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.  Read more

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Many environmental initiatives getting the green light

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.  Read more

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New housing bills encourage sprawl and thwart democracy

By Jessica Bell

The Conservatives have introduced another housing bill and revamped the Provincial Policy Statement which sets planning rules for the province.  Here’s what you should know about the Conservatives’ latest moves.   Read more

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Club promises new features and new excitement for Leafs baseball

By R.S. Konjek

A new season of Toronto Maple Leafs baseball will soon get underway at Christie Pits.  Read more

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READ MORE:  Read more

• NEWS: Laneway suites taking hold (Mar. 2024)
• FORUM: Addressing a housing shortage (May/June 2023)
• NEWS: City green-lights garden suites (Spring 2022)

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How residential properties are evolving 

By James Bullanoff

A recent influx of laneway suites has hit the Annex area as homeowners explore alternative housing options for their properties.  Read more

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SEE MORE EDITORIAL CARTOONS:  Read more

• EDITORIAL CARTOON: How to drive in Toronto (Feb. 2024)
• EDITORIAL CARTON: “Someone’s getting rich!” (Dec. 2023)
• EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (Fall 2023)
• EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (Summer 2023)
• EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (May/June 2023)
• EDITORIAL CARTOON: How nice (April 2023)
• EDITORIAL CARTOON: Scale of badness (Mar. 2023)
• EDITORIAL CARTOON: Winter’s not as cold as these deals! (Feb. 2023)

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In the wake of Premier Doug Ford’s move to politicize the Ontario judiciary by only “appointing like-minded judges” whom he says will put more people in jail, three former chief justices have criticized  the move, saying that “judges do not take orders from government.”  Read more

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Budget, development planning, and safety, fill agenda

By Dianne Saxe

The 2024 budget is finally done. Thank you to the thousands of people in Ward 11 and across Toronto who participated in this year’s intensive consultations.   Read more

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Ford adds increased natural gas costs, and heath-care failures to the mix of misdeeds

By Jessica Bell

Premier Ford loves to say he’s getting stuff done. But who is Ford getting stuff done for, and how does it affect the rest of us? Here’s the latest roundup from Queen’s Park.  Read more

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As more people move in, more green space needs to be considered 

Spring is my favourite time to get outside and enjoy what park spaces this city has to offer. Sadly, there really isn’t that much of it. In the Annex, we have a few strips north of Bloor where homes were taken out for the subway, there’s Taddle Creek Park, and then there’s Jean Sibelius. It really is scant green space for the 14,000 people who call this area home. In case you haven’t noticed, the Mirvish Village development on the old Honest Ed’s lot is near completion, and it won’t be long before 1000s more call this area home, competing to use the green space that’s available. The little green space we have is also losing its beautiful canopy coverage.   Read more

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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.   Read more

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Monitoring now only occurs at point of purchase 

By Brian Burchell

Following the Annex Gleaner article that appeared in December 2023: “Receipt checks raise retail conflict,” the Shoppers Drug Mart on Bloor Street West at Walmer Road has ceased the practise of asking customers to show receipts after using the self-checkout.   Read more

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