PHOTO BY GEREMY BORDONARO/GLEANER NEWS: Attendees at the third public consultation on the Bloor Street Pilot Bike Lanes annotated a map with comments on the pilot project. The annotations devolved into a war of words, in which one resident found himself battling another over the viability of businesses and bikes.
A mediated settlement has been reached regarding the future of 316 Bloor St. W. Representatives from the City of Toronto, the Annex and Harbord Village residents’ associations, and State Building Group (which owns the building) met for two days to address concerns about the developer’s original proposal to raise a 42-storey building on the site.
PHOTO BY GEREMY BORDONARO/GLEANER NEWS: A fire destroyed a large portion of the dome’s surface for the field at Central Technical School on May 15.
By Geremy Bordonaro
Development dominated the Annex Residents’ Association (ARA) annual general meeting on April 27.
The area has seen an increase in developments over the last few years, most notably the Westbank Projects Corp.’s Mirvish Village development, and that coloured every topic of discussion, from bike lanes to community housing.
The University of Toronto plans to appeal Toronto City Council’s March 9 decision to designate 698 Spadina Ave. as a heritage site. The university intended to demolish the building and build a 23-storey student residence on the site.
PHOTO BY GEREMY BORDONARO/GLEANER NEWS: Harbord Collegiate Institute teacher Belinda Medeiros-Felix and student volunteers prepare to celebrate the school’s 125th anniversary later this month. They are surrounded by the school’s memorabilia, which are housed in its museum, the first of its kind in Canada. The school is also home to two memorials to the First and Second World wars.
PHOTO BY GEREMY BORDONARO/GLEANER NEWS: The Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre was evacuated for two hours on the morning of March 7 after it received a bomb threat via a robo-call. A Jewish community centre in London, Ontario also received a similar threat around the same time. Over 120 bomb threats have been made against North American Jewish community centres since the start of the year, according to the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.
GEREMY BORDONARO/GLEANER NEWS: Thomas Fisher’s rare books are now safe from condensation thanks to student ingenuity.
By Geremy Bordonaro
It’s home to a diverse array of rare manuscripts, and the archives of some our nation’s most prominent scribes. Even as the HMS Terror lies under the Arctic sea, its log books are safely stored within its walls.
PHOTO COURTESY PAUL AIHOSHI/FLIP PUBLICITY: Hackett’s serious demeanour obscures a seriously silly side, say his colleagues. The Annex comedian, who got his start at Victoria College, has performed with The Sketchersons and on This Hour has 22 Minutes.
By Geremy Bordonaro
After a year of study and consultation, the city is going ahead with the process to designate Kensington Market a Heritage Conservation District (HCD). The decision was announced at a community consultation meeting last month.
PHOTO BY BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS
Nearly one hundred bar and restaurant staff from Kensington Market participated in a free workshop on how to deal with drug overdoses on Feb. 27. Organized by the Kensington Market BIA and Joe Cressy (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina), the workshop taught participants how to recognize and respond to an overdose. Queen West Central Toronto Community Health Centre led the technical aspects of the training and explained how Naloxone counter-acts the effects of opioids. Bar and restaurant owners also received overdose response kits.
Harbord Collegiate Institute is celebrating its 125th anniversary with a weekend of events for neighbours, students, and alumni April 28 to 30. On April 28, the school will host an open house featuring a museum and decade rooms. The creative-arts team will stage a variety of music and talent shows, while the Athletic Association will run a few games. The formal reunion gala will be held at the Parkview Manor on April 29, while individual class reunions will run on April 30. For further information, please visit www.harbordclub.com.