Mirvish Village’s internationally-known comics and graphic novel retailer The Beguiling has already begun moving to its new location at 319 College St. Its sister store, Little Island Comics on Bathurst Street, will be closed. The store’s Peter Birkemoe says he expects to open the new location just before Christmas, and be fully operational by January.

It’s the second time the store has moved since it launched on Harbord Street in 1987, this time because of the impending Mirvish Village development, which will impact all retailers on Markham Street. Birkemoe says Kensington Market seemed the best spot for the store’s new location.

“We looked around the whole city, but this one seemed to fit a lot of the same customers that shop here,” he explained, adding that a lot of their clientele comes from the University of Toronto, so being closer to there will make a lot of sense. Initially the new store will have the same look and feel as its predecessor in Markham Village, but Birkemoe believes the market will have an influence on its final set up.

The store’s Facebook page notes that The Beguiling’s Boxing Week sale will proceed as usual at 601 Markham St., and pull-file customers will automatically transition to 319 College St. on Jan. 3. It will offer this service out of the Toronto Comic Arts Festival’s Page & Panel shop in the Toronto Reference Library, which will also be home to much of Little Island’s all ages material.

—Annemarie Brissenden with files from Noelle Defour

MORE how nice!:

Previously rejected police car designs! by Designed Without Public Consultation

The sincerest form of flattery! by Dow Indepols (October 2016)

A warm carbon blanket! By Hock Estique (September 2016)

A clear path! by Dot Tedline (August 2016)

Planning! by Train Waits (July 2016)

Toronto is growing. The downtown population residing south of the Canadian Pacific Rail tracks at Dupont south to the lake and from Bathurst in the west to the Don Valley Parkway to the east is presently 250,000 and by 2041 is expected to be 475,000. New condo towers that dominate the skyline south of Queen Street are just the beginning. Like a tsunami, the wave of residential development needed to accommodate this population growth will migrate quickly north to the Annex.

We are seeing the early ripples now. According to Councillor Joe Cressy “there is more development in Ward 20 than all of Scarborough and Etobicoke combined”. But unlike Scarborough and Etobicoke, we lack the large sites, brownfields, and vacant land. Our challenge in redevelopment is primarily on smaller parcels and infill.

[pullquote]“Heritage is a consideration which should not trump all other things. These designations ought not freeze-in-time properties and make spaces such as those adjacent to 666 Spadina Avenue unable to be utilized.”[/pullquote]

There is opposition of course to infill and intensification. One sees it at community consultations for Annex-area developments. More people means more pressure on infrastructure, including electrical grids, sewers, schools, and subways. Even space on the sidewalk is something that current residents legitimately worry about losing.

The impact on heritage, quite broadly defined, is a familiar part of the lexicon used by those that oppose development. Adam Vaughan, then the Councillor for Ward 20, tried to claim that the grass on the back campus of the University of Toronto had heritage value and tried to block the university from upgrading the field surface to artificial turf to allow for the Pan Am Games.

The debate over whether to allow the owners of a 25-storey apartment building at 666 Spadina Avenue to add additional buildings is heritage-themed. Those opposing the plan to build the 11 storey rental apartment building on the open space on the south end of the existing building argue that the open space is part of the heritage designation, and that much is true, but so is the fact that the “monochromatic colour scheme and the repetitive nature of the balcony elements” are also part of its heritage detail. At some point, one has to weigh preserving all things heritage against the greater good. We need rental units, we need to plan for growth and get ahead of the curve so that the growth is smart and sustainable.

Heritage is a consideration which should not trump all other things. These designations ought not freeze-in-time properties and make spaces such as those adjacent to 666 Spadina Avenue unable to be utilized. The 11-storey plan for there is reasonable. Not all development plans for the Annex are as reasonable. The 42-storey tower proposed for the corner of Madison and Bloor, now before the OMB, is out of scale with the neighbourhood and does not contribute to a liveable community.

Westbank Development’s plan to build nearly 900 residential rental units (half of which are two or more bedrooms) on the site of what is now Honest Ed’s, together with 300,000 square feet of small scale retail, is a case of true city building. In this application, heritage is largely preserved and integrated.

Another infill initiative called “laneway suites” is being advanced by Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon (Ward 32, Beaches-East York) and Councillor Ana Bailão (Ward 18, Davenport). They are working together to advance the dialogue around creating new neighbourhoods in the alleyways. According to a release from the councillors, laneway suites can transform underutilized spaces such as rear garages and parking pads into sensitively scaled housing. As Toronto grew rapidly from 1870 to 1930, laneways were home to workshops, lumberyards, and, yesm housing. Croft Street near College and Bathurst is one example. What’s old is new again apparently.

