October 19th, 2022 · Comments Off on GRADING OUR GREENSPACE: Third and final instalment (Oct. 2022)
Part 3 of the Gleaner’s greenspace reviews
Compiled by Marisa Kelly, photos by Hailey Alexander
Continuing from the August & September editions we review area parks and assign a letter grade. Park amenities, tree coverage, seating and waste management all go into the evaluations each year.
Philosopher’s Walk is a truly beloved park described by our reviewer as simply “romantic”.
Philosopher’s Walk
78 Queen’s Park Cres. W.
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Grade: A+ (Last year A)
Reasons to go: The historic and scenic winding path of Philosopher’s Walk offers the recluse serenity in the heart of the city. The maintenance of the grounds is truly remarkable. The grass is very lush and there are both wildflowers and planters. The trees have not been compromised despite city infrastructure growing around them. You can tell their age by the size of the base of the trunk. There isn’t much to do except to have a really relaxing walk or sit. However, the Romanesque and Gothic architecture of the University of Toronto campus, combined with the ambient music from the faculty of music building, make this walkway both a romantic and relaxing place to spend time.
Overheard: Piano coming from the faculty of music building, and not a single car despite Bloor Street, Harbord Street and Queen’s Park nearby.
Did you know: Philosopher’s Walk
was formerly part of Taddle Creek, a stream that flowed through this natural ravine and fed McCaul’s Pond (where Hart House Circle is now located) until the late 1800s.
High traffic and low maintenance contribute to Matt Cohen Park’s D ranking.
Matt Cohen Park
393 Bloor St. W
Grade: D (Last year: C-)
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Reasons to go: Matt Cohen Park is an educational parkette, but because of its location, it needs some work because it is heavily polluted. The local traffic or lack of maintenance has killed most of the grass. Spadina and Bloor Streets border the park and provide excess noise and safety concerns for pets or small children. Educational plaques line the edge of the University of Toronto building, each one educating the reader about U of T alumni Matt Cohen. The park has large rocks with inlaid chess boards. However, the rocks are not at playing level, so one would be hunching significantly. The park needs maintenance work and some attention.
Overheard: All of the cars from Spadina and Bloor.
Did you know: Matt Cohen (1942-1999) was a Canadian author who wrote both fiction and children’s literature. He attended the University of Toronto which is next to the park.
Ample seating and clean working washrooms are the among the amenities that give Bickford Park a A- rating.
Bickford Park
468 Grace St.
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Grade: A- (Last year: A-)
Reasons to go: Bickford Park has a bit of joy for everyone and is well maintained. For folks looking for a dog park, there is a shaded and clean one. For friends with a large blanket to hang out on the hill side, the slope is free of debris and litter. Interested in sports? The baseball diamond and large field offer the freedom for folks to play sports. People were participating in softball, frisbee, and soccer. There’s a make-shift skate park made by locals under the Bickford Centre at the northernmost point of the park. The bathrooms are in working condition and clean, for a public lavatory, and are open from 9 a.m. until dusk.
Overheard: Friends cheering on someone learning to play softball.
Did you know: There are weekly Yoga in the Park classes every Thursday evening. From 6-7 p.m., wellness and yoga instructor Montana Skurka hosts a class until the end of October. The class can be booked on Eventbrite.
September 27th, 2022 · Comments Off on ON THE COVER: Bloor Street United demo begins (Sept. 2022)
Work has begun to in part demolish, and in part to restore, the Bloor Street United Church located at Bloor and Huron streets. A new luxury condo will be constructed to the north and west of the original church building. The section on the left will be removed and the part on the right restored. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS
September 27th, 2022 · Comments Off on GRADING OUR GREENSPACE: Appraising Annex parks (Sept. 2022)
Part 2 of the Gleaner’s greenspace reviews
Compiled and photos by Marisa Kelly
Continuing from the August edition we review area parks and assign a letter grade. Park amenities, tree coverage, seating and waste management all go into the evaluations each year.
Euclid Avenue Parkette is unfortunately plagued by graffiti and litter.
