The Legacy Art Project will be unveiling a fitting tribute to our national hero, Terry Fox. The innovative design should not be missed.
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The Federal government tabled their new budget this month which among other things, promises tax incentives to first time home buyers in the GTA. While applauded by some, others feel the restrictions are still too stringent, i.e. the cost of buying a new home in the first place and the stipulations attached to the governments proposal. It remains to be seen how many people will be able to realize their dreams of owning their own home with these new government incentives, however it is a step in the right direction. Read Brandon Donnelly’s take on the new measures here
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A new downtown market is being erected at Bathurst and Lakeshore which will be a temporary home for retail stores, restaurants and bars. The space which is currently slated by the city to be turned into a large downtown park and recreational area, has been leased for a 2 year period to Stackd, in the interim. The market will be made up entirely of shipping containers which are easy to install and easy to demobilize once the lease is terminated. We are looking forward to browsing this innovative space to see how it “stackts” up. Find out more here
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This is a great post by Brandon Donnelley regarding Sidewalk Toronto’s experimental workshop at 307 Lakeshore Blvd E. In this blog, Brandon touches on one of the newest products being tested for the proposed “city within a city”, heated pavers. It may sound like environmental lunacy to give consideration to paving a whole public realm with what some say could potentially be harmful to the environment, however the pros are quite favourable to this new concept. There are many glitches that must be addressed to make the idea feasible however, and the team is working diligently to iron the wrinkles out and decide on the avenue to take. Check out the feature here and then check out the workshop on any Sunday, when they are open to the public.
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While some iconic landscapes in Ontario are immediately recognized as needing the designation for heritage protection, Ontario Place is not one of them. However that is exactly what a group of concerned and watchful citizens are lobbying for. Over and above the never-ending tug of war going on with this precious waterfront acreage, petitions are being circulated to have this downtown waterfront space deemed as a heritage location. And why not? It has served generations of Torontonians well over decades of use and unfortunately now, decay.
Most are poo-pooing Ford’s campaign to build a mega mall and/or casino in this beautiful parkland to tell the world that Toronto is “open for business”. (Were we ever closed?) The presentations and consultations and never ending proposals continue as many of the citizens of this city, would like to see more waterfront and less crane towers. Read the article recently published in Blogto here.
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Home sharing is not a new concept. People have been renting rooms to travelers for generations. Never has the need been more acute than in today’s dwindling rental market. Especially hard hit are university students struggling to survive the cost burden of moving away from home and attempting to find living accommodations that meet a limited budget. As more and more empty nesters find themselves with copious space – and loneliness – it only makes sense that the void be filled by equally needy students, away from home for the first time and financially and emotionally drained. The benefits mutually attained by both parties are a much needed respite to the angst caused by the rental crises, as well as to those not welcoming the long, quiet days and nights. This is a win-win solution by all accounts with so very much to gain. To find out more, read here.
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As extensive development continues to be the norm in and around the GTA, it is important that our buildings and lands of heritage are recognized, preserved and integrated into the master plan. To lose these testaments to our past, to our city and its people, would be a great loss for today’s generation and generations to come. The concerns of Toronto’s citizens prompted a 2 year study into the heritage narrative culminating in a recently released State of Heritage report which addresses many of the issues at hand with heritage sites, and how the concern for preservation must envelope the whole of the GTA and not just the downtown core. Read the report here to see what their findings are.
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The legendary Don Jail is set to revamp its tawdry reputation by transforming into a theatre space for a limited engagement of Kiss of the Spider Woman. Currently being used as an administrative wing of the Bridgepoint Hospital, the unique history and rugged bones of this space lends itself well to the arts and entertainment industry. Perhaps “Kiss” will be just the tonic it needs to give new life to an otherwise notorious past. For more information check out the story here.
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A significant boon to the already booming film industry in Toronto, Netflix has announced that some of their operations are moving to Toronto, AKA, Hollywood North. With a projected 1,850 jobs being created Netflix will be a welcoming addition to the city’s economy. Read more here
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There are no shortage of opinions on whether or not a provincial “upload” of Toronto’s transit system will actually benefit the consumer in terms of the transit system being built faster. To help weed through some of the rhetoric, transportation reporter for the Toronto Star, Ben Spurr, breaks down some of the facts and figures here.
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