December 4th, 2020 · Comments Off on FORUM: How will Doug Ford’s 2020 budget impact us? (Nov. 2020)
The government’s Scrooge-like plan is not what we need
By Jessica Bell
It’s easy to make bold and lofty promises at a press conference, but a budget reveals a government’s true priorities.
The Ford government’s 2020-2021 budget on November 5 comes at a time when Ontario is facing huge social, health and economic challenges. COVID-19 is spreading widely. From Kensington to Little Italy, small businesses are closing for good. Parents, especially women, are leaving the workforce because they cannot hold their jobs while caring for and teaching their children. COVID-19 is resurging in our long-term care homes, including Vermont Square. The growing gap between the well-off and the poor, between white people and racialized people, is immoral and destabilizing. It’s a consolation that Premier Ford didn’t cut funding in this year’s budget, but his plan is too cheap to match the challenges we face.
Here are the budget details:
Funding for long-term care is increasing by 2.6%. We are calling for the government to provide additional funding to increase personal support workers’ wages by $5 an hour and hire more workers so all residents in long-term care homes receive four hours a day of direct care. Homes have staff shortages because workers do not want to work in dangerous and hard conditions when they are paid little more than what they would earn in a retail store.
Base health care spending is up by 1.5%, which is about the rate of inflation. We are calling for health care funding to be closer to 5.3% in order to match inflation, population growth, and the unique needs of communities.
The government is providing additional emergency funding to hospitals, but the Ontario Hospital Association is telling us it’s not enough to cover the additional costs hospitals are facing to treat the surge in COVID-19 patients.
Education funding is essentially frozen. The budget will increase from $13B to $13.1B, but most of that increase is from the federal government. Large class sizes will remain, despite pleas from parents, teachers, and public health experts to reduce cohort size. We are calling for a class size cap of 15.
Annual funding for repairing and building new schools has been cut from $1.4B to $1.3B. This bodes badly for University-Rosedale schools as many of our buildings are old, with windows, furnaces, washrooms, and HVAC systems in need of upgrades.
All parents are eligible for another one-time cash payment of $200 per child under 12, and $250 for children and youth under 21 with special needs.
There is no funding to build affordable housing or supportive housing. There is no ban on residential evictions for people who cannot afford to pay the rent. There is no rent subsidy to help people pay the rent. This inaction is going to make our city’s homelessness crisis worse.
There is no increase in social assistance rates.
There is a new one-time emergency fund of $25M for arts institutions to cover operating losses.
The government plans to extend the temporary ban on evictions for commercial tenants but it’s not yet clear who will be eligible, whether it will be retroactive, or how long the ban will be extended. Ontario’s commercial eviction ban for the small percentage of businesses that were eligible for the federal rent subsidy program ended on October 31.
Starting next year, the government will allow Toronto to create a new small business property subclass to provide targeted tax relief. The province will consider matching these property tax reductions.
In the coming weeks, we will be advocating for additional support for health care, education, small businesses and people in need. We’re in a pandemic. It’s not the time to do things on the cheap. It’s time for government to provide real care and leadership.
Please contact our office if you have comments, questions, or need help.
A team of Indigenous workers are bringing Paul Martel Park back to life
Paul Richard (left) and Joseph Sagaj, part of a team of Indigenous gardeners, have been working tirelessly to bring Paul Martel Park (located on Madison Avenue, north of Bloor Street) back to its original vision. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS
By Tanya Ielyseieva
After a period of long neglect, Paul Martel Park is undergoing a revitalization.
The small green space, just north of Bloor Street West and right behind the Spadina TTC station, has been forgotten for some time. However, with the help of the community, it is set to be restored.
Ecology Park was designed and built by Paul Martel, an architect who volunteered and helped to design many community green spaces in the Annex and the rest of the city.
It was designed to celebrate the ecosystems of Southern Ontario. Ecology Park was named in his honour in 2014.
“Paul Martel was the driving force many years ago to revitalize the park and it was called Ecology Park as a result of his vision. It has now been renamed in his honour. There were many volunteers that took care of the park, but when Paul became ill, not as much attention was given to the park,” said Rita Bilerman, Chair of the Annex Residents’ Association (ARA).
