REPORTED 40-STOREYS TO BE REDUCED

By Sadie McInnes

BRANTFORD RED SOX 9, TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 7

By Michael Radoslav

A solid start was spoiled by an eighth inning collapse as the first place Brantford Red Sox swept the season series over the Maple Leafs with a 9-7 win on Sunday.

“We just need to believe,” said starting pitcher Clay Caufield. “Everyone is here for a reason.”

Caufield had a solid outing on the day going seven complete innings surrendering two runs on seven hits with one walk and seven strikeouts.

“For the most part I was able to locate,” said Caufield. “It was a simple game plan of hitting spots, coming in on guys. When you got decent stuff you can get batters out.”

Toronto also opened the scoring early in the first inning as well. After lead-off hitters Glen Jackson and Branfy Arias got on base against Red Sox pitcher Andy St. Gelias, Jordan Castaldo drove them home to put the Leafs up 2-0. Rob Gillis added to the scoring with a two-run home run shot in the fourth inning to give Toronto a 4-0 lead.

After a 9-3 win over Hamilton on Friday, Toronto once again provided a strong hitting effort on Sunday, recording 12 hits on the afternoon.

“The guys halfway through the season are taking a better approach to the ball, we’re hitting the ball harder, and really getting a flow to the offence,” said Gillis. “It’s great to have guys in the same position in the lineup. You’re starting to see the first of the benefits.”

Caufield ran into some adversity in the seventh inning with Lee Delfino and Jason Gotwalt hitting back-to-back homers to start the inning.

Once Caufield left the game, however, Brantford took control.

Brett Lawson came in for relief and gave up five runs on four hits and a walk. Taking over for Lawson, who received the loss for the game, reliever Matt Tosoni walked in back-to-back runs with the bases loaded before he himself was replaced by Drew Taylor, who finished out the game for Toronto.

The Leafs kept the bats alive as Gillis drove in Castaldo on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth, and rallied late with Arias singling in a run and Castaldo himself also hitting a sacrifice fly to bring the score within two. However the rally fell short for the Leafs.

“Brantford is a very experienced team, and you can’t make many mistakes,” Gillis said. “But the offence has to pick it up when the pitchers don’t have it, and vice versa.”

Gillis said there was some changeover in the pitching ranks after a few years of the same rotation, and that now the pitchers are just starting to gel. “They just need to get more innings.”

Caufield said while there is some adversity facing the bullpen, and “while there’s definitely some disappointment, we have the guys and we just need to bring it together.”

Brantford stays on top of the league now sporting a 13-3 record. Brantford previously won by scores of 5-0 and 21-7 against Toronto. The winning pitcher for Brantford was Brian Speck, who entered in the seventh inning to relieve St. Gelias. Stefan Strecker recorded the save.

Toronto falls to 6-11 with the loss but remains one spot ahead of Hamilton, who is in last place. The next game for Toronto is at home against the last place Hamilton Cardinals on Wednesday, June 20 at 7:30pm at Dominico Field.

Interested in watching the Euro Cup with your neighbours and friends? Here’s a nifty map of bars that will be showing the tournament in the Annex.

View Euro bars in a larger map

Map legend

Mayday Malone’s. 1078 Bathurst St. (416) 531-8064

Amnesia. 526 Bloor St W. (416) 538-3335
– $5 pints!

Hey Lucy. 440 Bloor St W (416) 967-9670

Brunswick Pump. 410 Bloor St W. (416) 927-7337
– Soccer specials to 3 p.m. Burgers, Pasta & Pizza

St. Louis Bar and Grill. 376 Bloor St W. (416) 925-6689

Puck’N Wings. 362 Bloor St W. (416) 901-7825

Madison Avenue Pub. 14 Madison Avenue. (416) 927-1722
– $6.99 personal pitchers during all matches

Fox & Fiddle. 280 Bloor St W. (416) 966-4369

Regal Beagle. 335 Bloor St W. (416) 591-6859

Paupers Pub. 539 Bloor St W. (416) 530-1331
-$6.99 Carlsberg mini pitchers during matches

Kilgour’s. 509 Bloor St W. (416) 923-7680
– Cheap Mill Street Organic bottles until 4 every day

Brunswick House. 481 Bloor St W. (416) 964-2242

Beer Station. 539 Bloor St W. (416) 535-8965
– 30% off all appetizers until 8 p.m.

