February 21st, 2025 · Comments Off on GREENINGS It’s harder to cycle safely (Feb. 2025)
Monster vehicles have changed the biking equation
I often bike my kids from our place in the Annex to Little Italy where they do Taekwondo. I will often shout instructions at them from the road as they are still on the sidewalk. I tell them to ring the bell to let people know they are there, say “thank you” when people let them pass, and follow other cycling etiquette as we merrily make our way down.
While ditching the car was an environmental decision we made long ago, I have discovered that cycling gives my kids agency awareness that sitting in a car or taking transit simply does not afford. They are getting exercise just getting there. When we are travelling, they need to make a million decisions to get there safely: Do we cross now? Do we wait for mommy? Do we ring this bell, or will it scare the dog?
They have the power to make decisions that other forms of transport don’t allow. They can decide which side street to take, whether they want to stop off at the park, or whether to bike on the sidewalk or the road (they are allowed on some stretches). They are actively engaged in getting to their destination. It also gives us freedom in terms of timing as we aren’t stuck on a bus schedule (which is getting less reliable with more and more funding cuts).
There are many virtues of cycling so you’d think more people would be doing it. The biggest thing stopping most parents from cycling with their children is the danger from cars. Not just any cars; our cities are getting flooded with monster vehicles.
Toronto is not being spared the SUV bloat pandemic. Cars are getting so big now that pickups can have 15-foot frontal blind spots; in other words, they won’t know they’re running over a child until they feel them under the wheel. It is hard to fault people for not wanting to risk their lives when nothing is being done to regulate the monstrosities that are killing people on our streets. They are nothing short of murder machines. The size serves no other purpose beyond making hurricane season more violent with added carbon in the air.
The size increase has been gradual so it’s hard for most of us to notice. If you do an online search, there are websites that do model by model comparisons of how much car bloat even the same model car has undergone. I had to take my parents’ 1997 minivan this summer for a day. While driving it on the narrow streets of the Annex, I got so close to a pickup truck that we nearly clipped side mirrors, except that my mirror completely passed under his mirror (with an inch or two to spare). That’s when I truly realized how monstrously large vehicles have become over time.
If we want safer streets, get monster cars off the road. This should be council’s first priority. Other jurisdictions have introduced higher parking rates for large vehicles. We need to follow suit with only small and electric vehicles having the lowest rates. Higher parking levies for large and gas-powered vehicles should be a given especially after watching all the climate-related disasters strike our neighbours to the south.
It would be wise to simply abandon certain areas of Florida at this point. We are creating climate refugees from first world countries.
Someone said to me that when they were young, they took their bikes to the park with no helmets, no parents, no shoes. They simply played till dusk and came home for dinner. I said I can’t do that with these monster trucks around. Other parents already judge me for cycling my kids amid all the dangers. I don’t trust jerks in these large vehicles to not run over my kids.
I am not just pleading for the environment’s sake. I am pleading for people to give children a chance to have some semblance of a sane childhood where parents can let go and let their kids run wild. Nothing endangers my children like these monster cars. We must tax these cars out of existence if we want our children to have the free and wild childhood their parents and grandparents had.
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.
February 12th, 2025 · Comments Off on ON THE COVER: Mass-timber complex lands at Trinity College (Jan. 2025)
A potential pathway to sustainability
The Lawson Centre for Sustainability is the second timber-build the University of Toronto is erecting on Devonshire Place between Varsity Stadium and Trinity College. Architectural rendering by Mecanno courtesy of Trinity College
By Austin Kelly
The Lawson Centre for Sustainability at Trinity College will be a learning and residential complex that focuses on the environment.
Part of the University of Toronto’s St. George Campus, Trinity’s Lawson Centre is a four-storey building that will serve as both a learning centre and a residential space. It will be a multi-use, zero-carbon space that will help the college reach its goal of eco-friendliness.
The complex, currently under construction on Devonshire Place, was designed by Dutch architectural firm Mecanoo and the local firm RDHA. On its website, Mecanoo outlines the specifics of the Lawson Centre’s functions and features:
“The student residence houses 262 units and 342 beds, combining a mixed arrangement of studios, single and double dorm typologies, of which 15 per cent are barrier-free.” The Mecanoo website describes the design as having a high-performing envelope featuring geothermal heating and cooling, solar panels, and rainwater collection.
The project will result in a high-performance LEED Platinum and CaGBC zero-carbon building and is a major step in Trinity’s Integrated Sustainability Initiative.
Nicholas Terpstra, provost and vice-chancellor at Trinity College, said the building’s green planning was important to the design. “We knew from the start that Trinity College’s new academic and residence building had to be an innovative sustainability building, and the best way to achieve this was through locally sourced mass-timber construction. The “mass” is created using composite manufacturing of smaller wood pieces tied together. Working with our architects Mecanoo and RDHA, Graham Construction, and project partners, every aspect of the Lawson Centre for Sustainability has been thoughtfully planned to truly embody sustainability.”
Trinity College began initiating its sustainability goals in 2019 with a donation of $10 million from Brian and Joannah Lawson as a part of the college’s Living Trinity program. Lawson is the chancellor of Trinity College, as well as an alumnus.