Euclid Avenue Parkette
711 Euclid Ave.
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Grade: This year a D+ (Last year F)
Reasons to go: The Euclid Avenue Parkette is a tree-swaying walkway between Euclid and Palmerston Avenues. Wedged between houses and behind storefronts on Bloor Street in Koreatown, it’s a quaint resting spot with a lot of potential. The beautiful, crooked trees give enough shade to the benches midday. Unfortunately, there is some graffiti and litter, and the condos on the previous Honest Ed’s space tower nearby, so the park lacks a cozy feel. If the benches faced north instead of south, and the city cleaned it up a bit, you’d have the perfect tiny getaway. Last year Euclid Parkette was given an F for uncleanliness, but it looks like the city has started to pay attention to its upkeep.
Overheard: A cat meowing.
Did you know: The subway going from Bathurst station to Christie station shakes the ground just slightly, reminding you the hustle and bustle is still nearby.
St. Alban’s Square is a complete getaway
St. Alban’s Square
90 Howland Ave.
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Grade: A (Last year B+)
Reasons to go: St. Alban’s Square is a complete getaway. The park is the perfect place to be anonymous. There aren’t many amenities, but the space has a certain whimsy that is cultivated by the surrounding architecture of the church, the wild rose bushes, and the historic Toronto homes. The scenery is reminiscent of a European summer day. With an abundance of gorgeous, scattered trees and nourished grass, there’s plenty of spots to read in the shade, have a picnic in the sun, or drop off a Green P bike on your way to and from.
Overheard: So many birds chirping.
Did you know: There is a bike share drop off/pick up port in the park. It’s one of ten that are in the Annex.
An array of trees provide ample shade in Jean Sibelius Park.
Jean Sibelius
50 Kendal Ave
Time: 4:40 p.m.
Grade: A+ (Last year A+)
Reasons to go: The many picnic benches in Jean Sibelius Park and the free-standing mural of musical animals playing their instruments keep visitors feeling welcomed. The park is also equipped with an onsite bathroom, water fountain and a clean and well-maintained playground for kids. An array of trees provides ample shade on the walkway, and there is an open field to play a sport or lie in the grass in full sun.
Overheard: Kids playing in the playground.
Did you know: Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) was a Finnish composer who was the most noted Scandinavian composer of his time!
City staff have stepped up and improved maintenance on Sally Bird Park – which is much loved by Central Tech students.
Sally Bird
194 Brunswick Ave.
Grade: B (Last year C+)
Time: 12:00 p.m. & 5:30 p.m.
Reasons to go: This is an unassuming parkette with a large draping tree. It is perfect for leisurely sitting on a bench for a lunchtime phone call with a co-worker or long-distance friend. After school hours, it’s perfect for a self-determined workout because of the on-site built-in equipment. The park is clean and quiet, except during Central Tech’s lunch break. There is a mural on the house next to the park and the flowers lining the path are well groomed. Last year, this park was rated much lower because of poor maintenance, but recently, the city has paid attention to its upkeep.
Overheard: At lunch time, the school kids. In the evening, nothing but my own thoughts.
Did you know: The outdoor workout equipment is clean and in working condition.
Huron Street Playground
459 Huron St.
Grade: C+ (Last year B-)
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Reasons to go: A great park for neighbours with dogs or folks looking for a quick playground visit with kids. However, the Huron Street Playground is mainly surrounded by encroaching apartment buildings, contains patchy grass, and has too many wood chips. The dog park is awkwardly situated on the northwest corner behind a tall, black fence that feels cut off from the rest of the environment without a sign to indicate that it’s a dog park. The park could use some extra signs, a cleanup, and some flowers.
Overheard: Dogs barking mixed with wind chimes from the surrounding houses.
Did you know: The park has a water fountain to refill your water bottle.
Playful and creative Taddle Creek Park upgrades to “A”.
Taddle Creek
40 Bedford Ave.
Grade:A (Last year A-)
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Reasons to go: An element of Yorkville modern art in the Annex. The gorgeous, towering, large wire sculpture of a vase trickles down water, both adding to the artistic piece itself and giving some extra moisture to the air. The abstract sprinkler was recently turned back on after being off during the recent pandemic-compromised summers. Beautiful planters contain sprouting little pink flowers next to well taken care of begonias. The playground is in perfect working condition, but it is in full sun. The wood chips are maintained, and there are plenty of large trees to keep cool under.
