May 12th, 2021 · Comments Off on FOCUS: New park imbued with nostalgia (Apr. 2021)
Interactive green space to accompany development at Bloor and Bathurst
COURTESY CITY OF TORONTO/WESTBANK CORP.
By Nabahat Hussain
The City of Toronto announced the latest addition to the Westbank development at the corner of Bloor and Bathurst this month – a park to accompany the mixed-use residential development. Although there was no park in the original plans for the site, Councillor for Ward 11, University-Rosedale, Mike Layton, said that at one community consultation that resulted in five different design suggestions for the lot, “every one of them had a park.”
COURTESY CITY OF TORONTO/WESTBANK CORP.
The City’s Parks, Forestry and Recreation department (PRF) laid out the details of the project during a virtual public information session on March 25th. The project’s senior project coordinator, Carol Martin, and senior public consultation coordinator, Rajesh Sankat, told the public that the park will be developer-delivered. This means the developer (Westbank) and PFR worked on the design together and it will be funded by the city, through ‘development charges’ set aside for Parks and Recreation, as well as by the developer and some donations.
Designed by Vancouver-based PFS Studios, a leading planning, urban design and landscape architecture studio, the park will be divided into two zones; the passive zone serving as a place for peaceful walks, and the active zone for socializing.
COURTESY CITY OF TORONTO/WESTBANK CORP.
Swirling pathways will emulate the swirls under the Honest Ed’s sign, and the so-called “inspirational pathway” will work its way around various “garden rooms.”
From Bloor Street, people will be able to walk through green space friendly to birds and pollinators alike, and move their way towards the main pavilion.
As detailed in the public meeting, the areas are divided by use: the ‘Markham forecourt’ will feature an elevated circled stage with tables for dining, the ‘north terrace’ on the eastern wall will serve as a quieter locale for seating, the ‘raised garden room’ and ‘garden room’ are two points within the main path for nature lovers.
Blossom trees will stand in between the greenery, with shrubbery and flowering bushes to dispel any concerns about a lack of colour. Cherry red chairs and tables, as well as a mural facing the Markham forecourt are meant to brighten and bring even more vitality to the park space.
Other features include mood lighting under the twisting benches, and a fountain intended for interactive play.
“It’s not a huge park,” remarked Councillor Layton, “but it’s going to have a little bit of everything for a wide range of people.”
COURTESY CITY OF TORONTO/WESTBANK CORP.
PFR says the focus of its design was on making the space interactive rather than just decorative, and hopefully it will serve as community hub for families, residents, university students, tourists and anyone passing through town.
Parallels to Honest Ed’s can also be found in the choice of amenities. Affordable housing can relate to the store having been an affordable place to shop. The marketplace along with the already large variety of shops around the intersection, ties into the store’s expansive selection (reminiscent of its colossal size). The Honest Ed’s alley, undoubtedly familiar to longtime residents, will have artisan shops; playing into Mirvish Village’s history of being a place for artisans to sell their work.
By next year, the community can finally look forward to seeing some aspects of the familiar, nostalgia- inducing discount shop return.
May 12th, 2021 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL Ford must resign (Apr. 2021)
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has just announced three days of paid sick leave while on day nine of his 14-day PAID leave. He is self-isolating after a colleague in his office tested positive for COVID-19. The hypocrisy does not cause Mr. Ford to flinch, though he claims to be following the advice of “the brightest minds in the world.”
Ford’s aides have dressed him up in a new “crisis commander” jacket with a badge and his name emblazoned on it. The new uniform, if perhaps a little ridiculous, inspires confidence until he opens his mouth: “Folks,” he’ll say, “everything’s on the table… I won’t hesitate… I’ll come down like an 800lb gorilla,” and so on. In all this blather he has made only one thing clear: he is blameless. This province may sink under the weight of this self-described gorilla, but we shouldn’t bother to feign shock when he fails to take responsibility for it.