The need for infill and intensification is not new. It takes some creative thinking to get it right but it’s important not to draw the heritage line so broadly that it prohibits responsible growth.

READ MORE EDITORIALS:

EDITORIAL: Freeland got it done, with flair (November 2016)

EDITORIAL: Stealth rate hike may work (October 2016)

EDITORIAL: Train derailment changes the conversation (September 2016)

EDITORIAL: “An egregious breach of trust” (August 2016)

EDITORIAL: Turning the Queen Mary (July 2016)

EDITORIAL: Mayo no, marijuana maybe (June 2016)

Travels with daughter enable fresh look at community

By Mike Layton

Growing up in our neighbourhood, I thought I knew it inside and out, but I’ve spent the last year seeing it through a new set of eyes. Joined by my daughter, Phoebe, I have developed a new understanding of our community. You may have seen me with Phoebe in her carrier or stroller singing or crying as we pass. While I have lived in this community my entire life, these journeys with her have opened my eyes to a world I had not seen before.

Our community is exploding with children. Phoebe’s classes will be full and she will have no shortage of friends within walking distance from our house. This became apparent in our struggle to find childcare. While on every local wait-list since well before Phoebe was born, we only managed to secure a spot when she was 11 months old, just weeks before my partner returned to work.

[pullquote]“Phoebe and I spent sunny spring afternoons playing in our parks, hot summer evenings swimming in Christie Pits, rainy and cold days spent in one of our neighbourhood drop-in centres.”[/pullquote]

Once you find that child care space, you have to pay for it. Infant care provided by the City of Toronto is $107 a day, which amounts to $2,140 a month and over $25,000 a year. That’s more than many people spend on rent. By comparison, in Quebec, it’s just over $7 a day, which amounts to $150 a month or $1,800 a year. That means we pay $23,000 more a year in Toronto for infant care than they do in Quebec. Toronto can and should be doing better.

We do have great public services in our community. Phoebe and I spent sunny spring afternoons playing in our parks, hot summer evenings swimming in Christie Pits, rainy and cold days spent in one of our neighbourhood drop-in centres. Friday mornings are spent at the song circle at the Palmerston Library and Friday evenings at moms’ happy hour (dads invited) at a local pub. The stroller lineup for infant play circle at Artscape Shaw’s College Montrose Children’s Place is enormous, but well worth it.

It’s not just children enjoying our services. Our parks, libraries, pools, and community centres are bursting with people of all ages socializing, staying physically active, and enjoying themselves. These services are critical to a prosperous and healthy city and not all neighbourhoods have access to what we have in the downtown.

One thing that is painfully clear when you walk around our neighbourhood with a stroller is just how inaccessible our community spaces can be. While it is easy to manoeuver a stroller over a curb to avoid obstacles, this is not always possible for people with other mobility constraints.

Garbage and recycling days are often the most difficult. Even when bins are arranged properly, the width of larger bins can constrain many sidewalks and render them completely impassable for several blocks. This problem can be easily solved if those arranging the bins ensure that there is necessary space for others to use the sidewalk.

Speaking of sidewalks, as we enter the winter months we can help people use the sidewalk in front of our homes safely. Five minutes of shovelling can help improve the lives of hundreds of people as they pass your house. And trust me, it gets noticed. Be nice, clear your ice!

My family relies primarily on the TTC to get around (now that Phoebe is one, we’ll switch some trips to our bikes and get more use out of the Bloor bike lane). If you’ve ever been frustrated by a stroller taking up vital space on a busy subway, please don’t blame the parent, they are having an equally frustrating trip. Many stations still don’t have elevators making stairs a particular challenge. The new buses are great, but the older streetcars are a nightmare for dragging a stroller up and down.

These little daily challenges that I would not have noticed just a year ago, have become a serious factor in travel choices. Yes, as a parent I have options, but this brings to mind those who do not have options and are forced to spend extra hours to get around our city to ensure they have access to where they need to go. We need to do a better job in making our city accessible.

All of this is to say that my experience as a new Dad has really opened up my eyes to a completely different life in a neighbourhood that I have lived in for decades. This has been a great lesson in empathy and has reinforced for me, as an elected official, the importance of trying to see the world through the eyes of others.

Mike Layton is the Toronto City Councillor for Ward 19, Trinity-Spadina.