LAND OWNERSHIP ARRANGEMENT ALSO EXISTS IN UNITED STATES, EUROPE

Ideas and suggestions about how community land trusts (CLT) form in Parkdale were noted, so that community stakeholders could revisit these ideas down the road. Courtesy Kuni Kamizaki.

By Perry King

A different approach to land ownership is now moving forward in Parkdale.

Held at the Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre (PARC; 1499 Queen St. W.) this month, a small crowd gathered for the first of many meetings to discuss Community Land Trusts (CLT), an alternative, collective land ownership arrangement.

The meeting was organized by PARC and the Parkdale People’s Economy Project—a collaboration between community organizations like PARC, and researchers at the University of Toronto that would look into ways of building a resilient, local economy. The concept of CLTs rose out of initial research that U of T conducted about urban disparities in Parkdale, including housing and food insecurities.

“The reality for many of the people that come to PARC is that they’re living far below the low income cutoff,” said Victor Willis, PARC’s executive director. “If they’re lucky, they’re getting about $13,000 a year, if they’re unlucky it’s about $6,500. We know that the low-income cutoff is 20 to 21.”

The research findings, which recommended ten concepts including CLTs, has now set the stage for making it a reality and combining them with Parkdale’s food security and housing initiatives. “It’s how do we look at urban gardening, within the context of land and moving it into the public sector in a land trust as opposed to it sitting privately,” said Willis.

Susannah Bunce, a professor of Geography and City Studies at U of T, has a robust research background in CLTs and attended the meeting to provide the audience a thorough explanation on what CLTs are and what they can potentially do. First adopted and practiced during the Civil Rights Movement in the American South during the 1960s, CLTs create a mechanism for community ownership of land, and democratic control over how that land is used.

“When you’re going to purchase a home, you’re purchasing the lot as well. The housing unit and the lot becomes yours. With a community land trust, you’re only purchasing the units, not the land,” said Bunce. “It separates land value from housing price, which reduces the overall price of the house.”

Symbolically, the existence of a CLT in Parkdale would keep condo projects at bay, as these land trusts would keep developers from price speculating the land in the area, says Bunce.

At present, Parkdale is at a crossroads. Parkdale is seeing rising property values and decreased numbers of rooming houses and affordable housing. The area is starting to see hints of mass gentrification, said U of T researcher Brendon Goodmurphy. “We can see from a lot of these issues and challenges that these are questions about land,” he said. “This is an issue of who owns the land, and who gets to make decisions about its use and development,” he said.

The presenters believe CLTs could be the way to mitigate the growing disparities. Bunce brought forward three separate case stories from Boston, London, and Calgary to demonstrate how CLTs were a viable option for these neighbourhoods.

With the moderation of Kathy Allen, development consultant and former executive director of the Ontario Land Trusts Alliance (OLTA), attendees gave their feedback on how they would like the CLT to form. “I love the trend of the existing natural heritage land trusts moving towards community because our population in Southern Ontario is growing,” said Allen, also a Parkdale resident. She was excited to help record feedback from attendees.

As a result, the meeting prioritized food security, affordability, education, and commercial stabilization as initial principles to rest on while moving forward with this project.

Although a Parkdale Land Trust has numerous obstacles in order to become one—including acquiring parcels of land, developing a proper business model, and creating an internal democratic process—the future is bright. As Goodmurphy said, the discussion needs to continue outside of these meetings, with people in the community.

For more information about the Parkdale People’s Economic Project and read the study conducted about CLTs, visit www.tinyurl.com/parkdaleclt.

OTTAWA FAT CATS 8, TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 1

By Michael Radoslav

After stringing together their first set of consecutive wins this season, the Toronto Maple Leaf ball club fell back to earth with an 8–1 loss to the Ottawa Fat Cats on Wednesday night.

“It was just one of those days where the baseball gods just weren’t on our side,” said Glen Jackson, who provided the Leafs their only run of the game. “We didn’t catch any breaks.”

The Maple Leafs entered action ready to continue their climb back up the standings, playing an Ottawa team they defeated 6–4 in the season opener. However, Toronto ran into the same problems that have dogged the team the whole season—a lack of run support, and a substandard bullpen.

The Leafs managed one run on five hits against Ottawa starter James Amelotte, and four of Ottawa’s eight runs came against the relief staff in the ninth inning.

“The way we played the first six and a half innings, we did hit some balls and did draw some walks, but I think we just got frustrated,” Jackson said, as the Leafs hit into a couple double-plays, and found themselves at odds with the umpire crew.

