June 14th, 2024 · Comments Off on NEWS: Should vape stores be near high schools? (May 2024)
Vape World on Bloor parks itself on pathway to Central Technical High School
By Ammara Khan and Meredith Poirier
High school students stroll past Vape World location. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS
Central Technical High School is conveniently located about a 5-minute walk from Bathurst Station in downtown Toronto. Many students commute to the school via subway. On their walk from Bathurst Station to school each morning students will pass by Vape World. Vape World, located on the corner of Bloor Street West and Bathurst Street, is one of 350 vape stores in Ontario. Toronto is littered with vape shops. It seems every corner you turn there’s somewhere to get your vapes. Vape World is open from 8:00 am – 2:30 a.m. which coincides nicely with when high school students would be heading to school to beat the morning bell.
Central Tech High School students were interviewed for this story, and they say that it is not uncommon for their peers to be vaping. The familiar shapes and bright colours of vape pods fill garbage cans around the school.
Paupers Pub, located very close to Vape World, at 539 Bloor St. W., is managed by Chris Haslett. He has two teenage sons aged 15 and 17, and he has strong opinions about the product being retailed so close to a high school.
“We are in a truly terrible place,” said Haslett. He feels that the federal government made a mistake legalizing these products. “I think the fact that there are flavours geared exclusively towards children and people that are in high school, we should adopt the same policies as Quebec has now, where it is only tobacco flavoured products and nothing else. I just think that our governments have failed us completely on this product,” he said.
Though the federal government legalized vaping products as a cessation strategy, it left the provinces and municipalities to regulate their sale. Nothing in Ontario or City of Toronto regulations prevents a specialized vaping retailer, such as Vape World, from putting itself near a high school. Something interesting to note is that there are restrictions around vape shops within university and college settings. One cannot sell tobacco or vapour products in areas that are owned or leased by a postsecondary institution. As many postsecondary schools span large areas of the cities they are in, this leads to vape stores being further from a university or college than they are from high schools, as we see with Vape World.
The NDP, which is the official opposition party in Ontario, has strong feelings about the regulations surrounding vaping in Ontario; in fact, NDP Health Critic France Gélinas reintroduced a bill in May of 2023 titled Vaping is not for kids. There are a few different aspects to this bill, but of note is that it would change the minimum age from 19 to 21, and it would prohibit the promotion of vaping products.
According to Statistics Canada’s Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine 2022 Survey, 30 per cent of youth (aged 15-19) have tried vaping once in their lifetime. Vaping has been prevalent among youth, and the numbers have stayed consistent since 2021.
The Preventing kids and teens from smoking and vaping section of the Government of Canada website lists the dangers of vaping for adolescents. While vapes are a healthier substitute for the more dangerous tobacco cigarettes, they contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance which can lead to physical dependance, especially for youth. It also can interfere with the healthy development of a teen brain. Once a person grows physically dependent on the substance, it becomes extremely difficult to quit. At Vape World they carry both nicotine and non-nicotine products. They offer pods with 0mg, 10mg, or 20mg of nicotine.
Vape World does not break any regulations as set out by the City of Toronto for a vapour product retailer. They have a sign outside the entrance that clearly states shoppers must be 19 and over to enter, and they do not display their products in display windows or outside the building. If it weren’t for the large Vape World sign, passersby likely wouldn’t even notice the store. However, even though the store doesn’t break any regulations, there’s leniency around the rules depending on who’s working. Upon entering the store, the writers of this story (who could easily pass for “school age” individuals) were not asked for ID. Attempts to reach Vape World head office for comment on this story were not successful.
Students outside Central Tech said that some of their peers do manage to make purchases from retailers when they are not asked for identification. In addition to vape stores, students also described the ease with which they can access weed shops, some of which are on Bloor Street West near their school.
While vape product companies do not intend to market their products to youth, the products have become attractive due to the colourful packaging, the interesting flavours, and the lack of education and warning surrounding the dangers of its use.
It can’t help but be noted that not only do the flavours and the packaging appeal to youth, but also the convenience with which they can access weed shops, some of which are on Bloor Street West near their school. While vape product companies in theory do not intend to market their products for youth, the products have become attractive due to the colourful packaging, the interesting flavours, and the lack of education and warning surrounding the dangers of its use.