READ MORE BY MIKE LAYTON

FORUM: We can do better: Dangerous summer for Toronto pedestrians and cyclists (October 2016)

FORUM: Curious story of Christie Pits pool liner ends in extended hours at Alex Duff (August 2016)

FORUM: A tribute to a friend (June 2016)

FORUM: Large problem, small solution (March 2016)

FORUM: Happy New Year from a new Dad with a new perspective (January 2016)

Favourites include carol singing, winter solstice

We asked our local representatives how they spend the holidays. Councillors Joe Cressy (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina) and Mike Layton (Ward 19, Trinity-Spadina), Toronto District School Board Trustee Ausma Malik (Ward 10, Trinity-Spadina), and our MPP Han Dong (Trinity-Spadina) shared their favourite traditions, their proudest achievement of the year, and what they are looking forward to working on in 2017. Also, the book they’re looking forward to reading in 2017! Answers compiled by Noelle Defour.

Do you have a favourite December/holiday tradition?

Joe Cressy: Dressing up as a horse in the Kensington winter solstice parade.

Han Dong: My favourite holiday tradition is taking our family group photo each and every December!

Mike Layton: My favourite holiday tradition is the annual Christmas Eve Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto carol singing at Roy Thompson Hall. I’ve been going for a decade with my family and look forward to the beautiful music and message of love.

Ausma Malik: My favourite holiday tradition is watching It’s A Wonderful Life with my family!

What are you most proud of achieving for the community in 2016?

HD: Convincing the government to adopt my private member’s bill, the Licensing Home Inspectors Act, which calls for all home inspectors in Ontario to be regulated; securing a Go Transit Station for the residents of Liberty Village and a Smarttrack station near CityPlace; and securing funding to support the expansion and consolidation of schools in Trinity-Spadina.

ML: The Bloor Street pilot bike lane. It has been four decades in the making.

AM: Working together with parents, students, schools, and community members is how I believe we achieve success for all of us. Over the past year, I have been really proud to support our school communities in their efforts to welcome refugee families. Students have been inspiring leaders and set an example for building understanding.

JC: Getting city council to approve three safe injection sites.

What are you looking forward to working on in 2017?

ML: My daughter just turned one and she has brought so much joy to my life. I look forward to another beautiful year of watching her grow up.

AM: Schools are at the heart, and a key part, of our communities. Together, I’m looking forward to ensuring that local schools and public education in our city have the resources to help students thrive, and that public schools are hubs for the community.

JC: There are many things, but the biggest thing is continuing to work on turning the rail deck park into a reality.

HD: I’m looking forward to working on local poverty reduction initiatives with regard to affordable housing, the Ontario Place revitalization plans, the review of the Ontario Municipal Board, and making lives easier for condominium dwellers.

Is there a book you’re hoping to read during the holidays? Which one? Why?

AM: I’m looking forward to reading Ann Y.K. Choi’s book Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety. Set in Toronto, the book comes to me highly recommended.

JC: My partner Grace O’Connell’s latest novel (Be Ready for the Lightening) will be coming out in June 2017. I’m looking forward to reading the final manuscript over the holidays.

HD: The book I’m hoping I get a chance to read is a Jules Witcover book called 85 Days about the last campaign of Robert Kennedy.

ML: The only books I’ve read this past year have been baby board books with my daughter and our time together is what I look forward to most in my day.

Year in review reflects community initiatives

By Annemarie Brissenden

Little did we know last year that our annual holiday cover — a reproduction of a painting by Lawren Harris — would be quite so appropriate for 2016. Harris enjoyed a renaissance this year as the subject of both an Art Gallery of Ontario exhibition curated by Steve Martin and a documentary by White Pine Pictures.

Upon review, our cover photos were a good barometer of the stories featured in our pages throughout the year. Our April cover, for example, showed a canoeist portaging across Bay Street on Davenport Road, part of the old Aboriginal trail linking the Humber and Don rivers. It not only reminds us of the rich heritage of our Aboriginal and Indigenous community members, but of the importance of the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In August, the cover photo of a rail derailment summed up a year’s worth of coverage quite succinctly, while the actors, artists, and athletes gracing our first page reflect the diversity of our coverage area. All of that said, some themes did emerge time and time again, summarized in what is becoming a December tradition: our year in review.

Sustainability no longer a luxury

While development continued to dominate our pages in 2016, we are starting to see a new layer added to some projects: sustainability. Set to open next year is One Spadina Crescent, which features storm water harvesting, green roofs, and large windows that invite light into the building. There are also spaces for bicycles, which in turn take centre stage in Westbank Project Corp.’s plans to redevelop the parcel of land including Honest Ed’s and Mirvish Village. The proposed new development entrenches cycling as a primary mode of transit, providing for a bike valet and repairs. The company has said it is aiming to meet LEED Platinum Neighbourhood and Toronto Green Standard Tier 2 for Mirvish Village, and has planned to include a centralized heating and cooling plant that will transfer energy between individual buildings, as well as green roofs. It’s exactly the type of sustainable development many in the community would like to see — albeit on a much smaller scale — enshrined at the new Catholic school set to be built on Barton Avenue where St. Raymond Catholic School currently sits. Abutting Christie Pits opens up a wealth of opportunities — school gardens and the like — and many parents view this as a chance to incorporate green education into the school’s curriculum.