Currently, the park is being revitalized by Paul Richard, retired City of Toronto gardener.
The goal of the restoration is to bring together the Aboriginal community and the Annex neighbourhood to restore the ecological plantings and clean up the neglected park.
“The park was pleasant, but clearly neglected and when I saw the sign from the Annex Residents Association asking for volunteers I called them up to talk about it,” says Richard. “I asked and they delivered a letter of support to receive a Targeted Wage Subsidy to fix it up.”
According to Richard, the first stage of the project is the removal of invasive species from the native plant exhibits.
Next is the preparation of the planting beds with new soil, replantation of the habitats with native plants and applying mulch around the plants.
The park restoration work has been made possible by a Government of Canada Targeted Wage Subsidy.
As of now, the team has ten weeks of funding. The funding covers only the labour cost. Other aspects of the park’s renewal remain unfunded.
“Due to our late start, we are re-applying for another ten weeks of funding to finish our work and do more planting in the Spring. We are working through the ARA and the BIA to supply job materials, the Madison Pub has donated Triple Mix Top Soil, and Brian Burchell, Chair of the BIA (and publisher of this newspaper), has donated native plants for the Tall Grass Exhibit. As our budget is for the cost of labour only, these donations are greatly appreciated. The ARA gave us a Letter of Support early on and will be helping with the purchase of plants,” said Richard.
Joseph Sagaj, an Anishinaabe designer and muralist, will work on the art installations and mural mosaic for the park. The idea is to collaborate on a concept suitable for the theme of the park.
“The mural would reflect the area, but also the First Nations students and children who are in Toronto,” says Sagaj. “The idea is to engage people and reflect on the issues, especially the rise in suicide.”
Besides the mural, Sagaj transformed the crescent-shaped placement of a seven rocks garden.
“When people do walk in a crescent-shaped garden, they are engaging in the symbology of First Nations people and their teachings and principles of life,” says Sagaj.
November 2nd, 2020 · Comments Off on ON THE COVER: Fairy Doors in Seaton Village (Oct. 2020)
Fairy doors have mysteriously appeared in Seaton Village, adding a certain enchantment to the neighbourhood. Want to follow the trail of these mystical residents? Be sure to consult Shana Tilbrook’s map, which locates the doors and can be found on the Seaton Village and Annex Toronto Facebook groups. There will be more information about why the fairies have settled in the village in our next issue. MARY AN/GLEANER NEWS
Comments Off on ON THE COVER: Fairy Doors in Seaton Village (Oct. 2020)Tags:Annex · News
November 2nd, 2020 · Comments Off on NEWS: Parking versus housing (Oct. 2020)
Kensington Market considers a change
By Mary An
Priorities are shifting in Kensington Market, according to a recent motion adopted by Toronto City Council that declares the parking lot at 25 Bellevue Ave. a surplus location that could be used to build affordable housing.
Mike Layton (Ward 11, University-Rosedale) recently pushed a motion requesting a non-profit organization with strong links to Kensington Market be allowed to operate and develop an affordable housing project at that location and that new parking opportunities be found within the Toronto Parking Authority.
The idea to change the purpose of 25 Bellevue Ave. has been circulating within the Kensington Market community for some time. In 2018, the Kensington Community Land Trust (KCLT) committee brought the idea to Joe Cressy (Ward 10, Spadina-Fort York).
“We had some conversations with Joe, who referred to that piece of land as the largest underutilized piece of land within the whole Kensington Market area,” said Kevin Barrett, co-chair of the KCLT said in a recent interview.
Cressy brought a “visioning” idea for 25 Bellevue Ave. to council, where he requested that the process identify some city-building opportunities to replace the parking lot. Some potential ideas for the space at the time included affordable housing, a community gathering space, neighbourhood gardens, and an area for small businesses. This idea for a “visioning process” to replace the parking lot was adopted by council in 2018.
The KCLT also had their own “visioning exercise” that included many residents and business owners within the area.
“We did some consultation and some advertising around the neighbourhood and gathered a very diverse group of Kensington residents, merchants, and community members,” said Kevin Barrett. “There was a lot of support for redeveloping that site.”
Layton said he hoped this recent motion would jumpstart the process of finding a partner to redevelop the site.