The school aims to raise an additional $7 million by 2025 to help support the building of the Lawson Centre.
Terpstra said the design is an innovation in sustainable building planning: “What makes the Lawson Centre for Sustainability unique is that it features all the major sustainability components in one facility, including a geothermal exchange system and a rooftop farm. In addition, almost all major building materials are sourced in Ontario including mass timber, compressed bricks and limestone. It is also one of the first uses of mass timber for residential construction.”
Mass timber is a rapidly growing building material for eco-friendly architectural projects. A type of wood, mass timber has replaced steel in some builds as an alternative that uses less carbon emissions and is also more energy efficient.
In Toronto, mass timber has been used in numerous projects in recent years including the University of Toronto’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design. A 14-storey mass-timber building on Devonshire Place, called the Academic Wood Tower, will be Canada’s largest mass-timber building upon completion. In June, Toronto city council approved a 31-storey skyscraper at College and Henry streets that would potentially be the tallest wooden structure in Canada.
Geosource Energy helped design green infrastructure for the project and installed the geothermal heating and cooling system. Paulina Barnes, director of sales and marketing for Geosource, said the “installation included the drilling of 57 vertical boreholes to a depth of 637 feet. The geothermal system utilizes the earth as a thermal battery, providing onsite renewable heating and cooling, thereby significantly reducing operating carbon emissions.”
The building is projected to be completed around 2025, earlier than the original projected date of 2026, when the building’s planning started back in 2020.
February 12th, 2025 · Comments Off on NEWS: Curbside Cycle weathers assault on Bloor bike lanes (Jan. 2025)
Family business finds its niche and thrives despite Doug Ford
Aaron Enchin carries on the legacy to promote urban cycling. ROSE HABERER/GLEANER NEWS
By Rose Haberer
Since its introduction, the Ford government’s Bill 212: Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act has met with a symphony of local public outrage.
Rumours of Premier Ford drafting legislation to restrict the construction of new bike lanes and remove those on Bloor street began spreading as the summer heat softened in September 2024. Now, at the pinnacle of Toronto’s cold winter, with the bill having passed, the bonfire of protest continues to burn.
An example of this protest in the Annex community was when MPP Jessica Bell spoke at an Oct. 23 bike protest titled Rally and Ride for Road Safety at Queen’s Park, demanding the Ford government allow municipalities the freedom to install and maintain bike lanes without needing the restrictive approvals that Doug Ford insists upon. Hundreds of citizens gathered, ringing their bike bells in a melody of solidarity.
The myriad detrimental effects of the bill on cyclists, safety, active transportation, and the climate are evident. But what about its impact on bike businesses?
In the heart of the Annex, at 412 Bloor St. W., near Brunswick Avenue, sits Curbside Cycle, a hip bicycle shop that serves as a cornerstone of Toronto’s cycling community. Owner Aaron Enchin believes the removal of bike lanes could severely harm establishments like his, but his primary concern lies with cyclists, particularly newer riders, who may feel uncomfortable and unsafe without proper infrastructure.
“When you have good infrastructure, you have more accessibility, especially for people who feel less certain on a bike,” Enchin said.
Enchin dismissed claims that bike lanes cause congestion, deeming them unfounded. He pointed out the numerous studies demonstrating bike lanes’ benefits for neighbourhoods. “The goal is to move people,” he said, emphasizing the need for a cohesive approach to street infrastructure where all forms of transportation work together.
Curbside is a cherished Annex institution with its lineage tracing back to an Annex curb—hence the name. In 1991, founder Don Watterson, stepfather to Enchin, launched the shop as a humble bike repair pop-up beneath a tent. They moved into their brick-and-mortar location in 1994. Don had a sudden realization about the gaps in Toronto’s cycling world: while the demand for urban mobility through biking was evident, there was a lack of bicycles designed specifically for city navigation.
This realization became the foundation of Curbside’s mission—to promote urban cycling and foster a sustainable cycling culture in Toronto. Like a bike alchemist, Don began transforming mountain and road bikes into city-centric creations. Curbside is a pioneer of what is now a vibrant and diverse cycling community. In the time of flip phones and Spice Girls, otherwise known as the 90s, they had already begun morphing road bikes into flat handlebar bikes, giving rise to what we now know as hybrid bikes. Over time, Curbside grew into the Annex staple it is today, importing their specialized city bikes from the bike havens of Europe.
After Don’s sudden passing in 2017, the store was entrusted to Enchin who has upheld and expanded the Curbside legacy. He has continued to cater to urban cyclists, offering products designed to make navigating Toronto’s bustling streets more accessible. A standout example is the Brompton, a bicycle that folds seamlessly like origami, making it portable.
Walking into Curbside today is like stepping into a treasure trove of cycling history and innovation. The air is tinged with the smell of fresh bikes, each one ready to embark on its own journey through the city.
Enchin, who has been working at the store since his preteen years, reflects on what it meant to have the store passed down to him.
