April 7th, 2026 · Comments Off on NEWS: New zoning rules revive affordability questions (Mar. 2026)
Proximity to four subway stations impacts the Annex
Radical changes in height and density within 200 metres and 500 metres of transit hubs. COURTESY CITY OF TORONTO
By Damola Omole
On Jan. 27, 2026, amidst heaps of leftover snow from a historic storm, the City of Toronto’s Station Area Zoning Project team hosted an open house at the West End Alternative School, where individuals from within and around the Annex community learned more about the city’s updated zoning for Toronto and East York neighbourhoods.
The city’s latest planning strategy involves updating neighbourhood zoning requirements to permit certain heights and densities to be built in proximity to Protected Major Transit Station Areas (PMTSAs) PMTSAs are a subset of Major Transit Station Areas, (MTSAs) which the city defines as areas within about 500 to 800 metres, or roughly a 10-minute walk, of existing or planned higher-order transit stations (subways, GO Transit, light-rail). There are currently 120 approved MTSAs across the city.
The distinction between PMTSAs and MTSAs is that, of the 120 approved MTSAs in the city, 95 of them (all PMTSAs) have required minimum densities where the city can also require affordable housing through inclusionary zoning.
The city and the provincial minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing established P/MTSAs through Official Plan Amendments (OPAs). Subsequently, in August 2025, the minister’s approval brought Chapter 8 of the Official Plan into effect, fostering a wave of changes like increased density and height permissions within 200 and 500 metres of the stations, as well as required minimum densities in PMTSAs.
This brings us to the city’s current goal which is to translate the new provincially approved policies into each applicable neighbourhood around Toronto.
The Planning Act directs the city to set zoning permissions to allow heights and densities, but not every site will be able to build to the maximum limit—there are different allowances depending on whether the site is designated as “Neighbourhoods,” “Apartment Neighbourhoods,” “Mixed Use Areas,” or “Regeneration Areas.”
As the Annex is a nexus of subway stations (St. George, Spadina, Bathurst, Christie, Dupont, and Museum), potential changes to the development landscape are significant. COURTESY CITY OF TORONTO
“Neighbourhoods” include a range of residential uses within lower scale buildings, as well as parks, schools, local institutions and small-scale stores and shops; detached houses, semi-detached houses, duplexes, triplexes and various forms of townhouses as well as interspersed walk-up apartments with or without elevators that are four storeys or less.
“Apartment Neighbourhoods” feature apartment buildings and parks, local institutions, cultural and recreational facilities, and small-scale retail, service and office uses.
“Mixed Use Areas” include a wide range of residential uses, offices, retail and services, institutions, entertainment, recreation and cultural activities, along with parks and open spaces.
“Regeneration Areas” are areas of the city that are no longer in productive urban use and these sites will be open to a variety of commercial, residential, live/work, institutional and light industrial uses that can be mixed within the same block or even the same building.
Under the new policies, on sites designated as “Neighbourhoods” in Toronto’s Official Plan, multiplexes and apartments may be built up to 6 storeys within 200 metres of a station; up to 6 storeys fronting a major street; and up to 4 storeys beyond the 200 metre zone and not fronting a major street.
In “Mixed Use Areas, Apartment Neighbourhoods, and Regeneration Areas,” the permitted density of a structure within 200 metres of a station is a floor space index (FSI) of 8 or more. The permitted density of a structure between 200 and 500 metres from the station is an FSI of 6 or more.
The City of Toronto’s explanation of floor space index from their presentation materials. COURTESY CITY OF TORONTO
Up to 30 storeys is the permitted building height for “Mixed Use Areas, Apartment Neighbourhoods or Regeneration Areas” in Toronto’s Official Plan on large, multi-tower sites (that can fit three or more towers) within 200 metres of a station. The permitted building height decreases to 20 storeys when the structure is 200 to 500 metres from a station. Taller heights may be permitted if a block plan is provided that includes the creation of public streets, parks, open spaces, public art and a mix of building types.
At the open house, Kyle Knoeck, the City of Toronto’s Director of Zoning, provided more clarity. “The province and the city have new planning policies that mandate increased density of housing and also jobs around transit stations, and the point of that is really to maximize the benefit of all the investment that governments are making into building transit in Toronto,” Knoeck said.
When asked to comment on how the planning policies would impact the Annex specifically, Knoeck referenced the neighbourhood’s various transit stations.