So far, residents and community groups of Kensington Market are reacting positively to Layton’s initiative.
“As someone who lives in Kensington, I think it’s more important to have affordable housing than a parking lot,” said Hope McNeil, a Kensington Market resident of three years.
According to Dominique Russell, Co-Chair of Friends of Kensington Market, community members are excited to see the parking lot turn into affordable housing. She says people are reassured by the idea that the developer will have strong community connections helps ensure faith that the project won’t potentially hinder the “spirit of the neighborhood.” Russell only had a small concern with the development idea, which was a lack of parking space in the community.
“The parking situation is complex because on the one hand, residents need to park, and on the other hand there’s people we need to bring in from the outside to shop,” said Russell.“But again, the motion addresses this by looking at different ways to accommodate this issue.”
Layton predicts that parking won’t be much of a concern in the future.
“The reality is that people who live in the downtown core drive less and ownership of an automobile is lower with the option of public transit, as well as car share services,” Layton said. “We are moving to a world where fewer people will own cars.”
Layton and city staff are currently working on finding an advocate with strong ties to the Kensington Market community to help move forward with this development.
November 2nd, 2020 · Comments Off on NEWS: COVID-19 at 7-Eleven? (Oct. 2020)
Store closes but not coming clean as to why
7-Eleven (334 Bloor St. W.) unexpectedly closed its store at Spadina Rd. and Bloor St. for cleaning. The reasons behind the closure are unknown. NEILAND BRISSENDEN/GLEANER NEWS
By Mary An
The 7-Eleven located at Spadina Rd. and Bloor St. W. closed from Sept. 14 to 16 “for the health and safety of our customers and team members.”
Beyond the poster stating this basic information, 7-Eleven has provided very little explanation for the closure. The 7-Eleven Canada COVID-19 Store Safety Plan, as written on the company’s website, states that each store has ongoing calls with management, regular check-ins, and an increased amount of conversations and training for staff.
Under the Policies Implemented to Reduce the Risks of COVID-19 section, the website states that a store must immediately close and conduct a “deep-cleaning” process if a team member has contracted the virus. It also states to “alert all 7-Eleven team members, the public and suppliers that a team member at the store has tested positive and people who visited the store during the potential exposure period should self-monitor for symptoms.”
No such notification has been made, and some of the store’s neighbours didn’t even know they had closed for cleaning.
“Honestly, I had no idea they closed. My favorite spot is the Tim Horton’s right next door. I’ve only been there [7-Eleven] two or three times in the past six months,” Vishakha Sharma, the manager at Freedom Mobile right next door said. Sharma believes that there might be another reason behind the store’s closure. “They probably just needed some regular cleaning, because their floors weren’t that great.”
According to Sylvanus Thompson, Associate Director of Healthy Environments with Toronto Public Health, a business owner has a right to close their store at any time for cleaning without having to disclose the reason. 7-Eleven has yet to respond to any inquiries about the store’s closure.
Comments Off on NEWS: COVID-19 at 7-Eleven? (Oct. 2020)Tags:Annex · News
Bells on Bloor asks for enforcement of bike lane rules
Over a six week period, the Gleaner photographed active daytime deliveries along Bloor St. West in order to give a snapshot of which companies respect the bike lanes and which don’t. Most do. Some Sysco truck drivers obey bike lane rules, while others do not. Brinks trucks must deliver via the front door of their customers, and seem to actively ignore the rules while doing so.
By Mary An
In 2016, the City of Toronto built bike lanes on Bloor Street West in the Annex neighbourhood to ensure a safer commute for cyclists. These lanes do not guarantee cyclist safety though, as getting “doored” remains a serious concern. Bells on Bloor, the community group that advocated for the creation of bike lanes, is asking the city to do more.
“Sometimes I shudder because I see some novice cyclists pull out into the roadway and a car behind them might not notice that,” says Albert Koehl, co-founder of Bells on Bloor. “It’s very dangerous and so unnecessary. The lane is there to provide safety.”
After noticing many interruptions of the bike lanes, Koehl and his team at Bells on Bloor wrote a letter to the city in March 2019 requesting help in protecting cyclists. They requested an increase in enforcement on the roads, spreading awareness through ads or through ride-share and transportation services, and the installation of more barriers to protect cyclists from any interferences. Since then, the city has made it a requirement for private transportation services (such as Uber or Lyft) to ask passengers to “look out for cyclists.”