“I probably didn’t understand what I was involved in until much later. But keeping the legacy of Curbside alive and keeping Don’s vision alive became very, very important to me,” he shared.
When he took over the store, Enchin made it his mission to give back to the community and support the Annex neighbourhood. For him, that meant building trust with both the community and his customers by curating the best quality brands for cyclists.
“I’m here from the service side for our local customers, as well as being an online resource for people who want to learn about bikes,” he stated. The Bloor Street bike lane, which sits right outside the shop like a red carpet for cyclists, is a motivating feature for Enchin and the curbside staff. It stands as a testament to the accessibility that Curbside promotes. He also highlighted the strong and loyal customer base that continues to support the shop. “Yeah, I think that honours Don’s legacy really nicely. It feels right, and we feel like we’re at home in the Annex,” he added.
According to Enchin, the most rewarding aspect of running Curbside is the store’s deep-rooted connection with the community, a bond that has flourished since its inception. This past fall, Curbside partnered with Fiesta Farms to host a social event that brought their community together. Though a retail business at its core, Curbside goes to great lengths to engage with the local community, even working to address the bike lane issue. Collaborating with organizations such as Cycle Toronto—a nonprofit advocating for safe cycling infrastructure and policies—Curbside aims to make a tangible impact.
“We can come at the issue from a kind of brand or service side where we can help put people on bikes physically, whereas they can encourage advocacy,” he explained.
When asked about the store during his childhood, Enchin shared memories from what he described as a grungier era of Curbside. Back then, they sold both mountain and city bikes, much to his teenage delight. “We would make obstacle courses through the shop and ride our bikes around, trying not to fall over or knock anything over,” he recalled with a laugh.
But how has Curbside changed over the years?
The core mission of Curbside remains unchanged, but the company has evolved by offering a wider variety of bikes to cater to a broader range of cyclists. “The golden thread that runs through Curbside remains the same. We’re still trying to bring bikes to the everyday person,” said Enchin.
Now, with the “golden thread,” Enchin speaks of running through him, it’s clear that the heritage of Curbside continues to burn brightly. Don’s mission of championing everyday people is alive, even as Aaron adds his own unique mark to the legacy.
When asked what lessons he learned from Don, Enchin smiled and shared an inside joke: “Don’t forget about the long-fingered gloves.” Although it may sound humorous, for Enchin this piece of wisdom serves as a microcosm for running his community-oriented business.
“Every item we sell is a person’s story, and we need to have something that serves every single person who walks through our door.”
Enchin shared that Don had a remarkable ability to identify gaps in the market—spaces that reflected real needs—and step into them to transform them for the better. “That’s a lesson I’ve definitely picked up from him. It’s really a Don message,” he said.
The people using bike lanes are not professional cyclists or road racers.
Each bike offered by Curbside represents the everyday cyclist who relies on these lanes for transportation; for instance, a cargo bike might carry a parent with a child in the canopy, while a Brompton folding bike could belong to someone returning home with groceries in a pannier.
A city bike may be used by a university student gripping its handles, and an electric bike might be used by an adult commuting to a 9-to-5 job. The Ford government’s bill is not just a restriction on bike lanes; it is a restriction on the people who depend on them.
Determined to meet every customer’s needs with the same care and attention to detail that Don championed, Enchin continues Don’s legacy—always striving to find the perfect “long-fingered glove” for every individual who walks through the Curbside door.
February 12th, 2025 · Comments Off on CHATTER: Protesters disrupt Freeland’s leadership announcement (Jan. 2025)
BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS
At her official launch event held Sunday, Jan. 19 more than a dozen protestors interrupted Chrystia Freeland’s address. The packed event was held in the gymnasium of the Annex-based St. Alban’s Boys and Girls Club. The protestors displayed flags and banners relating to the war in Gaza. They were quickly escorted out of the gym by staff one by one.
Freeland is the member of Parliament for University-Rosedale and until recently the Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister. She resigned from those portfolios in December. Her quitting the cabinet in a dramatic fashion may have been the final straw, forcing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to announce his resignation pending a leadership contest. The winner will automatically become prime minister and face a combative Parliament keen on a federal election and an aggressive U.S. president threatening a trade war with Canada and Mexico.
Freeland, who stood her ground against the disruptions, said “we welcome different points of view, but this is not okay. It’s not okay to disrupt Canadian democracy.” Eventually, she was able to return to her remarks where she made her pitch to become Liberal leader and prime minister, claiming that she is “battle-tested with the scars to prove it” for a trade war with Donald Trump. Freeland led Canada’s negotiating team during Trump’s first term in office when the North American Free Trade Agreement was in jeopardy.
If Trump fulfills his promise to add a 25 per cent tariff to all goods coming into the United States from Canada, “we will deliver a dollar-for-dollar retaliation” she said. “If you hit us, we will hit back. We love our country as much as you love yours.”
Freeland’s main rival to replace Trudeau is Mark Carney, who is the former governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England.