“There are transit stations in the Annex primarily along Bloor Street, and so those stations will receive permissions for larger and denser development.”
He continued: “You know, one development near the Annex on the former Honest Ed’s site is an example of the scale of development that could be permitted in other areas near transit stations.”
Knoeck is referring to the iconic Honest Ed’s discount department store that operated from 1948 to 2016 at Bloor and Bathurst.
Since the store’s closure and sale in 2016, the site has been transformed into the Mirvish Village housing development. Much of Mirvish Village has been built already; however, once fully completed, it will have a park, high- and low-rise apartments, a food hall, and other amenities.
Knoeck also discussed how the city’s inclusionary zoning requirements, which necessitate affordable housing in new residential developments located near public transit, are factored in.
He said that “[inclusionary requirements] when implementing zoning in protected major transit station areas would allow the city to secure those affordable housing units. But now, the province has announced that they’re considering pausing the implementation of inclusionary zoning until 2027.”
The Ford government recently paused its affordable housing policy, calling the rules it wrote “unnecessary red tape and requirements” that make it more expensive to build. This has subsequently delayed inclusionary zoning policies in Toronto.
In a city seemingly marred by an affordability crisis, many spoke out against this decision.
Among them was Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow who frankly said, “People need homes they can afford.”
Knoeck, however, remained neutral on the city’s stance regarding inclusionary zoning.
After all, the city has yet to opt in or out of the inclusionary zoning program.
“We don’t have a decision on that yet, but right now, as it stands, we’re assuming that the zoning that we’re proposing here would enable us to implement inclusionary zoning, which means affordable housing.”
April 7th, 2026 · Comments Off on IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK: Bathurst Street landmark fading into a prolonged sunset (Mar. 2026)
Bird bath designer, musician, gardener, and decorator all lived here
The once-grand 1117 Bathurst St. home will likely be demolished. MIKE MASTROMATTEO/GLEANER NEWS
By Mike Mastromatteo
It’s a sad visage greeting the traveller passing by the abandoned, crumbling house on the east side of Bathurst Street, just north of Dupont Street.
The house at 1177 Bathurst St. is a grand foursquare redbrick home with a rounded arch entryway and a small dormer window peeking out from the apex. Daylight streaming through openings in the roof indicate not all is well with the home.
Given the predominance of Victorian and Edwardian designs, foursquare-style buildings were a rarity for turn-of-the-century Toronto homes. Although the foursquare style was criticized for its lack of adornment, it won favour for its functionality, affordability, and more efficient use of interior space.
Nonetheless, 1177 Bathurst St., a home that has quietly sheltered dozens of families, guests, and lodgers over the last 120 years, is nearing the end of its days. It has been abandoned and boarded up for the last several months, and in an eerie tableau, the house appears to lean slightly to the left, indicating to the wistful that the house is aware its time is up.
This could be the last opportunity to tell of its history.
The building at 1177 Bathurst St. was constructed around the year 1905. It was the home of George and Lydia Plumb, English immigrants who arrived in Canada in 1885. George Plumb was a gardener by trade. He and Lydia were parents to daughter Marion (born 1906), son Noel (born 1911), and the youngest girl Audrey (born 1911).
Sadly, the 1921 Canadian census does not list Audrey Plumb along with the rest of the Plumb family at 1177 Bathurst. Given the high incidence of infant mortality in the early part of the 20th-century, one might assume young Audrey Plumb did not live long. Did the walls of this home absorb any of these unhappy emanations?
However, there were some happy moments for the Plumb family at the home. The Toronto Globe and Mail reported on April 5, 1923, that Noel Plumb, then about 12 years old, won a share of the $150 prize money in the Canadian Society for the Protection of Birds contest for designing bird baths, bird houses, and bird drawings. Noel and some of his classmates from the Hillcrest Manual Training Centre impressed the judges with their “cement pedestal bird bath.”
We don’t know much else about Noel Plumb’s post-1177 Bathurst life, but he did survive until April 17, 1990—passing away at age 79.
And the oldest daughter, Marion, would go on to another small but treasured moment. The March 10, 1948 edition of The Globe and Mail mentioned Marion’s performance as a soloist at the 23rd anniversary of the Park School Old Girls’ Association.
An odd quirk comes to the fore in researching the history of 1177 Bathurst St. It seems there was more than one gardener named George Plumb in Toronto from 1900 to 1925 or so. In addition to the George Plumb at 1177 Bathurst, there was another George Plumb, gardener, who in 1905 resided at 778 Yonge Street, and later at 20 Blake Street.
