Residents decry loss of green space and heritage impacts

PHOTO BY BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANE NEWS: Uno Prii designed 666 Spadina Ave., which is listed on the city’s inventory of Heritage Properties. The property owner wants to add an 11-storey building and eight stacked townhouses on the site.

By Brian Burchell

It was billed as a community consultation, but a Nov. 29 meeting on plans to add an 11-storey mixed-use building and eight stacked townhouses to the north and south of the existing 25-storey tower at 666 Spadina Ave. was more about airing grievances than anything else. Those in attendance refused to be appeased and were critical of the proposal’s potential impacts on the heritage site and local green space.

In fact, it was a rather fractious affair.

The site is in itself an anomaly.

[pullquote]“There was a vision here in 1969, and I think it deserves respect…50 years later”—Bob Bernett, Sussex Avenue resident[/pullquote]

As City of Toronto planner Liora Freedman explained, the site’s zoning is tailored to apartment building, and exceeds the residential height limit of 12 metres. It’s believed this was approved at the time the building was built because the original application included so much green space, a hallmark of Uno Prii, the architect responsible for this and many other residential high rises in the Annex, many of which are listed the city’s Inventory of Heritage Properties.

“The 1969 site-specific zoning allowed for the building to take up 30 per cent of the site and [leave] the remaining 70 per cent [as] open space,” said Freedman, adding that the property abuts a Harbord Village Conservation District on the west side, and as such, must transition in a manner that respects that low-rise residential neighbourhood.

Yet critics argued that just because the space exits for infill doesn’t mean it should be filled.

“There was a vision here in 1969, and I think it deserves respect…50 years later,” said Sussex Avenue resident Bob Bernett. “The developer got a gift when this was first developed; he got extra height and density because he left all this green space around it. The idea that we can get rid of all this parkland now does not wash with me.”

Robert Street resident Norman Track took issue with the adequacy of the existing public infrastructure to accommodate such heavy intensification, noting that “the sanitary sewers in Toronto are of 1908 vintage and they are leaking”, and that despite “all this influx of people [there are] no new hospitals”. He also expressed concern, after the power outages the Annex has experienced this year, about the ability of the hydro network to support more growth here given that “according to Toronto Hydro itself [in April 2016] 25 per cent of its infrastructure is outdated”.

Joe Cressy (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina) acknowledged the power outages that occurred over the summer, but said they were not capacity related.

“[These were] caused by inclement weather and if you can believe it squirrels, and Hydro has prepared a report confirming this,” said Cressy. “The load capacity for downtown Toronto is not only stable but is planned for the future…. A new power station, [the Copeland Transformer Station], down at the Round House Park, is coming on line next year. It is a multi-billion-dollar facility that is designed to accommodate growth.”

The councillor reviewed the extensive “pre-application engagement” that the property owner has undertaken with respect to 666 Spadina Ave., and said the application incorporates significant changes since the last community consultation meeting.

“The plan that we ended up submitting, in response to the feedback we heard at the last consultation included increasing the set-back from [Sussex Mews] lane [from 6 to 10.5 metres], increasing the separation distance from the existing building and the new proposed building, and relocating the garbage enclosure away from the lane,” explained Mansoor Kazerouni of Page + Steele IBI Group Architects. Although the height of the mid-rise building to the south remains at 11 storeys, the application to the city exists entirely within the 45 degree solar angle required in the current planning rules.

The architect also described a provision for the privately-owned publicly accessible space on the west side of the property (the east side of Sussex Mews), which occupies 450 square metres (roughly 5,000 square feet). A glass vestibule has been added in this articulation of the proposal connecting the existing high-rise with the new 11 storey building which Kazerouni says will “be publicly accessible 24/7 and aid in wind mitigation”.

“The existing slab style building has an inherent problem with wind, since it is oriented against the prevailing wind which then must down wash around and flow around the adjacent streets or properties,” said Stephen Pollack of Theakston Environmental, which was retained by the developer to do wind studies on the property. “The proposed townhouses on the north side and stepped 11-storey building on the south side will deflect these winds.”

Several speakers were not swayed by the wind mitigation argument and decried the loss of open space that additional buildings would occupy. Or as Bernett put it, “I am sorry. If we want to deal with wind issues we can plant some coniferous trees there.”

READ MORE:

NEWS: Preventing a wall of towers (October 2016)

CHATTER: Two new rezoning applications submitted to city (September 2016)

NEWS: Tall tower before OMB, as city battles back with block study (August 2016)

NEWS: Planning for the future (May 2016)

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

Phase one to include removal of fence

COURTESY MATTHEW SWEIG/FOREST AND FIELD LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE INC.: The proposed plan for converting the unused schoolyard into a green oasis includes planters, an amphitheatre, and a path for crossing the site.

By Annemarie Brissenden

Plans are afoot to green the Annex campus of Monsignor Fraser College, but help — lots of help — is needed to raise the $300,000 it will cost to make that happen. Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) trustee Jo-Ann Davis (Ward 9, St. Paul’s, Toronto-Centre, Trinity-Spadina) reviewed the plan to turn the Markham Street school’s former schoolyard — currently a paved unused space surrounded by a fence — into an oasis for both students and community members alike at a community meeting late last month.