—Brian Burchell/Gleaner News
Comments Off on CHATTER: Protesters disrupt Freeland’s leadership announcement (Jan. 2025)Tags:Annex · News
February 12th, 2025 · Comments Off on CHATTER: Insomnia Restaurant launches Artist Series (Jan. 2025)
Jasmine Virginia’s exhibit of intricate work opens on Feb. 3. COURTESY INSOMNIA RESTAURANT
Insomnia Restaurant (563 Bloor St. W.) has officially launched their Artist Series, an ongoing celebration of artistry and connection that invites guests to experience exceptional work from talented visual artists.
The Artist Series features rotating exhibits, with artwork displayed on the restaurant’s walls. Guests can meet the artists during the opening and closing parties, learn about their creative journeys, and purchase artwork anytime during the exhibit. The program highlights both seasoned and emerging talents.
“We’ve always strived to create a space where people feel connected—through food, music, and now visual art,” says Insomnia’s Creative Coordinator, Sophia Alexandra. “This series gives artists a platform to share their talent and brings a new layer of creativity and connection to our guest experience.”
The work of John Courtney, who uses a combination of acrylics and mixed media on large scale canvas, is on display until his closing party on Feb. 16. The opening party for Jasmine Virginia’s intricate work is on Feb. 3. To learn more, apply to exhibit, or to make a reservation for one of the artist events, please visit www.insomniarestaurant.com.
—Gleaner News Staff
Comments Off on CHATTER: Insomnia Restaurant launches Artist Series (Jan. 2025)Tags:Annex · News · Arts
February 12th, 2025 · Comments Off on NEWS: Feeding our neighbours (Jan. 2025)
Avenue Road Food Bank fills the gap in affluent neighbourhood
Volunteers sort donated and purchased food for neighbours in need. PHOTO BY STEFANIE CEPUCH, CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH
By Courtney Jung
Just north of where Yorkville meets the Annex, at the edge of Summerhill, the Avenue Road Food Bank, at 240 Avenue Road, provides groceries for about 700 people each week. In mid-November, the numbers jumped to 950. Outside The Church of the Messiah, people start to line up at about 1 p.m. on Wednesdays, even though the doors don’t open until 3 p.m. A lot of people are going hungry in this affluent part of Toronto.
Most of the guests who use the food bank live in our neighborhood. Others work here, and some are students; you would recognize them. Some clients have been coming since the food bank opened in 2018. Long-term clients are more likely to use food banks because they rely on disability, or another type of social assistance, as their main source of income. Disability support tops out at $1368 a month, or $16,416 annually. In Toronto, the poverty line is $24,720, and the deep poverty line is $18,540. For people who rely on benefits that keep them well below the poverty line, food banks are a long-term reality.
Most of the people who use the food bank, however, are employed. Maria Fernanda and her husband owned a successful bar in Mexico, but things got dangerous. She avoids giving me the details. Along with their two young children, they entered Canada as refugees three years ago. Her husband works in construction, but it’s seasonal. When work gets scarce in the winter months, that’s when she turns to the food bank.
According to StatsCan, food prices have risen 21.4 per cent in the past three years. What the food bank offers is meant as a supplement; it’s not enough to live on. You can have either one bag of pasta or one bag of rice, as well as four apples, two oranges, and half a dozen eggs. Each person takes home about $50 worth of groceries.
Daniela and her husband have been in Canada for two years. They only started using the food bank four months ago. They never wanted to ask for help. She tells me they “wanted to do things the right way.” Working 40 hours a week in a warehouse, at the minimum wage of $17.20 per hour, her husband makes $2044 a month after taxes. Their rent is $1400. Daniela used to work too, in a restaurant, but she quit when their baby was born. “It would be very, very hard without the food bank,” Daniela said softly. What she really wants to talk about, though, is how much she loves Canada. We’re outside on a cold day, and she mentions how much she loves this weather. Mostly, though, she feels safe here.
About 60 per cent of the food at the food bank comes from Daily Bread and Second Harvest. They are funded by private donations and corporate partnerships. Daily Bread gets donations from food manufacturers, and they partner with Ontario farmers to take produce that would otherwise be discarded. Second Harvest rescues and redistributes surplus food to reduce food waste. They provide some fresh produce, but there are also random donations—one week it was 500 boxes of microwaveable macaroni and cheese.
Both trucks show up at about 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday mornings with pallets and boxes of food. Volunteers move quickly to get the food off the trucks and into the church hall before settling into the longer job of sorting and organizing that will turn the sanctuary into a temporary supermarket. Folding tables are set up in a U shape. Down the left side of the room are non-perishables: pasta and rice, canned fruits and vegetables, breakfast cereal, and a shelf-stable protein like tuna or peanut butter. Next is milk, yogurt, cheese, and chicken or beef. Along the right is the fresh produce: potatoes, onions, carrots, tomatoes, sometimes cauliflower or squash, apples, oranges or melons, and, once, raspberries. Eggs and bread are at the end. People go through the room in a line, and gloved volunteers hand them a set number of each item. What people receive is consistent week to week; they can count on it. But the experience is almost nothing like going to a grocery store.
The food bank purchases the remaining 40 per cent of their food with donations.
