The proposed development site. Photo by lxdesign, from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.
The Beach is known for its unique small-town vibe, but a possibly precedent-setting new six-story condo planned for the area has residents fiercely divided over the evolution of their neighbourhood.
By one o’clock in the afternoon on May 22, two entirely opposing groups of spectators had formed in the Distillery District awaiting the arrival of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. One of them lined Trinity Street all the way down to Distillery Lane: camera-toting clumps of people checking watches and straining to see back toward the main gate as broadcast crews took position. Elsewhere, another group—much smaller, but no less intent—had already come together at the south end of the area, across the parking lot from where the government reception was about to begin. They too were there to see the royals, but placards with messages like “Sever the Ties,” and the watchful presence of a riot squad, indicated that their reasons weren’t entirely welcoming.
In its small measure, it was a condensed sampling of the reception Charles and Camilla have encountered throughout their 2012 tour of Canada, from New Brunswick to Toronto and on to Saskatchewan. And for Canadians, it was also a taste of our country’s lamentable priorities.
This evening at the Centre for Social Innovation, the first in a two-part discussion series about the current state of women in municipal politics. Tonight’s talk is called “The Comment Section“; panelists will discuss how women’s voices figure into conversations about Toronto politics and municipal affairs.
Path to popular support for a casino looking unclear.
Recently some provincial and municipal politicians said that Toronto should build a casino on the waterfront. Some people are in favour of this idea, and some are against it. What about you? Do you support or oppose Toronto building a waterfront casino, or are you neutral on the subject?
Strongly approve: 19%
Somewhat approve: 13%
Neither approve nor disapprove: 20%
Somewhat disapprove: 12 %
Strongly disapprove: 33%
Don’t know/no answer: 4%
It’s also not clear that there is much room for movement: while 20% of survey respondents described themselves as neutral on the matter, only 4% had no opinion. Any campaign to try to persuade the public to support a casino would face the challenge that there are relatively few of us who have yet to make up our minds.
Complete poll results are available from Stratcom via the Toronto Star [PDF].
Rabble-rousing feminist and anarchist Emma Goldman died in Toronto in 1940.
Mugshot of Emma Goldman, 1911, Library of Congress (LC-B2- 127-11).
Although she only lived in Toronto on three occasions over a 14-year period, and never for more than a year and a half at a time, Emma Goldman had an outsized cultural impact on the city. The well-known anarchist and feminist whom J. Edgar Hoover dubbed “the most dangerous woman in America” filled local lecture halls for talks on topics ranging from birth control and women’s rights to literature, communism, and anarchism. After her death in Toronto in 1940, she become a feature of the Toronto literary landscape, appearing as a character in John Miller’s A Sharp Intake of Breath (2006) and Steven Hayward’s The Secret Mitzah of Lucio Burke (2005). But she spent much her time in Toronto trying to leave it, desperate to return to the United States.
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New poll shows mayor's support weakening in Scarborough and North York.
Rob Ford's casino predicament.
Toronto's former mayor on how world-class cities can save the world.
A glimpse into one possible Queen's Park future.
Campaign to make Toronto a Fair Trade Town launched at city council meeting yesterday.
In which we highlight key items from the month’s city council meeting. You can also watch it live.
In pushing for electric rail in the west end, local activists have the big picture in mind.