In any case, Lillian Plumb, George’s widow, resided at 1177 Bathurst St. until the mid-to-late 1930s. Following the Plumbs, 1177 Bathurst St. became home to George McFadden, a painter and decorator. McFadden, born 1882, resided at 1177 Bathurst for only about four years before the home went to his widow Edna, who shared the property with friend Nora Armstrong and lodger George Allen. Allen worked as a driver/dispatcher for the Toronto Daily Star, and it’s a safe bet he carried home free copies of the newspaper for the landlord.
Nora Armstrong hung on until 1963, after which the home began its slow transformation to a rooming house. A duplex to let classified ad appeared on Nov. 5, 1963, and again on Jan. 10, 1974, this latter one asking for $170 per month in rent.
Rental ads would appear periodically over the next 33 years, with the monthly rent appreciating along the way. By 2007, the rent climbed to $1100 per month. By today’s affordable housing challenges, paying $1100 a month for such a large, well-located property is only to dream of.
Although there would be new owners and tenants over the years, the property’s sad decline was in evidence by the mid-1980s. Hastening its fall, was a Sept. 28, 2025 fire in the home’s upper floors. Firefighters had to cut holes in the roof to extinguish the flames. The house was unoccupied at the time, but it is rumoured squatters had gained entry and were responsible for the fire.
In 2019, Makow Architects announced plans for a new development, the Annex Lofts, at the northeast corner of Bathurst Street and Bridgman Avenue. This would have involved the demolition of 1177 Bathurst St. and adjacent properties. Although the plans never came to fruition, other developers no doubt are planning their next moves.
Meanwhile, a sheet of paper taped to the front porch of the building might be the death knell for 1177 Bathurst St. Addressed to the property’s trustees, the paper is an unsafe building notice from the city’s building inspection department. There are problems with the joists, walls, and the very foundation. The building may or may not be physically revived but the memory will always remain of the ones who lived there.
April 7th, 2026 · Comments Off on CHATTER: Is your old toaster really toast? (Mar. 2026)
Karma Co-op revives its popular repair café
A repair café participant gets some expert help to fix his gear. COURTESY KARMA CO-OP
By Brian Burchell
The Small Appliances & Electronics Repair Café, co-hosted by Karma Co-op & Repair Café TO is returning on Saturday, March 28, from 12:00 p.m.– 3:00 p.m.
Bring your favourite but not-quite-functional small appliances and electronics. Stay to watch and learn precious repair skills from the fixers.
One can bring multiple items for repair but only one item per person will be fixed at a time. After an item is fixed, you can add your second item to the waitlist.
People bring all kinds of items. Here are some of the items that have been fixed in the last few years: electric razors, clippers, Bluetooth speakers, radios, clocks, shredders, mixers, blenders, food processors, a fabric steamer, a hand-held vacuum, and an electric scooter. Of course, not everything can be fixed, but most problems can be diagnosed; for example, a replacement part or a battery may be needed. And of course, older items were typically designed to be repaired, whereas many modern appliances are not. So, the repair cafe at times is also an education in how to shop for appliances that can be fixed.
All the Repair Café fixers and coordinators generously donate their expertise and time to bring these events to our community. They receive no compensation. Donations are welcome and can help cover the expenses for both the fixers and Karma.
Any surplus monetary donations are shared with Karma Co-op and Repair Café Toronto for co-produced events. Please note that Karma Co-op cannot accept donated appliances as it lacks the space to store them.
Karma Co-op is located 739 Palmerston Ave. The repair café is free to attend and everyone is welcome!
April 7th, 2026 · Comments Off on NEWS: Local crossing guard wins national award (Mar. 2026)
Khevin Enriquez brought a warm personality to his safety role
Crossing guard brought infectious enthusiasm to the role. COURTESY PARACHUTE
By Arathanie Rajakumar
Known for his charm and warmth, even on the coldest winter days, crossing guard Khevin Enriquez is one of three winners of the 2025 Canada’s Favourite Crossing Guard contest.
Out of 136 nominations from five provinces, Khevin Enriquez stood out for his friendly conversations and the way he brightened his pedestrians’ days. Although Kevin has now stepped down from his crossing guard role, he made the busy intersection at Bedford Road and Lowther Avenue, a place where children could cross safely and parents could feel at ease.
