Lantern making workshops today 1 pm

LINK

Today's lantern making was swell, with people making over 20 lanterns today. There will be another lantern making session next Saturday, or you can make your own at home and come for the walk at 7:3pm on the 21st. Plan to come for the walk - imagine a procession of lanterns walking through the streets - waving in the air- the murmurs of joy from the adults and shouts of wonder from the children. All the while enveloped with the glow of the all the tea lights.

City of Toronto proposed section 37 amendment

Picture credit - Uncle Tubby 2008

The City of Toronto wants to use funds gained from developers under section 37 to fund of Heritage Conservation District Studies. Section 37 allows the city through a zoning by-law, approve increases in height and/or density beyond what the zoning by-law would otherwise permit, in return for facilities, services or matters (community benefits) as are set out in the by-law. aTo use the funds in this way the city must amendment Official Plan. In November of last year City Council has approved this amendment in principle. They then were to proceed with mapping of the specific areas, and as they have stated the amendment is not expected to be adopted until May, 2008 at the earliest.

The potential benefits for Including Heritage Conservation District Studies under Section 37 are many for West Toronto. These studies allow City Council to protect and enhance the special character of properties in an area. The character is established by the overall heritage quality of buildings, streets and open spaces as seen together.

Many communities in Toronto are rapidly losing much of their built historical character by the unregulated building changes in terms of heritage and in some cases the simple removal of architectural elements inherent to the community for simple profitable sale by the building owners and individuals who engage in such businesses.

2 km round trip walk - just steps?

This post is nothing about the house for sale on Indian Grove in the Dundas St. and Keele St. area. (there no listing on the MLS listing at the time of this writing) The issue in this post is the practice people are aware of that real estate agents often use freewheeling house descriptions, and in this listing describing as steps to the walk Bloor West Village is just wrong, it's a 2 km round trip walk. Yes on a nice day it's an exercise walk, but not steps to pick up the item you forgot. The mid way point of the Bloor West Village area was picked, which also the center hub (of BWV) to test the agents claim, by walking the distance you can lower the drive of 2.5 km cutting through parks and school yards by 1/2 km.

Thursday Links

Annette St. looking towards Jane St.

The plan to take out a lane of traffic and add dedicated bike lanes pitted cyclists against merchants yesterday, and an attempted compromise meant no one was happy. The original proposal had the bike lane running from Jane St. east to Dupont St. and Lansdowne Ave., but after community complaints, city staff came up with an alternative: Between Jane and Runnymede – the main commercial strip – cyclists would be detoured one block north to St. John's Rd., to avoid interfering with parking. Later the article indicates the city may go back to the original plan.

Annette bike lanes spark bickering (Toronto Star)

Wednesday Links

---- Emergency Task Force went into one residence in the Dundas and Keele area, in the early morning raids involving the Guns and Gangs task force. Police Carry Out Early Morning Raids At Several Locations (City TV)

Police have taken into custody in the Jane and Dundas and Keele and Dundas areas a 20-year-old man and two 16-year-olds who they claim were behind a string of robberies that have been targeting TTC passengers since last year. Police Bust Gang Allegedly Attacking And Robbing TTC Passengers. (Citytv news)

Thanks to the commenter (see comments) who informed me that the two stories above were different.

----- At Oakwood Ave. and Vaughan Rd, the 5-Points Community Action group wants to see responsible bar owners and they want to see the after-hours clubs shut down. In this area like many in WTO attention to community life and enjoyment is often overlooked by the elected persons charged by the position of their office to plan and develop services, bylaws, and foster community involvement - and then have the bylaws and community interests enforced. A common refrain given by many officials and councilors in the WTO is that there are many different opinions in most issues. They also claim lack the resources in time equipment or funding. As long as the members of the community accept these claims nothing will change. The 5-Points Community Action group should commended for its efforts, as well as the 60 people who showed up, those who didn't - shame. West-end residents fight bars, booze-cans (Toronto Star)

---- The median cost of housing in the Toronto region was $13,084 a year – or $1,090 a month – in 2006, with a total of 67.6 per cent of households in the Toronto region being owners of house or condos. Toronto home ownership costs escalating (Toronto Star)

1 condo moves to built stage while opens sales at Lakeshore

Picture credit - David 2008

One condo sales centre is being demolished to make way for the condo tower to be built there on Lakeshore Rd. just west of Park Lawn. And just up the street on Park Lawn opposite Christie's bakery (Kraft) another defunct warehouse building is converted into a sales centre for a condo tower

Ltd condos - new phase at Malibu (better value?)

Malibu Investments who are building the mega Malibu Harbourfront condo project (developers are great at gluing themselves to long and hard built cultural elements in this case adding the name Harbourfront to their development) have started a new phase of the project called LTD. Which looks to be a much better value for buyers than the big Malibu project. The LTD.'s building is right in the shadow the big one with units from 190's to the 400's?. Same neighborhood from the CNE/Fort York to Harbourfront, everything is all around food, Skydome, concert venues, and just about everything else and don't forget the water. All just at a better price. The biggest two bedroom is just 1000 square feet, which can be comparable to some Victorian houses in the west end if this question is part of your condo question (to house or to condo?).

Does this building have the to balance to create some character? Many of the condo projects going up in WTO don't - including the towering Malibu.

LTD "greeny" site

Relaxed Quebec Style Bistro - Old Mimico opening in June

Picture credit - David 2008

New eatery Cafe du Lac Old Mimico opening in June

relaxed Quebec Style Bistro

The renaissance of Lakeshore Rd  In Old Mimico continues with the upcoming opening of this new restaurant. I hope to report favorably on the quality of food preparation but before it even opens we're happy for the addition of almost anything other than donut stands and dollar stores.

cafe du lac

posted by David

774 Annette St "Annette Lanes"

The Annette St. face of Annette Lofts

Replacing the the long neglected Biway Store on this site was a great idea as well as a sound business investment for the developer, he contributed to the community in choosing to do this. Then he plowed his building onto Annette St, creating a very unsettling building frontage. The  development has 8 townhouse condos which are accessed off a lane which begins at Annette St. which are pleasant to look at. His side walkway down the lane is also well though out as he claims with more than enough walking room. The building is not built in the regency style as claimed - here's a regency building image at Wikipedia.

One of the most important aspects of this building is that it's live work, just what WTO and this particular area needs a lot more of. Now if the developer can sit down and fix the Annette St. face of the building.

Has anyone been inside that has an opinion on the interiors?    Annette lofts web site