10 h. ago People are trying to stop Toronto from renaming more Ryerson and Dundas assets

As Toronto grapples with the fact that white male historical figures can often be problematic in modern contexts (shocker!) the City and other private entities are continuing on the crusade to wipe the names of certain figures from various assets, with more changes to come this year.First to go was Ryerson University, which chose to adopt the moniker Toronto Metropolitan University in 2022 after people began drawing awareness to namesake Egerton Ryerson's hand in creating not just Canada's public school system, but also its appalling residential school system (knowledge that resulted in protesters tearing down the school's statue of the figure, among other things).Then there was Yonge-Dundas Square, Dundas Street, and numerous other properties bearing the name Dundas, which are in various stages of renaming after Henry Dundas's past came into question, with some believing he delayed the end of slavery, but others ...

Other

48 h. ago Toronto just got a new theatre and performance space in an unexpected location

Toronto has unveiled a new theatre and performance venue designed to provide a supportive home for both emerging and established artists, offering a vital space amid the city's rising living costs and the growing scarcity of creative and rehearsal spaces. The Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre officially opened its doors on Monday and is a joint initiative between Tapestry Opera, Nightwood Theatre, and St. Clare's Housing. The 6,500-square-foot facility is located at 877 Yonge Street, near the intersection of Yonge and Davenport, on the lower level of a St. Clare's Housing building. The partnership between the organizations Nightwood Theatre and Tapestry Opera began in 2022 when both companies moved into the Artscape Distillery District Studios. After 20 years of successful programming, Nightwood Theatre, Tapestry Opera, and over 70 artists and arts organizations were forced to vacate the Distillery space. The closure res...

Culture

4 d. ago Block of Toronto's Yonge Street could be protected from future demolition

Toronto's Yonge and Bloor area has been the site of intense development activity in recent years, but one block in the rapidly changing neighbourhood has managed to evade significant changes through the now-waning development boom.The City is pushing to ensure that this block remains protected for generations to come, and plans to have the group of four properties at 750, 752, and 756-758 Yonge Street designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, a move that would safeguard the buildings from future destruction.A report filed in March by Toronto's senior manager of heritage planning, urban design, and city planning recommends that council state its intention to designate the properties under Part IV, Section 29 of the Act, citing their cultural heritage value as a reason for preservation.Located on the west side of Yonge Street, mid-block between Charles Street West and Bloor Street West, the properties span three contiguous buildings standing three storeys, and were constructed in 189...

Other

4 d. ago Parking lot next to Toronto park to be replaced by new community centre

A recently-closed parking lot facing a Toronto park is the proposed site of a new community centre.The City has announced plans for its Ramsden Park Community Recreation Centre, a new public facility planned to replace a former surface lot at 1020 Yonge St., immediately west of Rosedale Subway Station.The disused Toronto Parking Authority (Green P) surface lot along Yonge Street fronts onto Ramsden Park to the north and a City of Toronto Solid Waste Management Services facility to the west. Known as Car Park 269, it was a popular place for motorists visiting the public space until its permanent closure in mid-June 2023.While still very early on in the planning process, the City states that the new facility to be built on the lot's footprint will offer a six-lane, 25-metre-lane pool, a leisure pool, a gymnasium with a running track, multi-purpose spaces, and even access to Wi-Fi throughout the facility.The City plans to hire a design team for the project this Spring, followed by...

Other

4 d. ago Toronto cyclists lose bid to force Ford government to pause bike lane removals

A group of Toronto cyclists hoping to put a road block in the way of Doug Ford’s bike lane plans have lost their bid to delay them.

Politics

1 week ago Toronto bakery that still gets lineups around the block celebrates 10 years

Since opening its doors in February 2015, Roselle Desserts has become a local fixture in Toronto's Corktown neighbourhood, known for its fluffy pastries, seasonal specialties, and community-focused attitude. Last month, the bakery officially celebrated a major milestone — its 10th anniversary — and reflected on a decade of success that has been shaped by a mix of hard work, passion, and constant adaptation.Chefs Stephanie Duong and Bruce Lee, the duo behind Roselle, had long dreamed of opening their own pastry shop while working in Michelin-starred establishments in France.The couple aspired to create desserts using the pastry skills they learned while working in some of the top kitchens in both Europe and Asia.Originally starting with a menu that offered everything from crepes and sandwiches to soups, Roselle quickly became known for its pastry selection, including classics like eclairs, millefeuille, pavlova, mousse cake, cookies, soft caramels, madeleines, chocol...