Conservative populists are often suspicious of advice coming from experts for a simple reason: those experts often don’t share the same world view. Experts want leaders who are willing to do what it takes to protect public health and well-being. Theoretically, once you take the reins following a successful bid for public office, you have a duty towards all the citizens within your jurisdiction – whether they voted for you or not. Premier Ford’s cabinet seem happy to follow a different set of leadership ethics.
Former Conservative Premier Mike Harris, a populist from another era, acted against the advice of experts and cut regulations meant to protect Ontario’s water supply. Seven people in Walkerton, Ontario died as a result and another 2,300 people fell ill, many severely.
In late April, faced with a third wave of infections, Premier Ford got advice from Ontario’s Science Table to do three things; close non-essential workplaces such as warehouses and factories, shut down non-essential construction sites, let outdoor activities (where the risk of transmission is low) continue, and provide paid sick days. Instead, Ford closed playgrounds and most outdoor activities, shuttered construction sites that are not running anyhow (like sites building malls and office towers) and failed to legislate paid sick days. He deflected blame for the lack of sick days to the federal government even though Justin Trudeau lacks the constitutional authority to tell Ontario employers what to do in this regard. Doug Ford knows this, but it doesn’t matter because he’s only speaking to his base.
Most police forces in Ontario were so appalled by the Premier’s orders that they openly stated their unwillingness to enforce his rules. When the troops ignore your orders that is a clear sign, Doug. On the other hand, at least one OPP officer felt emboldened by Ford’s announcement and assaulted a 12-year-old riding his scooter through a playground. Ford has inspired bullies to act with impunity.
It costs $4,000 per day for Ontario taxpayers to operate an ICU bed. It costs $120 per day to keep a minimum wage earner at home while they have COVID-19 symptoms. At a minimum that cost should be borne by employers for 14 days. Ford is robbing taxpayers in order to protect the bottom line of his buddies in the manufacturing and construction sectors.
A 13-year-old girl named Emily Viegas has become one of the youngest victims of the pandemic. Her father, whose wife was already in the in the ICU with COVID-19, is a warehouse worker in Brampton. He could not afford to stay at home. This case was both tragic and preventable. Enough of Ford’s flailing about aimlessly while people die needlessly. It’s time for the Premier to resign.
May 12th, 2021 · Comments Off on FORUM: A victory for affordable housing in Kensington (Apr. 2021)
A model for protecting housing security
By Mike Layton
Homelessness in Toronto and our neighbours living in encampments have been top of mind for many of you throughout the pandemic. It continues to be clear that all levels of government need to do more to fund and create housing, and it needs to be done faster. Our ultimate goal must be to ensure we have housing for everyone and to provide support for those who need it so they can stay healthy.
In Toronto’s current real estate market, affordable multi-unit rental buildings are rapidly being converted into expensive rentals, or demolished to make way for new condominium development.
There is a critical need to permanently protect the affordability of existing rental housing across the city, and partnerships with the non-profit housing sector provide a viable pathway towards doing so.
As councillor, it has been one of my highest priorities to build affordable and supportive housing through every means available to me.
Recently, advocacy efforts led to an incredible affordable housing win for University-Rosedale that I am excited to see come to fruition and I want to share with you.
Two years ago, residents of 54-56 Kensington Ave. began receiving illegal eviction notices.
The property at 54-56 Kensington Ave. is an existing mixed-use property with twelve dwelling units and five retail units at grade. Ten of the twelve units are currently occupied.
I knocked on doors in the community, and together we helped to ensure those tenants were made aware of their rights and resisted the attempts of the landlord to make them move.
Through hard work and determination, the Kensington Market Community Land Trust was founded with the intention to acquire property to protect our housing supply and put together a plan to buy this building.
This meant that these existing tenants would not lose their affordable housing, and I worked with the land trust to help secure the additional necessary funding to put this acquisition over the top.
Officially, the city successfully helped the Kensington Market Community Land Trust to protect and create 100% affordable housing at 54-56 Kensington Ave.