When will Toronto gain control of its destiny?

When read in concert, a series of seemingly unconnected articles on the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) and crumbling infrastructure in public schools hints at the biggest challenge facing Toronto: our ability to control our own destiny. Take the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) budget as an example. The province does a very good job of convincing the TDSB’s stakeholders that the board is unable to manage its own money. However, the TDSB has no say in how much money it pays its staff, one of the biggest line items in the budget, and no ability to raise additional funds to pay for things like much needed infrastructure repairs. And the TDSB is but one example of the many publicly-funded institutions in the city that rely on the province for money but don’t get nearly enough in sustainable funding. With the city scrambling to fill the cracks — both literally and figuratively — left behind by the province, it’s no wonder that there isn’t a lot of money left behind to fund things like transit. At one point in its history, this newspaper ran a lot of articles floating the idea of reclassifying Toronto as a province. Perhaps it’s time to resurrect that discussion.

To OMB or not to OMB

The biggest surprise to come out of the province’s review of the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) is that not everyone would see it abolished. Some argue that it should be reformed, while others would like to exempt Toronto from its oversight completely. Watch this space for an article in January, but suffice to say that everyone agrees it cannot stay as it is. And no wonder: nearly every article about a development published in these pages references the OMB, usually relating a resident’s concern that the provincial agency (okay “arm’s-length” agency) will overturn a decision made by Toronto City Council. That’s not to say that the city gets off without criticism, for there are often rumours of secret, last minute deals swirling around big name developments. What’s particularly clear is that we need a transparent, consistent, and effective process for evaluating development applications in this city.

The path to reconciliation

PHOTO BY BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS: Michael Etherington, manager of cultural programming at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, who argued that incorporating Indigenous teaching techniques in so-called traditional educational institutions could prompt a complete paradigm shift.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) published its final report almost 18 months ago, including 94 Calls to Action aimed at redressing the historical imbalance caused by our nation’s Indian Residential Schools. A significant number are education-related reforms, and educational institutions in our coverage area are starting to pay attention. The University of Toronto steering committee mandated with prioritizing the institution’s response to the TRC is slated to submit its report by the end of this year, and has established five areas of focus: Indigenous curriculum, Indigenous students, Indigenous faculty and staff, Indigenous co-curricular educations, and Indigenous research ethics and community relationships. The Toronto District School Board has also begun to respond, and as of September, students at all of its schools make an Indigenous land acknowledgement before the singing of the national anthem. These are small but important steps on the path to reconciliation.

A shout out to our boys in blue

PHOTO BY R.?S. KONJEK/GLEANER NEWS: Brett van Pelt of the Toronto Maple Leafs delivers a pitch during the final game of the recent season on July 31.

No, we don’t mean the Blue Jays, or the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team. We mean the other Maple Leafs, the ones that actually win a game or two: the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball club, who play at the diamond at Christie Pits. Like the Toronto Football Club, our Maple Leafs ground their way to the championship, only to lose to the defending Barrie Baycats. It was that loss that inspired Gleaner Leafs’ columnist R.S. Konjek to present two new words for consideration by the English language: stepability and grindertude. It also inspires us to remember what sport is really about: determination, grit, and drama, none of which are the domain of the city’s big name sports teams. We hope this inspires you to consider supporting some of the lesser-known teams like the Toronto Marlies Hockey Club by taking in a game or two. As they are more affordable for families (Maple Leafs games are free), it’s the perfect way to introduce a whole new generation to the glory of sport.

Risky rails redux

The Aug. 21 derailment near Howland Avenue and Dupont Street exemplified the risks many residents have been trying to highlight for years. That incident — which sent two locomotives and several rail cars off the tracks — is still under investigation, and was but the latest for concern. Residents are quick to note that the train from the July 2013 derailment that killed 47 residents in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, had passed through the Annex with crude oil only days before meeting its end in the small town. At a well-attended town hall in April organized by Chrystia Freeland (MP, University-Rosedale) and several of her Toronto-based colleagues, residents questioned whether safety regulations adequately account for today’s typical loads (crude oil, chemicals, etc.), as well as whether the rail cars themselves meet the highest safety standards, before asking why dangerous goods could not be diverted altogether.

The better way needs a better plan

How many among us can attend one more community consultation meeting on a future development that does not contemplate the projected public transit ramifications? The province and city have decreed that development should occur at transit nodes, without providing any assurance to those of us who actually use transit how our already-overflowing buses, subways, and streetcars will take on more passengers. It is all very well and good to note that the closer a person lives to their place of work, the more likely that person is to walk or ride a bike to work, as a certain local councillor is fond of saying, but that doesn’t really address the issue. Thus, the absence of a plan is what earns transit a presence on this list.