In July, the food bank spent $12,000 on items such as beef, chicken, cheese, eggs, milk, and bread. By October, the bill was $16,000. The food bank relies on donations. Money donations go the furthest because food can be purchased in bulk and on sale, but food donations are of course helpful as well.
February 10th, 2025 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: An election designed to distract voters (Jan. 2025)
Doug Ford is adamant that he is not rushing an election 18 months ahead of schedule to get ahead of an anticipated federal election this spring. He insists he needs a “mandate from the people” to face off against U.S. President Donald Trump in a trade war. This is both unnecessary and delusional.
The PCs have a healthy majority with 79 seats including the Speaker. The New Democrats have 28 seats, the Liberals nine. There are six Independents and two Greens in the 124- seat legislature. According to provincial law, the next election should be in June 2026. This is when Ford’s “mandate” should expire and is then retested at the polls. This election will cost Ontario taxpayers an estimated $150 million.
In respect to the fight against U.S. tariffs, there is nothing for the electorate to choose; there are no competing views between the parties. There is already a consensus that some combination of diplomacy, education, retaliation, and support to Ontarians who are harmed in a trade war is necessary; it is impractical to expect voters to define the specifics of the strategy.
Could it be there are other elephants in the room that Ford would like to distract the voters from?
The pending federal election should give him pause. If the polls are right, and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is elected, it would likely harm Ford’s chances of being reelected, hence the need to beat Poilievre to the polls. Ontarians tend to opt for different parties in office, provincially and federally, at the same time. According to Underhill’s balance theory this has been the case for 71 of the past 82 years, or 88 per cent of the time. This would explain why the federal Conservative leader has recently been in a frenzied panic to have a snap election of his own.
Then there is the ongoing criminal investigation by the RCMP’s elite “O” division into the $8.28 billion land swap for portions of the Greenbelt. The premier’s inner sanctum was deeply involved in the smelly deals. The extent of Ford’s personal involvement or benefit is unknown. It is known that Ford’s promise in the last election to not develop any part of the Greenbelt was a mandate he was ready to renege on. So much for mandates.
According to the RCMP’s 2021 annual report the average length of police investigations of this type is 1.6 years. If that timeline applies here, expect that investigation to conclude by March of this year. How curious is it that the premier choose Feb. 27 as an early election date?
The threat of a trade war is a perfect opportunity for Ford to talk about something other than his provincial responsibilities to build affordable homes, ensure enough doctors and nurses, and fix schools that are crumbling.
It is naïve to believe that Ford will be sitting across the table from Donald Trump anytime soon negotiating a trade deal; that’s the job of the prime minister. If he is reelected with 10 more seats in the legislature, it is doubtful the Americans would even notice or care. Trade agreements or wars are negotiated or fought by sovereign nations, not provinces.
The premier seems to have a hard time sticking to his knitting. Very recently he thought it would be a good idea to enact province-wide legislation to remove Bloor Street bikes lanes, a municipal responsibility. He’s mused about buying Alaska. He has plans, without a mandate, to build a tunnel under highway 401 at an estimated cost of $50 billion. The people of Ontario never endorsed any of this.
The looming trade war between Canada and the U.S. is a golden opportunity for Ford to distract voters. His track record, parts of which are under criminal investigation, will not be scrutinized if this election is about a trade war. He wants four more years in power and does not want his performance in the last three to be talked about. Let’s hear what Ford has to say about truly provincial responsibilities.
Comments Off on EDITORIAL: An election designed to distract voters (Jan. 2025)Tags:Annex · Editorial · Opinion
February 10th, 2025 · Comments Off on FORUM: A busy beginning to 2025 (Jan. 2025)
Affordable housing and development files rank high
By Dianne Saxe
Happy new year and best wishes for a fresh start to 2025! Good to see so many of you when door knocking, at food banks, and at end-of-year celebrations. Thank you for every good cause you support and every act of kindness.
311: I am making progress getting the busiest city divisions (solid waste, transportation, water, municipal licensing and standards, urban forestry) to provide proficient responses to the hundreds of 311 complaints we file for you. Staff say I am the only councillor insisting on seeing how our complaints are resolved. We will keep following up and keep you informed.
Community and housing improvements: I continue to put dormant Section 37 money to good use.
Seventy-eight units of supportive housing have just broken ground at 35 Bellevue Avenue. Two years ago, at the request of groups like the Kensington Market Community Land Trust, I pledged all Ward 11’s Section 37 affordable-housing funds for this project. This pledge attracted enough municipal and (eventually) federal funds to make the project a reality. Vulnerable residents should be able to move in next year.
Thank you to the ABC Residents’ Association and the Greater Yorkville Residents’ Association for supporting upgrades to the Toronto Public Library’s oldest branch, Yorkville. Renovations planned for 2025-2030 will improve safety and accessibility. With the extra million dollars that I have provided in Section 37 funds, renovations to the branch will include preserving heritage aspects of the branch, upgrading the main door, and improving the outdoor lighting and landscaping.
At the TTC, tiles are being upgraded at Dupont station and progress has also been made in creating an Indigenous mural that will brighten the Spadina station tunnel.
