ANNEX GLEANER NEWS (Oct. 2020): Parking versus housing – Kensington Market considers a change

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See where hopefuls stand It’s a bit ironic that municipal elections attract the lowest voter turnouts. Ironic because decisions made at City Hall have a greater impact on your day-to-day life than those made in the legislature or in parliament. On any given day, Toronto City Council will consider garbage, snow removal, transit, zoning, parks…the […]

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Council cuts a concern By Ellie Hayden Local residents’ associations, business improvement areas, and community organizations are concerned that reducing Toronto City Council from 47 to 25 seats will wreak havoc with the business of the city in their neighbourhoods. “Clearly Ford is going to put his foot down wherever he feels like putting his […]

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Defending downtown democracy By Ellie Hayden “Shame!” Hundreds of people huddled shoulder to shoulder shouted the rallying cry at an emergency public meeting on August 13 at the Scadding Court Community Centre. The event was organized by Mike Layton (Ward 19, Trinity-Spadina) and Joe Cressy (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina) to protest Bill 5, The Better Local […]

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We believe that lost causes are the ones worth fighting for. A case in point is the City of Toronto’s battle against the premier’s Better Local Government Act, which cut Toronto City Council from 47 to 25 seats. It was a move that reinforced the provincial government’s wide-ranging powers over the city, powers that are […]

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Doug Ford announced his intention to cut Toronto City Council from 47 to 25 members last month. Coming when the municipal election had already begun, without notice or consultation, this move is a threat to our right to be represented equitably and effectively. While this bombshell seems to have taken everyone by surprise, it’s certainly […]

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Building a more livable and caring city By Joe Cressy It’s been four years since I was first elected to represent Trinity-Spadina on Toronto City Council. It has been both an exhilarating and, at times, exhausting experience. I’ve loved every minute of it. Our ward is a truly diverse and vibrant collection of neighbourhoods: the […]

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Ward boundaries redrawn By Geremy Bordonaro Joe Cressy has confirmed that he will be standing for re-election at the next municipal election. He’s just not sure which ward he’ll be running in, now that the Ontario Municipal Board has approved Toronto City Council’s decision to increase the number of wards from 44 to 47. This […]

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Committee votes in favour of Bloor Street bike lanes By Geremy Bordonaro It’s been a little over a year since bike lanes were installed on a trial basis on Bloor Street between University and Shaw avenues, and it’s looking more and more like they are here to stay. On October 19, Toronto City Council’s Public Works […]

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As the city struggles with a shortage of affordable rental housing, Toronto City Council’s executive committee has opened up a draft plan to register and license short-term rentals typically offered through Airbnb to public consultation. Anecdotal evidence suggests that Airbnb has tightened the rental market in Toronto, and that some areas, including Kensington Market, have […]

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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. […]

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Centre needs to address funding shortfall By Clarrie Feinstein The Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre (JCC) has resubmitted an application to erect a third party electronic advertising sign on the roof of its building at the southwest corner of Spadina Avenue and Bloor Street. In 2015, the City of Toronto’s Sign By-Law Unit refused the […]

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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. Home to the much loved Ten Editions bookstore, the building itself is considered a key piece of […]

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