“It could be unpredictable with a lot of kids…so it helps a lot to have someone else who is focused on their safety and their well-being and is looking out for them,” said Dylan Skurka, a teacher at Keystone School.
Beyond keeping everyone safe, Enriquez’s kind and cheerful demeanour put a smile on the faces of everyone crossing. To the people he helped in the community every day, Enriquez was more than just a crossing guard; he was a friendly face who brought comfort and joy to every interaction.
When he wasn’t there he was “missed by pedestrians, especially children,” said Mahvash Solati, a resident of the community.
Parachute, a national charity devoted to injury prevention, has been recognizing Canada’s top crossing guards through this annual contest since 2005. In a post celebrating Enriquez, they wrote that “Even with heavy traffic and ongoing construction, he remains calm, friendly and attentive. He greets everyone with genuine kindness and ensures children, parents and pedestrians feel safe and cared for. He lifts people’s spirits, and teaches the children about safety in engaging, memorable ways.”
Enriquez is also passionate about being involved in the community through organizing art programs and Filipino theatre productions that allow people to appreciate and celebrate diverse cultures and traditions. These programs reflect his dedication to the neighbourhood and to spreading positivity.
Khevin Enriquez’s compelling smile and dedication to looking out for everyone will be deeply missed by students, staff, parents, and the entire community. The compassion and humanity Enriquez showed will continue to inspire the community, leaving a lasting impression on all who knew him.
Comments Off on NEWS: Local crossing guard wins national award (Mar. 2026)Tags:Annex · News
April 7th, 2026 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: Take from the poor and give to the rich (Mar. 2026)
Recent changes announced by the province to student funding and OSAP programs wreak havoc on a system already suffering from its mismanagement.
Doug Ford graduated from Scarlett Heights Collegiate Institute in Etobicoke. He then attended Humber College for two months before dropping out with no diploma. He then joined the family firm Deco Enterprises, a successful sticker factory established by his father. Other than being a politician, Ford is the heir to the company and does not need further education.
We don’t seek to slight the premier for being a politician; it is an honourable job, and at times thankless and unforgiving. However, it’s important to point out he has virtually no knowledge or experience in the post-secondary sector and is apparently disdainful of those who do. He also was never from a “working family just trying to make a buck.” That’s just his shtick.
It’s not surprising that he thinks students should only enter post-secondary studies with a view to immediate financial gain—a job. He lumps everything else under the contemptuous umbrella of “basket-weaving.” Ford is a transactional type of person and can’t fathom other life approaches.
The notion that the pursuit of basic knowledge is inherently valuable not only for the student but for everyone else is beyond him. Since Ford apparently sees himself as omniscient, the whole university and college sector rather baffles him. He knows “common sense” when he sees it, and he doesn’t need further education to get it. He wants to force students into degree programs that result in immediate gratification.
In early February, the province announced a sea change in funding for students through the OSAP program effective this September. Grants will be cut from a maximum of 85 per cent to 25 per cent. If eligible, students who were previously on the hook for $20,000 for a year’s tuition and expenses, will now receive $5000, reduced from $17,000. The rest will be loans.
The province will save nearly $1.6 billion annually on their cuts to OSAP. They are promising an equal amount to colleges and universities with additional financial support. They are quite literally taking money from students in need and handing it to the institutions. At the same time, the province is allowing modest increases of 2 per cent in tuition. So for students from relatively wealthy families the changes will amount to a couple of hundred bucks.
For students from poor families this is “relatively regressive policy” said Glen Jones, a professor of higher education at the University of Toronto. This is not about increasing access but “essentially rewarding, to some extent, the wealthiest population and taking money to fund the system from the most needy.”
Ontario’s post-secondary sector has been struggling for years. Despite high tuition rates, capped finally in 2019, colleges and universities here have faced the lowest provincial funding in the country. This forced the sector to invite more international students whose tuition was not capped. When the federal government reduced the number of study permits by 49 per cent, schools were left in the lurch.
The province did not plan for this. They deprived the sector for decades of adequate financial support and allowed tuitions to skyrocket. The Conservative government then froze tuition rates and sent the sector searching for replacement dollars.
Many students planning to enroll in post-secondary education in Ontario this September face an existential choice: Take the loans and live with paying them off well into your 30s or give up that gamble, skip the education, and take the low-paying job. The latter option probably involves reducing earning potential for life and likely never owning a home. Education in Ontario is rapidly becoming a luxury for the privileged, with policy driven by a man who probably could not even weave a basket if his life depended on it.
