April 12th, 2023 · Comments Off on CHATTER: Pink Day returns to University of Toronto Schools (Mar. 2023)
University of Toronto Schools’ Day of Pink celebration seen here in 2018. Toronto Police sent their
mounted unit to show their support. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS
On April 12, the University of Toronto Schools (UTS) is celebrating the International Day of Pink for the tenth year to stand up against bullying and support its 2SLGBTQ+ community. The Day of Pink will be celebrated with a block party and raffles for the community, in addition to assemblies led by UTS students.
The International Day of Pink, like Pink Shirt Day (which falls in February), is an event which encourages students to wear a pink shirt to stand up against bullying. The Day of Pink, however, focuses specifically on preventing anti-2SLGBTQ+ bullying and hate.
The Day of Pink was first observed in 2007 when two high school students in Nova Scotia noticed their gay peer was being bullied for wearing a pink shirt. The next day, everyone at the school wore pink to stand up for the bullied student, sparking a tradition which has had millions of annual participants since.
“The Day of Pink corresponds directly with our morals and our values (at UTS) of making everyone feel welcome here, no matter what sex, orientation, background, or religious beliefs they have,” said Chris Walasek, a teacher and organizer of the UTS Day of Pink celebrations. “I’ve heard time and time again from students that events like these make all the difference,” said Walasek.
UTS will hold a block party on April 12 on Washington Avenue outside their new building which will feature live music, vendors, raffles, and other student-led celebrations. The raffles, endorsed by the Bloor-Annex BIA and many of its members, will offer a variety of prizes donated by businesses along Bloor Street. Proceeds will go to support Rainbow Railroad, a non-profit organization that helps persecuted 2SLGBTQ+ individuals around the world relocate to safety. The UTS population of over 700 students and staff members invites community members to show their support on the day by wearing pink and joining the fun at their block party.
April 12th, 2023 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: Ford’s budget is a fail (Mar. 2023)
The province is enjoying a windfall from sales tax on the inflated prices of goods and services. Notwithstanding a legacy of debt, which provincial governments of all stripes have contributed to, this government here and now is swimming in cash. One might have expected a budget with more punch, a budget that makes a difference for the economy, the environment, or for the many Ontarians who are struggling right now—but no. We have a budget that is neither conservative nor progressive, and there appears to be no underlying vision whatsoever, beyond kicking the can down the road.
The finance minister is self-congratulatory. He is forecasting a balanced budget in 2025 on the back of the aforementioned inflationary sales tax bump and a general unwillingness to help out anyone. It’s hardly the “lean mean” fiscal plan one might expect from a Conservative premier. It’s a $195 billion spending plan. Adjusted to today’s dollars, this is the biggest budget the province has ever had and among the least impactful. According to the Globe and Mail’s Andrew Coyne, Ford’s “real spending amounts to roughly $12,000 per capita” more than his Liberal predecessor, Kathleen Wynne, and more even than the former NDP premier Bob Rae, whose real spending was $8,700 per capita. The Conservatives previously took control of the legislature ostensibly to reverse Rae’s wasteful spending, and yet they are now spending 40 per cent more per person, and this is all assessed in today’s dollars.
Not only is spending through the roof, but there is also a lingering debt to carry. Ontario’s debt equals 39 per cent of the economy. This debt-to-GDP ratio is the highest in Canada. The province’s accumulated debt as of March 31, 2023 is $407 billion, and that requires $13.6 billion in annual interest payments. Those payments are in the budget, and that cash is unavailable to support health care, education, or climate change action.
Doug Ford’s government says it will enable the building of 1.5 million homes in the next 10 years. He’s already well behind, as this budget allows for only 80,000 to be built this year. That’s a slide from 2022 when 96,000 were built: the trend is not good. Part of the problem is historic labour shortages in the sector. The province says it will need 72,000 additional construction workers by 2027 to meet its goals. This budget earmarked $3.5 million to help make that happen, but according to the Ontario Home Builders’ Association, that will only contribute to 2000 more workers.
