April 24th 2012
As a general rule, I’d say most of us are not great with change in our neighbourhoods – we can handle the small stuff, say a new store here or there or a neighbour’s updates to their front porch. But introduce larger changes and we all get a little uncomfortable. The proposed new building at 1844 Bloor St. West has brought some controversy along with it. People are uncomfortable with the 14 storeys, worried it will block sunlight from yards and not fit in with our more quaint architecture. Parking is already difficult, homeowners are stressing over more cars fighting…
April 12th 2012
One would certainly expect a foundation called The Honey Family Foundation to be as sweet as its namesake, and for us, they are! In my last post around the closure of our beloved High Park Zoo, I had hoped that we would rally and try and save the zoo and our citizens have indeed done that! The zoo has already raised $40,380 through online donations, community fundraisers and donations from zoo-goers, which will allow it to stay open until June. But in an announcement on Monday evening, The Honey Family Foundation offered to match donations to the zoo fund of up…
April 4th 2012
An underused portion of Howard Park Avenue is about to be transformed by the “Howard Park”. A wonderful example of infill that respects the scale of the existing neighbourhood. The site is located just east or Roncesvalles, on the north side of the street. Admittedly, on a section of the street that was for many decades home to light industry and auto repair shops. The project is one of many completed by Triumph Developments, who also designed the Roncesvalles Lofts that are located merely 200 feet away. The principals at Triumph are Mario and Francisco Ribeiro. Some previous successes included…
March 31st 2012
As I’m sure everyone’s heard, on Saturday March 17th, at about 3 a.m., police and fire were called to the High Park Jamie Bell playground – our local “castle”. Unfortunately, by the time the fire was spotted and crews arrived, the playground was completely engulfed and as a result has been destroyed. Courtesy of CityNews viewer Daniel Marin Largely built of wood, I can only imagine that it went up in flames incredibly quickly. There have been some folks who say it should have been built with different materials – certainly metal or stone would have prevented its demise. But…
February 18th 2012
Everyone is talking about the 2012 Toronto Budget. There’s a lot to talk about. However the budget impacts a significant piece of our High Park history – the High Park Zoo.
When looking at the list of cuts, it struck me as ironic that not only is one of Toronto’s oldest, free attractions being shut down (for a mere $114 000 annual savings) – it’s that most people didn’t even know it was at risk. How could it be? How could it even end up on the list with the history it has? It’s survived two world wars and the Great Depression, but not the 2012 Toronto Budget cuts.
January 24th 2012
The outcome of a public consultation on January 10th regarding the construction of a 14-storey condo across from High Park (1844Bloor St. W.) is unclear. The City says it’s willing hold a second round of consultations to hear the concerns of neighbouring residents who will be affected by the new building. However, the consultation might come too late for residents to alter the plans. The developers of this new West End condo project altered their renderings in response to vocal public dissatisfaction with the largely glass condo which would have seen the 14-story part of the building butting right up…
January 9th 2012
On January 10th the committee of adjustment will hear an application to approve 378 condo units in the site running from Oakmount to Pacific and across Bloor. The site has sat idle for years and been not only an eye sore, but has attracted arson activity and regular vandalism. Residents have been rallying against the development as it exceeds the City of Toronto’s Official Plan’s eight storey limit. The Developer is seeking a total of 14 storeys. The meeting will take place at 399 The West Mall (Etobicoke Civic Centre) inside the Council Chambers at 7pm where a vote will follow. …