I brought forward a motion recommending that city council direct staff to provide $3,000,000 in funding from development charges to the Kensington Market Community Land Trust so they could acquire, renovate, and operate the property.
The motion passed at council in April and now the property will maintain its 12 units as affordable rental housing for the next 99 years.
This is the culmination of years of work and it started with the tenants standing their ground.
It is clear that gentrification and real estate speculation is taking housing security from our city, but this story is proof that we can fight for creative solutions when working together.
I hope to see models like this repeated throughout the city.
While it is not always going to be resolved favourably in this way, working together, we have shown we can still make a difference.
I will not stop working for housing to be treated as a human right, and for steps toward housing people across our ward and the city.
I will continue to fight tirelessly for more affordable housing.
As always, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with my office with your questions or concerns at Councillor_Layton@toronto.ca.
Mike Layton is the city councillor for Ward 11, University—Rosedale.
May 12th, 2021 · Comments Off on FORUM: Mr. Ford cuts into the future of public services (Apr. 2021)
Budget bright spots come with a grain of salt
By Jessica Bell
The Ford government released its 2021-2022 Budget on March 24. The government will spend $186 billion next year, a cut of $4.8 billion from the previous year.
As lawmakers, we have a responsibility to listen, consult and collaborate to make good decisions for the people of Ontario. This is not a part of Premier Ford’s playbook. Despite the significance of the budget, the government did not organize traditional pre-budget public consultations, and only allowed about 20 people to give testimony in committee.
Here’s a budget breakdown:
Education
The government is cutting $1.6 billion from education. There will be no replenishment of the $500 million in reserve funds that school boards spent to prepare for the pandemic, and which are now exhausted. There is no commitment to extend COVID-19 funding into next year. Distressingly, school boards are already announcing there will be a reduction in teachers for next year.
Childcare
The government is not increasing direct funding to childcare, even though child centres are in crisis. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives reports that over 123 centres in Toronto have closed, and enrolment dropped by two thirds in the first wave alone.
What the government is doing is increasing the one-off cash payment to parents to $500, and increasing the childcare tax credit for one year. Of course, that is a relief to parents who are struggling but it’s coming at the expense of deep cuts to public services. We should invest in affordable childcare and high-quality public education, not starve them of critical funds.
Health Care
Health care spending will rise by $3 billion next year. Is this a step in the right direction? Yes. It is enough? No. The Ontario Hospitals Association is calling for an additional $82 million for base hospital funding, and we are calling for an additional $425 million to clear the massive surgery backlog, which is what other provinces have done. Our office has received many emails from residents whose surgery and treatments have been delayed or lengthened. They need help.
Long term care
COVID-19 has exposed the failure of Ontario’s broken and underfunded for-profit warehouse model of long-term care. The government has announced it will increase funding to long-term care to build new beds, improve living conditions, including ensuring homes have air-conditioning, increase the average daily care to four hours of staffing care per person per day, and pay tuition fees for new personal support workers to attend school. This wouldn’t have happened without all of us speaking up. We will continue to call for an end to for-profit care, a permanent increase in PSW wages, and more stringent and regular inspection of homes.
Affordable Housing
Toronto has an affordable housing crisis, and it’s getting worse. The agency that investigates the Ontario government’s finances, the Financial Accountability Office, estimates the number of people spending more than 30% of their income on housing or living in overcrowded housing is growing, yet the government has decided to cut funding for housing programs. If this was our budget, we would invest in building supportive housing and affordable housing, introduce real rent control to cap skyrocketing rents, and increase taxes on speculators and investors so first-time home buyers have a chance of bidding and buying their forever home.
