Economic impact of bike lanes still unclear By Geremy Bordonaro When it comes to bike lanes, business owners along Bloor Street West are evenly split: about half support them, and about half don’t. It’s a rift between business owners who think the lanes are a boon and those who think they are a bane. “The […]

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Cycle Toronto has launched a new program aimed at boosting business on Bloor Street. Pick up a “Bike and Buy: Tour de Bloor Passport” from Cycle Toronto and have it stamped every time you eat or shop at one of 73 participating businesses between Avenue Road and Shaw Street. Passport-holders will be entered in a […]

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All levels of government must take responsibility By Joe Cressy Some people measure the progress of a city by the speed of its transit systems or the quality of its public parks, by the number of schools in a neighbourhood, or by the number of potholes filled each year. These are significant factors for a […]

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Exhibition features musical memorabilia By Annemarie Brissenden It was a grand opening for a grand old dame. Approximately 45 community members, music aficionados, and company dignitaries celebrated the transformation of Brunswick House from a notorious student dive bar into a boutique flagship drugstore when Rexall/Pharma Plus officially opened Rexall Brunswick on Bloor Street West late […]

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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 Toronto and East York Community Council unanimously endorsed a planning staff recommendation to approve Westbank Projects Corp.’s application to redevelop the southwest corner of Bloor and Bathurst streets on April 4. It’s a significant milestone that comes after three years of community consultations and collaborative work between the Vancouver-based developer, planning staff, and community […]

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Process to designate Kensington Market underway By Geremy Bordonaro After a year of study and consultation, the city is going ahead with the process to designate Kensington Market a Heritage Conservation District (HCD). The decision was announced at a community consultation meeting last month. “It’s a two-year process,” said Joe Cressy (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina). “By […]

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Nearly one hundred bar and restaurant staff from Kensington Market participated in a free workshop on how to deal with drug overdoses on Feb. 27. Organized by the Kensington Market BIA and Joe Cressy (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina), the workshop taught participants how to recognize and respond to an overdose. Queen West Central Toronto Community Health […]

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Community, city closer to approving Mirvish Village development By Geremy Bordonaro It all came down to this: one final community meeting about Westbank Projects Corp.’s application to build a large mixed-use development on the former site of Honest Ed’s and Mirvish Village. After a long and unprecedented involvement from the community — including residents and […]

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Not just buildings By Joe Cressy If you’ve ever made your way to a development meeting in Ward 20, you’ve heard me talk about the need to build community as we grow and change. With almost one quarter of all proposed development in the entire city occurring in our ward, we’d be leading ourselves astray without this focus. This has […]

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Toronto for Everyone celebrates Honest Ed’s By Geremy Bordonaro For 68 years, Honest Ed’s welcomed all those who came to its doors. While the store made its last sale on the final day of 2016, it will play host to a grand wake before it closes its doors one last time. And organizers hope the […]

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