Congestion: Evidence about the true causes of traffic congestion keeps piling up (spoiler alert: it’s not bike lanes). Higher road encroachment fees for developers (coming soon) should help. Plus there is Uber; over 80,000 often-empty vehicles create 14 per cent of downtown traffic while the drivers struggle on less than $6 per hour. The mayor promises to do something about Uber, but action has again been deferred.
Double-dipping: To the understandable fury of many, our ward is Toronto’s hotspot for developer double-dipping. Developers obtain zoning for a particular building, often by settling with the community, then get more from a committee of adjustment after a cursory hearing.
This doesn’t have to keep happening. Toronto should require double-dippers to either honour their deals or come back to council and the community. A year ago, I persuaded council to consider doing something about it, at least for requests to add height to high-rises after agreeing not to. Unfortunately, the planning and housing committee prefers to keep allowing the practice.
Parks: Thank you to everyone who attended the community meeting concerning Christie Pits. Glad that parks, forest and recreation (PFR) has promised to improve the kids’ baseball diamond and accessibility. Staff have also promised to improve noise and off-leash dog enforcement, especially if residents file a 311 complaint every time. To influence how PFR balances neighbours’ desires for quiet use of the park with permitting those across the city to gather there for large or noisy events, please fill out the online Christie Pits survey and encourage your neighbours to do the same.
December council: The most controversial item on the agenda was how much to relax zoning rules against nonresidential land uses in residential neighbourhoods. Lots of people would like more neighbourhood corner stores, but not if they sell alcohol or cannabis. At the request of many residents’ associations, council sent this to our new chief planner for further consultation.
Other challenging items included: the building of more private rental homes; excess heat limits for tenants; the balance between the right to protest and the right of Jewish community members and other minorities not to be harassed; the exploitation of Uber drivers and the congestion that they cause; the infuriating collapse of the Metrolinx deal for SmartTrack; the pressure on our shelter system that forces people into homeless encampments; the rejected Ombudsman’s report; the protection of bird habitat on the Toronto Islands; the possible declaration of economic and social rights for low-income residents.
Thank you to the students at Palmerston Avenue Junior Public School for visiting me at council and for speaking up for our bike lanes. School groups of any age: you are invited too!
Dianne Saxe is city councillor for Ward 11, University-Rosedale.
Comments Off on FORUM: A busy beginning to 2025 (Jan. 2025)Tags:Annex · Opinion
February 10th, 2025 · Comments Off on FORUM: Auditor General exposes government shortfalls (Jan. 2025)
Ford government guilty of a litany of shortcomings
By Jessica Bell
The auditor general’s office has huge latitude to investigate the workings of government agencies, departments, and government-funded or regulated institutions to see if they are working as they should. Here’s the lowdown on the office’s latest annual report.
The government has a flawed opioid strategy
Ontario has an opioid crisis. Over the last decade, opioid-related deaths and emergency department visits increased by almost 300 per cent, with an average of seven people a day dying from opioid-related causes.
Access to addiction-treatment and harm-reduction services is limited. Few hospitals and primary care providers offer addiction-treatment services, and very few emergency departments and family health teams have addiction specialists.
The ministry is not tracking the effectiveness of its work, or the issue in general; for example, the ministry doesn’t track people who become addicted after being prescribed opioids.
The government provided no evidence to justify the closure of Consumption and Treatment Sites (CTS) that provided harm-reduction services like needle exchange and a room for people to use drugs with a health-care worker present in case of an overdose.
The Ontario Place development is flawed and costly
The selection process to choose Austrian spa company Therme to redevelop Ontario Place into a luxury spa was not fair, transparent, or accountable.
The cost has ballooned to $2.2 billion (an increase of $1.8 billion), with the procurement process deemed “highly irregular” by the auditor general. The amount Therme is investing is much lower than publicly reported: $350 million instead of $750 million.
Therme is also broke. The company doesn’t have enough equity to purchase a nice condo in Toronto, let alone construct a major spa. Massive public investment was necessary to make this project viable.
The government is giving out MZOs like candies
Ministerial Zoning Orders (MZOs) are orders issued by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing that dictate what can and cannot be built on a property.
There is no protocol and no rationale for the way the government distributes MZOs—even after the Greenbelt scandal. The ministry doesn’t assess whether the MZO is needed, or even if it is near services and infrastructure, like roads.
Ministry staff, even the premier, are implicated with handing out MZOs to developers who donate to the Conservative party. Typically, if a developer receives an MZO their land value goes up because the MZO gives the developer permission to build housing or buildings.
The Toronto District School Board is not always safe
Violent incidents at the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) have increased 67 per cent since 2017-2018—the highest increase on record.
Mental health and wellness staffing has not kept pace with demand. Referrals for services have increased 71 per cent since 2017-18, while staffing has only increased by 42 per cent.
The TDSB has been unable to provide qualified supply teachers for about 20 per cent of absences.
TDSB school buildings are in the worst shape of any school board in the province. The TDSB has a repair backlog of $4.1 billion.
