Christie Pits to get new playground equipment

PHOTO BY GEREMY BORDONARO: Phase two of Christie Pits park’s revitalization continues as old playground equipment is removed from a fenced-in area. In the first phase, completed last fall, paths were replaced, lookouts were installed, and safety enhancements added.

By Geremy Bordonaro

The second phase of the Christie Pits renewal is set to begin. New playground equipment will be installed, the two basketball courts will be merged, and the park will be made more accessible. The work comes on the heels of the first phase — completed in the fall — during which paths were replaced and lookouts added, as well as elements enhancing the general safety of the park.

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“There’s a role to create more space in the park that is functional community space”—Jode Roberts, Friends of Christie Pits

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“We’ve taken a step towards making the park more enjoyable for everyone,” said Mike Layton (Ward 19, Trinity-Spadina).

Many of the improvements are the result of community consultation during which park staff canvassed local residents on how to improve the state of the park. Though not all recommendations could be implemented, Layton said he believes that people will be happy with how everything is progressing.

“Obviously we’re not doing everyone’s top pick,” explained the councillor. “We’re not doing all the work everyone wants to see, but we’re trying to make sure we get some important projects done.

“I think, overall, people are pleased to see that we’re fixing some of the well-used amenities.”

There are some people, however, who argue that more should be done to improve the park and its facilities.

“There wasn’t a lot of bells and whistles that come with a full renovation of a park,” said Jode Roberts, a member of the Friends of Christie Pits. “It was a modest amount quite frankly for a park that size and the majority of that was in paths and regrading and things like that.”

He said the community shouldn’t have to be consulted on major changes, if the sole aim of the work was simply to make repairs and address maintenance issues.

“We asked what the grander things were we could do for Christie Pits, like put in institutions like farmers’ markets or other such things. Things that have been invested in [at] other parks.”

But Layton responded that maintenance and repairs — despite how minor seeming — were absolutely necessary if Christie Pits were to remain useable.

“State of good repair was high on the list of what needed to be done,” Layton said. “Sadly, the city doesn’t budget on a regular basis enough money to really keep our parks in very good states of repair. We let pathways crumble more than they should. We let buildings degrade more than they should. Maybe we could be putting on coats of paint faster. We really looked to what we need to have fixed anyhow in the next five to 10 years and what we can do to improve the amenity while getting good value for our money.”

Yet Roberts suggests that there was an opportunity to expand the function of the space and to do some community building.

“There’s a role to create more space in the park that is functional community space,” Jode said. “But there’s also a need for more folks to step up, get energized, and help draw more of those groups into the park.”

He points to Dufferin Grove as an example of a dynamic park that Christie Pits should emulate.

“They’ve got community pizza night that you can count on every Friday, [and …] a lot of different events. They’ve really drawn in the community by having all these active events.”

While Roberts added that he hopes the renewed public interest in the park will spur future initiatives at Christie Pits, Layton said he is optimistic about the park now that there’s an end in sight for the revitalization. “I’m hoping that when the work gets done we can enjoy the park this summer.”

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Christie Pits renewal set to begin (July 2015) By Brian Burchell and Annemarie Brissenden

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAN HAMILTON/VANTAGE POINT STUDIOS: Toronto Maple Leafs baseball returned to Dominico Field at Christie Pits with a bang on May 8. First baseman Jon Waltenbury blasted one of the Leafs’ four home runs on opening day, powering the club to a 13 to 2 victory over the Guelph Royals. Next game is 2 p.m. on May 15 versus the Burlington Bandits. This summer, the Gleaner will feature a monthly Maple Leafs Baseball column by R.S. Konjek.

By Terri Chu

Having a kid is expensive, anybody can tell you that. What nobody told me though was how expensive raising a child can be when you try to stay low on environmental impact. Cloth diapers are a huge capital outlay and I’m not convinced they are used long enough to break even against disposables. Using a diapering service costs around $25 per week while disposables are about $0.30 each, which even at 10 per day comes in at $21.

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Using, and throwing out, one of these marvels of engineering is cheaper than buying and washing pieces of cloth.