It’s clear this budget does not scream fiscal prudence, but it also doesn’t mean that it is progressive in any way. Low-wage earners have received the equivalent of a kick to the teeth with this budget as the minimum wage has been frozen while inflation hovers around six per cent; pay is now going down. The minimum wage will increase by six per cent in October to $16.55 per hour, but since this only matches inflation, it’s not a real raise. The message to all workers is that the two paid sick days a year Ford gave you during the pandemic are also going down—to zero. This budget contains no provision for rent controls or to prevent “renovictions.” This will impact many Annex residents living in older rental accommodations.
Bill 23 eliminated the municipal power to charge development fees. These are the fees cities use to build infrastructure like roads, sewers, and parks to accommodate new buildings. The estimated loss to the City of Toronto alone is $230 million a year. It’s a gift to the development industry. At the time Bill 23 was introduced, Housing Minister Steve Clark assured municipalities they would be made whole: “There should be no funding shortfall for housing enabling infrastructure as a result of Bill 23,” he wrote.
The budget makes little mention of the climate crisis. In its failed Supreme Court application urging the court to cancel the federal carbon tax for Ontario, the Province of Ontario argued that it was their constitutional right to manage environmental laws and policies. Apparently, in this budget, Doug Ford is showing us it’s his right to do nothing.
In its many failings this budget underscores Doug Ford’s inability and/or unwillingness to govern.
April 12th, 2023 · Comments Off on FORUM: Budget passes in a consensus vote (Mar. 2023)
New support for vulnerable residents
By Dianne Saxe
I hope this message finds you well and enjoying the end of winter. The events unfolding at city hall have been nothing short of extraordinary lately. From the first ever “strong mayor” budget to the mayor’s first loss on a major vote (the Yonge Street Complete Street) to 280 development applications in Ward 11 alone, there’s been a lot going on.
And then, the dramatic resignation of John Tory triggered the largest byelection that Canada has ever seen.
I have been working closely with my colleagues to keep the city running. Together, we engaged in extensive budget negotiations which resulted in consensus motions on Feb. 15 to reallocate $8 million to Toronto’s vulnerable residents.
Council provided $800,000 to pilot a 24/7 warming centre until mid-April, $1.7 million for community organizations catering to the most vulnerable, funds for eviction prevention, $100,000 for the 519, and $1 million for property tax relief for low-income seniors and disabled individuals. Council also reallocated $500,000 to a credit enhancement program which will
expand the Home Energy Loan Program. While there is still much to be done, I am proud to have helped obtain vital funding for those who need it the most.
I am equally proud of the Cecil Community Centre, which has repeatedly gone above and beyond in its efforts to provide a warming centre to those in need during this month’s extreme cold weather.
The Yonge Street Complete Street is now permanent from Bloor to Davisville, thanks to the very hard work of city staff and community activists and to 15 of my colleagues who supported me at city council. Together with the traffic safety study that I requested, this major milestone will improve safety, reduce traffic congestion, and promote sustainability in our city.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this initiative with their advocacy and feedback.
It’s also great news that Metrolinx finally agreed to move its layover facility out of the Don Valley.
As we navigate the post-John Tory landscape, I will continue to provide steadfast representation and unwavering leadership at city hall, ensuring that the voices of our community are heard, that Ward 11’s needs are met, and that our city takes seriously the risks and opportunities of our climate crisis.
To stay informed on my progress or any other city matter, please sign up for Ward 11’s newsletter here: https://diannesaxe.ca/news/#_newsletter.
Dianne Saxe is city councillor for Ward 11, University-Rosedale.
April 12th, 2023 · Comments Off on FORUM: Conservative budget doesn’t deliver for Toronto (Mar. 2023)
Ford’s budget leaves us hanging
By Jessica Bell
The Conservative’s budget was released on March 23. Overall, the budget increases spending by one per cent, far below the 6.8 per cent rate of inflation. We will be seeing cuts. Here’s the lowdown.
