM: Build a more livable city, together (Jan. 2020)

Bike lanes, affordable housing, parkettes, and road safety

By Mike Layton

I want to begin by wishing everyone a happy 2020 and a wonderful start to the new year. I am renewed in my commitment to working closely with you all to build a more livable and equitable city, and I want to thank the many residents who have been volunteering their time to better our ward.

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Tags: Annex · Opinion

GREENINGS: Emergency climate calls to city met with busy signal (Jan. 2020)

January 31st, 2020 · Comments Off on GREENINGS: Emergency climate calls to city met with busy signal (Jan. 2020)

City is caught flat-footed as alarm bells ring

By Terri Chu

I was mildly optimistic when Toronto City Council officially declared a “Climate Emergency”, in October, 2019. How naïve I was to think that an “emergency” meant that something might actually happen. The situation appears to me as though teenagers are dialing 911 and screaming in terror into the phone while the operator on the other end says: Please hold, your call is important to us.

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Tags: Annex · Columns · Life

LIFE: Unsung heroes of Uni-Rose feted (Jan. 2020)

January 31st, 2020 · Comments Off on LIFE: Unsung heroes of Uni-Rose feted (Jan. 2020)

MPP Bell hosts community appreciation celebration

Multi-generational activists Roy Bateman, Malina Fritz-Schwarts (on behalf of Allie Rougeot), Betty Robinson, and Zoe Keary-Matzner with MPP Jessica Bell. NICOLE STOFFMAN/GLEANER NEWS

By Nicole Stoffman

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Tags: Annex · Life

FOCUS: Marked with granite (Jan. 2020)

January 31st, 2020 · 1 Comment

Creating a spot to gather

Artist Robert Cram spots as Sanscon Construction employees carefully place the first granite bench at the Robert Street Parkette. NEILAND BRISSENDEN/BLOOR ANNEX BIA

Originally published in October of 2016 in anticipation of the granite installations in the Bloor Street Parkettes.

By Geremy Bordonaro

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Tags: Annex · Life

ON THE COVER (Dec. 2019)

December 9th, 2019 · Comments Off on ON THE COVER (Dec. 2019)

Women Walking in Lane (Watercolour) by Jim Prince from his collection Toronto Winter Themes is featured on our cover this issue. 

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Tags: Annex · Arts

NEWS: New mural for Major (Dec. 2019)

December 9th, 2019 · Comments Off on NEWS: New mural for Major (Dec. 2019)

Parkette location chosen to celebrate Bloor’s rich offerings

Initial concept of mural design by Daniela Rocha for the Major Street parkette (rear, east-face of Sleep Country location) pending for May of 2020.
COURTESY DANIELA ROCHA

By Khyrsten Mieras


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Tags: Annex · News

EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (Dec. 2019)

December 9th, 2019 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (Dec. 2019)

READ MORE BY BRETT LAMB:

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Tags: Annex · Editorial · Columns · Opinion

EDITORIAL: Ford “proud” of cancelling green energy contracts (Dec. 2019)

December 9th, 2019 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: Ford “proud” of cancelling green energy contracts (Dec. 2019)

Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government is cancelling 758 renewable energy contracts, including a newly constructed wind farm in Prince Edward County, a move that will cost the Ontario taxpayer at least $231 million. The PCs are not only hard pressed to justify the move from a fiscal perspective, but it also makes no sense from a political vantage point when the electorate is increasingly concerned about climate change. 

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Tags: Annex · Editorial

FORUM: Affordable housing is a growing crisis (Dec. 2019)

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.

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Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion

ARTS: Corridor calendar chock full (Dec. 2019)

December 9th, 2019 · Comments Off on ARTS: Corridor calendar chock full (Dec. 2019)

Chrismukkah, mystery, music, and more along the Arts Corridor

By Meribeth Deen

Hop off the Bloor line anywhere between Bathurst and Bay streets to enjoy any number of the unique adventures offered in the city’s most diverse arts and culture district. 

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Tags: Annex · Arts

GREENINGS: Moral cowardice fuels our failures (Dec. 2019)

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. 

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Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion

ON THE COVER: All hands on deck! (Nov. 2019)

December 9th, 2019 · Comments Off on ON THE COVER: All hands on deck! (Nov. 2019)

Crew from Sanscon Construction and North on Sixty work feverishly over frozen ground to complete the BIA parkette installations. Pictured here is the Brunswick Avenue parkette which will feature trees, a pollinator garden, wood decking, large granite boulders and a water bottle refilling station. COURTESY?MELANIE?RAMSAY/BLOOR?ANNEX?BIA

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Tags: Annex · News