Business
Across University-Rosedale, small businesses are closing. The Ontario government has established a Small Business Support Grant program, and this budget permits eligible businesses to reapply and receive two grants. That’s the good news. The bad news is the program is not working well. Our office is working with many businesses who have applied, been approved, but have never received any money, as well as many others who are not eligible, such as many working in the arts sector. We are calling for the program’s eligibility to be widened. For those who want to personally help our business friends, we have launched an I Shop Local sign campaign to encourage our neighbours to shop locally. If you want a sign delivered to your lawn, please contact us.
Climate Changeand the Environment
There’s no mention of climate change in the entire budget. After significant cuts in the first year of the Ford government, Environment Ministry funding is flatlined compared to previous years. It is very hard to watch this government squander the precious time we have to take provincial action on climate change. We are calling for a fully funded Green New Deal plan and a real commitment to reduce our emissions to net zero.
These are the highlights and significant lowlights of the budget. If you have questions about these programs and more, please reach out to our office.
May 12th, 2021 · Comments Off on LETTER TO THE EDITOR: “On the road to a roof over his head” (Apr. 2021)
Things are looking up for Jeff Reid, who has finally found a home
Jeff Reid can now afford the market rent at his new home, thanks to a provincial subsidy called the Toronto Transitional Housing Allowance Program: Homeless Stream. In his letter to the Gleaner, he shares a few suggestions for making the shelter system more welcoming to Toronto’s homeless population. NICOLE STOFFMAN/GLEANER NEWS
Hi! It’s me, the guy on page 7 of the [March edition] of the Gleaner! I have received so many comments about the article, it’s unbelievable. Instead of walking by me like I don’t exist, more people are treating me like I’m actually real or something! So happy!
A little update: I’ve been accepted into housing, so my last days on the streets will be the first week of May. I’m looking forward to getting cleaned up, getting a new wardrobe, taking a week’s worth of showers, sleeping for four straight days, and being fresh as a daisy once again.
A note to the City of Toronto’s Shelter Support and Housing Administration (SSHA): invest in cameras. Desperate people steal from other shelter residents to get money for their fix. That’s a fact.
Secondly, the lockers shelters provide so guests can keep their valuables safe don’t do much when people pick or break the lock. Invest in cameras for those too. For lockers that staff must open, I suggest the SSHA make new staff wait before they’re permitted to open them. Let them get to know the residents before they go unlocking Greg’s locker for Terry because Terry said he was Greg. It happens all too often.
By and large, shelter staff are good-hearted people who want to see positive change for their clients’ lives. They are railroaded with the care of various numbers of homeless people in close quarters under a system that is overlooked or ignored as ‘good enough,’ and I send my respect to every one of them.
The solution, then, would be to change the clientele. How do we do that? I suggest shelters adopt zero tolerance drug and alcohol policies. Some of the best shelters I’ve been to were in Newmarket, Moncton, and Halifax, to name but a few, where if you came back intoxicated, you slept it off outside. There were still thieves but the junkies couldn’t come in. Nowadays it seems like shelters are introducing harm reduction into everything, and it’s doing nothing to solve the problem of shelter crime.
In the current system, it’s up to the resident to secure their own belongings. You may think this is fair, I did too. Two winters ago, when it was too cold outside for my dog, I stayed at the winter respite at the Queen Elizabeth Building at Exhibition Place. The large warehouse-style building had over 200 residents crammed together in one very large room. There were five security guards for the entire place, or one guard for every 40 people. This was anything but safe.
While I was there for a grand total of two days, I witnessed a man steal another man’s cell phone. When the victim went to retrieve his property, the thief put up a fight. Security mistook the victim as the aggressor, put him down and brought him to the back for the police to arrest. When the thief asked for “his phone” back, security gave him the victim’s phone and no more was made of the actual crime that I witnessed. The poor guy lost his phone, his dog got picked up by animal services, and he most likely had to spend time in jail for failing to protect his property. I attempted to clear things up but was told to “stay out of it.” Is this what passes for justice?
