By Eddie Mumford ‘Majestic’ would be a word to describe the house at 145 Madison Ave. With its uniformity of smooth brick and irregular shape, the massive, detached home stands out amongst the neighbouring houses. But the house, declared a historical site (under the Heritage Act) in 1974, has recently become a source of anxiety for its owner. […]

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By Beth Macdonell In 1987, Al Runt was working behind the bar at Lee’s Palace (529 Bloor St. W.). He was let go for drinking on the job, but the owner, “Mr. Lee,” noticed Runt was a talented painter. According to Runt, Mr. Lee was looking to attract cool eyeballs from Queen to Bloor. Mr. Lee noticed that […]

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By Tim Legault Fraternity houses are voicing their concerns over the proposed changes in rooming house bylaws and licensing rules that Councillor Adam Vaughan (Ward 20 Trinity-Spadina) has been championing for some time. The planned changes would require the properties to have yearly inspections that ensure the buildings are to code. Failing to fix any […]

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By Karen Bliss Toronto indie rockers The Coast, who celebrate the release of its sophomore album, Queen Cities, on Sept. 23 at the El Mocambo, began life in the Annex. Frontman Ben Spurr and guitarist Ian Fosbery were living on St. George Street at the time and called their band The July 26th Movement. “We […]

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By Liivi Sandy Spend some time with Sherrill Sutherland and you’ll get an education. The 25-year-old Annex resident works for CBC News Network, writing about the events that make our city, country, and world tick. Spend more time with Sutherland and you’ll realize that she’s more than you bargained for. The candid young woman is […]

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The popular graphic novels make use of many Annex locations. Image courtesy Oni Press. By Tim Legault As Bryan Lee O’Malley, creator of the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels, sat signing a stack of his sixth and final volume in the series (Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour) in preparation for the book’s launch party, he recalled Publishers […]

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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. The government announced its plans that as of May 15, pharmacies will no longer […]

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Courtesy: Lily Barnes By Emily Landau To outside eyes, Lilly Barnes may be a woman of the world, but her world ends in the Annex. “My kids tease me—they say I act as if I get a nosebleed north of Dupont,” she chuckles. Barnes has lived in the Annex for almost six decades, where she […]

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By Leigh Beadon Mutual friends arranged that we meet in a respectable downtown restaurant in Toronto. She wore a black, crushed velvet jump suit and a sultry pink tam over hair that was still thick and blonde nearing 70. She stole the wine glasses That’s how Roy MacGregor described Elizabeth Smart in an Ottawa Citizen […]

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