Ottawa opened the scoring in what would become an eventful first inning. Tony Kirbis, starting for the first time this season, walked the first Ottawa batter Cody Mombourquette, and then gave up a home run on the very next pitch to Jason Coker to give the Fat Cats an early 2–0 lead.

Following another walk Ottawa’s Eitan Maoz drove in a run on a double to centre field, making it 3–0 for Ottawa before the first out of the game was recorded.

Kirbis settled down after that, striking out the next four batters straight. Outside of the first inning Kirbis pitched a solid game through his eight innings of work. He allowed four runs on six hits while surrendering two walks, and recording nine strikeouts in a losing effort.

Amelotte got the win for Ottawa, with Josh Soffer registering a save in relief.

Toronto’s lone run came from Jackson’s solo home run leading off Toronto’s first inning. The Leafs were unable to manage much offence outside of that solo blast, tallying only five hits on the night. “What can I say, all things that start well don’t always end well,” Jackson said.

The lack of consistent offensive output caused tensions to erupt in the third inning as Toronto’s third baseman Will Richards hit a ball well out of the park with two runners on base, which the umpire along the first baseline called foul. Leafs manager Tim Harkness came out to debate the call, but cooler heads prevailed.

“It’s all about breaks,” Jackson said. “You can’t blame the umps, they’re doing the best they can.”

Although the team entered the game with a “good vibe going,” Jackson said frustration mounted as the Leafs failed to string together hits, which also became directed towards the umpire crew following the disputed home run call.

Harkness declined to speak with the media following the game, only saying he had no comment on what had just taken place. Harkness had words with the umpire at first base following the called back home run, clearly stating his disapproval.

Harkness has previously said he has concerns with Toronto’s bullpen, which last night’s performance will surely not help to alleviate. Trailing 4–1 in the ninth, the Leafs Adam Garner came on in relief of Kirbis, and allowed three runs with two walks, throwing a couple wild pitches as well to help advance on base runners.

Brett Lawson, a starting pitcher for Toronto, came in to relieve Garner and close out the inning. Lawson gave up one unearned run on an error to the outfield, which rounded out the scoring for Ottawa.

Jackson said despite the loss, questions over officiating and the late game breakdown there are no issues in the clubhouse among players. “We’re good as a team, we’re just continuing to find our identity and to push.”

Jackson feels the team has to bounce back for their game in Hamilton on Friday night. “We need to climb in the standings, we have no choice,” he said. “We’re behind, not ahead.”

With the win, the Ottawa Fat Cats improve to 8-9 on the season. The Maple Leafs fall to 5–10 for the season.

The next game for the Toronto Maple Leaf baseball club is this Friday night in Hamilton, the next home game Sunday June 17 at 2 p.m. against the Brantford Red Sox at Dominico Field at Christie Pits.

ANNEX COMMUNITY CELEBRATES WITH RIBBON CUTTING, BBQ

Councillor Adam Vaughan introduces some of the members of the Sibelius Square Working Group as they cut the ribbon and officially welcome the reopening of the park on June 10. Richard Frankel/Gleaner News

By Richard Frankel

The Sibelius Square Working Group, along with hundreds of people from the community and councillor Adam Vaughan (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina), came out on the sun-filled Sunday afternoon of June 10 to officially open the redesigned Jean Sibelius Square Park.

The redesign took six years of consultation with the community, city parks officials, and working with the city councillor’s office.

“The residents in this neighbourhood taught the rest of the ward how a community can lead the design and build process,” said Vaughan. “It’s always been a park with a lot of challenging memories for me—in the construction, in the management, and the process of getting it built was its own challenge.”

Vaughan has his own memories of the park, too. When he was a child living in the neighbourhood, he would sometimes hide in the park after running away from his nearby school.

The result of the hard work is a new playground, field house, playing field, pathways, and central plaza.

“None of this would have been possible without some very strong leadership from the councillor’s office around moving the vision for Sibelius forward,” said Patrick Kennedy, the chair for the working group, who thanked the Annex community for coming to community meetings and filling out many surveys.

Vaughan said there are 16 parks under construction in Ward 20 including Seaton Park, Bellevue Square, Clarence Square, and Taddle Creek Park.