Overheard: Elderly folks from a local seniors’ home out on a visit with their supervisors chatting and enjoying their lunch.
Did you know: There’s a plaque commemorating Beatrice Worsley (1921-1972) who was the first female computer scientist in Canada. She lived on this block of Bedford.
Queen’s Park North
11 Wellesley St. W.
Time: 4:40 p.m.
Grade: B (Last year A)
Reasons to go: Queen’s Park is an escape in the middle of a traffic roundabout. The curved benches on the outskirts of interlocked stone and grass mimic Central Park. The architecture does not match the other larger Toronto parks and is charming. Unfortunately, there is still a large protest against vaccines that is held every Sunday. Due to a lack of city maintenance or climate change, the grass is mainly patchy and brown with a bit of green; lush is nowhere to be found.
Overheard: A busker playing the ukulele for tips!
Did you know: The statue in the park is of King Edward VII. During 2017, the performance art duo group Life of a Craphead, composed of artists Amy Lam and Jon McCurley, created a replica of the statue and paddled it down the Don Valley River to address ideas of power that statues bring to cities.
Stretch between Dupont and Bedford to include buffers
By Fox Oliver
The Bike Lane and Road Safety Upgrades on Davenport Road involve an upgrade plan which will take place over three phases, and the second phase is scheduled to begin this month.
Phase one was completed in 2021 and saw the upgrade of pre-existing bike lanes into cycle tracks on Davenport Road between Yonge Street and Bay Street. Phase two of this project involves upgrading pre-existing bike lanes into cycle tracks between Bedford Road and Bay Street. In 2023, the third and final phase of the project will involve upgrading the bike lanes on Davenport Road into cycle tracks between Dupont Street and Bedford Road.
There are a few reasons why cycle tracks are a safer alternative to bike lanes.
According to the City of Toronto’s webpage on cycling infrastructure, bicycle lanes are a “dedicated part of the roadway for the exclusive use of people cycling,” in which other road users “may not lawfully drive, stand, stop or park.”
However, road safety advocate and environmental lawyer Albert Koehl points out that “a painted (bike) lane is only that; cars can choose to ignore them.”
Although it is illegal, motor vehicles driving, idling, or parking in designated bike lanes is a very real danger in Toronto. The city’s background information on the Davenport Road Safety Upgrade project states that between 2016 and 2020 there were 27 reported collisions involving people walking or cycling on Davenport Road between Yonge Street and Dupont Street, including one fatality.
To combat this danger, the city has decided to install cycle tracks on this dangerous strip of roadway. The cycle tracks on Davenport will be separated from the road by buffers (a curb, bollards or planters), and there will also be raised areas for bus stops. The buffers create physical and visual barriers that prevent motor vehicles from entering the bike lanes.
Cycle tracks will also make the public realm safer for pedestrians because buffers also prevent cars from going onto the sidewalk. Additionally, if cyclists feel safe in their own lane, they are less likely to bike on the sidewalk and infringe on the space of those on foot. This reduces the risk of pedestrian-cyclist collisions.
Alison Stewart, senior advocacy manager at Cycle Toronto, believes that Toronto is headed in the right direction by improving cycling infrastructure. She says that many city councillors, including University-Rosedale councillor, Mike Layton, are strong advocates for an improved cycling network. Stewart says that ideally buffered lanes for bikes and outdoor patios will continue to be built following the pilot project currently in effect on Yonge Street. She adds that the recent revamping of Shaw Street to better accommodate bikes is one to emulate, and that you know the city is heading in the right direction “when you are seeing families with kids riding their bikes and walking to school (like you do on Shaw Street).”
“Safer and more plentiful bike lanes are important for cyclists and pedestrians because currently motorized vehicles dominate 76 per cent of public road space in the city,” says Stewart. Improved biking infrastructure will also increase the number of cyclists in the city. This increase in bikers comes with its own benefits, including reduced traffic and a more environmentally friendly city.
September 27th, 2022 · Comments Off on FOCUS: Layton reflects on three terms as city councillor (Sept. 2022)
Outgoing Ward 11 representative proud of legacy
A pensive Mike Layton selects a different path as he chooses family over
the gruelling life of a Toronto city councillor. COURTESY MIKE LAYTON
By Brian Burchell
As Mike Layton prepares for a very different lifestyle from that as a city councillor in one of the busiest municipal precincts in the country, he took the time to talk to the Gleaner about what he is most proud of.