I can’t blame the security in this instance. I have a security background, I’ve worked the industry, and five guards for over 200 people is completely unacceptable. No private company would ever allow such a tiny detail to guard a mall or even a larger store, but when it’s a public respite for homeless people, a lower standard is applied, and this happens. No one should be expected to look after more than ten people at the best of times. Throw in drugs and desperation and the security detail is so far stretched that their effectiveness is negligible.
I wish I could say this is an example of the worst that happens and it’s a rare occurrence, but it’s not. Most times I went out for a smoke there were residents either fuming or in tears over theft, violence, threats, or abuse of some other sort.
If you’re a heavy sleeper, like me, you risk being stolen from in your sleep. I once had a mattress stolen out from under me. These seem to be things you just have to accept as a fact of life to successfully stay at shelters.
So, I guess I should take this time to reflect on my time out here. I’m not going to lie, I loved it. From the friendly community to the free food at the end of the night, the Annex has been extremely good to me and I am eternally grateful for the tolerance and hospitality of the neighbourhood. The Annex is always my recommendation to visit if and when you hit Toronto because it really feels like home; and y’know? It really does.
May 12th, 2021 · Comments Off on FOCUS: Another legal weed shop heading to Bloor Street (Apr. 2021)
Value Buds to open where Aroma Coffee operated
Value Buds is moving into the former home of Aroma Coffee at 500 Bloor St. W. LUCA TATULLI/GLEANER NEWS
By Luca Tatulli
The legal cannabis business is booming in the Annex. Value Buds, whose slogan is “get high, spend low,” is opening at 500 Bloor St. (the site of the former Aroma Coffee shop) – just a few doors down from Tokyo Smoke, a store whose aim is to provide an “education first” approach to the cannabis business. The business people behind these storefronts stand by their belief that their businesses will succeed, despite what some may call market saturation.
“What’s really key about our stores is it’s not about selling cheap weed, it’s about selling good weed cheaply,” said Darren Karasiuk, CEO of NOVA Cannabis, the company that owns the Value Buds chain.
Value Buds has one store at 499 Queen St. W. and is in the process of opening two others on Queen, one on the Danforth and one at Bloor Street and Landsdowne Avenue. NOVA Cannabis also has a total of six pending applications for stores in Ontario according to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario website.
With this explosion of new storefronts dedicated to cannabis, some residents are wondering whether the Annex is set to become “cannabis central.”
“My only concern is that these will be vacant storefronts in six months time. There is not enough market demand to support what is a commodity product and one which can be easily serviced online. Weed is not really an impulse good,” said Annex resident Carlo Timpano.“It can be stored for long periods of time, there is a mild sensory aspect, but not really. It would be great if there could be a food and beverage component.”
Value Buds’ location is the former home of Aroma Espresso Bar, which had a large patio space. Some residents, including Vanness Mirovic, have questioned the “wasted” space.
While Timpano supports the idea of opening a store like Value Buds he thinks the over abundance of cannabis stores will lead to more empty storefronts along Bloor Street. This concern has led to further opposition from residents, who would rather see the storefront used for a restaurant or café.
Despite the concerns from residents, Karasiuk remains optimistic that the Value Buds brand will succeed in the Annex and Toronto due to his company’s extensive experience in the cannabis industry. He cities the Value Buds brand having previous experience in the private liquor market in Alberta. Karasiuk believes this experience in the liquor and cannabis market will translate into success with Value Buds.
“Value buds is backed by a very well established private liquor retailer based in Alberta,” says Karsiuk. “So we have over a quarter century worth of experience in retailing, regulated products, and having deployed similar strategies in liquor retailing.”
Currently there are around 264 applications for cannabis stores across Toronto, according to data from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.
May 12th, 2021 · Comments Off on ARTS: Cream cheese and Covid Culture (Apr. 2021)
Your May 2021 Arts Brief
In Dream Scenes, photographer Martha Davis allows seniors to fulfill their wildest fantasies thanks to the magic of green screens.