“We’ve been looking at parks and rebuilding parks and using communities to lead that process right across the ward,” he said. “But this one started first but finished a little late but that’s because it’s rewritten the rulebook at City Hall on how to let a community not only lead the design process, but help manage the construction process to make sure the park arrives here and that it’s the park the neighbourhood wants. I’m enormously proud of the residents here. They have really, really rolled up their sleeves.”

Sibelius Square was in trouble six years ago.  The park lacked green space and had reportedly become a regular locale for drug dealers. It posed many challenges to the community, as the parks department had never allowed residents to sit in on the evaluation process.

“It’s normally a bureaucratic process that even councillors don’t sit in on,” he said. “This neighbourhood asked to be part of that process to make sure that they got the best out of every decision. That was a real challenge and a credit to the parks department. They found a way to work with the residents and I think they began to understand the need to have people at the table so that was part of it.”

There were issues with transportation services around the construction of the edges of the park and where the new wall was going to be placed.

“Because the residents were here watching every bucket of concrete get poured, as soon as they made a mistake, we fixed that problem before it became unsolvable so as a community building process and as a city building process, this neighbourhood has really stepped up.”

A statue of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius stands in the centre of the park as part of a memorial presented to the City by the Finnish people of Canada on Sept. 20, 1959.

RESIDENTS HIT NEIGHBOURHOOD STREETS TO COLLECT, DISPOSE OF WASTE

A mother and her son remove old posters from a light post during the Harbord Village clean-up event held on Apr. 21. Justin Crann/Gleaner News.

By Justin Crann

As part of the mayor’s city-wide initiative, Harbord Village residents have come together with local businesses to clean up their community.

“We started a few years ago with no sponsors, and then we had Pizza Nova,” said organizer Neil Stephenson, “In 2011, it started [to be] a Harbord Village neighbourhood thing, and of course now it’s really grown into something larger.”

The clean-up, which occurred on Apr. 21, was organized with the assistance of the Harbord Village Residents’ Association (HVRA) ,and sponsored by 37 neighbourhood businesses, banks and restaurants, including Scotiabank, Starbucks, Krispy Kreme, Mirvish Productions, and Loire restaurant (119 Harbord St.), which hosted a catered after-party for participants.

“[We] wanted to do something for the neighbourhood because we’ve been here for four years and we get very good support,” said Sylvain Brissonnet, co-owner of Loire. “And so we decided this year to organize the party here, just to thank the neighbourhood.”

The event drew a crowd of more than 80 people, including MPP Rosario Marchese (Trinity-Spadina), who emphasized the importance of community-wide clean-ups.
“It’s part of a community service. It’s part of showing people that we care about keeping our streets clean, and if they see many of us in the streets, hopefully many people will realize that throwing garbage or recyclables [on the street] is not the right thing to do,” Marchese said.

Marchese was also pleased to see the level of involvement from businesses in the area.
“It means it’s a community. It’s not just those of us who go out and clean, but it’s the businesses who realize this is an important part of community service,” he said, “It’s good to see it all come together.”

Several dozen bags of garbage and recycling, an old mattress, and other waste were removed from Harbord Village streets by more than 80 volunteers during the community-wide clean-up. Justin Crann/Gleaner News.

The spring clean-up was the second community-wide event, following in the footsteps of one that Stephenson had organized last fall, but was substantially larger, involving more than triple the sponsors and volunteer participants.

Stephenson has also been working with Central Technical School (725 Bathurst St.) to involve students in the community events.

“[Neil] knocked on the door,” said Sheryl Freeman, principal of Central Tech. “I have to say that Neil’s been the one who has been persistent, because it’s busy every day here… but I think as a school and as a school staff, we’re very committed to this idea of connectivity in the neighbourhood.”

Part of Stephenson’s endeavour to involve Central Tech students in their community was to get them out to help clean up last fall, Freeman said.

“That was Neil’s idea… last fall, Neil said, ‘Hey, this is what we can do,’ and then he was the one that went out and got community support,” said Freeman. “That worked very, very well.”

This year, Stephenson organized the student clean-up for the day prior to the community-wide event, Freeman said, but students and staff of Central Tech remained enthused.

The same was true for community members who expressed enthusiasm about cleaning up their neighbourhood.

“I think it’s a great initiative,” said Simon Bennett, “I think if we get the community to clean up, then we’ll get other people to clean up as well, and to think twice about littering.”

It is in the spirit of involving others that Stephenson hopes the HVRA endeavour spreads to other neighbourhoods in Toronto.