Q: How are you feeling now that the announcement is made that you will not seek re-election?
A: I am proud of what we have accomplished over the last 12 years. I have pushed council on climate action, road safety, Indigenous reconciliation, supportive housing, and inclusionary zoning, to name a few. We have done this by building strong coalitions of groups and neighbourhoods to ensure the longevity of the policies with broad based support.
Beyond the nitty gritty of constituent complaints requiring resolution, committee and board assignments too numerous to list, and hosting public meetings every night and weekend, this councillor wanted to leave his mark on some bigger files.
Layton chooses to catalogue his larger achievements under the headings of climate action, healthy environments, affordable housing, safer streets, and a more inclusive city. He helped build bike lanes on Shaw, Bloor, Richmond, Adelaide, Palmerston, Argyle, Wellington, Douro, Brunswick, University, and Yonge, as well as upgrades on Harbord and College. He crafted policies to build safer streets, including lower speeds across the network, improved infrastructure, and winter maintenance for bike lanes and sidewalks.
Q: Cycling infrastructure had a huge growth spurt due to the pandemic and Active TO. Do you think that cyclists will be able to hold onto that real estate long-term?
A: I think cycling infrastructure as part of our Vision Zero road safety efforts and part of our climate action policy has become far less controversial and has widespread support.
I’m not worried the real estate will be lost, but we need to keep up the momentum.
He fought hard to make Toronto more affordable. For several years, alongside housing advocates, he pushed for more affordability in all new developments through inclusionary zoning, which eventually led to provincial policy change and a new city policy.
Layton also fought against the sale of TCHC scattered houses, of which the Annex has a surprising number, and demanded that tenants be treated with respect. He consistently advocated for better funding for supportive housing and put pressure on the provincial government to address this growing need.
Q: Are there local examples resulting from your work on policies favouring inclusionary zoning?
A: Unfortunately, the city’s inclusionary zoning policy met many hurdles put up by the province, and it is still being met with resistance. While I would have preferred a faster implementation, we can celebrate that we managed to get the province to change the regulations to allow the city to require affordable housing in new developments.
Perhaps portending what may lie ahead for Layton, he seems most proud of his contributions to important citywide initiatives on climate action and environmental health. He championed many aspects of environmental protection and climate action, including establishing a subcommittee on climate that would become the foundation for TransformTO: Toronto’s climate action strategy.
He wrote (and then seconded) the mayor’s climate emergency motion which led to an aggressive climate target: reducing Toronto’s GHG emissions to net zero by 2040.
Layton initiated the Biodiversity Strategy, the Home Energy Loan Program, stormwater funding tools, bird-friendly programs, funding to implement the Ravine Strategy, motions on protecting the Great Lakes from nuclear waste and invasive species, better regulations on single-use plastics, and increased use of biofuels.
Q: You are obviously very passionate about climate action. Can you give readers a hint about where you will be applying that passion in the future?
A: I don’t know what the future holds for me and I’m looking at how I can best contribute to climate solutions—I owe it to my kids to do the best I can to protect the planet for their generation.
Q: In 2018, the provincial government enacted legislation cutting the size of Toronto’s city council in half. This effectively doubled the responsibilities for each councillor. How much did that contribute to your decision to not seek re-election?
A: Not that much. While the workload increased and the nature of the job changed dramatically after the election, my decision not to seek re-election isn’t necessarily due to the fact that the province cut council size in half. Prior to the changes I was working most nights, and after the cut to council I was working most nights. My decision is a personal and professional one. I’d like to both have a little more time with my kids and at the same time spend more time specifically on fighting climate change and inequality.
This October 24 is the municipal election, and there are 14 registered candidates for Ward 11, University-Rosedale.
Q: Do you have any words of wisdom for your successor?
A: Toronto is a great city, with incredible potential, but a lack of investment and fear of change is holding us back from realizing that potential. I hope the next council will work with each other, with staff, and with their constituents, so we can overcome the challenges we’re facing with bold moves.
