This is the second instalment of Grading our Greenspace, The Annex Gleaner’s annual parks review. In this popular feature, we visit local parks and rate them on factors like amenities, cleanliness, and ambience.

To revisit part one, please see our website, www.gleanernews.ca.

Let us know what you think of our assessment by dropping us a line at gleanereditor@ gmail.com.

All reviews and photographs are by Justine Ricketts.

The grounds at Jean Sibelius Square are mostly shaded thanks to the tall lush trees overhead.

Joseph Burr Tyrrell Park

Brunswick Avenue, north of Bloor Street

Time: 12:45 p.m.

Grade: B (last year B-)

Reason to go: It is one of the bigger parks in this year’s review and is a safe play area for children due to its fencing at both entrances. It has a large paved area with lots of mature trees and lush greenery that provide shade in the hot sun. Sadly, the park only has one bench and so does not provide sufficient seating. There is a nicely sized playground with lots of sand, two slides, a swing set, and a climbing wall, but the playground equipment seems sparse and outdated. There is also a grassy area to the side of the playground where people can lie on the grass, and which makes for a great picnic spot.

Overheard: From a person picnicking in the grassy area of the park, “I missed your call? That’s weird.”

Fact: The park is named after Canadian geologist and cartographer Joseph Tyrrell. He discovered Albertosaurus dinosaur bones in Alberta near Drumheller in 1844. The town of Drumheller is often referred to as Dinosaur Valley because of the high concentration of fossils located in that area.

Sally Bird Park

194 Brunswick Ave.

Time: 12:30 p.m.

Grade: B (two years ago B+)

Reason to go: This quaint park is nestled between the homes on Brunswick Avenue and is largely shaded from the sun because of the tall maple trees overhead. It is the perfect place to take a break and cool off in the hot summer months. The lush greenery invites birds and squirrels to roam the area. It is also a scenic route through busy streets as it has a colourful mural on the wall of the park. There is even public exercise equipment and lots of seating.

Overheard: Squirrels scavenging for food.

Fact: The renovation of the former playground to an outdoor gym is part of the Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program, jointly funded by all three levels of government.

Margaret Fairley Park

100 Brunswick Ave.

Time: 12:10 p.m.

Grade: A (last year C)

Reason to go: It is situated in a well-maintained neighbourhood with a convenience store right across the street to quench your thirst and fill your stomach. The park is well-used and has a great atmosphere with log and stone slab benches, as well as a wading pool. There is ample seating provided by benches and four picnic tables located at the south end of the park, right under the trees. It is completely fenced and has lots of playground equipment including swings, slides, a climbing rope ladder, and a jungle gym. The play area also has various toys including plastic houses, building blocks, toy cars, and even shovels and buckets for the sandbox. The park has improved greatly maintenance-wise since last year’s review, which complained of cigarette butts and beer cans that littered the benches and ground.

Overheard: “Don’t you dare push me in the water!”

Fact: The park was named after Margaret Fairley, a Canadian writer, Oxford graduate, educator, and political activist.

Healey Willan Park is littered with toys from trucks to tricycles, so parents don’t need to bring their own.

Healey Willan Park

504 Euclid Ave.

Time: 1:10 p.m.

Grade: A (last year A)

Reason to go: The park is perfect for children as it is completely fenced and has ample seating. The brightly painted picnic tables are shaded under the trees while various benches surround the wading pool near the north end. There is a lush grassy area perched on a small hill for the best picnicking spot which also provides an excellent look-out for parents watching over their kids. The playground features various slides, swings, a basketball net, and a jungle gym.

Overheard: “So are we going to watch Minions or what?”

Fact: The park is named after long-lived Anglo-Canadian organist and composer Healey Willan. He is best known for his liturgical music, but he also composed more than 800 works including operas, symphonies, chamber music, and a concerto.

Hillcrest Park

950 Davenport Rd.

Time: 11:00 a.m.

Grade: A+ (last year A+)

Reason to go: This is one of the best parks seen in this year’s review. It is located just off Davenport Road and is an all-rounder that features a large wading pool, a lush community garden, a well-maintained tennis court, basketball court, baseball field, and a huge open space big enough for field games. There is even a public washroom that was surprisingly clean (rare for a public park). Ample seating is provided by benches scattered around the area and picnic tables under the trees, and the play area is equipped with all playground necessities including slides, swings, and a jungle gym. The park also features an enclosed off-leash dog park with a doggie fountain and plastic bags available. Sadly the park is unforgiving to anyone on wheels because it is located on top of a steep hill.

Overheard: From a person playing on the tennis court: “Even though my game is off today, you still can’t beat me! Sucks for you.”

Fact: Hillcrest Park’s wading pool is open Monday to Saturday from 12 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Sundays from 11:30 a.m to 5 p.m.

Sgt. Ryan Russell Parkette

250 Avenue Rd.

Time: 10:50 a.m.

Grade: C (last year C)

Reason to go: Located near a major intersection, the park is a far cry from being peaceful. However, the grass is lush and the trees provide well-needed shade during the hot summer months. There is only one bench, which does not provide adequate seating. There are no fenced areas and the park is near a busy street and because of this it is not ideal for dogs.

Overheard: Cicadas after 17 years underground.

Fact: The park is named in honour of Sgt. Ryan Russell who died in the line of duty only a few blocks away after being hit by a stolen snowplow.

Bickford Park

468 Grace St.

Time: 12:45 p.m.

