Sean Lacey saw most coffee establishments shutter on Bloor St. due to the pandemic. He saw the opportunity and opened up his own take-out only coffee venue within the Victory Cafe (440 Bloor St. W.). Lacey, pictured above, makes his own fresh baked goods on the premises and sells coffee beans to go. The new business will move to Borden St. (just south of Bloor) when the Victory Cafe and other restaurants fully re-open.
Shana Tilbrook and her daughter making non-medical masks at home in the Annex. COURTESY BILL BEDFORD
By Nicole Stoffman
It’s week three of the global coronavirus pandemic and Shana Tilbrook has distributed over 100 handmade cloth masks in ten days.
“At first it wasn’t that busy, but as soon as Dr. Tam said we should be wearing masks, all of a sudden that’s when the requests went crazy,” says the Annex resident and former co-owner of Tryst Lingerie. She adds that most masks stay in the neighbourhood, but orders are coming in from as far as Milton.
Since she began offering her free masks on the Annex and Seaton Village Facebook groups, strangers have been dropping off elastic and fabric on her front porch, where she puts out the completed masks for pickup.
“I just got a package of pre-washed and cut fabric, and now I’ll be able to go a lot faster, because I have to wash and dry all of the fabric I get,” she explains.
As co-owner of Tryst Lingerie, Tilbrook became an expert bra fitter, training her staff and other store owners across Canada on the basics of bra fitting. Her Queen West store, known for being especially welcoming to LGBTQ+ clientele, closed in 2019 after 15 years, a victim of a general downturn in retail. She will move the store online and offer bra fittings in a showroom in her home, when circumstances allow.
Tilbrook has a theatre degree from Ryerson, with a major in costuming. Her masks come in a wide range of vivid and attractive colours and patterns.
“I want people to have masks that they are proud to wear so I give everyone a choice of 5 to 10 prints.”
Health Canada did not recommend that asymptomatic people wear masks until April 6, at which time Dr. Theresa Tam conceded that a cloth mask can be a protective measure for asymptomatic carriers of Covid-19.
For such people, a cloth or “non-medical” mask could protect others from their respiratory droplets in situations where it is difficult to always stay 6 feet apart. A cloth mask will not, however, protect the wearer from respiratory droplets from an infected person, so maintaining social distancing is still important.
Tilbrook’s sister is a doctor and has been offering consultation on this project. She has restricted orders to one mask per person, and instructs each recipient to wash it after each use with soap and water, to wash their hands before and after wearing it, and to only touch the elastics.
“I only have one, and my husband only has one. We don’t go out more than once a day,” says Tilbrook. “You don’t need more than one mask, unless you’re walking a dog.”
For Tilbrook, making masks is more than a public health service, it’s therapy. 2019 was a year of professional and family setbacks, so she took her young family on a recuperative 4-week trip to Israel, which was cut short by the pandemic. She came home, feeling depressed.
“I thought that if I could give masks to people and help people, then I would feel better. It really helped. People have been pitching-in and helping me. Every day I open my front door and there’s fabric or elastic. It’s been amazing.”
If you would like to sew masks, but don’t own a sewing machine, please contact Shana Tilbrook at wusister@gmail.com. If you would like a free mask, please send an email to this same address with “Free Masks” in the subject line. One mask per person.
“Canadians are kind and generous.” The Prime Minsister tells us this in his daily briefings on the COVID-19 crisis. In reality, this statement is part truth and part aspirational. Fortunately in the Annex, and in a great many other parts of our city, this is proving to be true. Many residents are acting as model citizens: staying home, sharing positive messages, and helping each other out.
This crisis is allowing us to see who is prepared to give and to be helpful. In the Gleaner’s distribution area it’s hard to find a neighbourhood where residents are not stepping up to help those who are vulnerable and in need.
Harbord Village Residents’ Association (HVRA) has launched the Harbord Village Mutual Aid Network to help each other during the COVID-19 global pandemic. To help the community and each other, HVRA started delivering flyers with HVRA names and contact information, so people could either email the association directly and get matched with a volunteer – or they could take up the offer of the person whose name was on the flyer. The volunteers pick up medication, groceries, and act as a listening ear on the other end of the line.