Comments Off on NEWS: Should vape stores be near high schools? (May 2024)Tags:Annex · News
June 14th, 2024 · Comments Off on HISTORY: Lane name pays tribute to a mare named Crestfallen (May 2024)
Early vaccine for diphtheria developed in local laneway
The Annex laneway where Dr. Fitzgerald kept a stable and developed a diphtheria vaccine. MIA KESKINEN/GLEANER NEWS
By Mia Keskinen
Crestfallen Lane, located between Bathurst and Christie streets, north of Bloor, has a unique history, and its name pays homage to a horse, a doctor, and a vaccine. The lane name commemorates a mare named Crestfallen, a “miracle in a stable” purchased in 1913 by Dr. John G. Fitzgerald, who played a pivotal role in solving a public health crisis and developing vaccines.
More than 100 years ago, John Fitzgerald returned to Toronto after studying abroad and found the city amid a public health crisis: a diphtheria epidemic.
At the turn of the 20th century, diphtheria was considered the single greatest killer of children. Respiratory diphtheria is an upper respiratory tract illness which is sometimes deadly and causes serious health issues later in life.
The lower classes suffered the most; medicines imported from the United States were priced at extortionate costs, leaving many without means to fight the virus. “The city was rife with infectious diseases. Canadians forget how bad it was,” said Dr. FitzGerald’s grandson, James FitzGerald, in a Toronto Star article published in 2014.
Crestfallen, the famous mare. COURTESY OF JAMES FITZGERALDSite of stable where experiments occurred. COURTESY OF JAMES FITZGERALDDr. John G. Fitzgerald in 1912. COURTESY OF JAMES FITZGERALD
Fitzgerald was determined to help the public in their time of need. He began by pitching his vision to the University of Toronto. He hoped to create a diphtheria antitoxin and distribute it freely to all Canadians as a public health service.
Given the University’s hesitance, the doctor took matters into his own hands.
In 1913, Fitzgerald took $3000 from his wife’s dowry and built a horse stable with a lab for developing an antitoxin on 145 Barton Avenue. He then saved several elderly horses from a local glue factory. He named one of the horses Crestfallen because of her sad eyes.
On Dec. 11, 1913, Fitzgerald injected Crestfallen with a small dose of diphtheria. The horse built an immunity to diphtheria over four months due to gradual injections of diphtheria.
The blood was processed to create an antitoxin and tested on guinea pigs. After positive testing on humans, the vaccine was distributed to the lower classes as a public health service.
Fitzgerald single-handedly solved the diphtheria epidemic, and his work in the Canadian health-care industry helped to change the system.
James Fitzgerald said that “my grandfather’s inspired vision was transforming Canada’s public health system into a world leader.”
In 2014, the neighbourhood between Bathurst and Christie streets where the original lab was built, faced a public safety concern.
The houses within this neighborhood were built with little space separating each building, so homeowners accessed their properties through laneways behind their houses, each of which were unnamed.
When a house in the residential area caught fire, emergency crews struggled to find the location of the burning building, given the confusing labyrinth of unnamed laneways. Following this incident, several arsons occurred, and firefighters again struggled to find the location of the fire.
This prompted the Seaton Village Residents’ Association to create the Seaton Village Lane Naming Project. Local residents felt it was important to create street names that commemorated the historic significance of the neighbourhood. In 2014, after a local resident read James Fitzgerald’s book, the lane was officially named Crestfallen Lane to commemorate the memory of Dr. John G. Fitzgerald, Crestfallen the mare, the “miracle in a stable.”
Comments Off on HISTORY: Lane name pays tribute to a mare named Crestfallen (May 2024)Tags:Annex · History · Life
June 14th, 2024 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: Ford needs to step up and lead for once (May 2024)
The competing notions of treating illicit drug use as a health issue versus a criminal one is at the heart of a divide between the City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario. The city wants to decriminalize and help people who are addicted and the province thinks it can arrest its way out of the problem.
Five hundred people a year die in Toronto from preventable overdoes and that number is growing. The drug toxicity problem is so acute that being an addict without access to a safe supply or a supportive place to use it is extremely hazardous. Those who overdose outside those safe zones and are thankfully rescued by emergency medical services occupy hospital emergency wards. But of course, these beds displace other equally needy patients seeking help for other reasons. It adds pressure to an already overburdened system.