Grade: A (two years ago A)

Reason to go: It is a very spacious park with a huge soccer field and baseball field open to the public. The grass is well-maintained, tall trees line the sides of the park, and ample seating is provided by the picnic tables in the area. It is an off-leash zone, so is a great place to for dogs to play and romp around. There are even plastic bags available.

Overheard: Said by dog owner, “Come here boy! Come here!”

Fact: Bickford Park is right on the intersection of Harbord and Grace streets. It is less than five minutes away from Koreatown.

The graffiti behind the outdoor Alex Duff Memorial Pool at Christie Pits Park provides some colour to an otherwise bleak wall.

Christie Pits Park

750 Bloor St. W.

Time: 12:30 p.m.

Grade: A+ (two years ago A)

Reason to go: This 8.9-hectare park caters to everyone’s needs. It is located right beside Koreatown and is a large area with soccer fields, basketball courts, volleyball courts, and baseball fields that the Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball Club calls home. At the northeast corner of the park there is an artificial ice skating rink as well as the outdoor Alex Duff Memorial Pool. The park features a beautifully designed wading pool that is usually very busy in the summer months, and there is also an unofficial sunbathing area on its grassy hills. Right beside the wading pool is Christie Pits playground. The area is packed with playground equipment from swirly slides to brightly coloured spring riders.

Overheard: “Look Mommy! I’m rolling down the hill!”

Fact: Set to get a facelift (see www.gleanernews.ca) that will improve safety and add community enhancements, the park is named after the Christie Sand Pits, which used to be located where the park is now.

Bloor-Bedford Parkette

248 Bloor St. W.

Time: 11:20 a.m.

Grade: B+ (two years ago C)

Reason to go: It is a nice park with a great atmosphere. Most of the benches are arranged in a semi-circle facing a fenced parking lot while the rest of the seating faces busy Bloor Street. There are shaded areas to hide away from the hot sun and, while the park is just off a major street, it is surprisingly clean.

Overheard: “Do you want to check if we can still buy tickets for PanAm?”

Fact: St. George subway station is situated right behind the park, which marks a great spot to rest and brace oneself for the rush of the subway ride below.

Euclid Parkette is a small green space behind Bloor Street West in Koreatown.

Euclid Parkette

711 Euclid Ave.

Time: 9:50 a.m.

Grade: D- (last year C)

Reason to go: This park doesn’t have much going for it. Located right behind a KFC, it often smells like fried chicken. The area is quite small, which wouldn’t be a bad thing if not for the poor maintenance. The dirt path is littered with wrappers, drink cans, and cigarette butts. There are flies everywhere, as well as a putrid smell coming from the garbage receptacle nearby. The low trees in the park do a good job of blocking out harsh UV rays, and it seems be a good hangout spot for smokers as many were seen on the day of this review.

Overheard: “I love Korean food, it’s just that some things are too spicy.”

Jean Sibelius Square

50 Kendal Ave.

Time: 11:45 a.m.

Grade: A (two years ago A)

Reason to go: The park provides plenty of shade and lots of room for kids to play. There are multiple picnic tables and the grass, which is free of garbage, is a perfect picnic location. The public washroom is clean. The Sibelius Square play zone offers a variety of playground equipment including swings, a rock climbing wall, and a modern jungle gym. It also has a separate area with smaller equipment for younger children.

Overheard: “Si vous voulez manger, allez vous asseoir à la table” (If you want to eat, go sit at the table).

Fact: The park is named after Jean Sibelius, a Finnish violinist and composer of the late-Romantic and early-modern periods.

Ed and Anne Mirvish Parkette

Bathurst and Bloor streets, in front of Bathurst Station

Time: 12:05 p.m.

Grade: C (two years ago C+)

Reason to go: This is a small patch of greenspace in a concrete oriented area. It is clean and well-maintained but, unfortunately, it is in an awkward location. Right in front of Bathurst station and off Bathurst Street, the parkette is always noisy with the sounds of rushing commuters, cars, and streetcars driving by. The area is not fenced off from the street, which may cause trouble for parents with young children. There is also insufficient seating as there is only one bench.

Overheard: “Can I sit here?”

Fact: The park is named in memory of Ed and Anne Mirvish and their contribution to Canadian business and theatre.

A platform comparison with an environmental yardstick

The federal riding lines have been redrawn for this election and we are no longer in the old riding of Trinity-Spadina. Instead, the Annex is now situated in the riding of University-Rosedale and we have several strong contenders to be our member of parliament.

Current MP for Toronto Centre, Chrystia Freeland, is running here for the Liberals. She has strong foreign affairs and economic credentials. Jennifer Hollett for the NDP has strong journalism credentials and is a noted advocate for girls and human rights. Nick Wright, running for the Greens, is an environmental lawyer while Karim Jivraj, running for the CPC, has a background in corporate law.

Since the power and influence of individual MPs has been muted over the years, one must look to the national party to get a sense of what might or might not be accomplished on the environmental front (or on any front for that matter). When it comes to government action on the environment, I’m used to being disappointed. Since Stephane Dion got knifed in the front (and the back) for daring to put forth a bold environmental policy, it’s been a political rail. The environment is all but a dead issue federally for all parties with the exception of the Green Party, which has little hope of forming a government. I still want a sense of what the parties might do environmentally. I took an early look at the various party websites (full platforms aren’t out yet) to see who has the greenest.