By Meribeth Deen
May 16th, 2021 is a Sunday, and in all likelihood, you will not be going anywhere, certainly not to a museum or concert. Maybe, maybe… you will go to a park.
So why not eat carrot-zucchini bread covered in cream-cheese icing, just because you can? And because you do not have any plans to go anywhere, you may as well make it yourself. If you get on it, you can even have the expert tutelage of award-winning cookbook author and columnist Amy Rosen. Just go to the Miles Nadal JCC’s site for Tikkun Leil Shavuot, an annual festival of Jewish learning open to people of all backgrounds.
If you don’t like cream-cheese icing, carrots or zucchini, you should still check out the Tikkun Leil Shavuot site because the opportunities for learning (and enjoying) between 6pm and midnight are practically endless.
Are you going crazy thinking about how to fight racism? Join Tema Smith in a conversation about how we can root out racism. Tema is mixed-race and Jewish, and her experience has led her to work towards creating a more racially inclusive and equitable Jewish community. If a conversation on queering Jewishness, or queering families is more your speed, you’ll find that conversation too. Maybe you want a more general conversation on ethics? You’ll find it at Tikkun Leil Shavuot.
If your brain craves a break from conversations about community, spirituality and philosophy; devising a strategy to excavate the details of your family history; or learning Yiddish, there are also opportunities to put your hands to work. Art Therapist Or Har-Gil will lead a meditation and reflective art exercise on the theme of revelation. Participants will wander through their own wilderness before they make their way to “the sacred centre” to receive divine wisdom.
Basic art supplies (paper/notebook, pencil crayons, markers or pastels) required! OR grab your scissors and join artist Bareket Kezwer in this hands-on workshop where you’ll learn about the lost art of Jewish paper cuts.
And if all of that just sounds like a bit much for your pandemic weary mind, head over to the JCC’s virtual gallery and cruise through the photos in Dream Scenes.
Running until June 30, this exhibit takes portraiture to a new level by empowering senior citizens to fulfill their dreams virtually, using the magic of the green screen. Don’t we all need a reminder that dreams really do come true – but in the strangest ways?
The Miles Nadal JCC is just ONE of 22 organizations that make up the Bloor Street Culture Corridor, and each one of them is working hard to keep making life interesting, despite restrictions.
Make a point of browsing the listings and keep “getting out there” in whatever ways you can.
Comments Off on ARTS: Cream cheese and Covid Culture (Apr. 2021)Tags:Annex · Arts · Life
May 12th, 2021 · Comments Off on GREENINGS: More greenspace, fewer cars (Apr. 2021)
Let’s not go back to unhealthy “normal”
By Terri Chu
While we all wait for vaccines to bring us back to some sense of “normal” (don’t hold your breath as the variants might beat us at this game), let’s take a moment to reflect on how much normal really sucked: for so many Torontonians, “normal” meant sitting in the car for hours just to get to work.
Despite six decades of warnings, we have not managed to get a hold on atmospheric climate change.
The promise of cheap energy was supposed to free us of our labour and give us time to enjoy ourselves.
Instead, we got busier and used that cheap energy to move further and drive longer distances. Hopefully a “new normal” that starts with working from home can reverse this trend.
Slowing down, if we can pull it off, will be bad for an unsustainable economic system dependent on infinite growth and consumption, but the reality is that none of us will suffer an iota when it comes to our standards of living. In fact, we will enjoy what we have much more of and free ourselves from the pointless grind of consumption, garbage creation and sitting in traffic.
We will be able to focus on our interactions with others, our experiences, and physical and mental health. A post-COVID-19 economy based on people, not stuff, is possible, but none of this is feasible without massive investments in transportation. As we discovered during lockdown, we don’t need very much stuff at all to meet our basic needs, and the thing we missed more than anything is social interaction, not material accumulation.
Social interactions, experiences, physical and mental health activities mean that we need to get around, both within the city and outside of it. Doing it all by car will simply get us back to the choked-up world of traffic congestion: this is not the normal we want.