“Harbord Village is quite a strong group … I think that we would like to use our influence in the city as a pretty high-profile group to influence other people so that they can get involved and do something similar,” he said.

“There’s not much point in us having a really clean neighbourhood [if] the rest of the city isn’t doing the same.”

For those thinking of organizing an event, Stephenson had a few words of encouragement.

“What we did here is really simple. We just went around to all of the businesses and all of the companies and shops and restaurants and said, ‘Look, this is something that’s really great for the community. It brings everyone together, it’s a social opportunity to network and connect with people,’” he said.

“And when I went around to all of the sponsors, the restaurants, the bank, Splendido and Mirvish … nobody said no … any group in the city could do something similar with their local businesses, neighbours and community organizations, and I would imagine most people would probably get pretty excited about it.”

“People just need to be asked to do it,” he said, “and then they’ll do it.”

HONEST ED’S GETS WEEK-LONG NAME CHANGE

David Mirvish greets customers enthusiastcally as he hands out chocolate to the first 200 customers. Richard Frankel/Gleaner News

By Richard Frankel

It is May 23 at high noon, and the sun is burning on a gorgeous day. Hundreds of bright eyed and enthusiastic customers stand in line on Bloor Street. They stand on a rolled out ceremonial red carpet borrowed from the Royal Alexandra Theatre for the grand opening of a week long event at Honest Ed’s (581 Bloor Street W.) called “Edwin’s Of Bloor Street.”

It is a temporary name change and a celebration of both the store’s 64th year of being in business as well as a recreation of a favourite of the late Ed Mirvish’s fun and affordable events.

Mirvish’s son, David, the show business entrepreneur, is decked out in a tuxedo. He is wearing his father’s cufflinks, and is visibly pleased by the positive energy of the hundreds of customers who have lined up.

As he moves through the throng of people to take his place at the front of the line, he stands underneath the new makeshift sign on Bloor’s southwest corner, and takes his time to pat customers on the back and smile. He makes sure to shake each and every hand and exchange pleasantries, as he hands out boxes of chocolates to the first 200 people that walk through the Honest Ed’s doors.

“It’s always exciting to open something new,” said Mirvish. “My father did this every few years but I think the last time we did it was 15 years ago. So Edwin’s of Bloor Street has returned at least for this week.”

Russell Lazar, Honest Ed’s general manager for the past 54 years, said he and his team had been working on the event for the past six to seven weeks.

“It was the right time, and nice weather and it is the 64th year of the store. This is a special event for David and his late father,” he said.

Hundreds of Honest Ed’s customers line up for the grand opening of ‘Edwin’s Of Bloor Street’, a five day sale and celebration of Honest Ed’s and its 64 years in business. Richard Frankel/Gleaner News.

The featured buys during this five-day event are items priced from 25 cents all the way up to $10,000, with some opening day door crasher specials ranging from 10 cent TVs and tickets to the theatrical production of War Horse given to various customers who stand on the “right spot” in the lineup.

However, the promise of chocolate and the low sale prices were not the reasons why Pat Weller, a lady with long blonde hair and thick rimmed glasses, came out to the grand opening event. For Weller, a deeply rooted, and almost reverential combination of nostalgia and dedication to the Mirvish brand brought her here.

“He’s changing it to Edwin’s? I gotta go check it out! The name change is just in fun,” she said. “I myself come to every event that David has. Even when Ed was alive, I would come to every event because I grew up with the store. It was before we had all the malls and all these discount stores.”

Weller said the store has a lot of history with the city and brings people together.

“That’s what it’s all about. That’s the story with this store. I really like it. I really enjoy it.”

David Mirvish said it is a privilege for him to come to these events because people say nice words about his dad.

“It reminds me of other times that I’ve been here with him and it’s fun. It’s nice to have some continuity with the past.”

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 6, LONDON MAJORS 5

By Jonah Birenbaum

Marek Deska threw six-plus solid innings, while Branfy Arias led the way offensively, as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the London Majors 6–5 at Dominico Field on Sunday.

Deska, the 27-year-old pitcher, allowed just three runs on six hits and three walks while striking out five to pick up his third win of the year, and help the Maple Leafs collect their second win in as many days.

“I call him Roy Halladay,” Toronto centre fielder Glenn Jackson said of Deska.  “He’s the Halladay of our staff. Any time you got Deska on the mound, you got a shot.”

Flattering comparison notwithstanding, things got off to an inauspicious start for Deska when London tallied a pair of runs—neither of them earned—to open the scoring in the top of the second.

