October 17th, 2019 · Comments Off on CHATTER: Brodie barred from 104 Harbord (Oct. 2019)
In July, the Gleaner reported that once again the illegal pot dispensary operating out of 104 Harbord Street just west of Spadina had been raided by police. Jeff Brodie who claimed to be a legal residential tenant of the premises was evicted because the building was being used as an illegal cannabis store. Police erected concrete barriers to the storefront making access for any purpose impossible.
Brodie recently lost his bid to be allowed to return while he challenges the constitutionality of the law that had allowed his eviction. An Ontario judge decided that allowing Jeffrey Brodie to go back home would allow the unlicensed pot retailer, CAFE, to start up inside sales again. Many illegal dispenaries had sought to employ residential tenants as a way of confounding police efforts to blockade the storefronts. In July the province amended the Cannabis legislation taking away the tenant rights of people living in illegal dispensaries.
“I recognize that (Brodie) is in difficult circumstances,” Superior Court Justice Peter Cavanagh wrote. “However, (he) has failed to discharge his onus….of satisfying me that if an order is made that entry to the premises cease to be barred, the use to which the premises will be put will not involve resumption of CAFE’s illegal business.” Brodie through his lawyer argues the “draconian” law contravenes his charter rights in part because it allows eviction of law-abiding tenants, and the seizure of their belongings, without due process.
After the most recent raid, authorities placed concrete blocks to barricade the entrance. CAFE then moved its operations outside, but Brodie lost access to his second-floor apartment and most of his possessions. Perhaps ironically the only legal use of the site was Brodie’s alleged occupancy which is now barred. The illegal use continues now in full view under a tent in front of 104 Harbord Street.
Justice Cavanagh accepted Brodie’s claim that he had no knowledge of the retail pot operation happening in his apartment.
October 17th, 2019 · Comments Off on CHATTER: Park still ignored by city (Oct. 2019)
Brian Burchell/Gleaner News
Despite the public outcry city staff have still not taken steps to address the concerns of residents about the neglect of Paul Martel Park located on Madison Avenue. City councillor for University-Rosedale Mike Layton has joined the chorus of those advocating for a solution, “I have made repeated requests to parks staff to have the signage replaced and attend to the overall state of the park. With two retirements of parks managers within the south district, maintenance this year was a challenge as the positions were not permanently filled until the end of the summer. Now that both those positions have been filled, I’m confident the city will be better able to respond to requests from the community.”
City of Toronto senior Park Supervisor Peter White remains unresponsive to requests from the Gleaner for comment.
October 17th, 2019 · Comments Off on CHATTER: Police Scholarship Awarded (Oct. 2019
Courtesy Toronto Police Service
Monica Maitland, who was a student at Central Toronto Academy, has won this year’s safety scholarship from Toronto Police 14 Division. Pictured above from left is Staff Sgt. Tam Bui, Monica Maitland, and Brian Burchell, Scholarship Chair (and publisher of this newspaper). Monica overcame significant family hardships but still managed to make her community a safer more welcoming place. One of the many things she has done is to organize gift bags of essentials for homeless people in her neighbourhood. She approached corporate stores to make donations for these essentials. Thanks to the scholarship, Monica is now enrolled at Seneca College where she intends to study Behavioral Psychology.
Comments Off on CHATTER: Police Scholarship Awarded (Oct. 2019Tags:Annex · News
October 17th, 2019 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: The hidden cost of Conservative climate plans (Oct. 2019)
As they look to win votes in Ontario, federal Liberal candidates point to Doug Ford as a sort of warning about the dangers of casting a vote in favour of the Conservative Party of Canada. It seems even the Conservatives are buying into this narrative, as party leader Andrew Scheer brought Alberta Premier Jason Kenney to Ontario to give his campaign a boost this month. The distraction does little to veil the similarity between Conservative leaders, particularly when it comes to their climate plans.
Since scrapping the Wynne government’s carbon cap-and-trade program, the Ontario government has found itself embroiled in court battles.
In September 2018, a coalition of environmental groups filed a lawsuit on behalf of Greenpeace Canada in response to the Ford government’s decision.