September 27th, 2022 · Comments Off on CHATTER: Spadina Station gets a lift—two, actually (Sept. 2022)
The intersection of Spadina Road and Lowther Avenue will be a construction zone as the TTC adds elevators below. COURTESY THE TORONTO TRANSIT COMMISSION
The TTC is planning to add two elevators to its sprawling Spadina subway station. These will be located under the intersection of Spadina Road and Lowther Avenue.
It’s part of the TTC’s Easier Access Program to make subway stations more accessible. Construction is scheduled to begin on September 19, 2022. Lowther Avenue west is scheduled to be closed to vehicle access to and from Spadina Road on September 19, 2022 until Q4 2023.
The pre-construction presentation, which includes conceptual staging plans, is posted online: www.ttc.ca/Spadinaconstruction
There will be barrier-free paths from the street to the subway platforms by the end of 2024.
The first major phase of work will include shoring and excavation activities for the new elevator shafts located on the northwest and southeast corners of Spadina Road and Lowther Avenue. Work will be completed in two phases, starting with construction of Elevator 2 on Lowther Avenue west of Spadina Road and then moving onto Elevator 1 on the east side of Spadina Road.
Vehicular lanes will be reduced and pedestrians will be required to detour around the construction sites through temporary crosswalks.
The TTC initiated a similar project to install an accessible street level elevator at Dupont Station just up the road and now 8 years later it is still not operational.
—Brian Burchell/Gleaner News
Comments Off on CHATTER: Spadina Station gets a lift—two, actually (Sept. 2022)Tags:Annex · News
September 27th, 2022 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: Taking control of the narrative (Sept. 2022)
The province is dissolving Ontario’s independent COVID-19 Science Advisory Table and replacing it with, what one member described, as its exact antithesis. The science table didn’t hesitate to bring attention to facts the government didn’t want to hear, but which the public needed to know.
Just 48 hours before the surprise decision to shutter the body, the table’s new chair, Dr. Fahad Razak, penned an opinion piece for the Globe and Mail calling on the government to take COVID-19 more seriously. It seems the government, and Premier Ford specifically, does not like being called out. He’s got a fresh approach that hinges on pretending there’s no pandemic. Got a positive test? No worries, you can go back to work or school after your symptoms cease. The premier and his loyal puppet, chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore, want you to ignore the science that says you are still contagious. This is not the flu.
Ignoring science and silencing those that espouse it, is Ford’s prayer book for the fall. The next COVID-19 wave will be greeted with the sheer will of denial. It’s not hard to predict the speech that will come soon after:
“Folks it breaks my heart to tell you this, but the chief medical officer of health leaves me no choice. Effective immediately we are locked down again. Please only shop at big box stores.”
Those who have watched the work of the U.S. Congress’s January 6 committee may have seen them interview the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley. Milley told the committee that the only order the White House gave to the military while their legislature was under attack was “to take control of the narrative.” This is exactly what Doug Ford is trying to do.
The science table’s advice and guidance over the past two years has sometimes run contrary to government actions. A key instance of this divide came in February 2021 as the province was preparing to ease health restrictions during a temporary lull in new cases, as new variants were beginning to emerge. The table’s then co-chair, Adalsteinn Brown, was asked by a reporter if the table was “predicting disaster” if the government did not change course. Brown replied in the affirmative. The government moved ahead with its plan; what followed was the third wave, which at its apex saw 900 patients admitted to the ICU. The government reimposed public health orders. Brown was right.
The new “science table” will not be allowed to choose its own subjects of study, will not speak directly to the public, and will just feed the province’s media message through public health, under the thumb of Moore, himself under the thumb of the premier’s office.
The now defunct COVID-19 Science Advisory Table was a loose collection of a few dozen volunteers (all unpaid, but most were on the payroll of a university or health institution). It started at the University of Toronto, and it gave itself a mandate that stressed independent thinking and transparency. It was in part created by a vacuum resulting from the inaction of Public Health Ontario (PHO). PHO was itself created as a result of the province’s bungled response to the SARS crisis. It has a $165 million budget and did nothing in response to the COVID-19 crisis and appears to continue to do nothing. Are we expected to see PHO’s next move as a welcome alternative to the science table? Based on what track record?
