When preservation leads to deterioration By Ahmed-Zaki Hagar At over 120 years old, 6 Walmer Rd. is at once a crumbling symbol of the area’s rich history and, a sign of the city’s inability to protect its built heritage. And it’s causing no small amount of problems for the neighbours. “When I initially moved [here], […]

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A tale of two residents’ associations By Geremy Bordonaro The City of Toronto opened a winter respite drop-in shelter in late January in a commercial building that’s not far from the site of a proposed condominium development opposed by local residents like Margaret Atwood and Galen Weston. Even though Atwood and other well-known residents of […]

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Ontario Municipal Board rules in favour of community By Geremy Bordonaro The future of 328 Dupont Street is up in the air after an Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) decision placed strict limitations on a proposed development that would see three buildings rise on the site. The plan was to build a nine-storey building on the […]

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Residents still concerned about BSUC proposal By Geremy Bordonaro Many community members remain unhappy with the proposed redevelopment of the Bloor Street United Church, even after the third — and final — community consultation in late November. [pullquote]“It’s a beautiful design but it’s just in the wrong place” —David Harrison, chair, Annex Residents’ Association[/pullquote] The plan calls for a […]

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PICTURE BY GEREMY BORDONARO/GLEANER NEWS Community members celebrated the advent of fall at the Annex Residents’ Association’s annual cornfest on Sept. 17 in Jean Sibelius Square.

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Delicious mulberries were at the height of season in early July for the Annex Residents’ Association’s (ARA) first ever Mulberry Festival. Organized by Trees Please, an ARA working group, and sponsored by the association and COBS Bread, the event drew about 70 to 80 participants who celebrated the urban forest and a love of mulberries. […]

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Conserving church a priority By Emilie Jones After years of rumours and false starts, Bloor Street United Church (BSUC) is set for a makeover, and representatives from Strategy Corporation and KPMB Architects hosted their first community meeting on June 21 to present their plans for revitalizing the space. Following a model previously set by Westbank […]

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ARA holds annual general meeting By Geremy Bordonaro Development dominated the Annex Residents’ Association (ARA) annual general meeting on April 27. The area has seen an increase in developments over the last few years, most notably the Westbank Projects Corp.’s Mirvish Village development, and that coloured every topic of discussion, from bike lanes to community […]

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The Annex Residents’ Association is launching a new award to recognize the efforts of a resident who contributed to making the community a better place. The Community Builder of the Year award will be given to a person living in the Annex who has made a significant contribution in improving heritage, education, development, or social […]

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Recommendations for mandating community participation By Annemarie Brissenden Four local residents’ associations, collectively representing the north end of Ward 20, banded together late last month to submit commentary on the province’s review of the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). In their letter to the Province of Ontario’s planning policy branch, the Annex Residents’ Association (ARA), Harbord […]

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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 […]

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Program matches residents with native trees By Summer Reid A campaign aimed at increasing the city’s tree canopy from 28 to 40 per cent is coming to the Annex this fall. Part of the Every Tree Counts campaign, Tree for Me matches residents of Toronto with a native tree suitable for their desired planting area. […]

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