The Liberals have some loose promises on carbon tax, freshwater protection, and clean tech investment. At this stage, details are scant. There is a promise to work with the provinces to establish a carbon reduction framework. With Canada’s biggest polluting province having recently elected a progressive government, a Canada-wide agenda on carbon reduction might actually have legs this time around. Justin Trudeau has already voiced his support for the Keystone pipeline. While I don’t like the idea in general, it’s better than having oil transported by rail.

The NDP says it will kick-start renewable energy production and “make polluters pay”, but there are not enough details to make much of an analysis, and I would like to see a plan to make consumers pay as well. Without a plan to hit consumers in the wallet, there isn’t enough of an incentive to actually reduce consumption. While it is sympathetic to financial constraints, making polluting equally cheap for the rich and poor will likely not produce the results we are looking for. There are other ways to help out financially constrained families while making carbon intensive purchases pricey.

By virtue of hardly registering with voters, the Greens are forced to create a more comprehensive platform. There is a promise to price carbon through a fee and dividend system (details of which elude me) that promises encouragement of private sector investment in clean tech. Perhaps most exciting to me is the promise to establish a green venture capital fund on the federal level. Canada has been accused of being squeamish on high risk investing, and having a federally supported clean tech fund is something I would love to see happen. Having strong management of the fund, though, is harder than we might expect. There is a promise to ensure no new coal-fired electricity generating stations (given Ontario is already off coal, this might not mean much) and the acceleration of green infrastructure projects. Perhaps the biggest promise that might actually have an impact is the promise to invest in rail infrastructure, as rail is one of the most efficient ways to transport both goods and people. A promise to invest in city infrastructure that includes pedestrians, cycling, and car sharing will do a lot to reduce emissions in urban areas.

The CPC website has no information of any kind on environmental policy for me to analyze whatsoever (or any other kind of policy). In fact, its website features a cartoonish knockoff of the Netflix logo emblazoned with “Tax Hike”. This childish mockery of democracy deserves little mention, so I will stop there. I don’t care for my political leaders to run on “the other guys suck more than I do”.

In terms of policy, I am most impressed with the Green Party’s environmental platform. However, there is more than just the environment to consider when electing our next government. The Greens are also unlikely to form a government and a divided vote does risk re-electing the party most committed to abolishing any sort of environmental protection should we run out of resources.

Neither the NDP nor the Liberals have environmental policies that are well-defined enough to really get excited about yet, but I really do hope the Greens make enough of an impact this election that other parties will start adopting their policies as the campaign continues.

Remember, whomever you decide to vote for, it’s important to get out and vote.

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

Send questions, comments, and ideas for future columns to Terri at terri.chu@whyshouldicare.ca.

Farmers’ market produce attracts shoppers from near and far

“You have to touch and smell the goods to appreciate them,” says Doug Eiche, beekeeper and honey farmer, pictured above at the Bloor-Borden Farmers’ Market.

By Axile Gerona

The Bloor-Borden Farmers’ Market has returned to the Annex for an eighth season. It provides a complete sensory experience, for shoppers enjoy the vibrant colours and textures of produce as they enjoy music performed by a different musician each week.

“The music has to be the best part of the market,” laughs Murray Powell, one of the guest musicians. “But, in all seriousness, getting to catch up with your own neighbours, as well as meeting foreign or new visitors in the market, is definitely the most thrilling and fun thing to do while at the market.”

“One of the greatest things about living in the Annex is this farmers’ market,” says Judy Keeler, a frequent shopper and visitor at the Bloor-Borden Farmers’ Market. “It’s a very close-knit community and the market presents a good opportunity to sample Ontario’s best produce.”

This year, it has more farmers selling the freshest of vegetables, more choices of prepared food, and more children’s kiosks. Still located in the Green P parking lot at Lippincott and Borden streets, this year’s market features 17 farmers, including familiar vendors like Sun-Ray Orchards and Willo’wind Farm, as well as two new prepared-food vendors who sell pizza and barbecued chicken ribs. New this year is Rancourt Winery, which allows locals to sample the best of Ontario’s wines.

“The market has also added a children’s activity area to provide entertainment to kids, and…even has a masseuse ready with a massage chair,” remarks Helen Goldlist, who chairs the Bloor-Borden Farmers’ Market Advisory Committee.

The offerings attract young and old alike.

Children from a neighbouring summer camp, drawn to the fragrant scent of beeswax candles sold by honey farmer Doug Eiche, ask permission to compose a song mentioning his eponymous honey.

“You have to touch and smell the goods to appreciate them,” says Eiche, who gladly acquiesces to their request. He’s a beekeeper who carefully locates his hives, so that his bees are free of any chemical pollutants.

It’s the type of product that the Bloor-Borden Farmers’ Market prides itself on sourcing. A “MyMarket”, which verifies that local markets feature “real farmers, selling what they grow”, the market is run by dedicated volunteers and is supported by four residents’ associations from the Annex, Huron-Sussex, Spadina-Huron, and Harbord Village.

Joe Santos says the market allows local residents to get more and more excited and participate in events that allow the community to work together towards showcasing the neighbourhood’s best products. He is one of the market’s volunteers who gives one day every week to watch over the market and to cater to any of the vendors’ or the shoppers’ needs.

The market highlights the neighbourly and energetic atmosphere in the Annex as it comes together in this lively gathering.

The Bloor-Borden Farmers’ Market runs in the summer and fall every Wednesday from 3 to 7 p.m., rain or shine. Vendors start selling at 2 p.m. For further information about verified farmers’ markets, please visit www.my market.ca.

Local CPC candidates hope to rehabilitate political brand

By Annemarie Brissenden

The local Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) candidates are hoping to convince Annex residents that their political brand is not at odds with downtown in the upcoming federal election.