Will PHO stand up to its political masters and act in the public interest? Likely not, as we live in a world where the premier’s critics are roundly silenced.
September 27th, 2022 · Comments Off on FORUM: Rare summer legislature sittings (Sept. 2022)
Passing damaging bills while no one is paying attention
By Jessica Bell
Queen’s Park Roundup
The Ford government is passing damaging legislation in the middle of the summer while attention on politics is low. Here’s what’s happening.
The government’s 2022-2023 budget falls short
The budget does not do enough to help people in need, properly fund public services, or tackle the climate crisis with the urgency that is required.
When inflation and enrolment is factored in, education funding has been cut. The Centre for Policy Alternatives estimates that funding to each student has been cut by $800 over the past five years. This is why class sizes have grown, there’s inadequate support for kids who are struggling, and buildings are not being adequately maintained. This September, many schools in University-Rosedale are losing teachers and staff. In a blatant bid to woo parents, the government has promised $225 million in cash payments to pay for private tutoring. That funding should be invested in schools.
The budget doesn’t allocate enough funding to the environment. There’s no funding for climate programs to green our electricity, transportation or building sectors. While there is a big increase in funding to build four new transit lines, there’s no funding to operate the thousands of transit routes already in operation. The government is also going full speed ahead with the Bradford Bypass and Highway 413, locking us into unsustainable car use and suburban sprawl.
The new minimum wage of $15.50 per hour begins on October 1. With inflation at over seven per cent, workers need a $20 minimum wage to afford to live in Ontario and build a fair economy.
After 27 years of no increase, the government will raise the Ontario Disability Support Program rates by a paltry $58 a month, or 5 per cent. People cannot live on $1258 a month. Social assistance rates should be doubled and indexed to inflation.
Funding for health care has flatlined even though every hospital is struggling with high demand and staff shortages. In University-Rosedale, Sick Kids has over 3400 kids waiting for surgery beyond the acceptable time frame. In July, three of Toronto General’s intensive care units reached bed capacity, including units for cardiovascular and coronary issues and medical surgery. And on July 24, Toronto Western Hospital’s emergency room almost shut down due to a staffing shortage but was able to secure enough last-minute workers to remain open. Emergency rooms should never close. Ever.
Bad health-care reforms are coming
Instead of investing in health care, the government’s response has been to permit thousands more surgeries at private clinics.
This won’t help. Private clinics draw from the same pool of staff as hospitals. Recruiting staff trained to work in hospital operating rooms to private clinics will just make the staffing shortages and surgery backlogs at hospitals even worse.
We don’t know yet if a private clinic can receive OHIP funding for surgery and then bill the patient for a top-up. But we do know patients will certainly be billed for other services, such as food, a private room, and additional testing. Those who have insurance and savings will choose the private operation. Those who cannot pay will wait longer for surgery in a public hospital.
The Ford government also introduced Bill 7 which gives hospitals greater coercive power to move patients to long-term care (LTC) homes without their consent. Patients who stay could be billed the maximum rate of $1200 a day. Almost 5,000 hospital beds (or 24 per cent of all beds) are taken up by patients waiting to be discharged, with 1,850 waiting to go into long-term care. These patients are classified as ALC, meaning Alternative Level of Care.
No one wants to stay in a hospital longer than necessary. The challenge is that sometimes there isn’t an adequate place for a person to go. Bill 7 will mean these people will end up in LTC homes that have available beds. These will almost certainly be for-profit homes with overworked staff, aging infrastructure, four people to a room, and one washroom to a floor. It is next to impossible to move a person from one LTC home to a better one. The home a person moves to will almost certainly be the home where they die.
We are advocating with experts like the Ontario Health Coalition and the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly to push for a better response to our health-care crisis that includes wage increases for health-care workers to increase staffing levels, paid care for people who can return home, and improvements to the quality of long-term care homes. We need a kind response to our health-care crisis that respects people’s rights, not a cruel one.
Please contact our office if you want to work on these issues or have questions or concerns.
Jessica Bell is the MPP for University-Rosedale and the Official Opposition’s Housing Critic.
September 27th, 2022 · Comments Off on FOCUS: It’s Time to Let Loose and Celebrate (Sept. 2022)
Tartu College 50+2 is Here!