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My mother often talks about my own childhood when she had to wash our cloth diapers, back before fancy Velcro diaper covers when safety pins reigned supreme.

“Disposable diapers were invented already but they were just too expensive. We were too poor for that,” she told me.

How is it that in a single generation, cloth diapers went from the burden of the poor to the luxury of the hipster rich parents?

Choosing products that are of low(er) environmental impact should not be an economically punitive decision. In the span of a single generation, manufacturing has become so automated, labour so cheap, and resources so disrespected that using things once and throwing them out has become cheaper than buying something that can be reused.

A diaper is nothing short of an engineering marvel.

Petrochemicals brilliantly absorb pee, synthetic materials whisk moisture away from the skin (key to preventing diaper rashes), and a wetness indicator tells us when it’s time for a change.

Using, and throwing out, one of these marvels of engineering is cheaper than buying and washing pieces of cloth.

If we are to get serious about meeting our environmental goals, we have to stop making low-impact purchasing decisions so economically punitive.

My apologies to the men reading this, but let’s take a look at some more numbers.

Everyone is familiar with tampons. Though the cost varies depending on where you buy them and in what quantities, a good average estimated unit cost is about $0.20 each.

You use these little cylinders of cotton once, after which you discard the plastic inserter along with its wrapper.

On the market is a slightly more environmentally friendly product called the Diva Cup that retails for $40.

Assuming that it replaces one heavy flow tampon per day, and an average four-day cycle, the Diva Cup pays for itself after four years.

This is all fine and dandy if not for the fact that the manufacturer recommends replacing the Diva Cup after a year.

For those who choose washable cloth diapers, an all-in-one diaper costs about $30.

Compared to a $0.30 disposable diaper, you would have to use the cloth diaper 100 times to break even (to say nothing of the labour and energy to wash it).

Owning enough diapers to do laundry once every three days means breaking even after 300 days. For anyone new to the world of infants, babies grow out of things after about three months, or 90 days, well before the diaper will break even on cost.

Is it really a wonder that cash-strapped parents and women choose single-use disposable products?

It is high time for a sin tax on single-use disposable items, whether these are diapers, tampons, or paper plates. If people want the luxury of being able to throw something out without washing it, it should be treated as that, a luxury.

While people are tightening their belts, it’s impossible to blame them for making decisions based on their wallets.

If we are to transition to a society that’s sustainable, we need good public policy that creates economic incentives for low-impact decisions.

Terri Chu is an engineer committed to practical environmentalism. This column is dedicated to helping the community reduce energy, and help distinguish environmental truths from myths.

READ MORE BY TERRI CHU:

Provide help or stand aside (April 2016)

Don’t fall prey to marketing (March 2016)

Reduce, reuse, then recycle (February 2016)

The power of labelling (January 2016)

Open Tuning festival returns to Seaton Village June 11

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KYM WATTS: Laneways, porches, and garages come alive with music during Seaton Village’s Open Tuning festival. Musicians of all ages, genres, and abilities are welcome to perform during this community celebration, which is modelled on La Fête de la Musique in Paris.

By Annemarie Brissenden

It’s only been six months since Samantha Wynter got her instrument, but she’s already playing her first music festival.

“I got a guitar this Christmas, and Amelia taught me how to play,” explains Wynter, who together with Amelia Murphy-Beaudoin will perform as Heart Sass in Seaton Village this June.

Now in its third year, Open Tuning is a daylong celebration of music that welcomes professionals and hobbyists of all ages to the myriad of makeshift stages on porches, in backyards, alleyways, garages, parks, and on street corners. Inspired by La Fête de la Musique in Paris, the festival opens with a parade in which children clang pots and sound noisemakers as they march through the neighbourhood to Vermont Square park.

“There’s a completely different tone to this festival,” says Ian Sinclair, a co-organizer of Open Tuning. “We get full-time musicians, some-time musicians. It doesn’t matter about age, genre, or skill: all are welcome to come play in the festival.”