Doug Ford is the antithetical Robin Hood: he takes from the poor and gives to the rich.
April 7th, 2026 · Comments Off on FORUM: Funds flowing (Mar. 2026)
Putting our money—and our priorities—to work in the Annex
By Dianne Saxe
City budgets are moral documents. They show what we value and whether we invest prudently in the public services, spaces, and systems that make our neighbourhoods safe, welcoming, and liveable.
This year’s 2.2 per cent tax rate increase means a tight budget. The top budget expense is better transit, with no fare increase, more service, and a 47-ride fare cap. Better emergency services, longer library hours, the Toronto Arts Council, air conditioners for low-income seniors, and a tax break for small businesses were also funded, plus we gave many millions in waived development charges to build affordable housing. Most other programs were flatlined. The major cuts were in capital spending, such as a significant reduction in the long-awaited renovation of the Toronto Reference Library.
More operating funding is just part of our good transit news. I was delighted to finally ride the Eglinton Crosstown. It is clean, comfortable, sometimes beautiful, and faster than the bus. By May, it will run faster still.
I am also proud to speed up streetcars and buses. At my initiative, the Spadina streetcar obtained signal priority over left-turning vehicles at Dundas, College, and King—a simple, low-cost change that improves speed and reliability. It was so successful that the same changes are being made on Finch, with more to come. The TTC is also reducing bunching with artificial intelligence, signal adjustments, parking changes, and closer supervision.
In this tough budget, I squeezed out an increase for the chronically under-resourced Cecil Community Centre, our neighbourhood not-for-profit that serves a high-need community with recreational, educational, social, cultural, and capacity-building programs, from Early On toddler play to adult Tai-Chi swordplay.
With needs so great and money so tight, I’ve been working even harder to unlock Section 37 community benefit funds that were left unused by previous councillors. At the request of the Bloor Annex BIA and local residents, I’ve already released funds so the BIA can upgrade Seaton Park. Thanks to the BIA, this park is already cleaner and safer, and it will soon be better still.
Next will be millions for capital upgrades for ten affordable housing buildings run by St. Clare’s and TCHC. With Ford blocking Toronto from requiring developers to include affordable units in new buildings, it is more important than ever to look after the affordable housing we have already paid for.
Then I’ll be funding other exciting upgrades across our community, including: accessibility improvements, HVAC and performance improvements for cultural gems such as the TRANZAC, the Annex Theatre and the Al Green Theatre; heritage conservation at the lovely Heliconian Hall; public art at the Toronto Reference Library and Toronto Western Hospital; Huron Garden upgrades; benches and wayfinding at our TTC Line 2 stations; and a Bathurst Gateway to kick off the Little Italy Master Streetscape. None of these great projects could have been realized without my help.
In contrast, the provincial Blue Bin takeover has been frustrating. Cost-cutting, indifference, and poor customer service by Circular Materials and GFL Environmental has meant hundreds of missed pickups and excess litter on our streets. If you see Blue Bin litter on your street, please let us know. I can request extra street sweeping this spring.
In turn, forgotten Blue Bins made sidewalk snow clearance harder. In Toronto, major storms that dump more than 25 cm of snow in one day happen less than once a decade, with a virtually zero per cent chance of more than 40 cm a month. This year we had a record-breaking 90 cm of snow from two storms over 10 days, during a period of prolonged intense cold. I know people are tired of waiting, particularly cyclists and those who want to park on the quiet streets that receive snow removal last. But please be kind to our hard-working staff. City crews have done everything they can, working nearly 24/7 since these giant storms, ploughing after every snowfall and removing snow in between. Snow removal is frustratingly slow and expensive, especially when it must be paused for each new snowfall. Thank you to everyone for your patience. Climate breakdown is hard on cities.
I understand there are particular challenges for people in laneway houses since the city does not clear snow from laneways. I have asked for a report on the cost to improve winter access to these homes.
Thank you to everyone who joined our seniors’ townhall which involved exploring city programs and other supports for NORCs. Sign up for our newsletter so you don’t miss another townhall!
Dianne Saxe is city councillor for Ward 11, University-Rosedale.
April 7th, 2026 · Comments Off on FORUM: Generation screwed (Mar. 2026)
Doug Ford sticks it to the students
By Jessica Bell
In the name of “saving” Ontario’s financially strapped colleges and universities, the Conservative government has decided students should foot more of their tuition bill.