Health care
Funding for health care is about the same as last year, even though demand is growing. The Conservatives are putting more money toward for-profit health clinics in the budget. For-profit health care will worsen staff shortages in the public system, lead to more emergency room closures, and cost Ontarians more.
We are hearing reports of scheduled cancer surgeries in Ottawa being delayed because nursing staff weren’t available to staff the recovery room because they were engaged in “private work.” Nursing staff can earn double at the for-profit orthopedic clinic that rents out operating rooms at the same hospital on Saturdays.
We should resolve the surgery backlog and provide care quickly to Ontarians by investing in public health care, paying health care workers higher wages, and staffing up public operating rooms so they can operate on evenings and weekends.
Mental health
There’s more funding for community mental health care and addictions which is absolutely needed in our riding.
Transit
There’s no new funding for transit operations or maintenance which means the big TTC service cuts in March will remain. In our area, we will see less service on the Line 2 subway line, Queen Street and Dufferin Street. The province used to match the city’s share to the TTC’s budget, and it should do so again.
Housing
The Conservatives announced $202 million each year for two years to homelessness prevention and Indigenous supportive housing.
Don’t think for a second this is new money. Overall, funding to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, which funds housing, is being cut by $124 million.
There is more funding to ease the backlog at the Landlord Tenant Board. To make housing affordable, Ontario must build 1.5 million new homes in areas zoned for development, end exclusionary zoning, stabilize rent, clamp down on investor-speculation, and establish a public builder to construct affordable housing on public land.
Education and childcare
The Conservatives have been falsely boasting about their historic investment in education, but the entire funding increase is coming from the $2.3 billion the federal government gave Ontario for childcare.
We will not know the full extent of the school cuts for a few months. The TDSB is projecting a $61 million shortfall for the coming year and a loss of 522 staff positions. There is sufficient funding to maintain the 50 per cent reduction in childcare fees, with the goal of reaching $10 a day childcare by 2025. Most of this is federal money.
The issue is capacity. This budget doesn’t allocate money to increasing wages to stem the exodus of childcare workers. The budget allocates $226 million to help build the 226,000 childcare spots that need to be created.
Autism
There is no new money to improve Ontario’s inadequate autism funding programs.
Cities
Toronto is getting a seven per cent hike in property taxes and a cut in services and infrastructure because Ford is not giving any new money to cities to help us prosper and pay for the services the entire GTHA uses.
Bill 23 also curtails Toronto’s ability to collect development fees for services, such as transit, affordable housing, and parks.
Unless the federal government rescues us, we’re on track for more property tax hikes and service cuts for years to come.
Poverty
While social assistance rates are now indexed to inflation, the budget did not increase the base rate for Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support Payments. We are calling for a doubling of the social assistance rates because it’s morally the right thing to do, and it’s cheaper.
Climate
There’s no new money for climate action.
We will continue to push for a budget that puts people first, invests in good jobs and public services, makes life affordable, and protects our future.
Jessica Bell is the MPP for University-Rosedale and the Official Opposition’s Housing Critic. She can be reached at jbell@ndp.on.ca 416-535-7206.
March 27th, 2023 · Comments Off on ON THE COVER (Feb. 2023)
Bloor Street United Church located at Bloor St. and Huron St. is being reduced to its original architectural form to make way for luxury condominiums. (BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS)
March 27th, 2023 · Comments Off on NEWS: 30-storey tower to replace Metro (Feb. 2023)
Grocer to relocate to the northwest corner of Bloor and Spadina
The Metro at Bloor and Robert Streets is to be razed for a 30-storey condo structure. COURTESY PETER VENETAS, BOUSFIELDS INC.
By Fox Oliver
On Oct. 12, 2022, Bousfields Inc. submitted an application to build a 30-storey tower at 425 Bloor St. W.