“You go down some alley at Open Tuning, and there’s that guy that you know from the grocery store, and he is playing a wicked bass,” says Jennifer Hunter, president of the Seaton Village Residents’ Association, a strong supporter of the festival.

Sinclair anticipates that there will be approximately 90 acts performing from 15 official venues, and stresses the independent nature of the festival. Open Tuning is free of corporate sponsorship, volunteer run, and doesn’t cost a cent for the participants. The organizers treat all the performers, who are also volunteering their time, equally, no matter their background.

That grassroots community atmosphere is part of what attracts professional musicians, which in the past have included Jane Siberry, Charles Spearin, and Feist (both from Broken Social Scene) to participate in the festival.

“We had a little girl singing a song by Feist as around the corner Feist was performing,” recalls Sinclair.

For Tim Odacre, a co-organizer who runs a stage dedicated to younger performers on his front porch, it illustrates how the festival breaks down all kinds of barriers and “makes performing music not a strange thing”.

He says that while some kids are quite nervous — “a violinist stood up last year with two friends on either side” — most of the young performers “have quite a bit of fun with it”.

Also appearing on Odacre’s stage are student bands from the King Edward Jr. and Sr. Public School rock band club.

Music teacher Adam Platek says the festival gives the musicians aged 12 to 14 the experience of playing outside of a school function, as well as a little visibility in their neighbourhood.

Last year Platek led a very popular open ukulele jam in the afternoon.

“I loaded up my Honda Civic with all the school ukuleles,” laughs Platek. “I looked like such an oddball when I showed up.”

“It was such a hit; kids wanted their own instrument after that,” recalls Odacre.

Platek, who says he loves the community-driven nature of the festival, adds that “there is something special about playing outdoors; the whole neighbourhood just comes alive with music. You can’t not get absorbed into the good vibes.”

“It’s old school. It’s like playing fiddles in the kitchen,” says Derek Christie, a self-described semi-pro singer/songwriter. He used to live in the neighbourhood, and comes from Richmond Hill every year to perform. “It’s people of all ages getting together to play music.”

He emphasizes how valuable the festival is for the community.

“It’s connecting with neighbours through music,” which is one more way that Open Tuning breaks barriers: it brings together people who wouldn’t otherwise interact.

As Spearin notes, “sometimes you need an excuse to meet your neighbours, and music is a really great reason,” though he admits that “I like anything that celebrates local talent, arts, community, and the neighbourhood”.

His favourite aspect of the festival is “when the kids dance. There’s nothing more uplifting than that, and it makes them feel like there’s something alive in the city, that the city has a spirit of its own.”

It’s a sentiment that Christie shares.

He remembers how last year’s festival closed with musicians “just connecting and jamming while 200 people were crammed into a garage having the biggest dance party I’ve ever seen.”

Open Tuning returns to Seaton Village on Saturday, June 11. The organizers, who pay for the festival out of their own pockets, have created a crowd-funding page to help raise money to offset the costs.

Photo Courtesy Philip Desjardins

A canoeist portages across Bay Street on Davenport Road during last year’s Davenportage, an annual trek made by history buffs along Gete-Onigaming, an old Aboriginal trail that links the Humber and Don rivers. “Portage” by Philip Desjardins is one of 15 photographs that comprise Solitaire, curated by Becky Parsons for QSQ Giclee Boutique (845 College St.). This solo exhibition, which is part of the Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival 2016, explores translations of the 18th century card game through 15 photographs presented alongside captions that suggest a range of interpretations.

READ MORE: 

ARTS: Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival celebrates its 20th year (April 2016) by Annemarie Brissenden with files from Neiland Brissenden

ARTS: Discover Mirvish Village’s artistic diversity (April 2016) by Annemarie Brissenden

ARTS: Bringing art to the people (April 2016) by Annemarie Brissenden

Plan to transform underutilized space

[pullquote]“This is a major greening initiative for the neighbourhood”—Jonathan Da Silva, Bloor-Annex BIA[/pullquote]

By Annemarie Brissenden

Bloor Street West is about to get a whole lot greener, and it’s all thanks to the trees.