“I must say that has been one of the main points, to say you know, I’m here, I’m ready and I really want to help my neighbours,” said Margaret Procter who spearheaded the initiative. “That’s really very touching to see a sense of responsibility towards people, and older people especially,” she said. There are so many volunteers signed up to help in Harbord Village that they outnumber those who need it.
North of Bloor Street, the Annex Residents’ Association (ARA) has launched a similar initiative. Gleaner columnist and ARA Parks Committee chair Terri Chu launched the Annex Help Group at the start of the lockdown out of concern for seniors. “I got a lot of very nice notes, saying they just appreciate knowing there is somebody they can call, should something happen,” said Chu. “It helped them to feel better, just to know there was a backup plan.” At press time, the group numbered 106 volunteers and has dropped 3,500 leaflets
“You might actually have COVID-19 — you don’t realize that you don’t really have any symptoms, but you could be passing it along. And the idea of wearing a fabric mask, so they are not taking any resources away from healthcare professionals, but the fact that you could wear a mask that would cut down on your droplets that you’re sending out there,” said Ingrid Nasager, PARA Membership Coordinator and Board Member. PARA has also provided a community service for seniors like grocery shopping or picking up medications.
Thirty-six restaurants on Bloor St. between Bathurst and Madison are doing take-out, pick-up and delivery, and trying their best to stay alive. Pauper’s Pub is one of them, but has also added groceries to the menu, and they’ve made those groceries available at reasonable prices. How creative and thoughtful is that? The Victory Cafe dropped its prices by 40% for take-out of its gourmet pizzas (less than its cost). Owner Nick Ndreka said, “this is an emergency and we have to help people.”
Clearly, neither business has chosen to profit from this pandemic. They each want you to remember how they acted in your hour of need.
This time will be remembered as an existential moment for many. How we recall the way we have treated others and how others have treated you will speak to the core of our value systems. We’ve realized who is “essential” and how we treat them. It’s far more than first-responders and health care workers, it’s the cooks, cleaners, grocery store staff, truck drivers, and the Uber Eats cyclist bringing you dinner tonight. We should reassert the good will we’ve summoned in this crisis and think about how we can create a more equitable society in the future.
This is a difficult moment in time for everyone. People across the continent are having to make substantial changes and sacrifices to their lives and routines in order to help keep them, their families, and others in their community safe. It is understandable to be confused, or feel anxious on a daily basis. People know they are facing a real threat, and that the choices they make have serious and immediate consequences.
“Many of you have really taken the need to socialize responsibly and from a distance to heart and your actions will be monumental to helping Toronto get through this”
Mike Layton, city councillor (Ward 11, University-Rosedale)
I want to reinforce that we are all in this together, and will be able to get through this because we care for each other. It has never been clearer to me that we are all connected. I am heartened by the community response I have seen throughout recent weeks. Beyond the official responses, there have been many grassroots initiatives that have quickly organized to make sure that any neighbour that needs help, receives it.
I have also been deeply encouraged by the number of you who have reached out to share your physical distancing activities and hobbies to bring some spirit to your neighbourhood. Many of you have really taken the need to socialize responsibly and from a distance to heart and your actions will be monumental to helping Toronto get through this.
In an effort to keep the momentum of local organizing going, my office has created a community resource guide that includes both community and government resources that can help Ward 11 residents dealing with issues arising from COVID-19.
You can access this resource on my website (www.mikelayton.to) or on my Facebook page. It is continually updated as we receive more information.
Those who require assistance like access to free food or financial support as well as those who would like to help others in need, will find resources that will help. It also contains information about mutual aid networks in your neighbourhood, our ward, and across the city, where neighbours have created systems to connect those in need with those who can offer services (e.g. deliver groceries to vulnerable residents). If there is anything you think would be great to add to this document, please let me know by emailing councillor_layton@toronto.ca.
During the pandemic, advice and instruction can change quickly and it continues to be extremely important that we get our information from reliable, informed sources. There is no better source for this than Toronto Public Health and I have full confidence in our Medical Officer of Health to lead us through this situation and keep the public safe.
The city has needed to take significant measures in line with the advice from public health professionals to try and stop the spread of the virus, including the initiation of our Office of Emergency Management (borne from lessons learned during the SARS outbreak) and scaling back services to essential and emergency levels. You can learn more about what this means at www.toronto.ca/covid19.
Remember to regularly check in on your loved ones and vulnerable neighbours, and take a moment to thank our essential workers at any opportunity. We will get through this, together.