By Kati Kiilaspea
Tartu College (TC) has become a favourite meeting spot for the Toronto Estonian community and other cultural groups in the neighbourhood; it’s a true cultural hub teeming with energy. Preparations began in 2019 to celebrate its 50th anniversary in a fitting and worthy way in September 2020. Then the pandemic caught us all off guard and brought it all to a halt. Celebrations had to move to a digital platform where we could still get together, reminisce about the old days, and dream of the future, albeit from a distance. A group of Tartu College workers got together and even held a small party in the parking lot just so they could celebrate the milestone together. But the consensus and feeling among everyone was that this wonderful landmark that grew out of architect Elmar Tampõld’s vision deserved more: a spectacular celebration. Finally, two years after the initial anniversary, we’ve got a massive party in store for you all: a 5-day celebration with something for everyone; the event of the year!
But what exactly is Tartu College? Tartu College, located in the heart of the Annex, is a lively cultural hub for Estonians where events are organized by various community groups. This building has been home, not only to international university students, but also to a number of Estonian academic organizations. Tartu College facilitates rich educational and cultural programming all year round. The programs are delivered by the Estonian Museum Canada/VEMU and focus on four pillars: history, culture, language, arts, and science. All Estonian Museum Canada/VEMU programs offered in English are available to Tartu College student residents. Tartu College’s key mandate is to promote, preserve and increase the knowledge of the Estonian experience in Canada. Tartu College, along with the Chair of Estonian Studies Foundation, support Estonian language courses at the University of Toronto’s Department of Slavic Languages and Literature. We are home to the Academy for Lifelong Learning, Toronto program, that facilitates peer-led study and dialogue. Together with the Academy of Lifelong Learning, Toronto student bursaries are offered to Tartu College student residents. Currently, TC offers activities and events that speak to various age groups and people with a range of interests and backgrounds.
The multiday bash kicks off with a proper bang, with Estonia’s premiere funk band Lexsoul Dancemachine taking over downtown Toronto atop a specially set-up bus on Wednesday, Sept. 21. Raw street funk on one side, with sweet soul on the other, Lexsoul Dancemachine is a 6-man groove band known for tearing venues apart with their stage presence.
The group will perform a series of pop-up concerts around the downtown core, starting out from Tartu College at 7 p.m. and making their way toward Kensington Market and then Queen Street West. When the event organizer, Estonian Music Week’s executive and artistic director Sebastian Buccioni, was asked about the exact locations of the pop-ups, he grinned slyly and told us to keep an eye out for upcoming ads. But we can tell you this much: each of the three performances will be 30 minutes long and there will be space on the bus for 10 lucky winners that will be determined by a draw. More info on that coming soon!
To get your true funk injection, join us on Friday, Sept. 23 at the Axis Club (722 College Street) in Toronto, starting at 8 p.m.
Toronto funk legends the Shuffle Demons, known for their hit Spadina Bus, will take the stage along with Lexsoul Dancemachine for a night of absolute groovy chaos. Famed Estonian singer-songwriter Vaiko Eplik will be acting as DJ and host for the night, introducing nostalgic tunes from the Estonian diaspora and keeping the vibe flowing. Tickets are $25/$20 and selling fast. Get yours now at: www.estonianmusicweek.ca
This scintillating slew of events will finish off with the premiere of the TC50 documentary film directed by Kaisa Pitsi about the landmark building and its history on Sunday, Sept. 25, at 3 p.m. English subtitles are included and coffee and kringel will follow. The event is free, but donations are warmly welcomed.
This spectacular celebration would not have been possible without our sponsors and partners: Estonian Foundation of Canada, Northern Birch Credit Union, the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research (International Estonian Action Plan 2022-2025), Cotton Factory, and Koger Valuations.
Bring your friends from the ‘hood and come join the festivities. All are warmly awaited and welcomed! If you’ve worked at Tartu College in the past, come here for events throughout the years, or taken part in any of the various groups that meet here regularly, come and join the party and help us celebrate the important contributions of this landmark to the longevity of our Estonian culture here in Toronto!