Currently confined to box planters, Bloor Street’s trees are suffering. The concrete boxes — sometimes known as tree coffins — prevent saplings from growing to maturity and obstruct pedestrians on an increasingly denser sidewalk.

Stuck in a constant cycle of replacing ailing trees, and recognizing that future development in the area will only make Bloor Street a whole lot busier, the Bloor-Annex BIA (whose chair also publishes this newspaper) has cultivated a plan that will grow a thriving urban canopy, provide the area with much-needed additional green space, make the sidewalk more pedestrian-friendly, and add bike parking.

“This is a progressive, wonderful initiative that highlights how BIAs in our part of the world have a vital role to play,” said Sue Dexter of the Harbord Village Residents’ Association (HVRA).

There are three components to the BIA’s plan: getting rid of Bloor Street’s 35 planter boxes and planting new trees in clusters on the north side of the street; increasing bike parking by adding corrals on side streets; and converting four disused rights-of-way into parkettes at Brunswick Avenue, Robert Street, Major Street, and Howland Avenue.

The work will be done in 2018, when the City of Toronto is scheduled to repave the street and do some sidewalk infrastructure work, which will minimize any disruption to the area. It is expected to cost between $1.5 and $2 million.

The BIA has been setting aside $100,000 per year and has approximately $350,000 already set aside for the project. It also expects to receive additional capital from the city’s public realm division, the forestry department, and matching funds from the city’s 50/50 cost share program. It may also seek Section 37 funding, and will borrow money should it prove necessary to make up any shortfall. Dtah, a firm known for its work on the Queen’s Quay revitalization, is developing the design of the project.

“In a period where a lot of exciting changes are happening, this is a major greening initiative for the neighbourhood,” said Jonathan Da Silva, the promotions committee chair of the Bloor-Annex BIA, who is also the communications director of the Hot Docs Festival. “We want to make the Annex more of a destination location.”

For Albert Koehl, vice chair of the Annex Residents’ Association, the proposal “underlines the fact that this is already a destination”.

“This initiative, the push for bike lanes, and [the push for] lower speed limits are all part of celebrating the neighbourhood for what it is,” said Koehl. “[The Annex] is not just a speck out of the corner of your eye when you pass by.”

Both Koehl and Dexter are particularly excited about the addition of the parkettes.

“Seniors need a place to rest, or parents with a baby stroller,” said Koehl.

“Someone walking along Bloor Street [will] have a sanctuary to sit and have a coffee under the shade of a tree,” added Dexter, who noted that the HVRA had coincidentally identified some of the sites for boulevard greening as part of the association’s greening plan.

Koehl said he is particularly impressed that the BIA plan uses underutilized and/or forgotten spaces.

“We have wasted a lot of space,” agreed Dexter. “It’s time to start reclaiming paved space.”

Da Silva explained that the BIA recognized that greening is a high priority for the residents’ associations, and that the plan will not only ensure a green canopy on Bloor Street, but add to the visual experience of the Annex.

The BIA’s plan includes green elements inside and out: permeable surfaces will retain storm water, seating will be carved from granite offcuts, all wood will be sustainably harvested, and indigenous flora and fauna will be used in the plantings. There will also be a water bottle refilling station at the Brunswick Avenue parkette.

“We are making a very Annex statement,” said Bloor-Annex BIA chair Brian Burchell of the proposal.

Da Silva said that the BIA is also looking for ways to recognize local history and emphasize the unique dynamism of the area.

Annex residents will get their first opportunity to review the Bloor-Annex BIA’s proposal at an April 18 open house from 4 to 8 p.m. at Markham House (610 Markham St.). The plan will be submitted to the city for review by January 2017, and if approved, work will begin in 2018.

READ MORE:

City seeking street greening opportunities: Harbord Village plan targets laneways, parkettes (February 2016) By Marielle Torrefranca

Pharmacy drugstore chain says it will respect building’s heritage

[pullquote]“This will be a relief to the neighbourhood”—Sue Dexter, HVRA[/pullquote]

By Annemarie Brissenden

After one last weekend-long blowout, the doors of the Brunswick House closed for good, leaving the neighbourhood eagerly anticipating the site’s next, presumably quieter and more agreeable, incarnation.