Mike Layton is city councillor for University-Rosedale.
COVID-19 has changed our world. Many of us are anxiously living in private, reading our screens, and feeling helpless. At the same time, the essential workers among us are working overtime to keep us fed and safe. They are our farmers, our scientists, our truckers and cleaners, our midwives, postal workers, doctors, and supermarket staff. We see you and appreciate you all.
“The pandemic has laid bare the utter unfairness of our economy on so many people,”
Jessica Bell, University-Rosedale MPP
Our phones have been ringing off the hook as we grapple with the pandemic and its impact on our health care system, our economy, and way of life. We get calls from residents who can’t pay rent and fear eviction. From workers who are being told they must work even though their workplace doesn’t enforce physical distancing. From health workers who don’t have enough personal protective equipment. From residents who want the construction near their home to stop. From seniors who can’t leave their home and are relying on the kindness of strangers. This is a very hard time, and the worst is yet to come.
I have been looking for insight to help me draw meaning and comfort, and this is what I have found so far:
The pandemic is bringing out the best in humanity. Volunteers have stepped up to create local neighbourhood pods to leaflet their neighbourhood and then help people who need it. We care about each other, and my hope is this deepening compassion for our neighbours lives well beyond this time.
The decline in car and airplane traffic is something I have never seen before. I am savouring the clean air and the quiet streets. It is true that this peace has come about through our temporary forced hibernation, but even so it is letting us imagine what our cities could be and what we are capable of. If we can reduce air and car traffic for a pandemic, we can take these kinds of steps to tackle a climate crisis that threatens our very future.
The pandemic has laid bare the utter unfairness of our economy on so many people. Deena Ladd, the executive director of the Workers Action Centre, explained it well when she talked about the working conditions of janitors on the CBC. During COVID-19 janitors are doing the invisible work of helping stop the spread of the virus, and we treat them so badly for doing so. Many janitors get minimum wage or less, they have no access to benefits, like paid sick time, they have less money saved for hard times, and many are not even eligible for government help if they are fired because some have no social security number.
What is true for janitors is also true for many of the low-paid workers who are keeping our economy on life support, from our delivery drivers to our security guards. They are overwhelmingly poor women of colour. As we recover from this pandemic, I hope more of us will work to make our economy fair. For a start, that means demanding governments raise the minimum wage and guarantee decent benefits for all.
Someday soon things will come back to normal. It will be easier to be happy again. My hope is that when we look back we will remember this period not just for its boredom, anxiety, horror and grief, but also for it being a turning point where humanity changed for the better.
Until then, stay home, wash your hands, and practice physical distancing. You are saving lives.
Please contact our office at 416-535-7206 if you want to know what all levels of government are doing, what we are advocating for, or if you want to receive or provide help to others.
May 1st, 2020 · Comments Off on NEWS: Clinton’s Tavern on Bloor closes after 83 years (Apr. 2020)
The tavern that’s been serving the west-end community with drinks, dance parties, and DJ nights announced in mid-February it will close permanently.
In a post to social media pages, Clinton’s Tavern announced its sudden closure.
“Clinton’s has always been a bar with a lot of heart. The people who have worked at Clinton’s throughout the years have shown incredible loyalty to this place. Unfortunately, we have some sad news to share. Clinton’s has closed,” the statement reads in part.
According to the staff’s statement, the closure appears to be permanent and was not related to issues with the landlord, but with the owner of the bar.
“Behind the scenes we’ve been fighting a tireless battle to keep our doors open – trying to push beyond lies and greed, trying to ignore the carelessness of the owner, and trying to work for each other because we all loved Clinton’s fiercely. We rallied together to do whatever it took, often without pay, to keep things going,” the post reads.
All scheduled events were cancelled or relocated, including Choir! Choir! Choir!, a singing event hosted at Clinton’s every Tuesday. Choir! Choir! Choir! has since held a fundraising event for the staff members “who are not only owed a lot of money but are also for now, out of work.”
“Clinton’s closure is part of a larger trend. Across Toronto, local and independent businesses are struggling to survive,” said MPP for University–Rosedale Jessica Bell. “The closure of an institution like Clinton’s is a big loss.”
Bell expressed her support to the hard-working staff and management of Clinton’s Tavern.