The mixed-use building is designed to make the most out of land in a high-traffic area which currently hosts a single-storey Metro grocery store.
The building, designed by the IBI Group, would feature a six-storey “podium design,” topped with a 24-storey residential tower. The 418 residential units in the building would likely be condominium units, consisting of 79 studios, 229 single-bedroom units, 67 two-bedroom units, and 43 three-bedroom units.
Over 1000 square metres of space on the ground and mezzanine floors would be used for retail purposes.
The proposed tower would replace the Metro at 425 Bloor St. W. and Robert Street that many nearby residents depend on; however, Stephanie Bonk, communications manager at Metro, confirmed that Metro will not be leaving the community.
It will be relocating to an upcoming 35-storey mixed-use building at 350 Bloor St. W. which is being developed by the same team as the 425 Bloor St. W. building.
“The current (Metro) location will not move until the new store is built, so no store closure will be required,” added Bonk.
The development at 425 Bloor St. W. cannot begin construction until site plan approval is administered by the city and the building at 350 Bloor St. W. is complete.
Construction at 350 Bloor St. W. is estimated to last 36 months once it begins, meaning the project at 425 Bloor St. W. will not begin for a minimum of three years. Construction at 425 Bloor St. W. would also take approximately 36 months to complete, if planning goes as expected.
“We’re trying to create a highly animated public realm,” said Peter Venetas, project manager for both the 350 and 425 Bloor St. W. developments.
This involves expanding the sidewalk on Bloor Street to a width of 6 metres, creating active retail space, and expanding upon the work that the Bloor-Annex BIA has done along the Robert St. parkette.
Enhancement of the public realm is particularly important as the building lies within 500 metres of a subway node and is likely to generate increased pedestrian traffic in the area.
The brickwork, archways, and large windows incorporated in the building’s facade are inspired by its surroundings and designed to compliment visual themes in the Annex.
The building will incorporate multiple green roofs totalling at least 60 per cent of available roof space as required by Chapter 492 of the Toronto Municipal Code.
“It is too early to say for certain how the building will affect the area,” said Sue Dexter, a founding board member of the Harbord Village Residents’ Association (HVRA).
Dexter says that it is especially important for the developers to listen to the community while planning, as the building would exist on both the commercial Bloor Street West and the residential Robert Street.
“We (the HVRA) will be engaged in a lot of discussion with the developers throughout the process,” said Dexter.
The likelihood of increased pedestrian and vehicular traffic, the developers’ ability to tap into the University of Toronto’s geothermal project under the adjacent Robert St. Field, and opportunities to engage with the abutting parkette will all be points of conversation for the HVRA and the developers, elaborated Dexter.
Participating in dialogue with the community is not a new initiative for the developers.
“We’ve learned a lot of things from our work at 350 Bloor. We’ve been engaging in community discussion since 2018, and we will continue to learn from our surroundings,” said Venetas.
Currently the development team is planning to engage with a handful of community stakeholders, including the city councillor’s office, the HVRA, the Annex Residents’ Association, the Bloor-Annex BIA, Trinity-St. Paul’s Church, and the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre.
Venetas said that a formal engagement process will also take place with these groups once the application process reaches a later stage.
Venetas invites residents to read more about the development projects on their community consultation websites which can also be used to share comments with the development team.
Comments Off on NEWS: 30-storey tower to replace Metro (Feb. 2023)Tags:Annex · News
March 27th, 2023 · Comments Off on NEWS: 196 years of Black history in Toronto (Feb. 2023)
A church founded by former slaves who were rejected by “white” churches
By Hailey Alexander
Founded by former slaves First Baptist Church Toronto is now located at 101 Huron St. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS
First Baptist Church at 101 Huron St. was founded in 1826 by Elder Washington Christian and 12 other formerly enslaved people who escaped to Canada by way of the Underground Railroad. First Baptist Church is the oldest Black institution in Toronto.