The space is a legacy of the site’s previous tenant, an elementary school that was consolidated with St. Raymond Catholic School (which in turn is to be consolidated with St. Bruno Catholic School). These days Monsignor Fraser operates as an alternative learning site, drawing students from across the city.

[pullquote]“We pride ourselves on relationship building with students, and would like to extend that out into the community”—Marcello Mancuso, principal[/pullquote]

“We pride ourselves on relationship building with students, and would like to extend that out into the community,” said the school’s principal Marcello Mancuso at the meeting. “We are hoping to engage the students, and engage the students with the community in something worthwhile.”

Working with stakeholders from the community like the Evergreen and David Suzuki foundations, Foodshare, and the St. Peter’s Parish, the board has developed a working framework.

It includes a green lawn, a path through the space, raised planters for food production, spaces to display art, a sacred space for quiet reflection, seating, and an amphitheatre. And of course, the high fence would be removed.

Jacquanline Liu, project supervisor at the TCDSB, explained that the board anticipates it will have to rehabilitate the space in three phases. In the first, the fence would be ripped out, and the amphitheatre enhanced. In the second, raised planters would be installed, as well as seating for multiple users, while in the third and final stage, an art display area would be set up, as well as a potential greenhouse, and sacred space. Doing the project in three phases increases the cost by $100,000, but the board’s representatives are skeptical they can raise enough money to do everything in one go.

Joe Cressy (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina) is an enthusiastic supporter of the plan, saying “if we get community agreement, I will work to find funding.”

“Our neighbourhood is deficient in greenspace, but if we’re going to make our neighbourhood more livable, we’re going to have to get creative,” added the councillor.

The school board has established a fundraising campaign, and has begun to apply for various grants, but it is looking for a person or organization to champion the project.

“We almost need an outside organization to take the lead because the board has a limited capacity for driving a project like this,” said Davis.

Those in attendance at the meeting were generally positive about the proposed greening, and were keen to see the fence removed, sooner rather than later.

Jennifer Hunter, president of the Seaton Village Residents’ Association, sees the potential for a community building opportunity, but acknowledged the challenges of engaging members for such an activity.

“Once the fences are gone” though, “that will generate interest.”

READ MORE:

NEWS: A $9.4-million school with a view (June 2016)

Putting the Indigenous land acknowledgement into practice

By Clarrie Feinstein

In September 2016, trustees at the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) unanimously passed a motion to include an Indigenous land acknowledgement every morning before the singing of the national anthem. Introducing the acknowledgement is part of the Aboriginal Education Committee’s (AEC) mandate to decolonize Canadian schools and recognize the colonialist construct under which the education system operates. The acknowledgement is the first step in reconciling the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups within the education system, but simply saying the acknowledgement is not enough. Teachers and staff must provide historical and current context for the acknowledgement, which has proved to be a challenging feat in numerous ways.

“The transition has not been smooth sailing,” says Barbara Anne Felschow, central coordinating principal of the AEC. “It’s a slow process but people are on board.”

[pullquote]“We want to do it in a sensitive manner that honours the community”—Cheryl Howe, principal, Huron Street PS[/pullquote]

David Ast, the curriculum assistant leader at Harbord Collegiate Institute, agrees with Felschow. “It hasn’t been smooth. Everyone is in a different place on the continuum. Many teachers didn’t learn about much when it came to Indigenous issues. There are gaps in people’s awareness of the issues at hand.”

In order to prepare TDSB educators, the AEC offers resources for teachers, staff, and students at the TDSB. A 2010 report on the Urban Aboriginal Education Pilot Project (UAEPP) titled Decolonizing Our Schools: Aboriginal Education in TDSB emphasized that Indigenous issues must be incorporated in a meaningful way, which can be achieved through in-service professional development for teaching staff.

The UAEPP provided workshops and learning opportunities for teachers and staff to help facilitate Indigenous education for educators, resulting in a sizable shift in teachers’ understanding of Indigenous people, history, and culture. However, some teachers said they felt uncomfortable with the increased responsibility of decolonizing school space with other educational commitments.

“We still experience questions on how the acknowledgement came into being from staff,” Fleschow explained. “We have people asking what is and is not included in the statement, how it has evolved, et cetera.

“Our job in the AEC is to provide the resources for teachers and staff to be properly informed in order to have the context needed to understand the complicated history of the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.”

The AEC provides accessible information on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s kindergarten to Grade 12 educational reform, which includes accurate residential school information and in-depth analysis of land and treaty acknowledgements. This gives teachers the fundamental knowledge to provide historical context and accurate information to their students. The committee also facilitates community members to speak at schools regularly in order to support a knowledge-building relationship with the schools and the Indigenous community.

At Harbord Collegiate this has been occurring for some time. Ast has coordinated workshops with various community members, artists, and elders for the past four years.