Welcome to your (new) home

The neighbourhoods that fall within our coverage area have long welcomed people seeking a new home. And this year was no different. It’s almost a year since our nation officially opened its arms to refugees from Syria, and our residents are continuing to provide support to those arrivals. But we covered other types of homecoming in our neighbourhood as well. Sprott House opened its doors to LGBTQ2S youth in January, while the Evergreen Centre for Street-Involved Youth is set to relocate to Spadina Avenue in September of next year. The Rogers Foundation also made Hot Docs cinema a permanent home for storytelling thanks to its $5-million donation that enabled the Hot Docs to purchase the Bloor Street theatre and rename it in the family’s name.

Making our neighbourhoods more livable

PHOTO BY NEILAND BRISSENDEN/GLEANER NEWS: R.H. Thomson poses at the Green Beanery in March. The Order of Canada member starred in You Will Remember Me at the Tarragon Theatre in March and April.

Livability was a major theme on our pages this year. We’ve covered the City of Toronto’s initiatives on dog ownership, a plethora of park initiatives (both renewing old parks and finding creative ways to add new ones), and plans for streetscaping. What we’ve noticed is how many of those initiatives come from the community itself, without whom we wouldn’t have such a vibrant farmers’ market, say, or bike lanes on Bloor Street. (For the latter matter, we unabashedly tip our hat to this newspaper’s publisher, who as the chair of the Bloor Annex BIA managed to finish something that was begun 40 years ago.) That commitment to building our neighbourhood, whether tree by tree, bike lane by bike lane, or festival by festival, is what makes our neighbourhood such a special place to live.

Thomas Fisher Rare Books a treasure trove unto itself

PHOTO COURTESY U OF T THOMAS FISHER RARE BOOK LIBRARY: “Arctic Amusements” by Owen Stanley depicts the ship’s crew passing the time while stuck in sea ice in 1836-7.

By Annemarie Brissenden

You may know that a maritime mystery was solved this September when Arctic researchers found the HMS Terror, one half of the Franklin Expedition that had set out to seek the Northwest Passage in 1845. Her sister ship, the HMS Erebus, had been found by the same team last year.

What you may not know is that it has an Annex connection.

[pullquote]“Canada’s Arctic is one of the few places in the world that is still so unknown”—Adrian Schimnowski, CEO, Arctic Research Foundation[/pullquote]

A naval officer and surveyor named Captain Owen Stanley had served on the Terror when it sailed to the Arctic in 1837-38. Stanley kept a daily diary and made sketches depicting the activities of the ship, later using them to create original watercolour paintings. That diary, those sketches, and the resulting watercolours are to be found in the University of Toronto’s Thomas Fisher Rare Books Library.

And this year, the sketches and watercolours are the basis of the library’s holiday card collection, a popular annual tradition.

“We first used the Owen Stanley image of the HMS Terror for the Chief Librarian’s card in 2014,” explained Maureen Morin, a graphic designer with the university’s libraries, in an email. “We had already selected it when the prime minister announced in September of that same year that the wreck of one of Franklin’s lost ships had been found, although we wouldn’t learn until later that it was the Erebus. When the wreck of the Terror was located in 2016, we thought it fitting to use that image as well as ‘Arctic Amusements’ for the holiday cards we sell.”

The HMS Terror had a long history, and had travelled to the Arctic more than once before being lost, said Pearce Carefoote, one of Thomas Fisher’s librarians. It was originally fitted to be a bomber during the War of 1812, and was at Baltimore where it was perhaps responsible for some of the bombs that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the “Star Spangled Banner”.

“Because the bombers were stronger, they had a better chance of surviving in the Arctic ice,” he added, explaining how the ship came to be part of arctic expeditions.

The items have been in the library’s collection since they were purchased from a rare book dealer in London, England, in 1971.

Carefoote said he believes the Franklin has captured the Canadian imagination because “it’s part of the enigma of the north that Canadians understand”. He also thinks that while we may never fully know what went wrong with the expedition, we do “know what they were up against”.

“Canada’s Arctic is one of the few places in the world that is still so unknown,” agreed Adrian Schimnowski, chief executive officer of the Arctic Research Foundation, the team that found both the Terror and the Erebus. The Franklin Expedition is “about human experience and condition; what’s interesting in the Arctic is that we’re always going to be facing the same element: environment. It’s so extreme.”