The Ontario Lands Tribunal is not independent or accessible
The Ontario Lands Tribunal (OLT) is an extraordinarily powerful appeal body that rules on land use decisions, such as condominiums, quarries, and municipal official plans.
The OLT is not able to provide evidence to prove its adjudicators are qualified and is not meeting its target of hearing cases in a timely manner.
The average time for a case to make its way through the OLT process, from intake to ruling, has increased from 420 days to 553 days over the past three years.
The government’s changes to the OLT (restricting environmental and residents’ groups from challenging developments) and the high cost of appealing a decision, are limiting the ability of individuals, non-profits and small municipalities from accessing the tribunal.
In 2023-2024, the OLT allowed about 90 per cent of the 116 developments that appealed to it, giving the impression that it sided with developers over municipalities, public interest groups, and residents.
Government advertising is up
Government advertising spending was the highest ever recorded, totaling $103.5 million this year, which is triple the amount from last fiscal year.
About 62 per cent of the funding was for campaigns that would have been considered “too partisan” to qualify for public spending under government advertising rules prior to 2015.
The primary purpose of the partisan ads was to create a favourable impression—and sometimes a misleading impression—of the governing party, as opposed to giving specific information, like reminding people to be screened for cervical cancer.
For instance, the “funding in schools” ad—which the government spent $3 million on—presented Ontario’s schools as heavily funded and well-staffed. Yet, funding in schools per student, when inflation is factored in, has dropped by $776 per student over the past six years.
Jessica Bell is the MPP for University-Rosedale and the Official Opposition’s Housing Critic. She can be reached at jbell@ndp.on.ca or 416-535-7206.
Comments Off on FORUM: Auditor General exposes government shortfalls (Jan. 2025)Tags:Annex · Columns · Opinion
December 16th, 2024 · Comments Off on ON THE COVER: More ghost bikes to come? (Dec. 2024)
This year’s December cover is a photo courtesy of cycling advocate Jun Nogami.
Jun Nogami has been a bicycle advocate since moving back to Toronto in 2004. He documents the activities of ARC (Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists) when they install ghost bikes in the GTA. His photo shows a ghost bike at Dufferin Grove, installed in memory of 23-year-old Alex Amaro, who was killed in December 2020. This is actually the second ghost bike in her memory. Someone set fire to the first one in December 2021, and this replacement was installed close by in February 2022.
One thing is clear is that the bicycle lanes on Bloor Street have drastically improved road safety for all users and that removing them creates a real danger to cyclist safety. Ghost bikes are a somber reminder of the duty we have to one another, especially to vulnerable road users, and the very real risk of tragedy.
December 16th, 2024 · Comments Off on NEWS: Ford government is intent on removing bike lanes in Toronto (Dec. 2024)
Bloor Street tops the list in the “Get You Home Faster Act”
Bike lanes on Bloor have become part of the fabric of the street. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS
By Ammara Khan
In a move to “combat congestion,” the Ford government has set out to reduce the number of bike lanes starting with the removal of lanes on Bloor Street, Yonge Street, and University Avenue.
“We need to and will remove and replace existing bike lanes on primary roads that are bringing traffic in our cities to a standstill,” said Ford, according to Global News.
This province-wide legislation is aimed at the areas where Premier Ford lives, in Etobicoke, and where he works, at Queen’s Park. It has been speculated that the first bike lanes to be targeted will be those that impact his regular commute to work. The premier’s office did not respond to the Annex Gleaner’s interview request.
Bill 212, Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, was introduced by Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria on Oct. 2, and it initially aimed to regulate the construction of new bike lanes and require justification for old ones.
On Oct. 31, the Ontario government proposed an addition, requiring the City of Toronto to support the province in removing the bike lanes on Bloor Street, University Avenue, and Yonge Street.
Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria posted on X on Nov. 7 that “Poorly installed bike lanes have only worsened Toronto’s record-breaking gridlock, making us the worst city in North America.” Bike lanes are likely to be pushed onto the side streets, he said.
Food delivery bikes congregate midday at Bloor and Brunswick awaiting their next orders from Bloor Street businesses. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS
In an email, Dakota Brasier, director of media relations for the transportation minister’s office, said that the city’s approach to battling congestion is not working, and they need to listen to “the thousands of common-sense drivers to help clear our major roads and get people out of traffic.”
She reiterated the government’s argument that “less than one per cent of people shouldn’t be making decisions for the majority of people who travel on our busiest roads and sit in gridlock every day.” (Data from Statistics Canada from 2011, before the bike lanes.)
Citing the City of Toronto’s supplemental report on the impact of Bill 212, Brasier said that the “average daily cycling volume on the Bloor, University, and Yonge lanes makes up between 0.005 percent (low estimate) and 0.019 per cent (high estimate) of the Toronto region’s population.”
These percentages skew the perception of the number of cyclists on the three targeted streets because Brasier compares the number of cyclists on three bicycle lanes to the population of the entire Toronto region.
Re-calculating the data provided in the report shows that a low estimate of 2.9 per cent and a high estimate of 11.9 per cent of the Bloor Street, University Avenue, and Yonge Street populations use their bicycle lanes.