Come September, the maximum share of grant funding available through the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) will drop from 85 per cent to 25 per cent. The tuition freeze has also been lifted, allowing colleges and universities to increase tuition by up to two per cent per year.
That means bigger loans and more debt.
Postsecondary education is already expensive.
Students broke down the cost of going to school at a recent student roundtable we hosted at Queen’s Park. Raymond Bhushan, an engineering student at the University of Toronto, said he spent about $17,000 a year on tuition as an undergraduate, $13,000 a year for a room in a shared house, and $10,000 a year for food and basic expenses. That’s roughly $40,000 per year—or about $120,000 in costs over a four-year degree.
And now it’s going up.
These fee hikes will impact who goes to college or university, and who doesn’t. “Doug Ford wants postsecondary education to be just for the elite,” said Arpit Nigam from the OCAD Student Union. “And that’s what it will become.”
Students with help from the bank of mom and dad will manage. Everyone else will face an impossible choice: don’t go—and limit your earning potential for life. Or go—and carry crushing debt well into your 30s.
When defending the cuts to OSAP grants, Ford, at a recent press conference, suggested students were choosing programs with no practical value.
“You’re picking basket-weaving courses,” he said. “There’s not too many baskets being sold out there.”
The truth? Most of the students I meet want practical and meaningful careers—engineering, nursing, IT, carpentry, education, social work, public policy. They understand how tough the job market is and how expensive Ontario has become.
Along with his tuition-hike announcement, the premier also committed to increase government funding to colleges and universities. He described his announcement as “historic” and “generational,” but the funding crisis he’s attempting to fix was largely of his government’s own making.
Ontario provides the lowest per-student funding in Canada by far, while students here pay the highest tuition.
For years, institutions papered over chronic underfunding by dramatically increasing international enrolment and charging those students three to five times more in tuition than domestic students. When the federal government tightened immigration in 2025, international enrolment dropped by 70 per cent and the model collapsed.
Universities laid off approximately 2,500 workers and suspended or closed 2,700 courses and programs. Colleges laid off about 8,000 workers and suspended or closed 700 courses and programs.
The anger students are feeling is not just about tuition and debt. It’s about making it even harder for a generation that already feels like they’re being left behind.
One in four young people are looking for work. Wages are stagnant. Rent and groceries are sky-high. Owning a home or raising a family feels increasingly out of reach. Talk of economic hardship or climate apocalypse isn’t conspiracy theory talk anymore—it’s part of everyday conversation.
Students notice that while this government is asking them to pay far more than previous generations did, the Conservatives continue to fund the scandal-ridden provincial Skills Development Fund which gives funding to businesses to provide training. Why not reinvest that Skills Development money back into public colleges and universities?
Political apathy can fester in moments like this. When survival takes all your energy, activism feels like a luxury. The Conservatives are counting on that exhaustion. I think they’ve miscalculated.
We’ve seen what happens when governments push too far.
In 2012, Quebec students organized against the proposed tuition hike from $2,168 to $3,793 under Premier Jean Charest. (Gosh, these costs seem cheap to my Ontario ears.) The student protests became tuition strikes which grew into one the largest student protest movements in Canadian history. The government passed emergency legislation to ban large protests, but that only escalated opposition.
The protests culminated in the ouster of the premier and the election of the Parti Québécois in the fall of 2012, which halted the tuition increases.
Students are often dismissed as politically disengaged. History says otherwise.
If this government thinks students will quietly accept a future of deeper debt and diminished opportunity, they may be in for a surprise. This isn’t just a budget line item. It’s a generational fight.
Jessica Bell is the MPP for University-Rosedale and the Shadow Minister for Finance and the Treasury Board. You can reach her office at jbell-co@ndp.on.ca or 416-535-7206.
April 7th, 2026 · Comments Off on ARTS: Art exhibition returns to Insomnia (Mar. 2026)
Multidisciplinary show fills the restaurant walls
Artist Tyler Ball poses in front of several of his works currently on display at Insomnia Restaurant, including Phthalo Blue (left) and Eternal Now (right). COURTESY INSOMNIA RESTAURANT
By Rose Haberer
Since 1997, Insomnia Restaurant & Lounge, located at 563 Bloor St. W., has been a gathering place for Toronto’s creative community. This February, the restobar deepens that commitment with the launch of its Artist Series, opening with a dual exhibition by multidisciplinary artists James “Zirco” Fisher and Tyler Ball. The exhibition runs from Feb. 8 to April 26, 2026.