The debate over decriminalization is a red herring as the number of charges laid for simple possession are very low in Toronto, and prosecutors rarely take these cases anyway. It seems that Toronto police and the Crown attorney’s office are on the same page here and have decided there is nothing to gain in trying to jail people for their addiction issues.
The federal government is stuck on the issue as it controls the heavy hammer of the criminal code but lacks the constitutional role of providing health care. It refused to heed the city’s recent request to decriminalize while the province sits on its hands and refuses to come to the table. The Doug Ford government is stuck in a 1980s Nancy Reagan “Just Say No” era and of course has no plan to help those dealing with addiction. Federal Mental Health and Addictions Minister Ya’ara Saks in denying Toronto’s request cited the “lack of support from key players including the province of Ontario.”
In a way Ford was right, for all the wrong reasons of course, to ask Ottawa to oppose the city’s request. It’s simply not enough to make possession not a crime. Effective harm reduction measures require a broad approach to treating addiction such as treatment beds, detox programs, rehab, counselling, a safe supply, a place to inject, and a promise not to incarcerate you for doing so. British Columbia (BC) tried this latter approach and it failed. Protections need to be in place, the public needs to be considered around these sites, needles need be collected and youth need to be out of harms way. A mother of two young children was caught in the cross fire and killed by a stray bullet outside a safe injection site in Leslieville last summer.
In BC, police found that the safe supply had migrated into the black market, which begs questions about how organized crime was able to infiltrate a government sponsored program. So BC’s approach was not perfect. But they tried and they will learn from it. We could learn from their experience too and develop a better program. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health says that in recent years, more than 2,500 have died each year as a result of drug toxicity alone, and opioid deaths among teens have tripled.
Neither the police, the courts, or the health care system alone can address this issue; it takes all three levels of government acting in concert. But without the resolve of the Ontario premier, who has seen the effects of addiction and drug abuse in his own family, we cannot find that community-wide solution. Ford just wants to conjure up tired old “war on drugs, tough on crime” narratives and wishes the problem would bury itself in a jail cell or a morgue.
As the issues of drug addiction, and drug toxicity increase, it touches more and more Ontario families, more and more voting families. It’s a lack of Ford’s willingness to govern for all the people that is most frustrating. As this health care pandemic grows, Ford may be motivated to try and find meaningful solutions that do not include sticking his head in the sand. Why not learn from BC’s initiative and develop an even better program for Ontario?
June 14th, 2024 · Comments Off on FORUM: Undoing vacant home tax debacle (May 2024)
Booze in parks gets green light, revamp of recycling on the horizon
By Dianne Saxe
Spring arrived early this year with turbulent weather in April and sunshine in May. It’s also been an eventful season: I hope you had a chance to enjoy the total solar eclipse, the Easter parades, Earth Day’s 45th anniversary, Toronto’s luscious bounty of cherry blossoms, and holiday meals with friends and family.
April’s council was dominated by a determination to fix the vacant home tax. I’m sure you’ve all heard moving stories about the over 65,000 Torontonians who received large, frightening tax bills for the homes they live in. No wonder so many of you wrote to our office for help! All of the incorrect bills should now have been reversed, and staff are working overtime to resolve the thousands of complaints. Toronto city council waived late declaration fees and instructed the city’s finance staff to completely rework the program for next year, possibly including my suggestion to allow residents to show occupancy through their utility data.
Second, Toronto city council relaunched the city’s climate resilience program which was dropped during COVID. We know that climate “weirding” is already costing the city heavily, with much more coming, and that planning ahead will soften the blow.
Third, it’s now clear that provincial rules will hand Toronto’s recycling system to the private sector on Jan. 1, 2026 and will cut the number of public recycling bins in half. I expect a bumpy rollout, especially if the new operator keeps using the city’s green bins marked with our logo. Staff are working to minimize the impact.
Fourth, Toronto city council has collaborated on fixing several loopholes that are used to cheat our short-term rentals bylaw to create things like “ghost hotels” while preserving income opportunities for legitimate hosts. For example, hosts will have to provide better evidence that a proposed short-term rental is their primary residence and must properly register to advertise. If you rent out your entire home, you can do so for up to 180 nights per year. A spare bedroom in your home can be rented out as often as you like. If you think there is an illegal short-term rental near you, we’ll be glad to ask staff to check.