“The Ford government’s first action when it stepped into office was to gut a program designed to reduce greenhouse gas pollution, without offering any immediate alternative,” said lawyer Charles Hatt, in a statement. “We’re suing to remind the premier that winning an election does not give his government carte blanche to ignore the statutory rights of Ontarians to be consulted on major changes to the laws and regulations that protect them from climate change.”
While government lawyers argued that the Ontario Conservatives had campaigned on the promise of cancelling the program and reducing the price of gas by 10 cents a litre, two out of three Ontario Superior Court judges determined a political campaign doesn’t count as consultation. Amir Attaran, a lawyer for Ecojustice, told the National Observer that the decision will likely pave the way for disgruntled investors in the cap-and-trade market to launch their own lawsuits against the government.
Meanwhile, the Ford government went to court to fight the implementation of the federal carbon tax. Ford called carbon pricing a “cash grab”, and as explained by Jim Karahalios (founder of a website called axethecarbontax.ca), tried to persuade the court to accept less stringent carbon targets than those set by the federal government. The strategy failed with the court’s decision that deems the imposition of the federal carbon tax constitutionally sound. Dogged as ever, the Ford government has promised to keep fighting the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act.
“We have seen the very real costs on the people of Ontario,” said Ontario Environment Minister Jeff Yurek after his government filed its appeal to the Ontario court’s decision.
Clearly, the legal costs are lumped in with environmental costs, and are not being tallied. Never mind the ecological costs – economists say the GDP is going to drop as temperatures go up.
It looks unlikely that a Scheer-led federal government would do the calculations much differently. Out on the campaign trail he’s promising to put more money in Canadians’ pockets by scrapping the carbon tax. If he ends up as the next prime minister, Ontario and other carbon-tax opposing provinces will save money on legal fees, but we’ll all pay a bigger bill in the long run.
October 17th, 2019 · Comments Off on FORUM: Our streets should be safer (Oct. 2019)
Dump truck strikes woman exiting streetcar
Jessica Bell, MPP University-Rosedale
On the morning of September 17, a young woman exited the streetcar at Bathurst and Ulster and was hit by a driver of a dump truck who failed to stop behind the streetcar, as is the law.
The woman went to hospital and is expected to fully recover, but the dark truth is she should never have been hit, and there are many victims who never recover.
There must be proper penalties for rule breakers. As the law stands, drivers who kill a pedestrian are sometimes walking away with just a fine. That is not acceptable.
Toronto has a road safety crisis. Every day six people are hit by vehicles in Toronto, and in 2018, 47 people were killed – a grim 10 year record that our city might exceed in 2019.
As the Ontario NDP’s transit critic, I work with victims of road violence, like Meredith Wilkinson. In 2017, Meredith was hit by a truck that made a right hand turn into her cycling lane. Her leg was crushed under the truck, and eventually it had to be amputated above the knee. “Losing a leg is a death sentence,” she told me.
Daniella Pinto-Levy is an advocate for Walk Toronto and is legally blind. She joined me at a press conference on September 24 to ask the Ford Government to approve the use of safety cameras on streetcars. Daniella described the feeling of exiting a streetcar like this: “I put my life in the hands of a driver I will never see. If I die on the roads I want a law named after me,” she said.
There are many reasons why our roads are not safe. There has been a big increase in congestion. Toronto’s roads and intersections are engineered for the speedy passage of cars, and not for the use and safety of pedestrians and cyclists. For example, curved corners at intersections allow drivers to turn at speed, putting pedestrians at risk.
Road rules are not properly enforced so drivers can break the law with impunity. The mass adoption of cell phones has led to a marked increase in injuries caused by distracted driving. Toronto’s speed limits in some urban areas are too high.
When we walk our children to school, cross an intersection, exit a streetcar, or use our bikes we should not be killed or injured by a vehicle.
All levels of government and the police should work together to reduce road deaths and serious injuries to zero. Ontario should develop its own Vision Zero plan, just like British Columbia and Alberta. This plan should include measures to redesign roads and intersections, funding for cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, and lower speed limits in key areas.
Governments should do more to enforce existing traffic laws. Cities like Seattle and Portland have proven that safety cameras that find and fine drivers who are breaking the law are a cheap and effective way to reduce injuries and fatalities. The Ford Government must stop stalling and permit Toronto to install safety cameras near school and community zones, such as Avenue Road, as well as on TTC vehicles.