“On professional development day we had an Aboriginal speaker come in to facilitate a workshop with teachers to better understand treaties, the Indian Act, and the TRC commission,” Ast says. “The acknowledgement has put Indigenous issues on teachers’ radar. There has been interest from teachers to learn more.”

The land acknowledgement was introduced at Huron Street Public School in May 2016, and while Principal Cheryl Howe said the transition has not been difficult for teachers, the staff wants to do it right.

“We want to do it in a sensitive manner that honours the community. Teachers will take it slow because it is such a complex issue and none of my teaching staff is Indigenous. We need to reach out to the Indigenous community first.”

Huron is in the beginning stages for community outreach, which includes speaking with the AEC, inviting community members to facilitate educational workshops for staff, and updating its library with current and appropriate resources. “But there are over 500 schools in the TDSB all wanting this access,” Howe says. “It will take time.”

At Huron the acknowledgement is a stepping-stone for more teaching on Indigenous issues. Howe acknowledges the additional responsibility that is attached to teaching this material to young students. Many engage with questions ranging from “what is this?” to “what specific territory are we acknowledging?” indicating the students’ desire to be given more context on the acknowledgement.

For Grade 10 Harbord student Caleb Woolcott, the only difference in school has been the acknowledgement itself; there has been no cultural shift.

“There has been no curriculum change,” Woolcott said. “There has been no context provided on the treaties and what is actually being said when we acknowledge the land. Students don’t seem that interested, no one really pays attention to the announcements every morning.”

Woolcott attended a workshop, which discussed treaties to provide context for the land acknowledgement. So far, in his favourite subject, Grade 10 History, the curriculum has not yet covered Indigenous history. “We talked a little bit about Aboriginal involvement in the First World War. But it’s still the beginning of the year. Our teacher said there will be more taught after the winter break.”

While Woolcott has not witnessed increased student engagement regarding Indigenous issues, Felschow believes that non-Indigenous students are further ahead in their understanding of social justice and are independent learners, who self-inform. For Indigenous students, the acknowledgement provides them with a platform to be more visible and brings to the forefront their self-expression and student voice. The acknowledgement gives them a place of belonging. The goal for the TDSB is to create a space where self-identifying Aboriginal students can feel comfortable in expressing their identity.

According to Harbord’s principal, Vince Meade, there was a census conducted five years ago which indicated that Harbord had 30 to 40 students who self-identified as Aboriginal, but there is no updated information. Active engagement with the student body regarding Indigenous issues is still an ongoing process.

“There has not been a shift in the educational environment,” Meade said, “but parents adopt the acknowledgement before their meetings. We’ve had some workshops on the history of agreements and the board has implemented training sessions, which have been very informative. The work is ongoing.”

While the narrative between staff and student opinion regarding Indigenous education at Harbord does not align, Woolcott said, “The acknowledgement is more than what was done before and sheds light on the issue.”

READ MORE:

FOCUS ON EDUCATION: Building a respectful future (November 2016)

HISTORY: Honouring those who honour history (October 2016)

NEWS: U of T committee tasked with responding to Truth and Reconciliation Commission delivers interim report (August 2016)

ON THE COVER: Tracking history in the Annex (April 2016)

PHOTO BY NOELLE DEFOUR/GLEANER NEWS:

The Scott Mission at Spadina Avenue and College Street opened a free toy store for parents of the city’s neediest children. From Nov. 28 to Dec. 9, registered clients of the Mission were able to shop for a bagful of new children’s items including books, sports equipment, puzzles, and games. The Mission has also provided 2,600 grocery store gift cards, emergency groceries, children’s snowsuits, a hot Christmas meal, and a Christmas gift for every child in its camp and youth program this holiday.

—Annemarie Brissenden/Gleaner News

On Nov. 25 the Bloor Annex Business Improvement Area (whose chair also publishes this newspaper) showcased its street revitalization plans at Markham House in Mirvish Village. The plans — expected to be implemented in 2018 — include converting public rights-of-way along Bloor Street into parkettes and a renewed tree inventory on the north side of the street.

—Noelle Defour/Gleaner News

READ MORE:

NEWS: Bloor Street goes green (April 2016)

Pacifico Life (444 Bloor St. W.), a marijuana dispensary, opened its Toronto doors late last month with a mission “to educate, empower, and alleviate”. The Hamilton-based business sells many different products derived from the plant, including bath bombs, lip salves, oils, and soaps. It also dispenses the flower itself, but only for medical use. The plant is sourced from 100 growers, some as far as away as British Columbia.

Owner Tamara Hirsh, herself a user for medical reasons, is dedicated to educating people about the difference between medical and recreational use, which she doesn’t necessarily support except to alleviate pain or stress. She also stresses the heavy security measures she has in place at the store, and explains that she will only sell to customers who produce a medical licence and are over 19 (customers younger than 30 years old must provide two pieces of identification).

She acknowledges that her store may be closed by police, but says her customers are supportive.

“We’re changing people’s lives,” says Hirsh. “We may get raided, but my god it’s worth it.”

—Annemarie Brissenden with files from Noelle Defour

READ MORE:

EDITORIAL: Mayo no, marijuana maybe (June 2016)

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

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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.