London first baseman Cleveland Brownlee, who singled to lead off the frame, scored the game’s first run on an RBI groundout from Derrick Strazalkswiski after a fielding error by Arias, Toronto’s shortstop, put him on third base with one out. The Majors would tack on another run in the inning on second baseman Chris Stewart’s RBI single.

But Toronto responded quickly, posting a pair of their own in the home half of the third to tie the game at 2–2. After London starter Jordi Amargos plunked Jackson to lead off the inning, Arias promptly redeemed himself for that defensive miscue the inning prior with a two-run homerun that sailed well over the fence in left field.

An inning later, Toronto exploded for another four runs to create a deficit that proved insurmountable for the Majors. After consecutive walks to Dan Marra and Justin Gianfrancesco, Rob Gillis singled to load the bases for Jackson. The Toronto native would work the count full before blooping a single into shallow right, plating Marra.  Arias, the next batter, then punched a single into centre field to score Gianfrancesco.

“Today was a good day for me,” said Arias. “I feel good swinging, and [it was] good we won, too. We needed that game.”

Toronto would tag on another run on an RBI groundout from third baseman Jordan Castaldo before a wild pitch from Amargos allowed Jackson to scamper home, extending the lead to 6–2.

Amargos, saddled with his first loss of the season on Sunday, would last just one more inning before giving way to Mike Henry.  London’s starter allowed six runs on six hits and five walks over five innings of work.

Meanwhile, Deska managed to settle down nicely after that shaky second, holding the Majors scoreless for four consecutive innings before an RBI triple from Brownlee chased him from the game in the seventh.

“He pitches in the small park but still gets it done,” Jackson said of his team’s ace.

Brett Lawson would come in to relieve Deska, making just his second appearance of the season out of the bullpen. Despite making it interesting in the ninth after surrendering a two-run homerun to Brownlee—who finished the day 4-for-5 with three RBI and fell just a double short of the cycle—Lawson was able to get pinch-hitter Jason Schneider to ground out to end the game with the tying run on second, consequently picking up his first save of the year.

For Toronto, the win represents the team’s first winning streak of the season, an accomplishment Jackson attributes in part to a better outlook.

“We are trusting ourselves and the guys we have out there,” he said.  “We’re playing as one, we’re playing positively.”

MARKET RETURNS TO THE ANNEX THIS SUMMER

By Victoria Prouse

“You shop differently in a farmers market than a supermarket,” says Gus Sinclair, former chair of the Harbord Village Residents’ Association (HVRA) and co-founder of the Bloor-Borden Farmers’ Market. “In a farmers’ market, people pause; they stop over tomatoes and talk about how the kids are doing at school.”

Afternoons of food, fun, and fellowship will return once again to the Annex. June 6 marks the kickoff of the weekly farmer’s market. The Green P Parking Lot at Lippincott and Borden streets will be transformed into a dynamic neighbourhood meeting place, hosting about a dozen farmers with local goods.

Over 30 farmers’ markets are interspersed throughout the city. However, the Bloor-Borden Market is unique. It is one of only five in Toronto that have been granted the “MyMarket” certification by Farmers’ Market Ontario. While vendors at conventional farmers’ markets are able to resell goods from the food terminal, acquiring the “MyMarket” certification mandates all goods sold are produced by the vendors themselves.

Farmers wishing to sell their goods at a “MyMarket” must undergo a stringent certification process. Sinclair emphasizes the importance of this certification as a guarantor that the items purchased at the market are fresh and of the highest quality.

The market’s return to the Green P will be greeted with significant fanfare. However, its fate was less than secure earlier in the year. In the past, the market had benefited from $5,000 in funding from “MyMarket”—funding Sinclair describes as ensuring a “soft landing” for guaranteeing the market’s welfare. This year, however, the funding regime was withdrawn. Fortunately, contributions from the HVRA, the Annex Residents’ Association (ARA), and the Harbord Street and Bloor-Annex business improvement area (BIAs) have alleviated this deficit, thereby enabling the market to cover its administrative and promotional costs.

This investment affirms this market’s significant contribution to community vitality—both socially and economically. Sinclair identifies the relationship between the vendors and surrounding businesses as inherently “symbiotic.” Anne Freeman, project coordinator at the Toronto Farmers’ Market Initiative (TFMI) shares Sinclair’s perspective. “There is a spinoff benefit in terms of spending in the neighbourhood,” Freeman says. “It’s usually a very complementary effect.”