“Identifying a new tenant is good news,” said Joe Cressy (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina), after learning that Rexall, a pharmacy drugstore chain, will be taking over the first floor of the building at 481 Bloor St. W. The betting lounge on the upper floors will be moving out, and landlord Larry Sdao — who in mid March confirmed the agreement with Rexall — said the second and third floors will be available for lease.

“We are excited to be able to come into the Annex neighbourhood,” said Derek Tupling, director of communications and government relations for Rexall.

The Brunswick House has long been a flashpoint in the neighbourhood.

Local residents say the student dive bar — which was operated by Ottawa-based nightclub promoter Abbis Mahmoud through his Dreammind Entertainment Group since 2005 — was a blight on the area that was responsible for late night noise, drunken scuffles, and crime.

“This will be a relief to the neighbourhood, [and for those who] live in close proximity to Bloor Street,” said Sue Dexter of the Harbord Village Residents’ Association, who likened the site to Vesuvius, waiting to explode. “It was very hard for people on Brunswick Avenue to have a good experience in the summer.”

Cressy agreed.

“The Brunswick House was a problematic operator, not just for the local neighbourhood but for people coming into the neighbourhood.”

In November last year, Sdao announced that he would only renew Mahmoud’s lease on a month-to-month basis, and that he was actively seeking a new tenant. Boston Pizza explored opening a sports bar and restaurant in the space, but backed away after community members objected to the possibility of a patio and expressed concerns about whether the chain would mesh with the unique fabric of the street.

Dexter lauded Sdao for behaving responsibly with the options he had, and said the Rexall tenancy will guarantee the building for a very long time, as well as protect the neighbourhood.

“It wouldn’t be my first choice, a big corporate chain,” said Albert Koehl, vice chair of the Annex Residents’ Association, stressing he was speaking only for himself, and needed more time to process the announcement.

Although Cressy acknowledged that if the City of Toronto owned the building he could envision several different uses, he characterized “this [outcome as] a vast improvement on the other options”.

“Some people had that nostalgic connection to the Brunswick House,” conceded Dexter. “But it’s a big enough space; you have to have something reasonably big to afford it. It’s better to have a benign influence on the neighbourhood, and having the building restored is great.”

Tupling said Rexall is keenly aware of the community’s attachment to the building and that his company plans to reach out to local residents’ and business associations right from the outset.

“We are looking forward to becoming part of the community,” he said, noting that pharmacies are the face of healthcare in the community and provide quick access to high quality services.

Likening the Brunswick House location to the chain’s other urban outposts at Queen Street West and University Avenue; Church and Front streets; and College Street and Spadina Avenue, Tupling said Rexall was attracted to the site because it is in an urban community with high foot traffic.

He said Rexall wants to “create a flagship location that embraces the entire community”, and is doing something it has never done before: it is bringing in an expert to help build the site.

“Our intention is to respect and maintain as much of the building’s historical and architectural integrity as possible.”

Sdao said that is what sold him on Rexall.

“They have a genuine approach and want to respect the heritage, design, and what the building has been for a long time.”

Neither Sdao nor Tupling would speculate on when the store would be open for business; they both pointed out that renovations to the heritage building would take time.

“Rexall and I, we want to do it right,” explained Sdao. “These projects don’t happen overnight.”

“There’s some things in the building that have gotten long in the tooth, so to speak, and we want to look at opportunities to revitalize and incorporate those into the design of the store,” Tupling added.

“We want to make sure that when the doors open, everyone is as happy as much as possible with the result.”

A previous version of this article appeared on March 23, 2016.