We need to get people out of cars for short distances, particularly for things like grocery and errand runs.
What is stopping us from having publicly available light vehicles (think glorified golf cart) for small grocery runs? Vehicles that are lightweight, not terribly fast, not terribly dangerous (unlike cars) and relatively easy to operate could decrease so many short trips currently made by car.
Where are the city-run cargo bikes at the bike share? Why is transit still so expensive?
Taking your family for brunch by car will cost pennies for gas since there is so much free street parking, but would cost you over $20 in public transit fees.
Imagine a Toronto with such decreased traffic that we could reclaim roads for green and public spaces.
Instead of yelling at our children to watch for cars the moment they step out the door, we could turn our backs and let them run into community gardens or a local piazza the moment the door opens.
We have come to normalize so much going to the car that we can no longer imagine what life could be like if we didn’t give up so much space to these murderous polluters.
COVID is a perfect opportunity for us to rethink our car-centric society and build a better future. Normal was awful, and we don’t want to go back to it, but unless we put money into building a society that will support our need for human interactions, experiences, and recreation, that’s what we’re stuck with.
March 26th, 2021 · Comments Off on ON THE COVER (Mar. 2021)
The Bloor Annex BIA, in partnership with STEPS Public Art and local artists Chris Foster and Layne Hinton, has transformed three of their new parkettes into lighting spectacles. These kinetic installations use bright light sources that slowly pass through a long column of common kitchen colanders. The patterns create dynamic projections that shift as the light passes through in a gesture to the diversity of restaurants that are a staple of the Annex. On site along Bloor St. at Robert St., Major St., and Brunswick Ave. until May 31. COURTESY MELANIE RAMSAY, BLOOR ANNEX BIA
March 26th, 2021 · Comments Off on NEWS: Bike lane refresh for Davenport (Mar. 2021)
Updates would mirror protected bike lanes on Danforth
By Luca Tatulli
In 2015, a young cyclist named Adam Excell was killed in a hit and run at the corner of Avenue and Davenport roads. Between 2016 and 2020, there were 27 more collisions involving cyclists and pedestrians on Davenport. Now Magazine placed this bike lane on its list of the city’s worst. However, the City of Toronto is hoping upgrades can improve the safety of the area. They outlined their plans during a consultation meeting on Feb. 4.
Their proposal would involve turning existing bike lanes on Dupont and Bay streets into protected lanes or cycle tracks located next to roadways but separated by physical barriers. New pavement markings will replace fading ones. The proposed upgrades would mirror the protected bike lanes on Danforth Avenue.
The upgrades would also see bus-bike platforms installed at the major intersections of Davenport Road. The platforms would create a space for cyclists and passengers boarding and disembarking buses.
The platforms would be separated by a yellow line. Pedestrians would wait outside the line and could only cross when getting on or off buses.
Cyclists would also have to yield to pedestrians.
If approved, the proposed upgrades will be installed by this summer. The city says the projected cost for the upgrades is between $150,000 to $200,000.
“With the passage of time, the bike lane is clearly deficient along Davenport. Number one, in many places, it’s too narrow, it’s got parked cars overlapping onto it,” says Albert Koehl co-founder of Bells on Bloor. “In other places, the bike lane has faded, you can’t even see it anymore and also importantly, it’s not a protected bike lane.”
Koehl supports the proposal and says he foresees limited opposition to the project.
“I’m not expecting to see much opposition, in part because it’s an upgrade as opposed to a new lane,” said Koehl. “But more importantly, because of the trend that we’re seeing across the city towards more support for walking, cycling and transit.”
However, some local residents are already voicing concern.
“I’m not concerned with the bike lanes I just think this is a poor choice of a route for that simply because it is a pretty major connecting roadway,” said Frank Marra, the moderator of the Toronto Car People Facebook group and an employee for an architectural firm in the Annex.
The deadline for public feedback on the project upgrades ended on Feb.18.