There must be proper penalties for rule breakers. As the law stands, drivers who kill a pedestrian are sometimes walking away with just a fine. That is not acceptable. I will continue to advocate for the Vulnerable Road Users Law so drivers who are breaking the law when they kill or injure a pedestrian, road worker, or cyclist face tougher penalties, mandatory community service, driver re-education, licence suspension and a requirement to hear victim impact statements.
Change happens when we fight for it. I encourage you to work with my office as well as groups that care about road safety, such as CycleTO, the Avenue Road Safety Coalition, Walk TO, the Harbord Village Residents’ Association, and the Annex Residents’ Association to advocate and build the safe streets we deserve.
Questions compiled by the Gleaner editorial board. Answers are edited for length and clarity. Election date is October 21, 2019. For more information on voting, please visit elections.ca.
The United Nations and the Parliament of Canada have declared that we are in a climate emergency and a tipping point is near — what is your party’s plan for Canada’s role in preventing a global climate catastrophe?
Tim Grant, Green Party of Canada (TG):
The Green Party is the only party in Canada with a detailed proposal to meet the international goal of cutting carbon emissions by 60% over the next 11 years, and 100% by 2050. Both Denmark and the UK, with per capita emissions already lower than ours, have committed to this goal. If they can do it, we can too. If we fail, future generations will face the brunt of accelerating climate change.
A key part of our 20-point proposal is the creation of a climate-crisis cabinet that includes representatives of all parties. This cabinet will develop a plan that they can all agree to – that meets the international targets. Once they do, the days of climate change being used as a political football will end.
Helen-Claire Tingling, Conservative Party of Canada (HCT):
Canadians trusted Justin Trudeau when he said he would protect the environment and lower Canada’s emissions. Instead, all they got was a carbon tax. Not only is Canada failing to hit our Paris Agreement targets, we are getting further and further away.
We should all be concerned about climate change – about the kind of planet we will leave to future generations. A Real Plan to Protect Our Environment is built on three guiding principles:
• Green technology, not taxes
• A cleaner and greener natural environment
• Taking the climate change fight global
The Conservative plan for the environment, A Real Plan to Protect Our Environment, is the most comprehensive environmental platform ever put forward by a political party in Canada. Under the Conservative plan, it will not be free to pollute – and unlike the Liberal scheme, there will be no sweetheart deals for anybody.
Technology. Not taxes. An Andrew Scheer-led Conservative government will work to tackle the global fight against climate change while putting more money in the pockets of Canadians so they can get ahead, not just get by.
Melissa Jean-Baptiste Vajda, New Democratic Party of Canada (MJBV):
I know that the climate crisis is top of mind for people across University-Rosedale. A New Democrat government will put in place ambitious, science-based greenhouse gas reduction targets that stabilize the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Unlike other parties, we will make these targets legally-binding, and create an independent Climate Accountability Office.
We are committed to stopping big breaks to polluters by ending fossil-fuel subsidies. We will create 300,000 good, green jobs through a historic investment of $15 billion. We will make all new buildings in Canada energy efficient by 2030, and retrofit all existing buildings by 2050.
And we will ensure Indigenous communities are always full partners by implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
We see gun violence on the increase in Toronto and other urban centres — how does your party plan to tackle this issue?
MJBV:
Too many lives have been lost in Canadian cities to rising gun crime. I pledge to work to keeping illegal handguns off our streets and tackling gun smuggling and organized crime. I believe cities should have the authority to ban handguns, and to help protect our communities, New Democrats will make sure that they have access to funding for anti-gang projects that help deter at-risk youth from joining gangs.
New Democrats know that building a sense of community safety is not just about the absence of crime. When we focus on increasing social inclusion, promoting public health, ensuring food security, access to education, affordable housing, and increasing youth engagement, we not only provide Canadians with important services, we also reduce the risk of crime.
HCT:
A Conservative government will take action to make it easier for police to target gang members and put them where they belong – behind bars. Andrew Scheer’s plan will end automatic bail for those accused of gang crime, create tougher sentences for violent gang crime, and make it easier for prosecutors to convict known gangs.
An Andrew Scheer-led Conservative government will put criminals who use guns behind bars for a long time. Justin Trudeau’s approach to this issue fails to address the real problem — criminals who use guns commit violence. Blanket bans and new rules on those who already obey the law do nothing to keep our streets safer. We will ensure that anyone who has smuggled a gun goes to prison.
