Gleaner

Serving Toronto's most liveable community with the Annex Gleaner

Grading our greenspace (Feb. 2024)

April 6th, 2024 · Comments Off on Grading our greenspace (Feb. 2024)

A plethora of parks in the Annex get judged

Compiled by Mia Keskinen

Each year the Annex Gleaner reviews the abundance of parks in our coverage area using a variety of criteria. 

While there is no decisive “winner” of the grading, letter grades are assigned to convey the quality of the parks considering aspects such as upkeep, design, and amenities. 

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Tags: General

FORUM: Rare summer legislature sittings (Sept. 2022)

September 27th, 2022 · Comments Off on FORUM: Rare summer legislature sittings (Sept. 2022)

Passing damaging bills while no one is paying attention

By Jessica Bell

Queen’s Park Roundup

The Ford government is passing damaging legislation in the middle of the summer while attention on politics is low. Here’s what’s happening.

The government’s 2022-2023 budget falls short

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Tags: Annex · Opinion

FORUM: Ford’s fall agenda deeply flawed (Dec. 2020)

December 21st, 2020 · Comments Off on FORUM: Ford’s fall agenda deeply flawed (Dec. 2020)

Environment, evictions, schools dominate final days of Queen’s Park 2020 Session

By Jessica Bell

Queen’s Park closed for the year on December 8. Here are the legislative highlights from the final few weeks:

The Ford government continued trampling on Ontario’s natural environment. Government Bill 229 stripped the power of local conservation authorities to protect water quality and floodplains from development. 

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Tags: Annex · Opinion

GRADING OUR GREENSPACE: Grading the green (August 2020)

September 9th, 2020 · 1 Comment

Park it here

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.

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Tags: Annex · Life

FORUM: Ford plows ahead with cuts (Dec. 2019)

December 9th, 2019 · Comments Off on FORUM: Ford plows ahead with cuts (Dec. 2019)

Back at Queen’s Park, Ford resumes his agenda

By Jessica Bell

After ordering the longest break in almost 25 years, Doug Ford finally let Queen’s Park get back to business last month. While the government signalled they would take a more tempered approach, the legislation the government has introduced shows the premier is continuing his destructive path. 

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Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion

GRADING OUR GREENSPACE: Open spaces in the heart of the Annex (Summer 2019)

July 16th, 2019 · Comments Off on GRADING OUR GREENSPACE: Open spaces in the heart of the Annex (Summer 2019)

Lots of places for ambling with a dog, playing sports, or watching the world go by

This is our first set of park reviews for 2019. The Annex and its surroundings are blessed with a rich array of green space — much of it under the umbrella of city parks. We grade them here, every year using many parameters. Many a venue to run your dog, laze away a day, grab a seat in the sunshine, or shade, push a child on the swing set, the Annex has it all.

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Tags: Annex · Life

FORUM: Take back Toronto on the 22nd (City Election 2018)

October 17th, 2018 · Comments Off on FORUM: Take back Toronto on the 22nd (City Election 2018)

Vote progressive on election day

By Jessica Bell

Doug Ford has hurt Toronto. Ford slashed Toronto’s wards from 47 to 25 in the middle of an election, and threatened to suspend our Charter rights and freedoms by invoking the notwithstanding clause for the first time in Ontario’s history.

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Tags: Annex · Opinion

EDITORIAL CARTOON: How nice (Aug./Sept. 2018)

September 11th, 2018 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL CARTOON: How nice (Aug./Sept. 2018)

 

More how nice!

EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (Summer 2018)

EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (July 2018)

EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (Election Special 2018)

EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (May 2018)

EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (Spring 2018)

EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (Mar. 2018)

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Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion

GRADING OUR GREENSPACE: The best and worst of local parks (Summer 2018)

August 12th, 2018 · Comments Off on GRADING OUR GREENSPACE: The best and worst of local parks (Summer 2018)

Brunswick-College Parkette has received an upgrade and a new name, Doctors’ Parkette. A well-maintained and tidy spot, it’s great place to catch a breather in the midst of the busy city. AHMED-ZAKI HAGAR/GLEANER NEWS

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Tags: Annex · Columns · Life

FORUM: What kind of province do we want? (March 2018)

March 22nd, 2018 · Comments Off on FORUM: What kind of province do we want? (March 2018)

A case for inclusivity and fairness

By Jessica Bell

I’ve been a community organizer and an executive director of non-profits for nearly 20 years, winning real change for human rights and the environment.

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Tags: Annex · Opinion

GRADING OUR GREENSPACE (JULY 2017): Open spaces in the heart of the Annex

August 1st, 2017 · Comments Off on GRADING OUR GREENSPACE (JULY 2017): Open spaces in the heart of the Annex

Lots of places for ambling with a dog, playing sports, or watching the world go by

PHOTO BY GEREMY BORDONARO/GLEANER NEWS: There’s lots for kids to do at the recently renovated Margaret Fairley Park, where the installation of a new wading pool and seating area is almost complete. The revitalized park has a determined Muskoka feel to it that might strike some as a bit too sterile.

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Tags: Annex · Life

FROM THE ARCHIVES (DECEMBER 2016): The importance of independent pharmacies

December 20th, 2016 · Comments Off on FROM THE ARCHIVES (DECEMBER 2016): The importance of independent pharmacies

In this latest piece from our archives, we reprint a story from our May 2010 edition on Snowdon Pharmacy. We thought it would make an interesting companion piece as it illustrates just how much independent pharmacies do for our community, something that we, as an independent newspaper, know a little something about.

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Tags: Annex · Life

HISTORY FROM THE ARCHIVES: Sculptor marks the lessons of war

November 18th, 2016 · Comments Off on HISTORY FROM THE ARCHIVES: Sculptor marks the lessons of war

Walter Allward designed Vimy Ridge, local war memorials

By Alfred Holden

In honour of Remembrance Day, this month we reprint former Citybuildings columnist Alfred Holden’s November 2003 piece on the sculptor who designed many of the nation’s most affecting and prominent war memorials.

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Tags: Annex · History · Life