“There’s a widespread misconception that conservatives can’t live here,” says Karim Jivraj, the CPC candidate for the new riding of University-Rosedale, who has lived at Bloor and Bathurst streets since January. A self-described “free-thinker who happens to think my values are more aligned with the CPC”, he decided to run after becoming “increasingly concerned about the direction of the country”.

Sabrina Zuniga, who is the CPC candidate for Spadina-Fort York, agrees.

“I live here. This is where I have always lived,” says Zuniga. “I really enjoy the vibrancy, energy, and lifestyle that is found in the downtown core.”

She got into politics because “I love to help people. I had gotten involved in schools, community organizations, and I want to continue to help people, in a very local way. That’s why I got into politics.”

It’s driven her to mount her second campaign in as many years. The former biology and chemistry high school teacher ran for Toronto School Board Trustee in the last municipal election, losing to Ausma Malik. But if anything, that experience has buoyed her outlook for her federal campaign.

“It’s always a difficult route when you decide to put yourself forward; everyone I know wanted to help out with the mayor’s race,” she explains. “But I was energized by the engagement I got from knocking on doors. It energized me to say I can do this.”

Zuniga may have a tough road ahead of her. She’s running against Adam Vaughan, who is currently the member of Parliament for Trinity-Spadina, and rumours abound that Olivia Chow is considering a run on behalf of the New Democratic Party.

The CPC candidate, however, maintains she’s not letting that sway her, saying, “I focus on my race. I don’t focus on the competition.”

Jivraj, on the other hand, is facing a very different landscape in University-Rosedale. At 28 years old, he is a newcomer to politics having been involved previously only on the very local level, even though he’s “always wanted to run. Politics has always been at the back of my mind.”

While he acknowledges the competition is stiff – “we have three strong candidates” – he points out that “the race is wide open. You don’t have an established candidate with name recognition.”

Jivraj has been pleasantly surprised with what he’s encountered while knocking on doors, particularly at small businesses, in the area. “I’m surprised by the number of people who are apolitical, but very receptive to things that have been introduced” by the Harper government, he says, pointing to pro-business initiatives like a reduced tax burden.

Both Jivraj and Zuniga are aware of the unique infrastructure challenges faced by a city like Toronto, and are keen to get to work on fixing those.

“Let’s stop giving up on Toronto,” says Jivraj. “I care about the TTC, because I was taking the bus when I was 10 years old.”

Zuniga points out that since “all the condos went up, streetcars on Queen and King [streets] are bursting”, and says that the Harper government’s mid-June $2.6-billion commitment for SmartTrack funding will go a long way towards allaying some of the city’s transit woes.

She says a major part of her platform is championing research and innovation, which is “near and dear to me because of my background in science” and also a major economic driver in the area.

Jivraj also addresses another major issue in University-Rosedale riding: safe railways.

“I think there is a very real concern about this issue,” he says. “Lac-Mégantic is on our minds. But what actually seems to have occurred is that people broke the rules.”

He highlighted the steps he says the Harper government has taken since the Lac-Mégantic tragedy to increase rail safety across Canada: increasing rail inspectors by 10 per cent, increasing dangerous goods inspectors by 85 per cent, and increasing fines for companies in breach of the Rail Safety Act from $200,000 to $1 million.

For her part, dodging commenting on her stance on the island airport – “people generally have their minds made up” – Zuniga says she loves the lake, and goes down there as often as she can.

“Representing this riding gives me a great excuse to spend all summer by the lake, and I just love that.”

Subsequent to the completion of this article, Olivia Chow announced she will accept the NDP Nomination for Spadina-Fort York. We will follow up in a future issue.

Once the largest school of its kind in the British Empire

Central Technical School has been known for its unique training programs throughout its history. Above, students in 1948 take a watchmaking class, the only one of its kind in Canada.
Photo courtesy CTSAA

By Annemarie Brissenden

Central Technical School, or “Tech” as it is known to staff, students, and alumni, has always played a unique role in Toronto’s public education system. When then-prime minister Robert Borden laid its cornerstone on Sept. 3, 1913, Tech was well on its way to becoming the largest technical educational institution in the British Empire.

Paid for solely by the citizens of Toronto, whose elected officials recognized that a modern city in an industrial age needed skilled labour to be successful, the school has prepared generations of students for careers in everything from visual arts to sports to skilled trades.

Now, a little over a century later, Tech’s alumni are not only preparing to celebrate that legacy, but are also raising money to ensure that it lasts well into the future.

“It is not just meeting someone you haven’t seen in 25 years, it is about getting in touch with school spirit and pride,” said Christine Ecclestone-McCurray, president of the Central Technical School Alumni Association (CTSAA). “It’s about bringing the graduates back so we can pay it forward.”

As George Homatidis, chair of the CTSAA’s 100th anniversary committee, explained, “the aim is for the alumni to start doing something for the school after the event: set up scholarships, bursaries.”

Homatidis, who graduated in 1966, was a student at the school during its 50th anniversary, and has fond memories of his time there. He also speaks highly of the education he received.

“I went to engineering at [the University of Toronto], and some of the equipment we had in our chem lab [at Tech] was comparable to or better than [what we had] at U of T,” he said.

Ecclestone-McCurray, who was a student at the school from 1987 to 1989, said that “graphic design and the things I learned [at Tech] helped with the discipline and art of design that you need in interior design”, her current profession.