The Artist Series grew out of a broader effort to revitalize Insomnia as a cultural hub. Creative coordinator and curator, Sophia Wilson, noted the importance of spaces like Insomnia in providing artists with platforms. “The series is about creating a home for art that reflects Toronto’s culture—a home where people can gather, engage with artists directly, and connect with one another,” she said.
Wilson explained that she looks for works that can thrive within Insomnia’s eclectic environment. “For me, it’s especially interesting when the art reflects something that’s happening in the world. Art is an expression of what’s happening around us, and when it can really encapsulate that, it’s powerful,” she added.
The works by the first featured artists, James Fisher and Tyler Ball, exemplify the vision Wilson seeks to showcase.
Fisher’s series, Heart Matters, draws inspiration from what he describes as an especially turbulent moment in the world. “Heart Matters means two things,” Fisher explained. “First, it’s about confronting the emotions we feel toward ourselves and everything around us. Second, it’s a reminder that those feelings matter. It’s important not to lose heart during difficult times. Listen to your heart and live by it.”
Fisher described his relationship to Toronto as complex, often retreating into his art as a haven from the city while simultaneously drawing inspiration from it. “The city shapes my practice. I’m undeniably in the middle of it and contribute to it, but it also creates a tension that both inspires and distracts me.”
Fisher described the process of finishing a piece as fluid. Many works in Heart Matters are new, while others he has reworked over the years. “I’m always pulling pieces back out, pairing them with others and combining them to make something new,” said Fisher.
Tyler Ball, a two-time Art Battle Toronto city championship finalist, described a similar phenomenon: “There are paintings I could keep adjusting forever. But over time, there’s a quiet inner knowing when something is complete, and it’s time to make that final brushstroke.”
Ball’s works were created over the past few years during what he described as a period of significant personal growth. The pieces explore memories of childhood and the transition into adulthood. One of the largest works, Cottonmouth, reflects his struggles with self-expression as a child. “The mouth in the painting bursts with loose, twisted strands, like threads of a conversation that never quite come out smoothly. I’ve become much better at expressing myself as I’ve grown older. Sometimes I wonder if struggling to speak pushed me toward art as another way to communicate,” Ball said.
Ball credits Toronto’s energy as a major influence on his practice. The city’s “constant movement, streetcars, traffic, conversations, and music” keep his senses alert and provide a wealth of material for creation. He is currently working on a series of live paintings that capture the city’s fleeting moments. “Painting the city in real time is a way to plug directly into its energy and transmute that hustle and bustle into colour, texture, and movement on the canvas,” he said.
When asked what he hopes viewers take away from his work, Ball said he aims to spark imagination and inspiration. “Art becomes a bit magical when people interpret things about a piece in ways I hadn’t anticipated. I love that art can hold many meanings at once. I hope whatever feelings get stirred up stay with them in whatever way they need.”
For curator Sophia Wilson, it’s these connections between viewers and artists that bring the series to life, especially the moments when someone truly resonates with a piece. She emphasized that the Artist Series is about more than emotional engagement; it’s also a tangible way to support creatives. “When someone comes in, sees a piece, and decides to buy it simply because something about it just strikes them, that moment feels so special,” she said.
For more information about the exhibition or to apply for the Artist Series, visit: www.insomniarestaurant.com/visual-artist-series.
April 7th, 2026 · Comments Off on ARTS: Desi Di Nardo, an Annex poet laureate (Mar. 2026)
You can take the poet out of the Annex, but you can’t take the Annex out of the poet
Poet Desolina (Desi) Di Nardo has a soft spot for the Annex. MIKE MASTROMATTEO/GLEANER NEWS
By Mike Mastromatteo
More than a few observers have noted the “literary” element of life in the Annex.
Many writers, professors, and poets still live within its boundaries, suggesting in some ways that the Annex is more than the sum of all its streets, homes, buildings, and people.
One long-time Annex resident, Desolina (Desi) Di Nardo, is doing her part to expand the notion that this unique part of Toronto abets an artist’s creative muse.
An instructor of English and communications at George Brown Polytechnic, Di Nardo is the author of more than 150 poems, many of which touch on the Annex experience. Her poem, Rainbird in the Annex, for example, mentions two Annex denizens, the late poet Gwendolyn MacEwen, and contemporary author extraordinaire Margaret Atwood.