—Tanya Ielyseieva, Gleaner News
Comments Off on NEWS: Clinton’s Tavern on Bloor closes after 83 years (Apr. 2020)Tags:Annex · News
May 1st, 2020 · Comments Off on FOCUS: Apartment plan for Huron Street meets opposition (Apr. 2020)
Maintaining historical built-form at odds with need for rental units
Heritage conservation activists oppose the demolition of this classic Annex home to allow for the building of an apartment complex. TANYA IELYSEIEVA/GLEANER NEWS
By Tanya Ielyseieva
The demolition of classic Annex houses built in the late 1800’s will be required in order to build a proposed four-storey apartment building with 48 new residential units at 661-665 Huron Street. While the proposal aims to address housing affordability, it is drawing criticism from local residents and Heritage conservation advocates.
The Annex Flats would replace single-family homes at 661-665 Huron Street with a total of 19 rental units in two buildings including 12 one-bedroom units, 6 two-bedroom units, and 1 three-bedroom unit.
“Rental accommodations are essential in attracting new, talented labour streams that contribute to a city’s upward trajectory,” says the developers, Originate Developments Inc., in a statement. “In Toronto, quality rental properties are in dramatically short supply. With Annex Flats, our vision is to address this need with personality-rich accommodations ideally suited to the area’s student and arts/culture populations.”
Sandra Shaul, Chair of Heritage Conservation for the Annex Residents’ Association (ARA), said that the project developers first approached the ARA to collaborate on July 3, 2018. After meeting with city planners, the developer revised the project design and presented again on April 2, 2019. Several improvements had been made (circulation, parking, deliveries, unit sizes, Huron facade), but Heritage Preservation Services needed to be consulted before a formal application was made. The developer did not contact the ARA again and simply submitted a formal application on Nov. 22, 2019, according to Shaul.
“There are good ways to intensify and they require a certain amount of imagination. And there are less good ways. And I would say that this building would simply take down houses, in my opinion unnecessarily, and replace them with a building that albeit at only four storeys is still out of character with the neighborhood,” said Shaul. “But you do want to build in ways that through the massing and the height, you can create something that is new, but fits in with the rest of the streetscape and doesn’t destroy it.”
According to Shaul, the developer brought a heritage architect for an assessment of the buildings.
“They basically discounted these houses because they are not by known architects, [decided that] they’re not a special interest to the street and essentially ignored the continuity they give to a heritage streetscape,” she said.
The application to the City of Toronto states that both properties comply with the designation criteria laid out in Ontario Regulation 9/06 but states that their integrity is “degraded”. The application proposes their demolition but recommends that they are commemorated with an internal display in the new building and by a plaque on the exterior.
According to Originate Development Inc., Annex Flats will feature “an exterior of red and black brick, plus rich medium-brown wood and black stainless-steel accents, it comfortably fits within the Annex community fabric while making a distinctive architectural statement”.
“I think the developer felt that by keeping it to four storeys, which is still considerably taller than the buildings on either side. And by sloping the roof a bit, he is paying homage to the historic buildings,” said Shaul. “And that’s where we disagree.”
“Some of us have called this home for over twenty years; and we believe that it would be a shame to tear down such a unique structure, and replace with a very modern-looking complex, with much higher rents,” said Catherine Tramsek in an email to the Gleaner.
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May 1st, 2020 · Comments Off on FOCUS: Keeping beloved market “cool”? (Apr. 2020)
Kensington BIA hones its market masterplan
A new masterplan aims to achieve what Kensington Market has already mastered, says one resident. KHYRSTEN MIERAS/GLEANER NEWS
By Khyrsten Mieras
Before the pandemic, the Kensington Market BIA held an open house to share and adjust their Public Realm Masterplan. The goal of the plan is to provide a community-driven framework that will create positive change for Kensington Market’s public spaces while prioritizing equity and inclusion.
Sumo Projects, along with Gladki Planning Associates, Greenberg Consultants, and PMA Architects, developed the masterplan after a year of consultation, planning, and design. During the process, several meetings took place with stakeholders, the BIA, and Councillor Mike Layton.
Overall, the plan aims to improve many aspects of Kensington Market, including streets, sidewalks, green spaces, waste management, lighting, and parking for cars. It will also expand and enhance bike and pedestrian areas. However, consultants at the open house clarified that the plan is not final; it is a framework of ideas to kickstart the process for improving the neighbourhood.