The school’s connection to the art world goes back decades. Lawren Harris, a member of the Group of Seven, attended the school, and even came back to teach there. Ecclestone-McCurray’s grandmother was one of his lucky students, and was also taught by Arthur Lismer.

“Central Tech has a fantastic art program that is equivalent to an [Ontario College of Art and Design] experience,” explained the CTSAA president.

She described the school as a “respectful space”, where students always exhibited a “very helpful spirit”, something that, to her mind, remains the same.

“We were like that when I was there, and it is nice to see that that has not changed,” Ecclestone-McCurray said.

“You have a great support system at the school,” explained Helen Zhou, former student council president, who completed Grade 12 in June. “You never have to be afraid of crashing and burning.”

“It was just such a wonderfully supportive place,” said retired teacher Ellen Michelson. She taught a variety of subjects during her nearly 15-year tenure at the school, but for her, a critical part of the curriculum was helping students realize that they had the capacity to achieve great things.

“The first step was to lure them into showing up,” she said. “Some of these students have a history of failure; I had to show them that they could succeed.”

Michelson, who “loved teaching at Tech”, developed a rapport with her students.

“I had a bunch of skateboarders and would yell out the window when it was time for them to come in for English class,” she remembered fondly. “The kids were such an interesting bunch, and most were wonderfully motivated, because they had made the choice to be there.”

“Being at Tech allowed us to craft our own experience,” said Zhou. “With so many courses…at a school like this you choose your own path.”

Such diversity becomes apparent when one makes a cursory review of notable alumni: there are the expected football players and athletes like Olympic decathlete Michael Smith and boxer George Chuvalo, as well as artists Doris McCarthy, Lawren Harris, and Bruno Bobak, but there are also physicist Leon Katz, producer Sidney Newman, and political cartoonist Terry Mosher.

“One hundred is a big number,” noted Zhou. “A school like Tech being 100 is really a testament to how diverse and great the school is.”

Ecclestone-McCurray hopes the community will reconnect with that spirit during the festivities. She wants to remind people of “the fantastic education their children can get at Tech. The level of education gives these kids a chance to be very good professionals.”

After all, said Homatidis, “the school itself is really an institution.”

Central Technical School will celebrate its 100th anniversary with an open house and several events over the Oct. 16 weekend. For further information, or to make a donation, please visit www.ctsalumni.com.

Courtesy Chloe Sayer, Royal Ontario Museum

The Royal Ontario Museum’s ¡Viva México! Clothing & Culture tracks the evolution of Mexican fashion. In a country like Mexico, where the textile arts reach back over centuries, fashion reflects history.

After the Spanish Conquest of 1521, for example, European styles influenced the distinctive clothing of the Mayan, Aztec, and other great civilizations. Frida Kahlo, born just before the Mexican revolution, was often seen in traditional Tehuana dress, as depicted at right.

Contemporary Mexican textiles, meanwhile, owe their vitality to the fusion of traditions.

The exhibit, a collaboration with PANAMANIA presented by CIBC, the arts and cultural festival of Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Games, runs until May 2016.

For further information, please visit www.rom.on.ca/ en/exhibitions-galleries/exhibit ions/viva-mexico-clothing- and-culture.

—Brian Burchell

On May 2, near midnight, the Toronto Police Service received a call about a man wearing a Spiderman mask assaulting a boy near Augusta Avenue and Dundas Street. While wearing the superhero mask, 27-year-old Ashton Gray is alleged to have attacked a 16-year-old boy with a skateboard. It is reported to have been an unprovoked attack. The boy sustained serious injuries in the Kensington Market area incident.

Gray was apprehended on June 22 and charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon. He is also facing charges on outstanding matters separate from this case, including failure to comply with probation and failure to comply with recognizance.

Gray was scheduled to appear in court on July 2 at Old City Hall, but he refused to leave his jail cell for reasons unknown and so the date was moved to July 15. The purpose of the court proceeding was to give the accused and his lawyer disclosure for his case, which includes the evidence the Crown and police have to prosecute a case, namely witness statements and notes from police officers involved.

On July 15 the accused appeared in court via video. Gray was uncooperative during the proceedings, shouting and using profanity.

The judge ordered him to be remanded into custody pending a pre-trial proceeding, the date of which has not been set.

—Justine Ricketts

Lucky to have top professional in Canada, says producer

The Postman costume designer and PARA board member Kei Yano poses on Palmerston Boulevard with a borrowed production prop. Photo by Neiland Brissenden, Gleaner News

By Annemarie Brissenden

It all happened somewhat by accident.

When Kei Yano attended a meeting about a play that dramaturge David Ferry wanted to stage in the neighbourhood, it wasn’t with the intent of landing a contract.

She was there to represent the Palmerston Area Residents’ Association (PARA), where she sits on the board, and talk about logistics. But Ferry, a veteran Toronto actor, recognized the semi-retired costume designer and immediately asked her if she would consider doing The Postman.

“With a production of this budget we would normally have had to hire a talented rookie designer. Instead we have a consummate professional with an awesome skill set,” says Ferry, who worked with Yano on a variety of television sets in the 1980s and 1990s. “Having Kei on this production is to have one of the top professional costume designers in Canada.”

Yano says that from the outset she was intrigued by the production, which tells the story of Albert Jackson, Canada’s first Black postman, and is performed from porches on a series of streets in Harbord Village and the Palmerston Avenue area.

“I like the idea of doing it on the street,” she relates. “It’s intriguing, [and] gives so much more authenticity to the project.”