September 27th, 2022 · Comments Off on SPORTS: Thrilling walkoff advances Leafs (Sept. 2022)
Marcus Knecht’s bottom-of-the-ninth winner sweeps Leafs into semis
The Toronto Maple Leafs celebrate a walkoff win on Aug. 28. R.S. KONJEK/GLEANER NEWS
By R.S. Konjek
The Toronto Maple Leafs are off to a flying start in their pursuit of the Intercounty Baseball League championship.
No image better demonstrates that than the sight of an airborne Jose Vinicio diving for home plate at Christie Pits. The Leafs’ speedy shortstop scored the game-winning run to clinch his side’s victory in its opening round series, played over the final weekend of August.
With a place in the semifinals assured, the Leafs await the outcome of other quarterfinals to determine their next opponent.
As the IBL postseason got underway, Toronto faced their longtime rivals the Barrie Baycats in a best-of-five series.
Game one took place on the evening of Friday, August 26. Having finished fourth in the regular season standings, the Leafs hosted fifth-ranked Barrie.
The game was dominated by great pitching performances on both sides. Dominican Angel Castro dueled with his counterpart Frank Garces in a game-long test of wills between the two countrymen.
The Leafs came out swinging and put three runs on the scoreboard in the first inning. The Baycats struck right back with two runs in the second.
The score remained 3-2 as both starting pitchers battled through the opposing lineups. Both sides got plenty of hits and baserunners, but the game was tight throughout.
Whenever Castro was not on the mound, he engaged in his other role of chief disruptor. Seated on the bench, he rallied his teammates with a steady stream of high decibel Spanglish, cheering loudly in two languages at once. Sometimes it wasn’t even words, just exuberant whoops and shrieks that jolted Christie Pits and got under the other team’s skin.
A solo home run by Barrie tied the game 3-3 in the seventh inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, Vinicio did what he’s done all season. He slapped a single, then stole two bases in a row. The Leafs rallied for three hits and two runs in the inning. They took a 5-3 lead, and the score held.
Garces went the distance for Barrie and Castro returned to the mound to start the ninth. However, he hit the first batter he faced, and Franklin Hernandez was brought in from the Leafs’ bullpen. Hernandez recorded three strikeouts to seal the opening game win.
Game two was played in Barrie the next day. The Leafs used a combination of four pitchers to limit the Baycats to three runs and won 6-3. With the victory, they were one game away from advancing with a sweep.
Game three—by far the most exciting of the series—took place at Christie Pits the following Sunday.
The Leafs got the jump on their opponents and enjoyed a 3-0 lead after the first three innings.
One swing of the bat took all the joy out of the park. Barrie’s Ryan Rijo hit a three-run homer off starter Sam Greene to tie the game.
The game was a see-saw battle. The Leafs retook the lead, then lost it again.
It all came down to the bottom of the ninth, the stuff that players and sportswriters alike dream of.
Down 6-4, the Leafs mounted a comeback rally. Two singles and a successful bunt by Vinicio loaded the bases. Barrie brought in their closer, but to no avail. Leafs first baseman Jordan Castaldo hit a single to make it a 6-5 game. Two Leafs struck out and their final hope rested on the shoulders of outfielder Marcus Knecht. With the entire ballpark on edge, Knecht connected for a two-run, game-winning, series-clinching single.
Vinicio, on second base and representing the winning run, flew around third and raced for home. Approaching the plate, he dove through the air and landed safely. The Leafs won 7-6.
Dust, elation, flying helmets. There is no more riotous scene in baseball than a series-winning walkoff. The Leafs stormed the field to mob Knecht and spray him with water. On the hillsides, fans cheered their heroes.
Immediately following the game, Knecht was philosophical about his approach to the high-pressure situation. “Something I have been focusing on the last couple of years is how to remain calm and how to feel good in those moments,” he said. “I take deep breaths during games and let go of the things that may happen. I really have fun doing it.”
Thanks to Knecht’s timely stroke, the fun continues for him, his teammates and their fans.
August 19th, 2022 · Comments Off on ON THE COVER: Solazzo slams, salutes hillsides (Aug. 2022)
Toronto Maple Leafs third baseman Johnathan Solazzo salutes fans on the hillsides of Christie Pits after hitting a grand slam on July 24. The Leafs defeated the Guelph Royals 16-9. R.S. KONJEK/GLEANER NEWS