Gaston Soucy, an urban design consultant for Sumo Projects, has worked closely with the BIA over the past year to create a plan that benefits the Kensington Market community.
“Kensington Market is a very, very beloved place, not only by the residents but also by the entire city,” said Soucy. “It is important to put a plan in place that can help protect the market or at least allow it to grow in a manner that is similar to the way it has been growing so far because there [are] a lot of external pressures… that could potentially damage the market.”
The open house featured a discussion with vision boards of the plan for the community to give their feedback on. Macro ideas for the plan are: decluttering the streetscape, implementing an urban tree system, enhancing the existing lighting system, improving the public waste bin disposal strategy, introducing curbless streets, and integrating historical values. Micro ideas consist of physical improvements like lighting, seasonal greenery, temporary seating, art, as well as activities and event programming for different audiences.
Many local business owners and residents who attended the meeting offered their thoughts and suggestions for improving Kensington Market. Some of these community members were looking for a change, while others wanted to keep the market the same.
Molly McGregor, a student at Ryerson and a long-time resident of Kensington Market, was unhappy with the negative impacts of the plan.
“This masterplan is trying to achieve what Kensington Market has already mastered, which is to create a positive sense of community and really beautiful foot traffic,” she said. “It’s going to be a huge disruption to the life of the area. This kind of construction is unnecessary and will take up way too much time, money, and resources.”
Gwen Bang, the new BIA chair and owner of Lola, a bar and restaurant in Kensington Market, noted that the masterplan was created to protect the future of the neighbourhood. She said that protection should focus on the area’s residents and the success of its businesses year-round.
“I feel that the BIA should care about its members by way of sustaining the businesses in the area as well as keeping with its maintenance projects if there are any, and safety. But really sustaining businesses throughout the seasons, not just the summer,” she said.
“My main goal now is to provide the transparency for everyone, for all the organizations and everything else, bridge everything together, and help our streets and help our businesses.”Final steps for the masterplan are ongoing and amendments are being made based on community input from the open house.
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May 1st, 2020 · Comments Off on LIFE: Portable potable vegetables (Apr. 2020)
What to plant in your container garden
In May 2020, the Annex Gleaner celebrates 25 years of publishing. In acknowledgement of this history we are republishing highlights of our past; this feature, Portable potable vegetables by gardening columnist Bardi Vorster, is from May 1998. As spring is here this advice is timely.
By Bardi Vorster
There is a unique pleasure to growing your own food. The double reward of watching plants grow and then savouring the harvest is especially satisfying. A pinch of fresh sage or a snip of chives will enliven any boring dish and growing your own veggies is the best way to discover the real meaning of freshness.
An acre is not necessary; planting herbs and vegetables in containers is a great way to try a variety of comestibles on even the smallest balcony. Containers make it possible to cater to the exact soil requirements of each plant and separate them if invaded by pests. Contrasting foliage such as sage and parsley and purple basil is delightfully decorative. Try a lemon tree or a rosemary bush and it can double as a house plant in the winter.
The planter environment
Plant life in a pot is somewhat different from life in the ground. Porous clay pots will dry out more quickly than plastic or metal containers. Adding peat moss to the planting mix will help retain water as will mulching if there is soil showing before the plants fill out. Because pots need more watering, they also need regular fertilizing. It’s a good idea to check nutrition requirements for each type of plant you grow as preferences vary.
The smaller volume of soil means greater temperature fluctuation. Roots need a cooler than air temperature in the heat of our summers. Consequently, thin metal containers may need insulation to allow optimum growth. This can be done most easily by using a plastic pot as a liner, or bubble wrap (around the sides only).
Good drainage is critical, and to this end all pots should have a drain hole. Cover holes with landscape fabric or a piece of J-cloth before filling the pot with soil, which will prevent soil but not water from washing out. Containers without holes can be used as pot covers but be sure that plants do not stand in water.
Another consideration is portability. If you are growing something that must be moved inside for the winter, or during the season, permanent casters or a dolly will make life easier.
Probably the most useful size pot for growing vegetables is the five gallon one. Peppers need 12-inch depth and 15-inch diameter for each plant. Herbs will be fine in smaller pots but 6-inch would be a minimum. A grapefruit tree would need a 10-gallon pot – with wheels and long term commitment!