Since its inception in 2008, the market has transcended its role as a hub for produce in the Annex. Rather, Sinclair, envisions it as a cultural, community-building, and commercial enterprise. Musicians contribute to the lively atmosphere, and the Children’s activity tent ensures visitors of all ages look forward to a trip to the market.

The activities at the Bloor-Borden market represent a commitment to community stewardship. It has the largest volunteer base of the five “MyMarket” farmers’ markets in Toronto. Additionally, the market hosts “Lemon and Allspice,” an initiative by Common Grounds Cooperative that provides adults with developmental disabilities an opportunity to gain skills by selling coffee and baked goods.

As Freeman states, “The great thing about Farmers’ Markets is they give people a reason to come out and meet their neighbours.” Indeed, every Wednesday from June 6 to Oct. 24, the vibrant heart of the Annex will be found on top of the asphalt at Borden and Lippincott. It is a “must-see experience” for anyone who wants to see life as it is intended to be lived: wholesome food from healthy soil, an amiable and welcoming atmosphere, and a community successfully working together for a common cause.

BLOOR ANNEX GOES ON DISPLAY JUNE 10

The Festival on Bloor takes place this Sunday between Bathurst and Spadina. Come on out enjoy the music, food, and atmosphere. Courtesy Bloor-Annex BIA.

By Victoria Prouse

June 10 marks the kickoff of summer in the Annex. Making a strong case for the Annex as Toronto’s friendliest neighbourhood, the Bloor Annex Business Improvement Area and the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre are co-hosting the Annex Festival on Bloor—a lively street party to which the entire city is invited.

From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Bloor Street West between Bathurst and Spadina will be closed to vehicular traffic. “This is Bloor Street—a busy street—and to see it transformed is amazing,” says Maxine Bailey, festival organizer. “It’s going to be so animated.”

Bailey anticipates 15,000 to 20,000 people will attend this festival, now in its 16th year. The diverse array of activities, events, and performances planned indicates this party will be great entertainment for everyone.

The Tranzac Main Stage (292 Brunswick Ave.) will serve as the centre of the action. Michael Booth from Tranzac will ensure the energy levels remain high through his role as host of an afternoon of musical enjoyment. University of Toronto’s CIUT Radio will be broadcasting on site the entire afternoon.

Artists will perform a variety of genres and styles, infusing the festival with a multicultural flavour. Confirmed acts include the Randolph Academy Show Choir, Makossa-style Central African music by Fojeba, traditional Cuban music by Los Caballeros Del Son, klezmer entertainment by Dia and the Kishkes, violin folk by Jaron Freeman-Fox and the Opposite of Everything, Son Jarocho Mexican music by Café Con Pan, and singer-songwriter Calamity Royale.

Energy and excitement will by no means be limited to the Tranzac Stage, but will permeate throughout the entire street. A parade, led by multi-instrumentalist Dave Clark and idiosyncratic jazz collective GUH, will kick off the festivities. Visitors will be entertained all afternoon by more than 15 unique performances—acts to be featured in the upcoming Toronto Fringe Film Festival. Notable groups include Paul Watson Productions and the Kokus Dance Company.

A medley of over 70 specialty arts, crafts, and street vendors will enhance the existing array of patios, cafes, and boutiques along Bloor that are set to welcome guests to the area. The cultural adventure continues with the many activities planned to take place along Bloor Street. There will be booths offering henna art, shiatsu demonstrations, a Tai-Kwan Do workshop, life-sized chess game, along with representatives from the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre, CIBC, and Pepsi. Street buskers will also be interspersed throughout this interactive milieu.

Recognized as one of Toronto’s most popular festivals, the Festival on Bloor is exceptional in its offerings of diverse activities and entertainment suitable for all ages. The Children’s Village will surely be a highlight for young attendees. This year, the Children’s Village will feature a plethora of activities—including a blow-up castle, sports, and a face-painting station—that will undoubtedly satisfy the interests of all kids for the entire afternoon.

Bailey identifies this aspect–the liveliness and unbridled energy of the children—as her favourite part of the festival. “Seeing the kids with their faces painted, the Children’s area, it’s the animation of the site,” says Bailey.

Do not miss this great multi-cultural event celebrating the diversity and talent in the Annex and Toronto.

Brett Lamb chimes in on the issue of casinos…

Brett Lamb/Gleaner News