Loryl MacDonald, Thomas Fisher’s director, believes this year’s cards will be particularly popular. And not just because they are timely or speak to something uniquely Canadian, but because they are incredibly beautiful. Proceeds from the sale go towards the library’s development fund, which supports various projects with the university’s library system, including acquisitions.

She said that the rare books library is one of the top research libraries in Canada and North America.

“It’s a jewel in the crown, and it’s a gem,” said MacDonald. With a broad index of varied things ranging from Shakespeare’s folio to Leonard Cohen manuscripts, it is open to the entire community for free.

“People come from as far away as Japan, and as close as Huron-Sussex wanting to research the neighbourhood. It’s pretty amazing that you have these collections right in our neighbourhood.”

For further information on the University of Toronto’s Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, or to order greeting cards, please visit the library’s website.

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HISTORY (SEPTEMBER 2015): A haven for children’s literature by Annemarie Brissenden

Five alternatives to store-bought gifts

By Terri Chu

When I was a child, Christmas was a magical time. But as I grew older and became more environmentally aware, the holiday quickly became one of my least favourite times of year. Now I can’t even step into a mall during the holidays: just the mere sight of so many useless gifts meant as a token, ultimately destined for the landfill, makes me grieve for the planet.

[pullquote]“It’s important to me to teach my daughter that gift giving is about the person, the thought and effort, and not just about having something to unwrap.”[/pullquote]

In an attempt to reduce our environmental footprint this Christmas, my husband and I have agreed that our gifts will fall under one of five categories: handmade, edible, experiences, heirlooms, or charitable donations. (Getting the extended family to come on board is a different challenge altogether, a fight I’ve been advised not to wage.)

Handmade (Look, I made you a scarf!)

A handmade gift, in my opinion, gives the gift added importance. There’s something about dedicating hours to a project that simply forking over a few bucks for a cheap dollar-store mug doesn’t give you. It’s important to me to teach my daughter that gift giving is about the person, the thought and effort, and not just about having something to unwrap.

Edible (I baked you this delicious cake!)

In the lieu of something handmade, I turn to something edible. (The assumption here is that it isn’t packaged in plastics forever to grace this earth.) For the times when I cave and end up getting takeaway or prepackaged food, I save the containers for a second life as a gifting vessel for homemade treats.

Experiences (I would like to take you to this concert)

Someone once told me my children will remember me more for the time I spend with them than for the things I buy for them.

Heirlooms (These earrings belonged to your grandmother, cherish them)

There will always be things that get passed down through the generations. There are items that meant a lot to our parents, and to us, that we will want our children to cherish. Material gifts have such a short shelf life (do toys even last six months?); it’s nice to see gifts that can last generations. If we treated material gifts as possessions meant to last, our oceans would certainly be less toxic to marine life.

Donation (I am contributing in your name to this important cause)

This Christmas, however, my girl is getting a different gift. In her name, I will be making a donation to the Standing Rock Medic and Healer Council. I can’t think of another environmental battle in my lifetime that has had greater significance than this one. Water protectors are out there, in sub zero temperatures reportedly getting sprayed with water cannons, rubber bullets, and concussion grenades. Their only crime is protecting water on lands that were historically theirs.

Every engineering student is told in school that all pipelines will rupture. It is not a matter of if, but a matter of when, and how well controlled the resulting spill will be. If the Dakota Access Pipeline gets built and a resulting spill contaminates this water supply, life for most of us will go on, but just not there. The lands will be uninhabitable. The people will be forced to move, and it will happen again and again until there is no more land that is safe to live off.

The era is of big oil is drawing to a close and I see this as a gift to my daughter’s future. How ever you choose to celebrate Christmas, I hope you celebrate with the future in mind.

Terri Chu is an engineer committed to practical environmentalism. This column is dedicated to helping the community reduce energy, and help distinguish environmental truths from myths.

READ MORE GREENINGS BY TERRI CHU:

Force the focus (November 2016)

The school of the future (July 2016)

Taking action on climate change (June 2016)

Cloth diapers have gone from burden of the poor to luxury of the rich in one generation (May 2016)

Provide help or stand aside (April 2016)

Don’t fall prey to marketing (March 2016)

PHOTO BY NOELLE DEFOUR/GLEANER NEWS

Pharmacists will be able to administer 13 common travel vaccines starting Dec. 15 announced Dr. Eric Hoskins, Ontario’s minister of health and long-term care, at Snowdon Pharmacy on Dec. 1.

“Nobody wants to be scrambling to get into their doctor’s office while juggling all of the other things they need to do during the holiday season,” said Hoskins.

Among the approved vaccines are those that prevent shingles, Hepatitis A and B, HPV, and rabies, as well as meningococcal and pneumococcal diseases.