Fifth, following the success of last year’s alcohol in parks pilot, I am glad that the policy has been made permanent for select locations. Staff reported high public satisfaction and no evidence that the policy caused increased harm. Toronto city council has therefore decided that there must now be a park in every ward where people can share a bottle of wine or beer with friends. We know this is especially good news for the half of my constituents who have been denied this opportunity as they don’t have private yards. I would be happy to add more Ward 11 parks to the list, in addition to the current permissions for Queen’s Park and Christie Pits. Residents’ associations and local groups may propose additional parks so long as they have washrooms.
One of my motions last year has now brought parking fines up to date across the city, effective August 1. Most parking fines were adjusted upward to match inflation since the last time rates were set. Fines for a small number of offences (like blocking EV charging sites or bike lanes) were increased through a motion of mine.
The spring calendar has included several engaging events in and around the Annex. We had a hugely successful first Community Environment Day at Central Technical School in May with residents donating, recycling, and disposing of books, clothing, electronics, hazardous waste, etc. The second will take place at Fred Hamilton Park on Sunday, June 23. First comers are entitled to two bags of free compost for their household!
I was proud to join the mayor and community organizers at the opening of a permanent home for the Blackhurst Culture Centre on Bathurst Street which will serve as a revitalized community space and bookshop in the Annex. I also enjoyed joining friends at the Centre for Social Innovation to celebrate Tapestry Community Capital’s sixth anniversary and the impact of their community bonds.
April and May are the classic months for spring cleaning, and in that spirit, I want to extend a big thank you to every neighbourhood group who cleaned up their parks and ravines for Earth Day, especially to those who held events on Sunday so I could attend. I was touched to plant pansies and paint flowerpots with the preschoolers at U of T Family Services’ rooftop garden at Charles and Bay. Finally, it’s great to see people of all ages enjoying the new exercise equipment at Jean Sibelius Square.
Have a wonderful conclusion to the spring season.
Dianne Saxe is city councillor for Ward 11, University-Rosedale.
June 14th, 2024 · Comments Off on FORUM: Queen’s Park roundup (May 2024)
Underfunding schools, justice system, and interference at colleges & universities
By Jessica Bell
It’s been a very busy period at Queen’s Park. Here are the highlights.
Parents stand up to pending school budget cuts
On May 8, I joined parents, students, teachers, and residents outside Kensington School for a rally to demand better funding for our public schools.
We hosted this rally because caring and dedicated parents at the school contacted our office to tell us Kensington is losing two teachers and will create a 4-5-6 split class in the 2024-2025 school year.
“The decision to have a three-grade split at our school is not based on learning outcomes. It doesn’t account for all of the range of abilities in the classroom. And it’s definitely not supportive of teachers,” said Rebecca Osolen, a parent at the school.
One of the reasons why schools are being forced to make tough choices like creating a grade 4-5-6 split is because of Toronto District School Board (TDSB) funding cuts.
The TDSB has already cut $64.7 million from its spending, and earlier this month, trustees approved an additional reduction of $17 million. Despite these cuts, the school board is still facing a $26.5 million shortfall for the upcoming 2025/2026 school year.
I want our kids to receive an excellent public-school education. Excellent public schools require investment from the provincial government, smaller class sizes, and more staffing; yet, so far, under the current government, per-student funding has fallen by $1,347 when factoring in inflation.
We are organizing events with other schools in the area to draw attention to how the cuts are affecting our children’s education.
The Conservatives want to rewrite campus anti-hate laws
We have received calls and emails about Government Bill 166. This bill requires universities and colleges to have anti-discrimination and mental health policies and gives the minister of Colleges and Universities the power to intervene in these policies.
Let’s be clear. Every university and college should have a comprehensive, balanced, and well-executed plan to support student mental health and address racism and hate on campus. This is especially important, given the very concerning rise in antisemitism, islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian racism in our city.
In committee, we heard from the post-secondary community that the vast majority of universities and colleges already have policies and services in place, but decades of chronic underfunding have compromised their ability to enact these policies.
I believe postsecondary policies should be developed through a process of broad consultation and engagement with those directly affected—students, faculty, staff, and communities—and informed by the best available evidence and subject matter expertise. I doubt overt political intervention on policies will improve student or worker safety on campus.