First Baptist Church has experienced many challenges. Penelope Hodge, church historian, stated that Upper Canada passed an act in 1793 to prevent the “further introduction” of enslaved people and limit the term of “forced servitude” in the province.
This statute provided children born to enslaved parents automatic freedom upon reaching the age of 25.
One of First Baptist Church’s previous locations was at University Ave. and Edward St. COURTESY TED CHIRNSIDE/www.torontopubliclibrary.ca
Natasha Henry, historian and president of the Ontario Black History Society, elaborates further in the Canadian Encyclopedia on this matter stating that one of the last recorded sales of a person in Upper Canada was in March of 1824.
By then, black children were legally born free and former enslavers were “required to provide security” for those whom they freed.
First Baptist Church says in their historical statement that existing “white” churches met the original group of 12 fugitives with the conditions that they needed to produce “letters of dismissal” from their old churches in America and repay their former enslavers the “loss of money sustained by their escape from slavery.” Aware of these impossible conditions, the group organized a small Baptist congregation under the pastoral leadership of Elder Washington Christian in 1826. During this time, fugitives commonly formed communities within the context of religious faith and the belief of a Promised Land that would grant them physical freedom.
First Baptist Church’s services first took place in members’ homes and outdoors until the group leased St. George’s Masonic Lodge for weekly services in 1827. In August of 1834, Britain’s Emancipation Act came into effect in the British Empire and about 800,000 enslaved Africans around the world were legally free.
Another of the church’s previous locations was at Queen St. E. and Victoria St. UNKNOWN – “Toronto’s First Baptist Church,” TPL Virtual Exhibits
The church moved that same year and held services in a schoolhouse on Richmond Street. It would move several times before settling into its current home at the intersection of D’Arcy and Huron streets in 1955.
It is unclear how people discovered First Baptist Church throughout its history, but the church now stands tall with a diverse group of members under the leadership of Rev. Wendell Gibbs, Toronto Police Chaplain and community advocate. Church services and other amenities are now accessible in-person and online. First Baptist Church invites “all races and nationalities to worship,” further stating that they do not want to repeat the behaviour that once forced their founding members to seek a separate religious institution.
In light of their history, First Baptist Church acknowledges February as Black History Month with special activities, displays, guest speakers, and youth performances.
The church also has a heritage room open to visitors that holds historical accounts, photos, and artifacts. In response to the community’s growing interest in the history of the church, the church plans to release a film about its remarkable progress through “racial tension,” as Gibbs mentions in the trailer. An additional multimedia project titled Lights, Camera, Action: Bringing Black History to Life is underway with the goal of inspiring and informing the community.
Comments Off on NEWS: 196 years of Black history in Toronto (Feb. 2023)Tags:Annex · News
March 27th, 2023 · Comments Off on NEWS: Value Village Boutique takes over former Brunswick House site (Feb. 2023)
Boutique version of brand tailored to Annex
Second hand clothing boutique honours a storied past. (BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS)
By Fox Oliver
In September, Value Village opened a new location in the former Brunswick House (481 Bloor St. W.), adding one more to their more than 20 stores in the GTA. This new boutique store carries a more limited variety of goods than a regular Value Village, making it able to fit into the iconic space known as a site of debauchery for Toronto youth for over a century.
Built in 1876, The Brunswick House was a bar until 2016. Rexall Drugstore completely renovated the building and rebuilt many historic elements.
This leaves Value Village with some rather opulent digs for the sale of secondhand clothing, accessories, and shoes.
On a sunny Saturday afternoon in December, the Gleaner stood outside the new Value Village Boutique and asked customers what they knew about the store.
One customer was under the impression that a Value Village Boutique is more “chic and expensive” than its counterparts, while another shopper assumed the store’s contents are “curated differently, so the clothes are more expensive.”
However, Sara Gaugl, a representative of Value Village, confirmed that “pricing at Value Village and Value Village Boutique locations is the same,” and that these are just common misconceptions.