TG:
Our priority is to ensure that illegal handguns are intercepted at the border and kept out of our cities. To do this, we would direct the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to focus its resources on weapons smuggling. To be effective, we’ll need Integrated Border Enforcement Teams made up of officers from the RCMP, CBSA, U.S. Customs, and the U.S. Coast Guard to gather intelligence and arrest gun smugglers. Finally, gun smuggling must be prosecuted as a crime of the highest order rather than as a customs violation.
Within the country, we would ban handguns and combat weapons, including semi-automatic rifles and assault rifles, and launch a confidential buyback program for handguns and assault weapons.
Given the Ford government’s cuts to public health programs administered by Ontario municipalities, will your party intervene or assist in funding these programs directly?
TG:
The federal government can put conditions on federal transfer payments to ensure that public health programs continue at the municipal level. Our pharmacare plan offers another way that the federal government can lead. We propose to cover both the federal and provincial costs of pharmacare for the first two years. This will avoid the delays inherent in negotiating a national plan with 10 provinces and 2 territories — as the Liberals and NDP are proposing — and ensure that pharmacare can begin much earlier. We are confident that, after two years, public support for the program will be so strong that no province will say no to paying its share.
MJBV:
I believe that we need a health system that covers people from head to toe. I know that right now, too many Canadians don’t have access to medications they need or can’t afford to visit the dentist because of the cost. That’s unacceptable.
As a New Democrat, I’m committed to a comprehensive, universal, public pharmacare that will save even families that already have insurance more than $500 a year. But we won’t stop there. We’ll work together with provincial partners, health professionals to develop a long-term roadmap to including dental care, eye care, hearing care, mental health care and more in the Canada Health Act.
HCT:
Under a new Conservative government, Canadians will be able to count on stable and predictable health and social program funding. It is critical for Canadians to have confidence that these programs will be there for them when they need them. That’s what the Health and Social Program Guarantee is about. The Health and Social Program Guarantee is a commitment to maintain and increase the Canada Health Transfer (CHT) and the Canada Social Transfer (CST) by at least 3% per year, as is currently mandated in legislation. Andrew Scheer and the Conservatives are going to continue to highlight our positive plan to help Canadians get ahead while reminding voters that Justin Trudeau is not as advertised.
Transit growth plans in Toronto are off the rails with the City and the Province fighting over the direction of subway expansion — how will your party lead the region out of transit planning/building gridlock?
TG:
Planning gridlock will continue until the City of Toronto can make decisions that the province cannot overrule. Our new deal for cities — also known as charter city status — would provide constitutional protection and a greater share of taxes for cities. Cities in Canada currently receive only 10.3% of all taxes and must constantly ask other levels of government for money. Once cities have charter city status, long-term planning will finally become possible.
Like our provincial counterparts, federal Greens support road pricing (i.e., road tolls, parking surcharges, etc.) as new sources of revenue to build transit. All drivers have a vested interest in expanded public transit systems and should contribute to the cost. By doing so, they will benefit from a reduction in traffic congestion.
MJBV:
Access to reliable, quality public transit is something I hear about from residents in University-Rosedale every day. That’s why I’m excited about our plan to create good jobs, improve air quality, and save commuters money. We’re committed to improving public transit by:
• Modernizing and expanding public transit through permanent, direct funding to municipalities;
• Scaling up green, zero-emission transit projects with buses and electric trains, and working with cities and towns to electrify our transit fleets by 2030;
• Waiving the federal tax on zero-emission vehicles and getting all new vehicles zero-emission by 2040;
• Investing in high-speed rail and expanding rail service options; and,
• Making sure that rural communities have access to the affordable transit options they need, like rail and buses, by re-establishing routes abandoned by Greyhound.
HCT:
Justin Trudeau thinks he can spend your money better than you can. When he eliminated the Public Transit Tax Credit and took important financial support away from 1.8 million Canadians, he said the credit was just too “complex”. Life is expensive enough without the government costing you more.
A Conservative government will introduce the Green Public Transit Tax Credit which will provide much-needed relief to transit users and commuters so they can just worry about getting home on time, and not so much on their bottom line. The Credit will be for transit passes that allow for unlimited travel within Canada on local buses, streetcars, subways, commuter trains, and ferries. A Conservative government will live within its means and put more money in your pocket so you can get ahead.