Most suitable plants
There are some vegetables which are not suitable for growing in containers; corn, potatoes, winter squashes, or grains take up too much room. Broccoli does not develop properly indoors. Brussels sprouts are slow and difficult.
Varieties should be chosen for their date to maturity, unless you want to start them indoors or extend the gardening season by taking them inside in the fall. Summer squashes such as early prolific, fordhook, or early white bush will mature in approximately 60 days. Bush beans delinel, tendergreen, and eureka wax are fast growers. The seed germinates in four to seven days and the beans are ready in approximately eight weeks. Date to maturity is usually found on the seed package.
Dwarf varieties are the most useful. Sometimes several can be grown in one large container. For example, dwarf modern lettuce produces heads about the size of tennis balls.
I’ve always liked eggplant because the plant is attractive. I recently discovered that it is actually a perennial which can live for four to six years. It is very sensitive to frost so it would be a good candidate for keeping over the winter. Remarkably, the dwarf plants produce full size fruit.
Apart from the above mentioned unsuitables, many other vegetables have been successfully grown in containers; as long as you group plants with similar requirements, I don’t see why you shouldn’t try anything.
Herbs are even easier. Most do not have special soil requirements. Many prefer drier, sandy soils and are happy being pot-bound. There are always exceptions such as parsley which prefers a rich, humus mix.A very important component is the quantity and quality of light for growing herbs and vegetables. Full sun is always best, however, part-shade is tolerated by some. If your area is less than perfect, stick to salad greens and herbs for foliage. The plants which don’t have to spend their energy on producing flowers and fruit have the lowest light needs.
Comments Off on LIFE: Portable potable vegetables (Apr. 2020)Tags:Annex · Life
At your fingertips and while in your pjs – enjoy it!
By Meribeth Deen
We’re a month into the new COVID reality, so at this point, you’ve either re-shaped your life entirely and decided to stay inside forever, or you are going absolutely bananas staring at your own four walls and talking to your cat. We’re obviously not going to tell you to hit the town, or tell you how to spend your time in general, but we are here to remind you that opportunity abounds. So many of the organizations affiliated with the Bloor Street Culture Corridor have stepped up to find innovative ways to keep connecting to the city. This might be the moment where the internet takes over our lives, and this might be the beginning of a whole new artistic and community flourishing. Either way, offerings are changing and shifting as quickly as COVID news, so make a point of staying up to date. Facebook and Instagram are your new best friends for doing so… now let’s get you inspired.
At this stage you are probably sick to death of whatever streaming service you watch TV and movies through, so don’t forget about Hot Docs, which normally screens films at the Ted Rogers Cinema. Their collection is available through a number of services, including Apple TV, Crave, Encore, CBC Gem and more. There are hundreds of films available, screened at past festivals and at the Ted Rogers Cinema. Look up Hot Docs at home for staff picks, trailers, and information about where to watch these documentaries.
Check in with the Music Gallery’s Facebook page to find out about live-streamed performances and talks on Mondays and Fridays. Done in collaboration with the Canadian Music Centre, the interviews (Mondays) highlight creative individuals, veterans, and elders who stand out in Toronto’s musical history. On April 27, Suba Sankaran will interview Professor Trichy Sankaran, percussion virtuoso, Indian music scholar and producer as well as the founding director of Indian music studies at York University. Friday evening (7pm) performances are being built around an instructional piece by Xuan Ye, adapted from a piece she couldn’t perform in person. The goal of these events is to connect artists who might not otherwise get the chance to work together, and bring the spirit of community and experimentation into people’s living rooms.
Pick up the phone for a unique theatrical and cultural experience offered by Instituto Italiano de Cultura and Dopolavoro Teatrale (DLT). The two have teamed up to create an intimate and immersive experience at a distance with Theatre On Call. “The goal of Theatre On Call is to become somewhat of a counter-virus that spreads and generates artistic responses, supporting the two categories of people that immersive theatre brings together best: artists and audiences,” explains DLT. One such experience can be booked at any time and goes on for six days: How to Improve Life in Your Living Room with DLT artists Franco Berti and Violante Binazzi, offers tips about artistically capturing life’s moments and involves daily tasks. Other performances shift regularly, so check out the Instituto’s Facebook page. All offerings occur on a pay-what-you-can basis.