The poem reads:
I make my way to MacEwen’s salient red door to catch some remnants of her a faint scent lifting into old familiar skin her unbendable pronounced lightness absorbed by sky deliquescent words lost to the sun her cordless poetry smothered by wind I float on forgetting why I came and become caught in Atwood’s wide-brimmed hat I nestle in and burrow seeds surrounded by other flight
Rainbird in the Annex was chosen as one of the Toronto Transit Commission’s (TTC) Poetry on the Way offerings and was displayed on subway boards between 2005-2007.
Di Nardo was born on Borden Street and spent the first 40 years of her life observing the life and times of her community. Although she later relocated west of the Annex, she still draws on her experience here for her creative inspiration. Despite her modest nature, Di Nardo is quite comfortable taking on the title of the Annex’s unofficial poet laureate.
In an interview with the Gleaner, Di Nardo cited sense of place as a key factor in an artist’s creative expression. “I think the Annex was one of the reasons why I first got into poetry because the sense of place is such an integral part of who and what we become,” she said. “I don’t think people realize just how fundamental and important it is.”
Another particularly Annex-centric Di Nardo poem is Canadian Moose, a paean to Florence, a woman who lived on the streets near Bloor and Bathurst for a number of years.
This poem, written at the time former Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman was erecting gaudy moose sculptures all over the city, honours Florence, who despite her circumstances, became a welcome figure in the neighbourhood. “[Florence] was a landmark in the Annex. A real focal point,” Di Nardo said. “She was homeless, but she was one of the most respected figures in the neighbourhood.”
The poem reads in part:
Florence loves to smile from her bald toothless head. Her thick fleshy body pushes out against constricting clothes. She waddles in and out of stores looking at clerks … Volatile, catapulting threats, mocking you with her eyes, She disarms you. Wanton streetwalker of a time long ago, She now sails proudly through the crowds … She is the moose you see strewn along Bloor Street. Emblem of our city, she stands erect, Taunting, parading her flag, claiming the streets, Laughing at the silliness of it all.
In addition to her teaching gig at George Brown Polytechnic, Di Nardo has also worked as a poet in residence and has served as a consultant to Toronto school boards to promote poetry and creative verse in the classroom. She emphasizes that students need not strive for mastery when learning to appreciate poetry’s gifts.
“Poetry invites learners to speak from experience rather than performance, lowering the stakes while deepening the substance,” Di Nardo said. “As trust builds, students begin to articulate what they’ve long carried but never voiced. Poetry cultivates presence, openness, and the kind of shared exchange that allows genuine learning to take root.”
At a time when many poets lament the diminished status of poetry and creativity, Di Nardo emphasizes the many unsung benefits of the craft. She likens poetry as a form of therapy, turning grief into grit, or more poetically perhaps “ache into alchemy.”
She once promoted poetry at a Habitat for Women event organized to support women recovering from domestic violence and abusive relationships. She hosted similar workshops at the Hospital for Sick Children and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).
“The women I worked with had endured coercive control. Their vulnerability was not a flaw but the residue of prolonged harm. Their stories had been silenced for years, and what they needed was a form that didn’t ask for polish, coherence, or permission. Poetry offered that opening—a form that asked nothing of them but presence, breath, and truth. This is why poetry becomes indispensable for those navigating vulnerability.”
For anyone who has suffered, whether from abusive relationships, coercive control, or bullying, poetry becomes, “a quiet reckoning, the truth that refuses to be patted down and buried.”
After all this time, Di Nardo still holds a special place in her heart for the Annex. Call it sentiment, nostalgia, or even hyperbole, Di Nardo salutes her Annex muse. “The Annex forms writers in subtle ways,” she said. “The old houses, the academic hum, the layers of class, migration, artistic ambition—all of it sets a tone. Café eyes, seminar rooms, literary signals: these are the soft forms of surveillance that tell you what a ‘Toronto poet’ should sound like, which themes feel sanctioned, which ambitions feel safe.”
Comments Off on ARTS: Desi Di Nardo, an Annex poet laureate (Mar. 2026)Tags:Annex · Arts
March 11th, 2026 · Comments Off on ON THE COVER: It takes a village (Feb. 2026)
It takes a village. Volunteers from Community Bikeways and Curbside Cycle cleared the bike lanes on Bloor Street after this January’s historic storm. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS
Comments Off on ON THE COVER: It takes a village (Feb. 2026)Tags:Annex · On the cover