What’s your perspective on the continuing policy of the Liberals of running deficits to create economic growth?
MJBV:
As New Democrats, we believe in being responsible with taxpayer dollars, and we believe in investing those dollars into services that Canadians need.
Our New Deal for People will boost economic growth today with immediate investments, and into the future as a result of measures that will expand our labour force, from universal child care to public pharmacare. We also believe that those at the top should pay their fair share: that’s why we will introduce a 1% wealth tax on households making $20 million and more.
Our country’s finances will be fiscally sustainable under our New Deal, according to the independent Parliamentary Budget Office’s fiscal sustainability measures. By carefully focusing on Canadians’ priorities, our fiscal approach ensures that Canada’s debt-to-GDP ratio falls over our 10 year fiscal horizon.
HCT:
Today, Canadians are under pressure and worried about their future. Their dreams are getting further out of reach. They are looking for help. Trudeau has proven he cannot be trusted to deliver it. If Trudeau is re-elected and given four more years his endless deficits will force him to raise taxes even higher.
Two thirds of Canadians feel that they either can’t pay their bills – or they feel that they have nothing left over at the end of the month after they do. Almost half of all Canadian households report being less than $200 a month away from insolvency at month’s end. People are barely getting by. And they’re definitely not getting ahead.
Andrew Scheer has a positive vision for Canada’s economy. A Conservative government will live within our means and leave more money in the pockets of Canadians so they can get ahead.
TG:
Green Party leader Elizabeth May has committed to returning Canada to budgetary balance in five years. But there have been times, such as during the 2008 financial collapse, when stimulus spending resulting in a deficit was necessary. Corporate and sales tax cuts, fossil fuel subsidies and the government’s recent purchase of a pipeline were avoidable decisions that worsened the current deficit. We know that moving from a carbon to a net-zero economy will require government investments. While the Green Party is proposing some big new expenditures, we’ve also laid out a plan for paying for them. Canadians deserve this honesty from elected officials.
Despite repeated attempts by the Gleaner, over several weeks, the campaign for Chrystia Freeland did not respond to requests to answer the candidate’s questions by press time.
Community lawyer pushes planks of housing, climate crisis
By Melissa Jean-Baptiste Vajda
University-Rosedale is a vibrant, diverse community. Over the past few years, I’ve had the pleasure of advocating for University-Rosedale residents through my work as a community lawyer at Kensington-Bellwoods Legal Community Services. Now, I want to stand up for Uni-versity-Rosedale in Ottawa, as your next Member of Parliament.
I know that University-Rosedale is full of people who take care of one another and care deeply about the future of our community. I also know, though, that it’s a community where people are facing challenges. As a lawyer, I fight every day for the rights of tenants and low-wage workers, and I know that people are struggling.
One of the most pressing challenges in University-Rosedale is the lack of affordable housing. According to Canada’s Rental Housing Index, our area is the fifth most unaffordable riding for renters in the country. Housing prices in Toronto have become so inflated that a family now needs to earn at least $167,000 to buy an average home, according to RBC. The Liberal Gov-ernment has talked a good game when it comes to their National Housing Strategy, but the Parliamentary Budget Officer recently found that they are spending almost 20% less on afford-able housing than Stephen Harper’s government did.
Housing isn’t the only cost that is going up while people’s incomes stay the same. Many of the folks I’ve spoken to on the doorstep have challenges finding affordable childcare, or are strug-gling with the high cost of everything from internet bills to prescription medications. Families are forced to try to do more with less — and the government isn’t helping. Instead, we’re see-ing income inequality get worse while handouts go to big corporations and the top 1%.
I decided to run for office because I believe that there’s a better way. I know that we can have a government that actually builds 500,000 units of real, affordable housing. I know that we can have a head-to-toe health care system with universal pharmacare for all, and access to dental, vision, and mental health coverage. I believe that we can expand our public transit system, re-duce the burden of student debt, and invest over $1 billion each year in affordable childcare.