Patients who choose to receive vaccinations from a participating pharmacist will have to pay for the vaccine. The publicly-funded flu vaccine will continue to be available to Ontarians for free from their primary care provider, as well as from participating pharmacies.

—Summer Reid/Gleaner News

In this latest piece from our archives, we reprint a story from our May 2010 edition on Snowdon Pharmacy. We thought it would make an interesting companion piece as it illustrates just how much independent pharmacies do for our community, something that we, as an independent newspaper, know a little something about.

By Emina Gamulin

Snowdon Pharmacy (264 Bloor St. W.) has had many tough times in its 104-year history, but the changes the provincial government proposes to cut drug costs may be the biggest challenge the community institution has faced thus far.

[pullquote]“When some of the elderly get confused, rather than give them ten bottles and have them flush them down the toilet, or only take the pretty pink ones, we’ll make them a blister pack”— Anneke Allen, Snowdon Pharmacy[/pullquote]

The government announced its plans that as of May 15, pharmacies will no longer be able to receive “professional allowances” from generic drug makers, which amount to $800 million a year for Ontario pharmacies.

Contrary to the notion that the rebates are kickbacks, Anneke Allen of Snowdon Pharmacy says they go directly back to the consumer. Every three months, she sends a report to the government proving that the money goes to patient care.

“When some of the elderly get confused, rather than give them ten bottles and have them flush them down the toilet, or only take the pretty pink ones, we’ll make them a blister pack,” said Allen, describing one free service.

She offers other examples. “If you just came from Shoppers and say ‘The pharmacist didn’t have time to talk to me but I need a little more information,’ he [Snowdon] doesn’t kick you out, he pulls out the book, hell, makes the photocopies for you because that’s what a pharmacist does — they care.”

The money has also gone towards things such as providing free deliveries, hiring students in the summer, holding customer appreciation days and flu shot days, amongst other things.

“Are you getting the gist of what this money did for pharmacies?” she asked, adding that all these things will go out the window if this becomes law.

“If you want to speak to your pharmacist I’m going to have to say to you, ‘It will be 45 minutes and it will be $25.’”

Allen said that the government led pharmacies along to believe that there would be some sort of a negotiation process.

“We were about two weeks into our campaign saying, ‘Give pharmacists a chance, don’t take away our money’ when the McGuinty government threw their hands up and said. ‘Please call off the dogs we’ll negotiate with you.’”

Next thing they knew, a 16-page report outlining the changes was announced.

“They haven’t seen the full impact of how pharmacies, pharmacists, employees, patients and anyone associated with a pharmacy will react to this.”

MPP Rosario Marchese (Trinity-Spadina) says that while drug costs have been skyrocketing in Ontario and they need to be reduced, he believes the government went about it in an entirely inappropriate way.

“I’m not sure they thought it through very well,” he said. “The problem with this measure is that it is sort of buried in the budget bill, so there are no hearings. People have 30 days to comment on it, but it’s not a reasonable debate where you allow people to come and give their personal stories, and then legislatures on the basis of this say ‘That’s interesting, we never thought of that, how do we deal with some of those problems that we didn’t anticipate?’

“We are worried about how many pharmacies might be affected. Because when you take $800 million to a billion dollars out of the system someone is going to be affected by it. Clearly the dispensing fees are going to have to go up, we know that. But will the dispensing fees first be enough for some pharmacists to recover those costs? We suspect in most cases it may not be.”

Snowdon Pharmacy invited Marchese to visit their store but he declined.

Allen says that the $1 increase to the current $6.99 that the government pays them will not be anywhere near enough to cover the difference, and in some cases doesn’t even cover their current drug costs, saying some products cost $10 that the government only gives them $8 for. “So we took a loss from the get go, that’s just one example.”

For now, Snowdon is going to try to keep all their staff but may have to cut hours. Allen is busy setting up a system to show customers exactly what they will have to pay extra for if the changes pass as planned.

Larger pharmacies like Shoppers Drug Mart have already started cutting pharmacy hours and introducing fees for deliveries.

On April 21, pharmacists in white lab coats came in droves to Queen’s Park to protest the proposed cuts. Health Critic Christine Elliott (Whitby-Ajax) brought forth a motion to protect seniors from the increased costs and reduced services that may result from the cuts that day. It was voted down.

When asked about the possibility of Snowdon having to close because of this, Allen replied, “That’s a hard one to say. We’re going to fight the fight.

“As a community pharmacy in this community they fought long and hard to keep it here, so we are going to fight to stay here for them.”

PHOTO BY R.S. KONJEK/GLEANER NEWS: Christie Pits saw cyclists of all ages and skill levels take on a variety of challenging cross-country bike courses on Oct. 29. Cyclocross Toronto organized the citywide event to promote cycling in parks and other public spaces.