“We know the numbers are wrong,” said Albert Koehl, author of Wheeling Through Toronto: A History of the Bicycle and its Riders. “It’s embarrassing for the minister of transportation.”
Micheal Longfield, executive director of Cycle Toronto said, “I think it’s pretty disappointing that those are the numbers that are being publicly used by the province when their own studies show that those numbers are much higher.”
In an episode of TVO’s Political Blind Date series in 2017, where Ford was cycling around Toronto with the NDP’s Jagmeet Singh, Ford stated in regard to bike safety, “We have to do everything we can to make sure there isn’t a death in the city; one death is way too many.” This episode has since been taken down.
One death used to be considered too many, according to Ford, but now the safety of a so-called one per cent does not need to be considered.
According to a study conducted at the Toronto Metropolitan University, there were 2.57 times more cyclists after the installation of bike lanes. Collision rates have also dropped 38 per cent on bike lanes.
These proposed, anti-biking solutions to congestion have met with heavy opposition from cyclists, residents, and business representatives in the Annex, where bicycling makes up an integral part of the community.
On Oct. 23, the Bloor-Annex Business Improvement Area (BIA) did a media release response to the transportation legislation with data showcasing the numerous benefits of the bike lanes in the area.
Bike lanes have increased the number of monthly customers, and monthly spending in the Annex and the number of retail vacancies has not changed in the 8 years since they were installed. Toronto paramedics and Toronto fire chiefs have also stated that there is no evidence bike lanes have increased emergency response times.
Bike lanes have been a part of the Annex for nine years, and an estimated 8,000 cyclists use these assets every day. Road safety has also increased since the addition of bike lanes for all road users.
Cycle Toronto created a petition called I Love Bike Lanes after hearing rumours about the proposed legislation in September. The petition has now surpassed 23,000 signatures.
Longfield said in a Cycle Toronto media release that “It’s not just about road safety and enforcement. It’s about public health. And the discussions of where bike lanes do or do not make sense are best handled at a municipal level.”
Harry Xu, a student at the University of Toronto and regular cyclist, feels the removal of bike lanes could pose a threat to their safety when using the roads. Not only would Xu’s rides now be more dangerous, they would also be a lot less time efficient.
“Ford’s lack of consideration as someone who lives distant from the downtown core where we have at least one million residents is ridiculous,” expressed Xu.
This new legislation caused Xu to reflect on representation issues. “It makes me feel like I’m not at all represented at the provincial level,” they said. “If the provincial government is interfering with cities’ bike lanes, I highly doubt their inclusivity in legislation.”
Bill 212 also fails to account for the environmental impacts of motorized transportation. In Toronto, transportation makes up 36 per cent of emissions.
The proposed bill’s negative impacts will be seen very soon. Removing bike lanes from Bloor, Yonge, and University will undo the $27 million that has already been invested. The removal of the lanes and the installation of motor vehicle lanes is estimated to cost over $48 million. This comes at the cost of the taxpayer.
Additionally, the reconstruction would also cause a significant increase in congestion. The city’s report estimates four months of single lane traffic between Spadina Avenue and Avenue road, four months of only one vehicle lane in one direction, and four weeks of full intersection closure at St. George Street.
“There is no major study around the world that says bikeways are a significant contribution to traffic,” said Longfield. “The city’s own data actually said that a lot of the traffic issues that the City of Toronto is dealing with right now is actually related to construction.” He said that the construction is good since it is building housing and transit.
“I think if the minister’s comments about dealing with tackling traffic and congestion had been focused more on committing to an opening date for the Eglinton Crosstown, which is now in its 14th year of being constructed, or the Finch LRT…I think those are real tangible things the province could have done to help give people more transportation options and get more cars off the roads,” said Longfield.
The creation of more motorized vehicle lanes might even cause more congestion down the line. The promise of less congestion and more car lanes might create an induced demand, urging more people to take their cars due to a lack of other options.
Koehl said that despite the removal of bike lanes, many people might continue to cycle. “It’s an affordable way to get around. They’ll continue to ride, but they won’t be safe as they are today. As I like to put it, removing bike lanes does not remove cyclists from the road, it simply deprives them of their safety.”
“No one is fooled by this bill,” he said. Ford’s new bill is “intended to distract attention from his failures, and that being, the Green Belt scandal, homelessness, the lack of housing starts, the problems with health care and education, all of these things.”
“This is just a distraction, and it’s really a shameless distraction, because nobody who understands congestion is suggesting that this is the way to deal with congestion,” said Koehl.
Koehl says that congestion is a result of cars on the road. The solutions would be to invest in transit, invest in walking and cycling, and encourage people to leave their cars at home.
“The irony is Doug Ford’s government has reduced the cost of driving,” said Koehl. “In other words, encouraging people to drive.”
“And of course, if you widen roads by taking out bike lanes, he’s going to induce more driving. And we know where that leads,” said Koehl.
The Ford government’s arguments of congestion and a lack of cyclists all fall apart when closely examined. Bike lanes, say opponents to the bill, are an integral part of the city and a solution to the issue of congestion.