However, problems caused by large delivery trucks failing to observe the rules persist.
Brinks trucks can often be found parking in the bike lanes, creating a hazard for all road users. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS
In early August, Brian Burchell, Chair of the Bloor-Annex Business Improvement Association (and publisher of this newspaper) spotted a large Sysco truck cutting off the south side of Bloor’s bike lane by placing a ramp from the truck to the sidewalk. Cyclists were forced to maneuver their way around the semi-trailer truck during the morning rush into the middle of busy Bloor Street.
TheAnnex Gleaner brought the incident to the attention of the Sysco Corporation, and they responded with an e-mail stating: “We care about our communities and expect all our employees to abide by local bike lane laws. We will share this information with our local operating team to take appropriate action.”
Though the poles were in place to ensure cyclist’s safety, this type of barrier doesn’t prevent vehicles from interfering with the lane and destroying them. MARY AN/GLEANER NEWS
Sysco semi-trailer trucks have been seen during the day interfering with the bike lanes, though the number of sightings seems to have gone down slightly.
One driver who routinely parks safely in a side alley told the Gleaner, “there is a bit of a war going on inside the [Sysco] company with half the drivers sticking to their schedules no matter what [and parking in the bike lanes] and the other half, like me, that don’t want someone to get killed because I forced a bike into a live car lane.”
One company that has an outstanding reputation for never interfering or blocking the bike lanes on Bloor street is The Beer Store. According to Burchell, the company’s delivery drivers were caught blocking bike lanes in 2016. However, Beer Store trucks have since gained a reputation for respecting the safety of cyclists and parking on side streets, avoiding the bike lanes altogether.
According to an Empire Foods driver, deliveries cannot happen off-peak due to the lack of access inside businesses. Because of this, daytime drivers often struggle to find parking spots near their destination.
“Delivery drivers can’t pull over far enough on the road to do deliveries,” the driver said. The driver is also aware of the safety issue for cyclists and often parks on any available side road, but says the city should take more action and input a designated delivery parking spot to avoid such issues.
Burchell believes that it’s not just up to the city, but to the businesses to hold their delivery drivers accountable as well.
“We all have a social contract, a duty to one another. I think it’s incumbent on each of us to try to raise the bar, and make sure that our neighborhood is a safe and inclusive environment where people can gather, shop and enjoy the surroundings,” Burchell said.
Currently, the bike lanes on Bloor Street in the Annex neighbourhood are merely painted on the north side of Bloor Street, which does not prevent vehicles from driving into and stopping in the lanes.
On the south side there is an elevated cycle track protected, perhaps ironically, by a lane for parked cars.
“It’s the question of whether they are being respectful to people in the neighbourhood that are riding bikes, and people from other neighbourhoods that are riding through our area,” Koehl said.
As a community leader on road safety, Koehl hopes that the city starts enforcing regulations around bike lanes, and that more barriers will be created to protect cyclists from vehicles interfering or parking in them.
November 2nd, 2020 · Comments Off on NEWS: Midblock fire station on Howland Avenue gets a facelift (Oct. 2020)
Fire Station 23 once housed steamed-powered, horse-drawn pumpers
“Steamers” refer to the horse-drawn carriages that used water to fight fire in the 1800s. Station 23 (as it was then known) housed this equipment until they were replaced by gasoline-powered fire trucks. While the steamers were used in parades, there is no evidence that they were actually used locally in fire emergencies. COURTESY CITY OF TORONTO ARCHIVES
By Mary An
Major renovations are underway to bring Fire Station 344 on Howland Avenue into the 21st century. Built in 1910, it was originally given the number 23, then re-named in 1999 when Toronto amalgamated. The number 23, however, still sits in stone overlooking the entrance to the building, and this decorative feature will remain in place alongside the building’s entire historic facade.
First built in 1910, Fire Station 344 (formerly known as 23) is getting renovated. The historic Fire Station No. 23 sign still hangs proudly above the garage untouched. MARY AN/GLEANER NEWS
When the station was first built, fire engines were steam-powered and horse-drawn, until equipment advancements became too heavy for the horses to pull. Eventually, the horse-drawn steamers diminished and were replaced by gasoline-fueled engines. Fire Station 23 (now 344) still had horse-drawn steamers that were used in parades over the years, but whether they used them for actual fire emergencies is unknown.