READ MORE:

CHATTER: Bells ring a perfect offering (October 2016)

NEWS: Bikes blessed for another season (June 2016)

FOCUS: An early advocate for bike lanes (June 2016)

NEWS: Second phase of park revitalization to begin (May 2016)

NEWS: Christie Pits renewal set to begin (July 2015)

Residents glimpse settlement offer

By Brian Burchell

In an effort to bring transparency to the Ontario Municipal Board’s (OMB) mediation process, Joe Cressy (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina) took the unusual step of bringing a developer’s confidential settlement offer to the community for comment before that offer is voted on by Toronto City Council.

“You have an undemocratic and unelected OMB making decisions…. In addition [to that], these decisions [are] made behind closed doors, then [subject to] an in camera debate at city council, without any say from the community,” said Cressy of his decision to call the October community consultation meeting.

[pullquote]“Right now, we have the same amount of development proposed in Ward 20, little old Ward 20, [as in] all of Etobicoke and Scarborough combined”—Joe Cressy (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina)[/pullquote]

The offer relates to a highly controversial application to raise two towers of 15 and 29 storeys respectively at 328 (328, 332, 344, & 358) Dupont St. The application dates from 2010, when it was initially made by the Wynn Group of Companies, which is building a private student residence at 484 Spadina Ave., home to the Waverley Hotel and Silver Dollar Room. Council rejected the application in 2011, and the developer appealed it to the OMB, where it has been under mediation ever since. At some point in the project’s evolution, the development’s ownership was transferred from the Wynn Group to Freed Developments.

Under the without prejudice offer, the developer has agreed to reduce the height of the towers to 9 and 13 storeys, with setbacks from the Dupont rail line to be determined by a safety audit. The lower tower conforms to the maximum height allowed under the terms of the Dupont Street Study, which council approved in 2014 and which governs development between Kendal and Ossington avenues.

In describing the offer, Cressy characterized negotiating at the OMB as a game of high stakes poker.

“Do you risk it all and get a really tall poorly designed building or do you find a compromise? In this case the unique challenges include the transition to the neighbourhood, and the setback from the rail corridor.”

The councillor said that he believes the heights have been reduced as much as possible, because there is no guidance for development east of Kendal Avenue and because of the proximity to a subway line. Should council decide against the settlement, it is believed the developer will pursue its original application at an OMB hearing.

“On heights alone the [OMB] will accept 9 and 13 storeys, but on the issue of the rail setback I just don’t know,” admitted Cressy at the meeting.

David Harrison, chair of the Annex Residents’ Association (which, along with the city and developer, was one of the parties to the mediation), said he supports the settlement offer, cautioning that the rail safety component has yet to be settled.

A study to determine a safe distance between the Canadian Pacific Rail (CPR) tracks that line Dupont Street and any new developments is currently underway. The Dupont Study originally set that distance at 30 metres, but it was subsequently reduced to 20. The importance of this safety setback was brought into sharp relief in August when two CPR freight trains collided in August, causing a derailment at Dupont Street and Howland Avenue, just west of the site of the proposed development.

“I am limited as to how much I can say, but let’s just say that rail safety is a big issue,” said Harrison, adding that if city council does not approve the settlement and the project goes to a full hearing, the result could impact up to seven previously negotiated settlements for other projects on Dupont Street. Should the OMB rule in favour of the developer in a full hearing, it would potentially nullify those settlements or at least open the door for further negotiations.

“Right now, we have the same amount of development proposed in Ward 20, little old Ward 20, [as in] all of Etobicoke and Scarborough combined,” said Cressy. “Given that [the OMB] operates in secret and the Ontario government has thus far been unwilling to change or abolish it, I am going to do everything in my power to make sure local residents have a say.”

“I wholeheartedly support [Cressy’s] efforts to open the process and let the local residents see what’s in store for them,” said Jennifer Hunter, chair of the Seaton Village Residents’ Association, arguing that city council should vote to approve the settlement offer.

“Normally you can’t talk about these things publicly,” added Harrison, “but [Cressy] persuaded the developer to go along with this, and it’s in the developer’s interest to make it look like [it] cares what the community thinks.”

Toronto City Council voted to accept the staff’s recommendation not to accept the settlement offer just as this issue was going to press.

—with files from Noelle Defour

READ MORE:

NEWS: Trains in the night (September 2016)

ON THE COVER: Dupont Derailment (August 2016)

NEWS: Height, density still top concerns (July 2016)

EDITORIAL CARTOON: Planning! (July 2016)

CHATTER: Annex Residents’ Association app tracks developments (April 2016)

DEVELOPINGS: Annual review reflects tension between community activism and OMB (March 2016)

NEWS: Preserving a sense of community (March 2016)