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Brunswick on the block: Notorious bar on month-to-month lease (December 2015) by Annemarie Brissenden

City to break ground later this year

The City of Toronto’s Parks, Forestry and Recreation department is considering two layouts for the renewed Huron Street Playground. The first option (above) includes welcoming park entrances, a southest corner activated by destination play equipment, and the removal of the existing fence. In the second option (below), a perimeter path surrounding the play equipment will provide a circuit for racing or running. The existing fence will remain, complemented by the addition of new welcoming entrance options. Images courtesy of Forest and Field Landscape Architect and the City of Toronto.

By Annemarie Brissenden

Do you prefer a tetherball over a maypole? Would you scramble up a high ropy climber, or cling with glee to a lower rotating one? Would you rather sit on a log, dig through a sandbox, or watch the world go by from your perch on a bench?

These are the considerations at play as the City of Toronto’s Parks, Forestry and Recreation department refines the design plan for a revitalized Huron Street Playground at Huron Street and Lowther Avenue.

[pullquote]“It’s going to be a huge upgrade versus what we have now”—Brian Green, park supervisor, wards 19 and 20[/pullquote]

“It’s going to be a huge upgrade versus what we have now,” said Brian Green, the city’s parks supervisor for wards 19 and 20. “There’s going to be some challenge to this park, and by that I mean for the kids. There’s going to be some climbing equipment and stuff, not just let’s slide down the slide.”

At a community meeting on March 1, Katy Aminian of Parks, Forestry and Recreation presented two design options, which, for Joe Cressy (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina), reflect different “visions of how we want people to move through the park”. In the first option, linear paths cross the park, the existing fence would be removed, and activity would enliven the park’s corners, particularly in the southeast, which would feature destination play equipment. In the second option, a perimeter path would surround the circuit of play equipment, and the existing fence would remain.

The park will be designed for children aged eight to 12 — nearby Taddle Creek is aimed at younger children — and accessible in accordance with provisions in the province’s Disabilities Act.

One of the challenges of designing a playground for this age group, explained Michelle Lazara, a principal at project designer Forest and Field Landscape Architecture, is that the children aren’t always on the structures. Her colleague Matthew Sweig added that “the shade [in the park] is amazing and we want to maintain it”.

The designers also have to consider what’s around the park, said Green.

“In this instance, there are two huge apartment buildings near the park. I don’t think the surrounding neighbours necessarily want to see a lot of [the] musical instruments that we would put in other parks.”

Cressy is particularly excited that approximately $250,000 from the city’s Playground Enhancement Program has been secured for the revitalization, which is expected to begin in the fall and could take anywhere from six to eight weeks to complete. He also noted that students in a number of classes at Huron Street Junior Public School are contributing to the community consultation process by doing projects exploring what they would like to see in the final design.

It’s the kind of thing that Josh Fullan, who is on the board of the Annex Residents’ Association, believes engages people in the overall health of a neighbourhood’s assets.

“Around seven or eight years ago, grade nine and ten students at University of Toronto Schools adopted the park for a volunteer project. They raked leaves and put away garbage,” explained Fullan. “They also conducted a survey with nearby residents…and heard two things: that maintenance was a real issue and that there were no benches.”

Consequently, the students raised money and installed a bench, as well as planted some flowerbeds.

According to the Gleaner’s annual parks survey, maintenance has been an ongoing issue at the park. Reviews regularly note graffiti, the need for more seating, and out-dated play equipment. Another recurring issue is whether or not to include an off-leash area for dogs.

“I’d like a third of the park to be an off-leash area,” said Pawel, a local resident who regularly walks his dog there. “There are a lot of people who let their dogs out here.”

According to Green, “dogs are the biggest issue in all of our parks. [People use] closed areas to let their dogs go [off-leash], and go into a playground for instance. We can’t monitor all that, and that’s a concern. If we have dogs in the park we…want to separate the children from the dogs.”

Cressy explained that while funds have been secured specifically for playground improvement, he does recognize the desire of some community members to have designated off-leash areas (DOLA), and that the park is being designed in such a way that a DOLA could be added in the future.

“There’s not anything on the western edge, where that could be accommodated,” he said.

Cressy expects that the park’s final design will be ready for the community to review in the next month or two.