Our backlogged courts are denying people justice
My colleague, MPP Catherine Fife, has been working on Bill 198 Lydia’s Law for nearly two years. She wrote the law to draw attention to the experience of Lydia, a young woman who had her sexual assault case against her perpetrator thrown out after two years because of court delays.
This isn’t a one off event: 1,326 sexual assault trails were withdrawn or stayed across Ontario in 2022 alone. Too many cases are being dropped because courts do not have the staff or funding to try cases in a timely way.
Lydia’s Law would require the attorney general to provide statistics to the legislative assembly on the progress of sexual assault cases that have been in the system for eight months and not heard, and report on why.
Survivors from across Ontario had planned to watch the debate on Bill 198 this week in person, but that moment was taken away when the government sent the committee without debate or vote. The Conservatives occasionally send bills to committee to have them languish and die.
Despite the political games, survivors from across Ontario attended Queen’s Park to hold the government to account. I felt deep anger and a sense of injustice listening to their harrowing experiences at court. These survivors of violence are not going to give up until our courts are reformed, and neither will we.
Jessica Bell is the MPP for University-Rosedale and the Official Opposition’s Housing Critic. She can be reached at jbell@ndp.on.ca or 416-535-7206.
June 14th, 2024 · Comments Off on LIFE: Dupont Street’s “Dynamo on Ice” (May 2024)
Petra Burka reminded of her skating career that started in the Annex
By Mia Keskinen
Following the article A Forgotten Skating Venue on Dupont in the December issue of the Annex Gleaner, the Gleaner received a letter from Astra Burka. Astra reminisced about her experiences at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club, watching her sister, Petra Burka, dance on the ice when they were children. No one at the time could have known the success that Petra would achieve. Petra Burka, an Olympic bronze medalist, and world champion of figure skating, became known as the “Dynamo on Ice,” and she began her journey at the Toronto Curling, Skating and Cricket club.
Petra Burka won a bronze medal for Canada at the 1964 Winter Olympics. COURTESY ASTRA BURKA
Petra Burka was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands on Nov. 7, 1946. Petra’s mother and coach, Ellen Burka, was a Dutch national champion of the sport and a visionary of her time. She was made a Member of the Order of Canada “for elevating skating to an art form and for imaginative choreography on the ice.” She was the first to introduce ballet and modern dance onto the ice. Petra became the first of Ellen’s international students, and together, the two learned the ropes and found global success.
The family emigrated from the Netherlands to Canada in 1951. At 14 years old, Petra began to practise skating at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling club. When asked about how the skating club contributed to her later success, Petra mentioned that once she became a competitive skater, she would take months off school to train at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling club for competitions. This club was the perfect place for her to practise because it was open all day and had much more versatile hours compared to other skating clubs at the time, which only opened in the afternoon.
Petra also mentioned that she enjoyed the competitive environment fostered within the skating club. Many skaters who later became world champions practised at the club alongside her. Because she was surrounded by competition, Petra was inspired to become “the best of the best.”
Petra said that she always had a “fighting spirit” which she attributes to growing up as a Jewish immigrant in Canada. As an immigrant, Petra always felt different. In her words, “my voice was silent, but my story was told through my craft.” She fought her way to the figures, as her career took flight at the 1962 Canadian Championships. At the national championships, Burka became the first woman to land a triple Salchow and left with a silver medal in hand. In the same year, she debuted in the World Championship in Prague, and achieved fourth place.
Burka swept the figures, as she won the first of three senior national titles in 1964. She went on to represent Canada at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, and won the bronze medal. Her performance was described as “dazzling.”
Burka’s success would continue after the Olympics as she won bronze at the 1964 World Championships in Dortmund. She went on to pioneer many firsts in the world of Canadian figure skating. She became the first Canadian skater to perform in the Soviet Union when she toured Moscow and Kyiv. Petra became the first Canadian woman to stand at the top of the pedestal as gold champion in the 1965 World Championship in Colorado Springs, Colorado, since Barbara Ann Scott in 1947. She also became the first woman to complete the triple salchow at the World Championship. She won Canada’s Outstanding Athlete of the Year in 1964 and Canada’s Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year for two consecutive years, 1964 and 1965.
She retired from competition in 1966, but her impact on the ice became immortalised in Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1965, the Canadian Olympic Association Hall of Fame in 1972, and the Ontario Sport Legends Hall of Fame in 1995.