Project manager Ryan MacNeil says virtually every aspect of the building’s interior, including stairways, kitchens, and bathrooms will be re-built to be brought into compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).
“The footprint of the building will stay the same. There will be no expansions, just renovations,” MacNeil said. Being a historic structure, the Toronto Historical Association requires the historic character of the building to be preserved.
While the planned renovations were scheduled to wrap up this September, there were unforeseen obstacles due to the age of the building, delaying the end date to early 2021. In the meantime, Station 344’s crew is carrying out their duties from a temporary home at 339 Queens Quay West.
Comments Off on NEWS: Midblock fire station on Howland Avenue gets a facelift (Oct. 2020)Tags:Annex · News · History
November 2nd, 2020 · Comments Off on CHATTER: Clinton’s Tavern returns, features a monthly flea market (Oct. 2020)
TANYA IELYSEIEVA/GLEANER NEWS
Clinton’s Tavern has re-opened under new ownership after closing back in February and is set to house the new Bloor West Flea Market as its Sunday special event.
The 83-year-old bar at 694 Bloor St. W. has been bought and re-opened by Echo Karaoke. The new ownership developed a menu incorporating Korean food with pub food.
“The new owners of Clinton’s are very invested in the neighbourhood. They’re very invested in making Clinton’s a great space again. It has long been neglected, and just left by the wayside, so they’re really excited to revive Clinton’s and, you know, make it that space that people love in the neighbourhood,” says Felicia Laplume, organizer and curator of the flea markets.
Laplume is converting the Clinton’s building into the Sunday Bloor West Flea Market. Laplume adds that the patio and bar are open for drinks and food while the market is running. Nonetheless, people cannot eat inside the market space due to COVID-19 precautions.
“We really want to help people understand that Clinton’s is now committed to being not only a bar and restaurant but a community space as well, and a performance space, a place for artists and musicians,” says Laplume.
Laplume, who launched the Trinity Bellwoods Flea in 2015, says one of the reasons behind the new flea is to provide more vendor and customer spaces.
“At the beginning of 2020, Clinton’s old ownership kind of abandoned the building, and in the midpoint of the summer, it was taken over by the new ownership. Clinton’s is assumed to be a historical landmark in the city, and the monthly market can help the space be revived into more of multi-purpose space, not so much just a bar but also a place where people can visit during the day.”
Launched on September 27, The Bloor West Flea Market is a curated monthly market and runs on the final Sunday of each each month from 11 am to 6 pm. Visit www.bloorwestfleamarket.com for details.
November 2nd, 2020 · Comments Off on CHATTER: A soulful performance from a Howland porch (Oct. 2020)
TANYA IELYSEIEVA/GLEANER NEWS
Stephanie Martin has been singing and performing her whole life. The singer-songwriter and actress has been on the national and international scene for 30 years, but when the new coronavirus hit, everything changed.
“For showbiz people, it has just been devastating. Going from working all the time and travelling and having an outlet for what we do, to nothing. No money, no fulfillment, no connection with our people, and it’s really tough,” she says.
When the government eased the COVID-19 restrictions, Martin decided to perform a small porch concert with her band, David MacDougall (drums), Chad Irschick (Rhodes keyboard), Mike Francis (guitar), and Tom Szczesniak (bass).
“It was a relief for people to have a little bit of normal. But more than that, when you go to the theatre or when you go see a concert, you have a moment of losing yourself and losing your worries and losing your own ego and anxieties melt away,” says Martin. “I would want to encourage artists to have good ideas about how to reach people and how to provide that because it’s a service. It’s like a medical service for the soul.”
The concert wasn’t advertised much in the area, nonetheless, about 60 people attended (within the guidelines at the time of the event).
“I did it for myself, for my band, and for people. I love my neighbours. It’s amazing what’s happened,” says Martin. “It’s bizarre that it is maybe one of the most meaningful concerts I’ve ever done and that happened right on my front porch.”
The concerts took place on August 15 and September 12.