A first-time customer commended the boutique style of the store, saying that this makes the store’s contents “more streamlined, when it seems like clothing is already their biggest draw.” This seems to fit with Gaugl’s comment that “customer feedback [regarding the boutique business model] has been very positive.”
A common misconception among customers is that Value Village is a nonprofit organization. Value Village is a for-profit organization, but they source their products by purchasing them from local nonprofits.
Gaugl added that between 2017 and 2021, Value Village paid Canadian nonprofits nearly $390 million for secondhand goods and currently partners with more than 50 nonprofits across Canada.
A customer shared that she was still happy to shop at Value Village even after learning they weren’t a nonprofit.
She believes that buying from Value Village is still “more ethical than shopping at other thrift stores” because money will still end up in the pockets of nonprofit organizations. Value Village also makes shopping for secondhand clothing more accessible to communities across the city, ultimately reducing the waste created from manufacturing new clothing and discarding used garments.
March 27th, 2023 · Comments Off on NEWS: PenguinPickUp once site of gambling bust (Feb. 2023)
In 1928, police arrested 74 men in a surprise raid
527 Bloor St. was the site of a major gambling bust in 1928. (COURTESY TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARY)
By Hailey Alexander
On July 24, 1928, the police arrested 74 men at the Prospector’s Club which was on the upper floor of 527 Bloor St. W. The main floor was Prince & Co. Hardware (now PenguinPickUp.) According to the Toronto Daily Star, police broke up a bank dice game with “thousands of dollars in play” shortly before 3:00 a.m.
The keeper of the alleged betting house, William Kidd, was released on $500 bail until August 8 of that year and the other 73 men were fined $10.
The raiding party was organized by Chief of Police General Draper and supervised by Inspector Mitchell of Court Street police station, Inspector Johnson of Dundas Street West police station, and Acting Inspector Marshall of Belmont Street police station. Assisted by many others, police found $4,170 in bills and a “large sugar bag” containing silver and cheques which were later brought to court among other evidence. In the Star’s detailed description of the events, police seized a revolver, ammunition, dice cups which had been thrown into a piano when the men heard constables climbing the stairs, and other paraphernalia.
“The police acted with the utmost secrecy in laying the plans for the raid,” stated the Star, further mentioning that most plainclothesmen were under sealed orders until they arrived at the building. Associates professed not to have known of the raid until the two vans were being “filled with prisoners” who were brought to the police station. In addition to being the “smoothest and most successful gambling raid ever conducted in the city,” as an officer put it, this was the largest raid in terms of numbers and alleged gambling money within the club as of that date.
Comments Off on NEWS: PenguinPickUp once site of gambling bust (Feb. 2023)Tags:Annex · News
March 27th, 2023 · Comments Off on LETTER TO THE EDITOR (Feb. 2023)
St. Stephen’s Community House at 260 Augusta Ave. is looking for volunteers. (BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS)
RE: Volunteers needed!
I would like to thank you for your article on St. Stephen’s yard and for drawing attention to the challenges those facing homelessness experience.
It is my belief that many in our community see the struggles and feel helpless because the problem is widespread and complicated and they don’t know how to help.
The reality is, we can all lend a hand. St. Stephen’s Community House on Augusta has a corner drop-in where they provide hot meals, showers, laundry, etc. to our community’s vulnerable population.
They also have programs and services for mental health, addiction, harm reduction and housing.
They do incredible work, but sadly, they are underfunded and rely on volunteers across the organization.
An easy way to get involved and help with the immediate need is to help prepare meals in the kitchen.
For anyone interested in lending a hand, please contact the main line at 416-925-2103 x1255 or via email at info@tngcs.org and ask to be connected to Chef Mike.
—Thank you Mary Lepage
Comments Off on LETTER TO THE EDITOR (Feb. 2023)Tags:Annex · Letters
