Born out of what could be called “Expo 67 envy,” Ontario Place was originally designed to be a park where the cultural and economic accomplishments of the province could be celebrated, with a side order of entertaining diversions. While the early exhibits flopped, Ontario Place became a spot where children played, teens saw their favourite [...]

When Casa Mendoza closed its doors on New Year’s Day, a chapter of the city’s waterfront history ended. The last motel/restaurant to operate along the Lake Shore Boulevard strip on Humber Bay, it was demolished last week to make way, like its former neighbours, for condos. With it go memories of a row of businesses [...]

MEETING: Waterfront Toronto, which had a rollercoaster of a summer thanks to Doug Ford’s fantasy Ferris wheel, has launched a series of public meetings to keep Torontonians engaged in the planning process as it continues. There’s a public consultation tonight at the Reference Library for anyone interested in the progress of current projects and the [...]

Remember when Doug Ford championed a scheme to build a Ferris wheel and a mega mall in the Port Lands and was then forced to vote against his own proposal at council after four weeks of unremitting backlash? That was two months ago. Now, as part of the deal that enabled cooler heads on council [...]

One of the great misconceptions about Toronto is that its past is boring. The city has seen its fair share of rebellions, grand celebrations, tragedies, ambitious plans, and unrealized dreams that in various ways intersect with our present. Teaching Toronto’s citizens about how the past and present connect is one of the goals of The [...]

The Toronto Harbour Commission’s Waterfront Plan of 1912 was perhaps the most ambitious redevelopment plan in the city’s history, addressing the whole area from the Humber River to Victoria Park Avenue. The $19-million plan was developed by the Toronto Harbour Commission’s (THC) chief engineer, Edward L. Cousins, and sought to transform Toronto’s waterfront—then a combination [...]

“This is a triumph for the public… This is a Toronto moment, a Jane Jacobs moment.” —Councillor Paula Fletcher (Ward 30, Toronto-Danforth), on the “consensus” that has emerged on city council that Mayor Rob Ford’s proposal to drastically overhaul plans for the Port Lands are wrongheaded, and cannot be approved. TheToronto Star is reporting that [...]

The city is overwhelmed with City Hall talk these days: between budget cuts, revamping plans for the waterfront, and two polls that show a massive drop in support for Rob Ford, all eyes are on local government. Over the next two weeks a series of meetings will dominate headlines and political chatter. Here is a [...]

Every Sunday afternoon from 1–3 p.m., councillor Josh Matlow (Ward 22, St. Paul’s) hosts a radio show about City Hall on Newstalk 1010. Today, apparently after having previously agreed to appear on the show and then cancelling, mayoral brother Doug Ford (Ward 2, Etobicoke North) called in unexpectedly, taking issue with various remarks Matlow made [...]

In a strongly worded open letter to Toronto city councillors, a long list of urban thinkers are condemning Rob Ford’s recent attempt to revamp long-planned development projects for the Port Lands. The letter was written by Eric Miller (director of the Cities Centre at U of T), Paul Bedford (former chief planner for Toronto), Richard [...]

Out of his 26 years, Jameson Skaife only spent the last two living in Toronto. But in that short time, the city and its people left a permanent mark on him, his personality, and his education. And now, his bicep too. A lifetime resident of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Skaife didn’t know too much about the city [...]