Dressing 17 actors with interchangeable roles for a site-specific production comes with a whole set of unusual challenges, like planning for weather and making sure the performers can move easily from porch to porch.

It’s also not linear, and while “the actors [each] have to wear one costume,” she picked certain things to identify each character.

Sugith Varughese, at front in bow tie, performs as Councillor Earwax in The Postman on Palmerston Boulevard. Photo by Neiland Brissenden, Gleaner News

Sugith Varughese, who plays several key characters in the show, wears an outlandish bow tie as Councillor Earwax and then a turban as Professor Cumraswamy. In between scenes, the performers – who “have to take care of a lot of the stuff themselves” – store their props in a large mailbag that’s slung over their shoulders throughout the show.

Yano faced another challenge as well. A grassroots production does not have a large budget for costumes, so a designer has to be innovative and resourceful in her approach.

“You beg, borrow, and steal,” laughs Yano. “You have to be able to use stuff that you can get readily now.”

She does a lot of research, which she admits is one of her favourite aspects of costume design, but “part of it is saying, this is what [people wore then], and then everyone thinks it is”.

“I have found a lot of things in life are problem-solving,” says the “Annex kid” who has lived in the neighbourhood since she was three years old, attending high school at Harbord Collegiate Institute before heading off to York and Ryerson universities. She fell into costume design shortly thereafter, getting a job sewing costumes for Rudolph Nureyev’s production of Sleeping Beauty for the National Ballet of Canada. Then, “one thing led to another”.

Her 40 years in costume design included work at SCTV, E.N.G., and Littlest Hobo. “I did Littlest Hobo every summer for five years,” she says. “It was like going to summer camp; it was so much fun.” Yano also worked on Due South with Paul Gross, whom she describes as “so smart, such a bright guy”.

And attractive, she remembers. “My assistant couldn’t be in the same room and make a whole sentence.” These days, when she’s not designing costumes, she’s taking courses at Central Technical School, learning keyboard, gardening, welding, and plumbing. “I just wanted to know how things work,” she says. “It’s so much easier to handle plumbing now. I got a new fridge and figured out how to hook it up myself.”

Yano also organizes the Planet Palmerston, the street’s annual yard sale that raises money for Habitat for Humanity. “A nicer person you will not find,” says Ferry. “Our work is immeasurably enriched by having Kei with us.” For Yano, who didn’t quite anticipate having to dress so many actors, The Postman experience has been a pleasure.

“These guys are so talented,” she says. “The neighbourhood is really excited about [the production].”

The thought of bicycling down a highway is a frightening prospect. It is dangerous, and that is why it is prohibited. Bloor Street is technically a highway too, King’s Highway No. 5 to be exact, named in 1925 for King George V. Those high hydro poles whose lights appear only to serve to illuminate third floor apartments are a requirement for “highways” such as Bloor Street. The Bloor Annex BIA (whose chair publishes this newspaper) attached decorative lights to the poles to bring some brightness down to the street. Introducing bike lanes on Bloor Street would be another step to share this roadway more equitably and more safely with the automobile.

The advocacy group Cycle Toronto, together with five residents’ associations (Seaton, Harbord Village, Annex, Palmerston, and Huron), have initiated an on-line campaign to get the city to follow through with its much mused-about plan to introduce pilot bike lanes to Bloor, presently intended for 2016. At press time, 1,615 people have signed the petition at BloorLovesBikes.ca. The Bloor Annex BIA is supporting a baseline “before and during” study of the impact of the pilot on its members. The assumption is that more bikes will bring more customers needs to be tested.

Bloor Street can be a hazardous place for cyclists, so much so that many choose alternative routes. And given the narrowness of the street, the question of getting doored is not if it will happen, but when. The odds are presently against the relatively vulnerable cyclist who dares to occupy that no man’s land between the parked car and the automobile travel lane.

It’s presently a hazardous roadway for pedestrians too, especially at rush hour. In both the morning and afternoon rush parking is prohibited in the curb lane. When there are two car-driving lanes, the left one is inevitably stop-and-go as the cars wait for those to complete left turns onto side streets. This makes the curb lane the passing lane and many cars see it as an opportunity to get ahead of the pack. This puts speeding cars and an overflowing sidewalk of pedestrians in too close for comfort proximity.

It is a misconception that all those cars that transit Bloor Street through the Annex are shoppers just looking for a place to park, so they can stop and buy something. They are just using it as a, well, a highway. According to a 2008 survey of 61 Annex area shops, restaurants, and 538 patrons, only 10 per cent of customers drove to the Bloor Annex neighbourhoods. Merchants’ perception was that 25 per cent of their customers got there by car. The survey, conducted by the Clean Air Partnership, also reported that there were 168 paid on-street parking spots (between Bathurst Street and Spadina Road) and 267 paid spaces in the off-street Green P lots. In addition, side streets offered a mixed bag of opportunities for free parking, where typically one hour is permitted during the day. These side street spaces were not counted in the survey. Of the paid spaces, even during peak periods, only 80 per cent were occupied, meaning at peak the Annex area had 86 vacant paid spaces. Eliminating parking on one side of the street would eliminate approximately 84 spots. That’s right, the Green Ps alone have the capacity to accommodate the lost spots on Bloor.

If the design simply removes parking from one side of the street, enough road width would be liberated for two bike lanes, one on the north side and one on the south. For the businesses on the side of the street where parking is removed, their customers will not be right on the curb of their shopping destination, but on the plus side the sightlines of the retail facade for those businesses will no longer be obstructed by a row of parked cars.

