Redesigning the roads with necessary rules By Mike Layton There are changes coming to local road infrastructure that will be a big step towards improving safety for all road users in our neighbourhoods. These changes will bring a new bike lane on Brunswick to just south of the Annex, connecting to a larger cycling route […]
FORUM: Safer streets for bikes and pedestrians (Mar. 2020)
March 24th, 2020 · Comments Off on FORUM: Safer streets for bikes and pedestrians (Mar. 2020)
NEWS: Election chaos (October 2018)
October 16th, 2018 · Comments Off on NEWS: Election chaos (October 2018)
Council cuts a concern By Ellie Hayden Local residents’ associations, business improvement areas, and community organizations are concerned that reducing Toronto City Council from 47 to 25 seats will wreak havoc with the business of the city in their neighbourhoods. “Clearly Ford is going to put his foot down wherever he feels like putting his […]
NEWS: Hundreds protest cuts to council (Aug./Sept. 2018)
September 11th, 2018 · Comments Off on NEWS: Hundreds protest cuts to council (Aug./Sept. 2018)
Defending downtown democracy By Ellie Hayden “Shame!” Hundreds of people huddled shoulder to shoulder shouted the rallying cry at an emergency public meeting on August 13 at the Scadding Court Community Centre. The event was organized by Mike Layton (Ward 19, Trinity-Spadina) and Joe Cressy (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina) to protest Bill 5, The Better Local […]
NEWS: First meeting on new Mirvish Village park (Summer 2018)
August 12th, 2018 · Comments Off on NEWS: First meeting on new Mirvish Village park (Summer 2018)
Plan is to make Markham Street an extension of the green space By Ellie Hayden Local residents had their first opportunity to contribute to the development of a new local green space at a public meeting on July 8. Part of Westbank Projects Corp.’s redevelopment of Honest Ed’s and Markham Street, the park meets bylaws […]
NEWS: PARA plans for a green future (July 2018)
July 18th, 2018 · Comments Off on NEWS: PARA plans for a green future (July 2018)
Annual general meeting includes Mirvish Village update By Ahmed-Zaki Hagar Future development and maintaining community green spaces were the main topics at a well-attended annual general meeting of the Palmerston Area Residents’ Association (PARA) on May 15. Kristina Reinders, a senior urban designer with the City of Toronto, spoke about the TOcore initiative, focusing on […]
EDITORIAL: City staff ignore bike lanes (July 2018)
July 18th, 2018 · 1 Comment
In “The Pothole”, the award-winning 150th episode Seinfeld, Cosmo Kramer adopts a one mile stretch of the Arthur Burghardt Expressway after running over an abandoned sewing machine. Kramer decides to make his newly adopted section of a highway a more luxurious experience for drivers by reducing four lanes to two extra-wide ones. What results — […]
Tags: Annex · Editorial · General
FORUM: Celebrate citizen activists (July 2018)
July 18th, 2018 · Comments Off on FORUM: Celebrate citizen activists (July 2018)
Residents’ associations cultivate neighbourhoods By Mike Layton At the Palmerston Area Residents’ Association (PARA) annual general meeting last month, I realized something. We are so lucky to have such informed, open, and dedicated neighbours. Often people, including the media, are critical of neighbourhood associations labelling them as NIMBY, meddling neighbours standing in the way of […]
Tags: Annex · General · Opinion
CHATTER: Kick off Bike Month by riding with Mike (May 2018)
May 9th, 2018 · Comments Off on CHATTER: Kick off Bike Month by riding with Mike (May 2018)
Councillor Mike Layton’s (Ward 19, Trinity-Spadina) eighth annual kick off to Bike Month returns May 27 from 12 to 5 p.m. at Christie Pits Park. Bike with Mike is a free, family-friendly community cycling event open to anyone who wants to participate. It will feature a free barbecue and many children’s events like bike decorating, […]
FORUM: Provincial government is developer-friendly (Spring 2018)
May 1st, 2018 · Comments Off on FORUM: Provincial government is developer-friendly (Spring 2018)
Affordable housing missing from proposed inclusionary zoning By Mike Layton Over the past five years, the City of Toronto could have built nearly 10,000 new affordable housing units, according to the former chief planner. How? By mandating affordable units in new developments. Unfortunately, despite repeated requests, the provincial government has not given the city the […]
NEWS: Dupont decision sets precedent (March 2018)
March 22nd, 2018 · Comments Off on NEWS: Dupont decision sets precedent (March 2018)
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 […]
CHATTER: Christie Pits rink renamed in honour of Sid Smith (March 2018)
March 22nd, 2018 · Comments Off on CHATTER: Christie Pits rink renamed in honour of Sid Smith (March 2018)
An artificial rink in Christie Pits Park has been renamed after Sid Smith, the eighth captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The name change happened after the city received an application for the change last year from a private citizen. The rink was officially renamed in a public skating event on January 14 with Mike […]
NEWS: Cressy to stand for re-election (Jan. 2018)
January 29th, 2018 · Comments Off on NEWS: Cressy to stand for re-election (Jan. 2018)
Ward boundaries redrawn By Geremy Bordonaro Joe Cressy has confirmed that he will be standing for re-election at the next municipal election. He’s just not sure which ward he’ll be running in, now that the Ontario Municipal Board has approved Toronto City Council’s decision to increase the number of wards from 44 to 47. This […]