Though Burka retired from competition, her passion for figure skating would not die, as she returned to her roots in Toronto as a coach, following in the footsteps of her mother. Both Petra and her mother were made honorary members of the Toronto Cricket, Skating, and Curling club. Petra became her mother’s assistant, coaching at the Toronto Skating, Cricket, and Curling Club in 1980s. She became a full-time coach with the club during the 1990s, until Skate Canada hired her as a coach consultant for several years. Upon retiring from Skate Canada, Petra returned to the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling club as a coach from 2016 until 2020. Petra Burka dedicated her life to skating and then to coaching those who shared her passion as they learned to perfect the craft of figure skating under her guidance.
June 14th, 2024 · Comments Off on GREENINGS: Greater density along transit hubs is good for all of us (May 2024)
Mandating no cars under new builds is the way forward
It is very exciting to see the development of the old Honest Ed’s site almost come online. It means there will be more people in this city living close to transit. It means there will be more people in this neighbourhood to sustain the small businesses that make this neighbourhood liveable. We need to support high-density housing projects in this neighbourhood, but we have to make sure that these new projects come with zero new parking spots. We want walkers, cyclists, and transit users. We don’t want to be home to more polluting drivers who make the city dirty and dangerous.
In case you haven’t noticed, cars make cities terrible places. You would not fear for your kids running around outside if it weren’t for cars potentially mowing them over any minute. Cars make us miserable people. Study after study shows us that cars induce anti-social behaviours and make us horrible people. Why do we keep doing this to ourselves? It’s self-punishment of the highest order.
The Annex has four subway stations in the area; if we can’t build a car-free community, nobody can. Sadly, cars still dominate our otherwise amazing neighbourhood. Our community suffers so much from the ’70s-era legacy of prioritizing seconds of vehicular travel time over the health and safety of our children. We do not want to be a drive-through zone for people trying to get to a Jays game fast. We want this neighbourhood to be safe for kids to play ball hockey and throw a frisbee: that is what should be prioritized. Who cares if cars take an extra minute to get to the game? They should take 60 extra minutes to get to game. Drivers should be incentivized to get out of their cars and onto transit, and aside from making the cost of transit cheaper than parking, (right now it isn’t) driving should also be slower and a pain in the rear.
Making all this happen requires tremendous political will. The most pro-climate action you can take at this point is to get politically active at every level. A few things you can do for starters is to write to our city councillor, Dianne Saxe (councillor_saxe@toronto.ca) and let her know that you support high-density neighbourhoods but demand no new parking spots. Also, let her know you want to see all beg buttons a thing of the past. Beg buttons are what advocates call the crosswalk buttons that pedestrians push to beg for a light change to get across the street. They also force cyclists onto the sidewalk as the sensors never work. Let her know that lights should change for cyclists and pedestrians as a matter of course, and they, not car traffic, should be prioritized.
Write to our MPP Jessica Bell (jbell-co@ndp.on.ca) and let her know that it’s unacceptable that the province neither funds transit properly, nor do they toll roads into the city. Street parking for two hours should cost no less than a family of 4 taking transit two ways (about $28 for two hours). If it’s cheaper to drive, people will always choose that option.
Write to our Federal MP Chrystia Freeland (chrystia.freeland@parl.gc.ca) and let her know that not only do you support a carbon tax, but it should get higher, faster. Let her know that you also want to see the federal government regulate the amount of toxic dust coming off car tires that ourchildren end up breathing.
Simply getting in touch with your representative is a gateway drug to other forms of environmental action. I wish us all success in making this community a safer, better place to live.
Hopefully, we have not forgotten the horrendous wildfire smoke from last summer. Canada will face even more wildfires this year. The record-smashing heat is already in a vicious cycle. We no longer have time for political baby steps. Let’s make sure our politicians hear us.
Terri Chu is an engineer committed to practical environmentalism. This column is dedicated to helping the community reduce energy and distinguish environmental truths from myths.
May 7th, 2024 · Comments Off on ON THE COVER: Wychwood Pond (Apr. 2024)
Kids frolic in what was a tributary of Taddle Creek on June 17, 1916. The tributary was later dammed to create Wychwood Pond. Read more. COURTESY CITY OF TORONTO ARCHIVES
May 7th, 2024 · Comments Off on NEWS: Annex heritage properties at risk (Apr. 2024)
Deadline for designation is end of the year
260 St. George St. 262 St. George St.
By James Bullanoff
A large number of heritage properties are at risk of losing their status in the Bloor-Annex area and across Toronto. The pictures in this story are examples of the many “listed” but not “designated” heritage properties.