—with files from Michael Chachura

READ MORE:

Grading our Greenspace (July 2015)

The Annex Residents’ Association (ARA) has unveiled a new web application to track all the building developments in the areas on and north of Bloor Street.

Residents can use the program to help keep up to date on how many new building projects are in place, as well as add information about them. The web portal was developed due to the unprecedented number of new building projects facing the Annex. David Harrison, chair of the ARA, cites an increased pressure on the area from developers and a need to keep residents informed as the key inspiration for the new app.

He said he hopes that other associations across the city will adapt the program in order to give a bigger picture of the developments coming to different areas of Toronto. Members of the community can access the map, as well as get an update on the trees of the Annex through the association’s TreesPlease project, at www.theara.org.

—Geremy Bordonaro/Gleaner News

MPPs promote benefits of post-secondary education at Central Tech

“I ended up going to Carlton and it changed my whole life”—Michael Coteau (MPP, Don Valley East)

Han Dong (MPP, Trinity-Spadina) and Michael Coteau (MPP, Don Valley East), the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, recently spoke to senior students at Central Technical School about the proposed new Ontario Student Grant (OSG).

The MPPs emphasized the importance of attending university or college and how the new plan would help those from lower-income families access a post-secondary education.

Coteau told a story about how the smallest inspiration when he was growing up in Flemington Park changed the course of his life.

“There was this guy in my apartment building who kept bugging me and eventually he told me that he’d give me $50 if I applied to university,” he said ($50 was the cost of applying to university at the time). “I ended up going to Carlton and it changed my whole life…. It’s how I got into politics.”

Though times have changed since Coteau went to university, the provincial government has promoted the OSG as the “single largest modernization” of previous provincial education plans like the Ontario Student Assistance Program, because it gives a broader amount of coverage for low-income students.

If the 2016 budget is passed, the plan would do away with provincial debts for students from families with annual incomes under $50,000, and give grants of up to 50 per cent to students from families with incomes of $83,000 or less.

These grants will only cover what is considered the average tuition among students. The OSG will also provide help for full-time mature and married students no longer based on how long they’ve been out of high school. Students can expect to see the effects of the OSG starting in the 2017-18 school year.

—Geremy Bordonaro/Gleaner News

SIU clears officer of wrongdoing in police shooting

A Toronto police officer has been cleared of wrongdoing in last February’s shooting death of 49-year-old David Doucette on Spadina Road just south of Dupont Street. After a lengthy inquiry involving several investigators, two witness officers, and 17 civilian witnesses, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) concluded that there are no reasonable grounds to charge the police officer with a criminal offence.

Police were called to the scene of a rooming house on 140 Spadina Rd. where residents had reported that a man had been stabbed. The stabbing victim was on the front steps bleeding profusely when police arrived and they immediately administered first aid. The officers noticed another man (Doucette) on the sidewalk, holding a knife and walking towards them. The subject officer pulled the injured man behind him, drew his firearm, and told Doucette to stop and drop the knife. The officer warned that he would shoot Doucette if he continued to advance. Doucette neared to within three to five metres, and the subject officer fired once, felling him. A second officer then approached Doucette, kicked the knife away, and handcuffed him.

A pathologist confirmed that a gunshot wound to the neck was the cause of Doucette’s death.

According to the SIU, the officer called for another officer with a conducted energy weapon (taser), but there was not enough time for that option to arrive; the officer had briefly retreated but Doucette continued his advance. Given the violence that Doucette had apparently already perpetrated, the SIU viewed the subject officer’s actions as reasonable to protect himself, his partner, and the injured civilian under their care.

“Pursuant to section 34 of the Criminal Code, a person who uses force that would constitute an offence is shielded from criminal liability if the force was intended to repel a reasonably apprehended assault on one’s person or a third party, and was itself reasonable in the circumstances,” said Acting SIU Director Joseph Martino about the incident.