I also know that we need bold action climate change. Last week, I was inspired by the thou-sands of people — especially young people — at the Global Climate Strike, and was honoured to participate in Toronto’s rally. We owe it to future generations to act now, which is why I am committed to a green new deal that will see an immediate end to fossil fuel subsidies, create 300,000 good, green jobs, and legally-binding emission reduction targets. I am also committed to a true partnership with Indigenous Peoples and environmental justice, and a government that will fully implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and all 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
This election, the NDP has made history. We are the first party to have elected a person of col-our as a national leader. We are the only party to have committed to a Canadian Green New Deal and a just transition to a low-carbon economy. We have the most diverse slate of candi-dates, with strong representations from Indigenous and LGBTQ2S communities, as well as people living with disabilities. I am proud to stand alongside Jagmeet Singh, who is committed to inspiring new voters and engaging with communities that other parties have left behind.
When it comes to the future, I know that our community, and our country, can’t afford the status quo. I believe University-Rosedale deserves real representation, not empty promises — and that’s why I want to be your champion in Ottawa.
Melissa Jean-Baptiste Vajda is a community legal clinic lawyer who practices in University-Rosedale. Melissa is Canadian, of Haitian descent, and is fluent in French and English. She lives in Toronto with her husband.
Growth in GDP is antithetical to environmental protection
By Terri Chu
From an environmental point of view, the most disappointing aspect of this election campaign so far is that all parties, even the Greens, are still talking about economic growth like it matters.
If we were honest with ourselves, we would admit that the end state of capitalism is a monopoly. The bean counters have somehow gotten society to accept that 3 per cent growth year over year is not just possible, but normal. How can we keep chopping down 3 per cent more trees every single year? Every tree that gets turned into a chair counts towards GDP but every tree that gets left behind to suck out pollution does nothing for our “economy”. Guess which one Bay Street prefers?
Buying a new T-shirt contributes to economic growth. Washing an old one doesn’t. One is exponentially more harmful to the environment than the other. Let’s stop talking about economic growth like it’s a metric that should matter anymore. The system is coming to an end game. The system needs to change and I’m looking for leadership to steer that change.
Not even Silicone Valley billionaires believe our economy can continue in its present form. They have been at the vanguard of calling for basic income schemes. They know that infinite growth is unviable, they know that AI, deep learning, and automation will replace a lot of jobs. Sure, basic necessities can be met with machines, but people should still work you say? Doing what? Creating artificial demand for sexy lingerie? Programming the next hit video game? Manufacturing consent? If we don’t need people to do meaningful work, let’s not force them to do pointless work for the sake of maintaining a system that is doomed to failure. In the long run, we’re all dead, right?
Find some courage. Tell people we can’t grow exponentially anymore. Be honest. Tell people that buying clothes endlessly is not only awful for the environment, it’s pointless. Let’s rebuild an economic system that doesn’t need us to consume for the sake of consumption. Fundamentally, Canadians are fed, clothed, have access to education and healthcare, and almost all they need to build a foundation for a good quality of life. Replacing cell phones that still work, clothes that aren’t ripped might make some people richer, but fundamentally does little for either our quality of life or our happiness.
I at least respect that the Green party’s platform includes “Measures well-being, rather than gross domestic product, as a sign of progress.” The need to move away from GDP cannot be understated. Sadly, even Elizabeth May falls victim to the crushing weight of appeasing old school capitalists and still talks about economic growth like the idea is gospel.
While we stare down the barrel at human extinction, our political leaders need to emphasize that we are no longer in a position of “growing” anything other than food. We need to find ways to occupy less land and return some of it to nature. We need to find ways to consume fewer resources: oil, concrete, fibres, food, etc. We need to find ways to decrease our consumption. This doesn’t mean we go back to the Stone Age, but rather appreciate what’s already one of the highest standards of living in the world.
For the most part, Canadians enjoy a very high standard of living and having “more” is bordering on pointless.
To our South, in the name of convincing people what we have isn’t enough, CNBC recently published a story about the middle class struggle on the $350,000 US a year income. The horrors and sacrifices of such a life include two vacations a year and a $5,000 a year budget on new clothes. This kind of “journalism” should be a crime against humanity. Our kids are on the streets every Friday begging us to do something and we come up with this drivel to remind them that so long as we have a strong economy, we don’t care we are consuming their resource share. We know full well we are depleting resources faster than the Earth can replenish them.