A report to city council and its Infrastructure and Environment Committee will be filed in March. If approved by city council, construction on the project would start by summer.
Comments Off on NEWS: Bike lane refresh for Davenport (Mar. 2021)Tags:Annex · News
March 26th, 2021 · Comments Off on NEWS: Community input changes Bloor/Spadina build (Mar. 2021)
Developer returns to the table with a 35-storey plan for corner
A mix of commercial and residential development is proposed for the northwest corner of Bloor and Spadina. The plan includes a commercial podium. COURTESY IBI GROUP
By Mary An
After four community workshops and some community consultation meetings, the developers of a 35-storey mixed use building proposed for the northwest corner of Bloor and Spadina are confident they have addressed most community concerns.
“I think we’ve really worked hard to understand some of the community input and the issues that were identified. We put forward a development application that speaks to that with those development principles,” said Project Manager Peter Venetas.
The plan includes an atrium. COURTESY IBI GROUP
The development team – consisting of five different companies – plans to tear down and redevelop the existing buildings at this location.
In a consultation meeting in January of 2020, community members expressed concerns about protecting the view of the Knox College [now the Faculty of Architecture] corridor, shadow impacts, and social housing. In a recent community meeting, the developers addressed all of these concerns and displayed renderings and plans of the proposed building. One rendering was of [the former] Knox College and the minimized impact of the new proposal.
“The idea was to keep the buildings north of College and Spadina below the view corridor of [the former] Knox College when viewed from the northeast and the northwest corners of College and Spadina,” said Senior City Planner Barry Brooks during the meeting. “There is no projection above those at the moment of the proposed building, because the applicant was aware that that was something which should not be breached.”
Within their proposed 35-storey mixed use building there will be 380 residential units and 24 rental replacement units. COURTESY IBI GROUP
The development team also displayed shadow impact renderings of the site displaying how far the shadow would go each month and each hour.
“It’s a very fast moving shadow, not staying in a particular building or area for more than an hour. It is a tall building, and will have some shadow, but I would say the impacts are minimal,” said Mansoor Kazerouni, an architect with the IBI group.
The site currently has a few rental residential units. According to Mike Dror, an Associate of Bousfields Inc., current residents at the site have the right to return to the new building to a unit of similar type, size, and rent. Current residents will also be notified four months in advance to vacate the unit, and will receive a compensation package.
Within their proposed 35-storey mixed use building there will be 380 residential units and 24 rental replacement units. No affordable housing units have been announced.
“We understand what’s happening in Toronto right now, and this project will be subject to a Section 37 agreement,” said Venetas during the meeting. “Whether or not that gets allocated on site or that gets allocated elsewhere in the Ward is probably something that would happen as this process continues forward.”
A Section 37 agreement is a part of Ontario’s Planning Act, which allows the city to ask for better community benefits, such as the inclusion of affordable housing.
Though the developers are confident they have addressed many resident issues with the proposed building, there are still some lingering concerns.
“Toronto will look like a pincushion with these needle towers,” Paul Richard, long-time Annex resident said in an interview with the Gleaner. “What I like about this neighbourhood is that it’s close to the subway, and it’s a nice sort of residential neighbourhood. I don’t want that downtown feel. So, I feel like it’s destroying the residential neighbourhood atmosphere.”
Richard also put an emphasis on quality of life with the lack of and impacted green space this building will bring, due to its position in the neighbourhood. The building will cast shade on Paul Martel Park to the east, Richard said. He also argued that instead of needle towers there should be more green space for the community.
“There’s no point in building more residential buildings if the quality of life in the neighbourhood is very minimal,” Richard said. “We need some long-term planning that’s comprehensive that takes into consideration the environmental heritage, the architectural heritage, cultural heritage, and livability of the neighbourhood.”
The current building at the very corner of Bloor and Spadina was constructed in the pre-war era around 1914. In order to preserve that building, the city must assess its heritage value.