—Brian Burchell, Gleaner News

Supervised drug injection sites are on their way to Toronto if local councillor Joe Cressy (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina) gets his way. The rookie member of city council finds himself on many civic bodies, but at the Toronto Board of Health, he is the elected chair. Cressy announced the initiative in late March after the board directed the Medical Officer of Health to conduct community consultations for several supervised injection sites. This could lead to the federal government’s endorsement of the proposal; that is, making it legal for injection drug users to come into a controlled site with their own privately procured drug, get some guidance and a clean needle, and under the watchful supervision of a nurse, inject themselves.

[pullquote]“Cressy’s announcement exhibits courage, compassion, and an understanding of the merits of good public health policy.”[/pullquote]

This plan has been brewing at the board of health for some time, but Cressy’s announcement, as well as the unequivocal manner in which he delivered it, exhibits courage, compassion, and an understanding of the merits of good public health policy.

In Toronto, there was a 41 per cent increase in deaths related to drug overdose from 2004 to 2013, with 206 in 2013 alone. The existing statistics identify a rise in opioid-related deaths caused by overdoses of heroin, morphine, oxycodone, and fentanyl.

A rash of lethal overdoses from China White (heroin laced with fentanyl — one hundred times more potent than morphine and fifty times more potent than heroin on its own) is occurring in British Columbia and Alberta, and it’s a trend that is slowly migrating eastward. This past Easter weekend saw four fentanyl overdose deaths alone. Naxalone is an antidote to a fentanyl overdose, but the victim must be treated immediately, which is why nurses at injection sites are so important.

Unlike in Vancouver, which built sites specifically for safe injection, the City of Toronto proposes to locate safe injection sites within pre-existing harm reduction health facilities. The first facility of this nature opened in Sweden approximately 30 years ago, and there are now 90 such places operating globally. If approved, three Toronto agencies would join their ranks: the Toronto Public Health facility known as The Works on Victoria Street, the South Riverdale Community Centre, and the Queen West-Central Community Health Centre, which is just south of Queen Street West on Bathurst Street.

Supervised injection sites can not only prevent overdose deaths, but they also reduce the spread of infectious diseases relating to using dirty needles, reduce the number of discarded needles littered in public spaces, and give public health workers an opportunity to connect users with much needed health and social services.

It’s a sea change from the approach of the former federal government.

Under the leadership of Stephen Harper and then health minister Tony Clement, the government had tried to shut down the supervised injection site in Vancouver, but was stymied by the Supreme Court of Canada ruling stating that the federal government was in breach of provisions of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Undeterred, the government responded with the Respect for Communities Act, which mandated that cities meet a high standard — including broad local community support — before approving any future safe injection sites.

It was a signature passive-aggressive workaround. It effectively prevented the establishment of any additional safe injection sites, and downloaded the burden of compliance onto the municipalities.

What they didn’t expect was for municipalities to pursue the matter anyway.

Toronto will have to apply for a federal exemption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act before seeking approval from the new federal Minister of Health, but in doing so, it has shown that leadership on pressing health issues is possible, even at the municipal level.

The Conservative scheme has backfired.

Re “Crime down overall in 14 Division” (March 2016): Let me start off by saying I am a big fan of small newspapers catering to a local readership. I think it is the sign of a healthy democracy, whoever owns them, as long as they are fair. The Annex Gleaner is no exception.

It is with sorrow that I raise my keyboard to complain about your article.

The headline is wrong and the article missed the real story. Crime overall is up 4 per cent, at least if the percentage change figures are correct. I know about the quibble about significant crime, but it is just that, a quibble. Adding the plus figures and the minus figures together comes up with 4 per cent. Murder is flat, I agree, but theft of cars is significantly up, and of more interest to your readership than one druggie killing another.

The more significant story is in the bottom right hand corner of the table.

Shootings over the entire city are up 63 per cent!!! That is not a minor figure and is one that affects us all. Someone gets shot picking up their groceries with a stray bullet meant for some nearby rounder. It can happen, if it has not already. That is what your readers care about. Not being mislead into thinking crime overall in 14 Division is down.

That is the real story.

—Keith Lee-Whiting

Huron Street

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NEWS: Crime down overall in 14 Division (March 2016) by Brian Burchell