I’m looking for leadership that’s bold enough to tell Canadians that this isn’t the path forward. I want a leader who will boldly say that GDP is a pointless metric, growth is no longer our reality, and we must all work together to create a new economy that is not premised on growth. Churning through resources won’t raise our quality of life nor will it make us happier.
This election isn’t even offering inspiration anymore. We had a prime minister in a climate protest against…himself. Running against him is the science denier. In a distant third is a unionist who will still vote to protect high paying, polluting jobs, and finally, still treated as a fringe party, is a leader who is pushing environmental solutions but is muted by her own need to appeal to the voters who would rather live out their lives without rocking the boat than not know where they might land in the hierarchy of a new world order.
Our kids are on the streets every week begging us for better. Human extinction could happen in their lifetime. We delivered slogans because it’s 2019.
Terri Chu is an engineer committed to practical environmentalism. This column is dedicated to helping the community reduce energy use, and help distinguish environmental truths from myths. Send questions, comments, and ideas for future columns to Terri at terri.chu@whyshouldicare.ca.
October 8th, 2019 · Comments Off on ON THE COVER (Sept. 2019)
The leadership of the Makom synagogue, located on College Street, quad-cycled through Kensington Market recently to herald the coming of the Jewish high holidays. Blowing the shofar in front is Alexandra Sipos-Kocsis, managing director. Traditionally, only men are permitted to blow the shofar, a ram’s horn, but in Makom’s interpretation of the faith women are included in leadership roles. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS
Comments Off on ON THE COVER (Sept. 2019)Tags:Annex · News
October 8th, 2019 · Comments Off on NEWS: City fails to maintain park (Sept. 2019)
Staff unresponsive to concerns about Paul Martel Park
A graffiti-stained map depicts what once was of the Paul Martel Park. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS
By Juan Romero
If you are on Madison Avenue, just north of Bloor Street West, you will see on the west side of the street a place with benches and grass right behind the Spadina bus station; that place is Paul Martel Park, a spot that the city has apparently forgotten about.
Paul Martel is an architect who volunteered and helped design many parks in the Annex and the rest of the city. Back in 2014 the former Ecology Park was renamed in his honour.
However, most people wouldn’t know the name of the park or its original purpose because there is no sign that indicates them. It was removed following a vandalism incident last year, and has yet to be replaced.
Paul’s granddaughter, Rosalyn Farina-Martel, has contacted the City of Toronto regarding the sign’s absence by phone and email on numerous occasions.
“My main frustration has been the lack of response from the city over the sign, because it has been over a year now, I think,” says Farina-Martel. “There has been no sign in the park and the renaming of the park was such a good tribute to all the contributions that my grandfather has made for the Annex and it’s very disheartening.”
She says that someone returned one of her calls last January, and told her that a new sign had been ordered and would be installed within a matter of weeks.
Apart from the sign not being there, the current state of the park is awful. It is one of the worst maintained parks in the Annex and in recent years our yearly park reviews have not ranked it any higher than a “D”. This year it garnered an F grade and the following unenviable description: “Overall this park seems to have been forgotten by the city.”
On the Gleaner’s visit to the park, the grass was covered in litter, and there was no sign of any garden maintenance having been done. We also found a pillow on one of the benches and a mattress behind one of the trees.
In the first few months following the park’s renaming, Paul Martel visited every Saturday with a gardening group to take on some of the maintenance of the space. When Martel decided he could not continue the work, the city took responsibility for the maintenance, and that’s when the state of the park began to deteriorate.
Micky Fraterman was part of the volunteer group who worked with Martel on the maintenance of the park, and is also a member of the Annex Residents’ Association (ARA). She says the ARA has made efforts to bring attention to the park’s condition but has been told there is a lack of city staff to maintain parks. She says this response is surprising, because while Paul and his volunteer group were maintaining the park, the city would help them out a lot.
“To be honest it was always a partnership. Paul would talk to Brian Green, a former area park supervisor, and ask for certain things that needed to be done. The city would actually maintain the park when we did not have time to do it. Things seems to have changed at the city,” says Fraterman.
Farina-Martel says that for her, the situation points to a disrespect for her grandfather’s legacy.
“My grandfather has been a huge contributor to the Annex for decades and he has spent a lot of work and a lot of effort into making it a wonderful place,” she says. “It is really sad to see the decline of the park. I only hope this will change soon, and we will see a sign in place as soon as possible.”