This comes after the city’s heritage meeting on Feb. 26 discussed plans in the face of recent amendments to the Ontario Heritage Act. According to these amendments, properties on the heritage register that are designated remain untouched; however, listed properties will lose their status after two years if they have not been researched and determined eligible for designation.
The deadline for the first batch of listed properties to be removed is Jan. 1, 2025.
In 2023, the Ontario government prioritized building more homes by passing Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act. This changed the Heritage Act and has had a major effect on the future of Toronto’s historical buildings. Areas dense with historical properties—such as the Annex—are at risk of ending up in the hands of developers.
In an email to the Gleaner, Prentiss Dantzler, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Toronto, discussed the effects this will have on the communities.
17 and 19 Admiral Rd.14 Admiral Rd.9-13 Admiral Rd.
“Removing properties from the heritage register is likely to decrease the number of properties listed over the next couple of years. In response to these amendments, municipalities will have to consider more properties for full designation within a shorter amount of time,” said Dantzler.
The heritage register currently lists houses in three different ways. First, there are two types of designations. Designation part IV means that one may require permission for work that involves altering, demolishing/removing or erecting a building or structure on the property. Designation part V allows you to submit drawings or specifications to alter or demolish a building or structure on a property.
83 and 85 Walmer Rd. 81 Walmer Rd.
According to data collected from heritage planning, the city planning division for heritage properties, that for Ward 11, University-Rosedale there are 2743 properties designated under part V, 287 properties designated under part IV, and 593 listed properties. It is the latter, the 593 listed properties that Bill 23 will no longer protect from redevelopment.
“Most people would probably agree that the preservation of buildings that have historical and cultural value are worth saving. The beauty of the city rests in the charm of old neighbourhoods, many of which were the first destinationof immigrant communities who have cultivated their own local institutions and reputations,” said Dantzler.
According to the heritage planning map, the listed properties include major stretches of neighbourhoods, such as 9 to 19 Admiral Road, 81 to 85 Walmer Road, and 260 to 264 St. George St.
Dantzler explained that municipalities typically allow about 60 days to consider a property for full designation. He added the intention behind these amendments seems to be focused on reducing the time for properties to remain on the list, forcing municipalities to make a concrete decision on preservation.
“The actual impacts of these amendments are unclear; however, this approach does put older properties at risk for demolition. And given the relationship between older properties and lower rental rates and higher rates of visible minority households, these impacts are likely to not be felt by all residents of the city, at least not immediately.”
One example of how long it takes for properties to become designated is the West Annex Heritage Conservation District Phase One—Madison Avenue. It was approved for study in 2004 as a community-led project. It was completed in 2015 but only came into force in 2019, four years later.
“Historic communities will be at risk of losing some of their local institutions, which stand as symbols of their long-term efforts to claim a place for themselves within the city. ” said Dantzler.
The city hired consultants to develop a set of guidelines that assess the risks in prioritizing designations. A significant concern was houses situated in major transit station areas (MTSAs), specifically properties that are 500–800 meters away or a 10-minute walk from a subway station, or just about the entire Gleaner coverage area from College Street in the south to Dupont Street in the north, Avenue Road to the east and Christie to the west.
According to a map collected from the Annex Residents’ Association, the area of Spadina station makes almost the entire Annex an MTSA. St. George and Dupont stations add to the area being subject to MTSA planning guidelines.
“In the governments’ efforts to address the housing affordability crisis, we cannot forget about the importance of community,” said Dantzler.
May 7th, 2024 · Comments Off on NEWS: Magic mushroom dispensary opens on Bloor (Apr. 2024)
Shroomyz chain store faces police raid and vandalism
By Ammara Khan
A Shroomyz mushroom dispensary recently opened at 497 Bloor St. W., replacing a nail salon. Since its opening, Shroomyz has experienced a police raid, a staff arrest, as well as significant vandalism. Despite these challenges, it continues to conduct business.