Culture

1 week ago A dozen Toronto houses could be torn down for two huge towers

A quiet block of houses on a low-density Toronto street could be in for a major shakeup.Gairloch Developments and Fairway Developments have filed plans with the City of Toronto to redevelop a group of properties spanning 59 – 81 Lawton Boulevard, a block home to a dozen house-form buildings.All homes currently on site would be torn down to make way for the new residential complex.The developers have signed on local firm architects—Alliance, known for its minimalist landmarks like the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences, to design a pair of high-rise residential buildings standing 38 and 43 storeys tall.The towers are slated to rise to approximate heights of 143 and 130 metres, orders of magnitude taller than the surrounding low- and mid-rise urban fabric.Despite a massive disparity between the proposal size and the existing built form on Lawton Boulevard, the proposal site's position a short distance north of St. Clair subway station puts it within a Major Transit Station ...

Other

1 week ago Wisconsin judge refuses to block Slender Man attacker’s release from psychiatric hospital

WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin judge on Thursday refused to block a psychiatric hospital from releasing a woman who stabbed her sixth-grade classmate to please a horror character called Slender Man more than a decade ago after prosecutors alleged she has been quietly reading gory novels and communicating with a man who collects memorabilia […]

Events

1 week ago Toronto apartment block about to be torn down for huge condo tower after 60 years

A 14-storey apartment tower in Toronto's Church and Wellesley neighbourhood is on its final days, and will soon be levelled to make way for an enormous new tower that will stand as one of the tallest in the area.Constructed back in 1965, the apartment building at 88 Isabella Street has stood just east of Church Street for six decades, but the recent filing of a demolition permit signals the impending destruction of this typical mid-century residential block.Plans were first proposed back in April 2022 to tear down the current apartment building and redevelop the site with a 62-storey tower housing condos as well as rentals to replace existing units on-site. Capital Developments' plan would redefine the mid-block site with a Diamond Schmitt Architects-designed building soaring almost 200 metres into the neighbourhood skyline.The building will feature almost 750 residences. Condos will make up the majority of this unit count, though all 82 of the rental units housed in the existi...

Society

1 week ago 20 buildings about to be demolished ahead of new Toronto subway station

A block and a half of businesses in Toronto's Pape Village area will soon meet the proverbial wrecking ball (because we can't have fun demolitions in this town) to make way for a subway station on the upcoming Ontario Line.Metrolinx will soon begin demolition on a group of 20 properties along the west side of Pape Avenue both north and south of Cosburn Avenue, all of which were controversially expropriated as a casualty of the new 15-stop, 15.6-kilometre subway route.Approximately two dozen businesses along this stretch were ordered by the transit agency to close their doors by Sept. 1, 2024, gutting the block of basically all activity for several months now.Affected businesses are located along a 200-metre strip on the west side of Pape Avenue between Gamble and Gowan Avenues, and include George's BBQ Chicken & Ribs, Coin Laundry Cleaners, Phyllo Cafe, C Market European Deli, Subway, Pharmasave Pape Medical and Pape Fruit Market, among others.MetrolinxThe transit agen...

Other

2 w. ago Stunning residential towers and new park to transform quiet Toronto block

A quiet block of residential and commercial properties near Toronto's Victoria Park and Danforth intersection could soon be transformed with a major development.Plans are in the works to redevelop an assembly of properties southeast of Victoria Park Avenue and Danforth Avenue, spanning 507-513 Victoria Park Avenue and 4-14 Thora Avenue.Developer Sigma Group has filed an application with the City of Toronto seeking to bring a pair of towers to the site that would rise to heights of 39 storeys (127.5 metres) and 16 storeys (58 metres).The towers' designs from Gabriel Fain Architects feature offset massings and colourful grid-like exteriors that promise to add some visual pop to the area.Plans call for a mixed-use configuration, with the majority of the floor area — a total of 43,674.9 square metres — dedicated to residential space, including 578 rental residential units.Almost half of these units would be capable of accommodating families, with 46.5 percent in the for...

Other

2 w. ago Judge weighs whether to block Florida’s social media ban for minors

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A federal judge is weighing whether to block a Florida law from going into effect that would ban social media accounts for children under 14 and require parental permission for 14- and 15-year-olds. The measure was one of the most restrictive bans on kids’ social media use in the country when Gov. […]

Other

2 w. ago Opinion: Protecting Calgary's future with a proactive response to the threat of U.S. tariffs

In recent weeks, the looming threat of U.S. tariffs has understandably caused significant concern among Calgarians and our business leaders. As we face these uncertainties, it’s crucial that we approach the situation with a strategic and determined mindset, rather than succumbing to speculative fears that fuel market instability. Here in Calgary, we are not just […]

Economics

4 w. ago Judge to rule swiftly on effort to block DOGE from assessing data and firing federal employees

WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Monday questioned the authority of billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency but was skeptical of a request to block DOGE from accessing sensitive data and firing employees at half a dozen federal agencies. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan held a hearing on a request from 14 […]

Other