The Gleaner reached out to park supervisor Peter White through email and phone numerous times for comment, with no response forthcoming.
READ MORE ON ANNEX PARKS:
GRADING OUR GREENSPACE: Park it here (August 2019)
October 8th, 2019 · Comments Off on NEWS: Bike lanes to extend to High Park (Sept. 2019)
Annex advocacy group wants to hold city to its promise
Bike lanes have an abrupt ending at Shaw Street westbound on Bloor. JUAN ROMERO/GLEANER NEWS
By Juan Romero
The City of Toronto has approved the extension of the bike lanes on Bloor Street from Shaw Street to High Park and a local activist group is trying to make sure the project gets fulfilled.
Bells on Bloor was founded back in 2007 with the express purpose of getting bike lanes on Bloor Street. The city conducted studies in 1978, 1998, and 2008 about the construction of potential bike lanes in the city, and all three years the results were positive. Yet, nothing came of it until 2016 when they installed the pilot lane on Bloor Street.
Albert Koehl is an environmental lawyer and co-founder of Bells on Bloor. He has seen approved projects such as these get dropped along the way by the city, so he is cautiously optimistic about plans to extend the lanes.
“We have been involved in this long enough to know that when we hear positive things from city hall, whether it is another study or another report, it doesn’t necessarily translate into a bike lane,” says Koehl. “So we are not celebrating yet, what we are is optimistic that things are moving in the right direction.”
Bells on Bloor has collaborated with Cycle Toronto’s Robert Zaichkowski and the local Cycle Toronto ward group on a letter with more than 110 signatures, including 65 from Bloor Street store fronts, assuring the city that businesses along Bloor are in favour of bike lanes.
“Our objective with the letter was to pre-empt the usual, tired narrative that businesses don’t want bike lanes,” Koehl said. “We were quite happy with the reception that we got.”
Members of the groups went to door to door to speak to every business owner to see if they supported the extension.
The group has made various arguments as to why the bike lane extension is important.
“The immediate extension is very important because now what we have is a bike lane stub. It basically goes from Avenue Road with no eastward connection and it goes to Shaw with no westward connection. We know that the current bike lane has been hugely successful, even that short 2.4 km stretch, but we want to increase the success, and that means allowing more people to have access to that route safely,” Koehl said.
Among other reasons, Koehl says that building a bike lane on Bloor that goes east to west could serve as the potential “spine” for a bike lane network all across the city. It also would serve as an alternative to the subway, as there is no street car service on Bloor Street.
Despite the wide support from most people in the area, some business owners think it might not be too beneficial to the way they run their businesses. Dominic Pietropaolo is the co-owner of Strictly Bulk, located near the intersection of Bloor Street West and Ossington Avenue. He says he is not in favour of the extension because it will affect his deliveries.
“I have no problem with bike lanes, but in my case as you can see it is going to affect my deliveries. If they build bike lanes there won’t be any room for the trucks to park,” says Pietropaolo. “Other businesses on Bloor have alternative routes and alleys but here we don’t. So unless the city can do something about my case, I won’t be in favour.”
Pietropaolo gets deliveries to his store every day of the week except Monday, and he says dealing with them is a big part of his job. From the perspective of sales, he admits that the bike lanes might actually be beneficial.
Bloor Street businesses located on the current bike lane seem to indicate that lanes are not affecting business sales for the most part. Ward 11 councillor Mike Layton said that according to current research, the bike lane extension should be a good addition.
“We researched by using debit card usage information from businesses in the area and it suggested that the pilot area actually performed quite well,” says Layton. “So with all those considerations I don’t think there is much data that would suggest that an extension is not a good idea.”
Bells on Bloor is pushing for the construction of the extension to go ahead prior to the next municipal election cycle. The city has actually announced that it may be done by as early as next summer. Koehl, however, says he’s waiting for the approval and installation of the lanes before he starts celebrating.
“We won’t be celebrating until there is a bike lane on Bloor Street. The city is saying we could have the bike lane as early as next summer, but that could also mean as late as the end of 2021,” says Koehl. “Once you get into another election cycle these things often go echoing in different directions. So our objective right now is to keep pushing very hard.”
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