Bike parking will be key. This is a build it and they will come scenario, but we must be ready to accommodate them. Currently, the Annex is near the limit at peak times of being able to lock a bike, and the sidewalk can’t accommodate many more rings. Concentrated bike racks will need to be installed on side streets and public rights-of-way.

Toronto’s cyclists need a safe east-west bike route. It’s time we take some ownership of the highway to accommodate the bike. It’s really a village not a freeway. The Annex will become even more of a destination and we will all reap the benefits.

Build stronger cities

By Adam Vaughan

When it comes time to vote in October’s federal election, will this city try to make a point, or will Toronto residents make a difference? It’s an important question.

Recent elections and modern politics are increasingly reduced to ballot questions. The public debate is degraded by attack ads and propaganda masquerading as information. These messages are doing as much damage to our democratic process as policies that are not much more complex than bumper sticker slogans. Nowhere is this clearer than on the topic of public safety.

The world is a dangerous place, but that doesn’t mean Toronto can’t be safe. Much of the debate this year has been about international terrorism and Canada’s response, all the while important public safety issues are ignored. Rail safety, handguns, and the root causes behind the disappearance and deaths of close to 1,200 indigenous women all constitute threats to the safety and lives of Torontonians. We need a reality check.

Too many young people in Toronto are at risk. Instead of focusing on what new theoretical powers CSIS may or may not have, the focus should be on what we are doing to stop young people from falling between the cracks and ending up in jail instead of school. There are no letter-writing campaigns and clever tweets that are going to solve this problem. A government focused on building strong communities will and can create more resilient young people. Housing helps, youth employment programs are a must, but getting the police to act in a preventative manner is also important.

Instead, we often get a tough-on-crime approach offered to us, as if anybody is actually proposing to be “soft on crime”. What we really need is to get smart on public safety and find a responsible way to both protect the public and protect people’s civil liberties. Nowhere is this more obvious than on gun control. Living in a safe community is a right that needs to be protected.

After the tragedy in Lac-Mégantic, the Conservative government still cannot get it right on rail safety, and are still not employing enough rail safety inspectors. Moving dangerous freight by train through major cities not only puts people at risk, but ties up the lines that would be better used moving people. Toronto needs a federal partner that provides leadership on this file before the truly unimaginable happens again.

Our city is home to one of Canada’s largest Aboriginal and First Nations populations in the country. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission identified steps cities can take in partnership with First Nation governments and Parliament to correct the injustices that centuries of colonialism and decades of harmful government policies have inflicted. A good first step is a national inquiry on how and why 1,200 indigenous women have disappeared or been killed in Canada. Too many of these missing or murdered indigenous women have been lost to us in big cities like Toronto. Shelters for women trying to escape violence, and housing for students and individuals, families, and seniors, would go a long way towards protecting the vulnerable and giving the next generation a fair start in a challenging city. Together we can reconcile the past by embracing these truths, and facing the future by making this city safer for all of us.

Many of the challenges facing Toronto require a new partnership with Ottawa, but they also require a stronger partnership between government and the communities that elect politicians. This is the real change that’s needed.

It’s amazing to see how many of these challenges fall under the convenient heading of urban infrastructure. Whether it’s rail or housing, transit or jobs, building a stronger Toronto is the best way to create a safe city too.

This election we have to make the choice not to be seduced by slogans. We need to find a way to leave the battleground and embrace our common ground. This election we need to make a difference, not just a point. We need change. Toronto needs it as badly as Canada.

Adam Vaughan is the member of Parliament for Trinity-Spadina.

Steel leaves welded onto the Toronto Transit Commission venting grills at Matt Cohen Park add to the park’s theme of balancing nature and urban living.

Park marks

The return of summer also marks the return of Grading our Greenspace, The Annex Gleaner’s annual parks review. In this popular feature, we visit local parks and rate them on factors like amenities, cleanliness, and ambience. In part one, we rate eight parks, noting when we visited each one, and featuring our favourite overheard bon mots. Let us know what you think of our assessment by dropping us a line at gleanerpub@ gmail.com. All reviews and photographs are by Justine Ricketts.

Matt Cohen Park

Spadina Avenue and Bloor Street West

Time: 12:00 p.m.

Grade: C+ (last year C)

Reason to go: The park is conveniently located at Bloor Street and Spadina Avenue and is immediately adjacent to the western flank of University of Toronto Schools (UTS). Plaques line the pathway of the park, featuring excerpts from the work of Toronto author Matt Cohen, for whom the park was named. It is an outdoor lounge for UTS students to sit and talk. Huge domino-shaped stone seats and beautiful steel leaves bring artistry to the area. The winding pathways, tall trees, and abundance of flowers create a pleasing aesthetic. Unfortunately, on the day of this review, the smell of tobacco, the use of profanity, and litter were apparent. The loud sounds of traffic can also be heard around the park due to its close proximity to the busy drivers on Bloor Street West.

Overheard: “You’re not the boss, you’re not the manager, so give me my beer and get out of my face.”

Fact: Named in 2001 to honour the late Matt Cohen, who was a long-time resident of the Bloor-Spadina neighbourhood. In his 1999 memoir, Typing: A Life in 26 Keys, Cohen described Spadina Avenue as “the centre of the universe”.

Taddle Creek Park

Bedford Road at Lowther Avenue

Time: 9:40 a.m.