The Shroomyz Annex location is not difficult to spot. The store’s exterior displays bright and colorful posters of mushrooms asking customers to “walk into a new reality.” The exterior is now partially covered by large wooden panels due to the recent vandalism.
The interior reflects the colors of the exterior with graffiti-style art and screens depicting the different products sold. Some of the products, such as magic mushroom-infused gummies and chocolate bars, are displayed on glass shelves.
In order to enter, customers must wait for an employee to buzz them in, and when purchasing the products, customers are asked to sign a waiver stating they understand the risks. In the waiver, Shroomyz also recommends that the product be used in microdoses to treat individual conditions and not used when engaging with “potentially hazardous activities.”
Individuals using magic mushrooms may experience hallucinations or altered states of consciousness, according to the Government of Canada’s website about controlled and illegal drugs; however, the effects will vary from person to person, the site says.
Simultaneously, the government of Canada is investing nearly $3 million in studying the possible benefits of magic mushrooms when used as part of psychotherapy. Results show they do have therapeutic benefits when paired with psychotherapy, however more research needs to be conducted.
An employee at the Annex location, who identified as Super, says the products are popular among customers of various ages. Some who do not have access to a diagnosis for mental health issues use the products to self medicate.
Super spends his free time at the Shroomyz checkout counter reading the New York Times bestseller How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us about Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence. He is an advocate for, and consumer of, magic mushrooms.
Super shares his own experiences with the more therapeutic effects of magic mushrooms.
“The way that I think mushrooms work their magic is that they do dissolve your ego a little bit,” he said. “There’s a little more recognition of yourself as part or something. I think it’s that sort of connection, this idea of unity, this feeling of togetherness, the feeling that we are the same.”
“The feeling of connection feels amazing,” he continued. “It’s great to feel connected.” He explains that the best moments in our lives are the ones where we feel deep connections, even when we are on our own. That is how he describes the feeling of microdosing magic mushrooms.
While the store appears to be functioning, there are some concerns about its legality.
On March 5, witnesses saw a Toronto Police raid at the Shroomyz Annex location and arrested the store manager. Despite the raid, the store was able to reopen only two to three days later, and the manager was moved to a different location.
The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act states that obtaining, possessing, and trafficking (selling) controlled substances can be punishable by law unless authorized by Health Canada. The products sold by Shroomyz are controlled substances. Psilocybin is listed as a Schedule III drug under the legislation, hence the police raid.
“Magic mushrooms just generally refers to psilocybin-containing mushrooms. And there’s over 200 known identified species, like different genetic variations of mushrooms that contain psilocybin found all over the world. And we sell 13 of them that are professionally grown and dried,” shared Super.
In a comment made to the National Post on Aug. 31, the Toronto Public Service stated that “in terms of priorities, enforcement by TPS is largely focused on the trafficking of illegal drugs that are resulting in overdose deaths and having a traumatic and devastating impact on our communities.”
Despite the questions surrounding the legality of the business, neighbouring stores have nothing bad to say about Shroomyz.
Howard Pressburger is the manager at the hardware store Wiener’s, across the street from Shroomyz. He has been living in the Annex for 20 years. Pressburger calls Wiener’s the “unofficial hub of what happens in the neighborhood” due to being around for over 100 years. It appears the arrival of the store has brought both curiosity and an overall shrug from passersby.
Pressburger reported that aside from noticing a new store opening, none of Wiener’s customers have anything to say about the store.
He encourages pushing for more research on the use of mushrooms. He put money into an ETF (exchange-traded fund) that dealt with using hallucinogenic drugs in the medical field. “I mean, they exist, they’ve got a storefront, they’ve got signs up, they operate like any other regular ritual store of the strip. So I think the stigma just comes with what they’re selling. I think there’s a lot of preconceived prejudices towards that,” said Pressburger.
He also reflected that the community has not changed after the addition of Shroomyz to the neighborhood, “I don’t see them as being detrimental or more positive or, you know, they’re just like anybody else who’s selling stuff.”
Despite the storefront appearing to be well received by Annex locals, vandals brought hammers to the windows of both the Bloor and Queen location on April 5 without committing any theft.
Spokespeople for Shroomyz, authorized to speak to the media, were not responsive when asked to comment on the article. Toronto Police also did not reply to requests for comment.
Comments Off on NEWS: Magic mushroom dispensary opens on Bloor (Apr. 2024)Tags:Annex · News