Now, if your body can’t get outside and stretch, at least your brain can. Learning a language is a great way to do it, and Alliance Francaise is making it easy. Not only are all courses now being offered online, their Facebook page is highlighting their instructors favourite online learning portals and unique opportunities like “speak dating,” to practice your language skills – for free.
The Toronto Reference Library, like all libraries, is closed to the public. Keeping up with library updates is a great way to stay positive, though. Not only has the Toronto Public Library partnered with local food banks to turn branches into food distribution centres, they have also loaned out 3-D printers to a team at Toronto General Hospital to produce personal protective equipment for frontline healthcare workers. Plus, TPL Digital Services has put out a guide to 38 Ways to Use the Library From Home. There are a ton of resources for kids, including online tutoring for students between kindergarten and grade 12 and dial-a-story, which offers stories for kids in more than 16 languages. There’s also access to movies, music, book clubs, and e-books for all ages.
When you’re done with putting information in your brain, it’s time for output, and the Bata Shoe Museum is there to help. Every week, they’re putting out sneaker-themed drawing prompts aimed to spark imagination and creativity. They’ve also got colouring sheets based on shoes in their collections. As you might expect – they’re hoping you will share what you make.
The Miles Nadal Jewish Cultural Centre has lots of online happenings for everyone, but plenty of fun for kids in particular. They’ve hosted online pre-school aquatic bingo, a show with Lost & Found Puppet Co., and of course Shalom Sesame, with Passover Grover. Check out their Facebook site for more upcoming fun.
All this goes to show that Toronto’s artists and cultural institutions are still there for you, and if you can’t come out of this thing smarter, at least you’ll come out of it cross-eyed. So don’t forget to stick your head out a window, and breathe in some unusually fresh Toronto air. Stay safe and stay healthy.
April 16th, 2020 · Comments Off on LIFE: Two wheels keep on turning (April 15, 2020)
Robert Bateman poses outside his Bathurst St. shop. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS
Bike repair shops take “essential” classification seriously
By Brian Burchell
News that the provincial government had declared bicycle repair shops an “essential service” during this crisis came as a welcome surprise to area bike shops and cyclists alike. The Gleaner contacted four of these businesses to find out how customers can support these important outlets and also get their bikes serviced for spring while keeping a safe distance.
Bateman’s Bicycle Company is keeping one location open for business, its flagship store at 913 Bathurst St. Owner Robert Bateman welcomes the challenge, “Our mandate is to keep our customers safe while providing our essential service. We will be focusing on what matters most, keeping cyclists moving safely and supporting those seeking an alternate to public transit.” Their Express Shop on Dupont and the Top Shop and Rentals, also on Bathurst are closed for now. Bateman’s can also ship product directly through online shopping at: https://www.batemansbikeco.com/ . If you want your bike repaired they request you knock on the door; a mechanic will come outside to collect your bike keeping a safe distance from you. (416) 538-2453
Curbside offers service behind their Bloor and Brunswick location. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS
Curbside Bike Repair located at 412 Bloor St. West is open for repairs and online sales. Though they are locked, knocking on the door Tuesday to Friday from 2-5 pm or Saturday 12-5 pm, will get you service. In the alleyway behind the store a tent is erected where they are able to safely pass bikes in and out of their repair facility. More info is available at https://curbsidecycle.com (416) 920-4933
Dave Fix My Bike located at 254 Christie St. has been keeping Annex residents’ bikes safely rolling for 28 years. Dave is pleased to look after your bike during this crisis and has adopted a similar knock-on-the-door approach to help keep everyone safe. Dave’s shop is open Tues 12-6, Thurs 12-8, Fri 12-8, and Sat 12-6. (416) 944-2453
Sweet Pete’s Annex location may be closed but they’re open just down the street at 1204 Bloor St. W. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS
Sweet Pete’s Bike Shop has closed it’s Annex location for now but is operating at 1204 Bloor St. W. Though their showroom is closed, the online store is open with free shipping on any purchase over $100. Visithttps://www.sweetpetes.com . Repairs can be booked over email at info@sweetpetes.com . No drop-offs will be accepted without an appointment. A staff person is available at the door to safely accept or deliver your repaired bike to you. Operating hours: Mon-Fri 11-7 pm, Sat 10-6 pm, and Sun 12-5 pm. At this time, Sweet Pete’s will not be accepting phone calls.