Grade: A+ (last year A)

Reason to go: The park is well maintained and it is a quiet area for people to relax and enjoy the sounds of birds chirping and children playing. There are a lot of mature trees surrounding the park with a backdrop of red brick Victorian homes that add to its visual appeal. The ground is free of litter and the metal benches are spotless. This well-constructed park is accompanied by a huge steel fountain that sits surrounded by lush greenery. The playground is equipped with multiple slides, swings, climbing bars, and a sliding pole. Often, children can be seen playing in the sandbox, with a variety of toys from beach balls to toy trucks.

Overheard: “No Granny! I can go down the slide by myself!”

Fact: The park is named after Taddle Creek, a lost river that is buried under our streets today. It once flowed south from Bloor Street, passing the University of Toronto campus and the Royal Conservatory, where it continued and formed McCaul’s pond, named after John McCaul, the first president of University of Toronto.

Huron Street Playground

Huron Street and Lowther Avenue

Time: 11:40 a.m.

Grade: B- (last year A)

Reason to go: There are not many reasons to go to this park. It is unkempt, the grass is sparse, and in its place is dirt. The park is completely fenced and is small-dog friendly, but there is already a graffiti problem on the playground equipment as well as on the storage room nearby. There are only two benches, which provide insufficient seating, and several bird carcasses were spotted on the day of this review. It’s shocking to see such a poorly maintained park in this otherwise quaint neighbourhood.

Overheard: Sounds of nearby construction.

Fact: Jane’s Club students from the University of Toronto took the initiative for renovations to the park.

A stone border lines the pathway at Gwendolyn MacEwen Park.

Gwendolyn MacEwen Park

Between Walmer Road and Lowther Avenue

Time: 11:40 a.m.

Grade: B (last year B-)

Reason to go: Gwendolyn MacEwen Park is a nice community greenspace with a stone slab walkway and several plants along its path. A number of benches are scattered around the park with great shade provided by the tall trees overhead. There is a need for more garbage receptacles as most of the benches are covered with litter. In the centre of the park, surrounded by flowers, is a bust of Gwendolyn MacEwen, a Toronto-born author and poet; under the bust is a popular quote from her poem, Late Song.

Overheard: “Let’s bring Josh here with us next time.”

Fact: Gwendolyn MacEwen served as a writer-in-residence twice at the University of Toronto (1986 and 1987), and the park was named in honour of her memory and her contribution to literature.

Huron and Washington Park

Huron Street and Washington Avenue

Time: 12:20 p.m.

Grade: A (last year B)

Reason to go: This park is lively and welcoming. It has newly renovated playground equipment that attracts a lot of children who come and go throughout the day. The updates to the playground include slides, swings, and spring riders as well as a new rock climbing wall and balancing beam. There is also a well maintained sandbox. The playground area is completely fenced and tall trees line its perimeter. The park did have a need for more garbage receptacles in previous years but that doesn’t seem to be a problem this year. There is plenty of seating on benches, picnic tables, and a grassy hill at the south end. Overall it is a great park with a good location and a large playground and picnic area.

Overheard: “Come look, the horse has water in it!”

Fact: The Huron-Sussex Residents Organization hosts a pumpkin carving festival in the park on Halloween.

Nestled behind the ROM, Philosopher’s Walk is lush and peaceful.

Philosopher’s Walk

Bloor Street and Hoskin Avenue

Time: 12:40 p.m.

Grade: A+ (last year A+)

Reason to go: This is the most crowded and fun park visited in this year’s review. It is lively with a beautiful brick footpath and Victorian-styled lamp posts. The trees shade the walkway and make the trail seem secluded from the hustle and bustle of Bloor. The park is situated between the ROM and the Royal Conservatory of Music, and receives many visitors enjoying the sights and office workers out to have lunch. Summer camps also visit the park to play ball games and eat lunch. It is one of the best spots for a picnic or just to relax and, because of this, the park is busiest during lunch hours.

Overheard: “Let’s play sandman! Oh wait never mind, there’s no sand here.”

Fact: The winding landscape of Philosopher’s Walk was once the natural waterway of Taddle Creek and was buried in the 1880s but still flows underground today.

Aura Lee Playground

Robert Street and Sussex Avenue

Time: 12:00 p.m.

Grade: F (last year F)

Reason to go: This park has little appeal to it. On paper there are plenty of facilities including an artificial ice rink, playing field, street hockey court, tennis court, volleyball court, and ample trees and flowerbeds. Unfortunately, none of these are in working order except for the field which is padlocked and the trees that have withstood neglect. This is a prime example of the University of Toronto (U of T) and City of Toronto’s inability to work together to create something worthwhile for the community.

Overheard: The silence of a park not worth visiting.

Fact: The playground is owned by U of T while the south portion is on loan to the City of Toronto and is used as a park, also known as Robert Street playing field.

Albany Parkette

Albany Avenue, north of Bloor Street West

Time: 9:00 a.m.

Grade: B (last year B)

Reason to go: This is a well used parkette that has improved tremendously in recent years. It is right beside Bathurst subway station and attracts a lot of commuters who take short cuts along the alley that runs south of the station to the parkette. Many stop to admire the beautiful graffiti mural there. There are multiple stone tables with built-in checkered boards to play chess or checkers. There are large flowerbeds and sufficient garbage receptacles although on the day of this review there was trash strewn about. Despite the proximity to the subway station and busy Bloor Street, it is a quiet oasis.

Overheard: “Just leave the bird alone.”

Fact: Also known as Seaton Park, which was named after Lord Seaton, a former lieutenant governor of Canada.