The Blog

All text http://toronto.citynews.ca/2017/10/17/petition-circulates-save-parkdale-restaurant-eviction/

Recently, a multinational chain restaurant offered a large amount to lease Tibet Kitchen’s current location,” reads the petition, started by James Aufricht, a regular customer of the restaurant. “As a result, the rent for this location more than doubled, forcing the owner of Tibet Kitchen to find another location.”

The restaurant’s owner confirmed to CityNews that his rent had increased back in September, and he was looking for a new spot, but he declined an interview Tuesday.

“It’s a policy issue, certainly,” says Aufricht, who would like to see rent control introduced for commercial properties in order to protect small businesses.

“We want to ensure neighbourhoods we’re in are able to in support local businesses, and right now it doesn’t appear they are.”

“Canadian law doesn’t allow municipalities to get in between one business and what they charge another business,” explains area councillor Gord Perks.

“When your lease is over, they can charge you whatever they want, whatever the traffic will bear,” he says, pointing out that small businesses and large chains are treated the same.

The first public meeting for the High Park North Character Study will take place on:

Wednesday, October 25, 2017
7:00-9:00 PM
Humberside Collegiate Institute Auditorium
280 Quebec Avenue

Please attend this important meeting which kicks off the High Park North Character Study process.

In April 2017, Etobicoke York Community Council considered recommendations from planning staff related to the Minto and GWL development applications. City staff recommended that an area-based character study for our apartment building neighbourhood, located north of Bloor, west of Keele, south of Glenlake and east of Gothic, be undertaken.

This meeting will provide an opportunity for the community to engage in the process. After a presentation from city planner, Philip Carvalino, residents will have an opportunity to ask questions and present their concerns. Also, expression of interest forms will be distributed at the meeting to area residents wishing to participate in a working group to discuss ideas and share observations about the neighbourhood and the development proposals. The role, composition and selection of the working group will be determined by city staff.

As you may be aware, both Minto and GWL have appealed their applications to the Ontario Municipal Board. However, both parties have stated they are willing to work with the City and the community at large to help shape their proposals.This meeting is an important way to become involved, have your voice heard, and share what you want to see in your community.

Join us at this information session to learn more about laneway housing and how it can affect Parkdale! Speakers: Co-founder of Lanescape, Andrew Sorbara and Evergreen group will give a presentation on laneway housing with a Q&A at the end.

The City of Toronto is considering Laneway Suites (housing). A laneway house is a smaller, detached home located where the garage would normally go on a single-family lot.

Vancouver, Ottawa and Halifax already allow this type of housing. There are over 300 KM of laneways in the city. Allowing housing in our laneways would create many more rental housing units.

Sign up HERE.

Date: Tues, October 24th
Time: 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Place: 20 West Lodge Avenue, May Robinson Auditorium

Please read the following links and articles to help you better understand the advantages and disadvantages that laneway housing would have to our Parkdale community:
Lanescape – A laneway housing advocacy group

Home

Toronto Star – Laneway suites could open up new Toronto housing possibilities
https://www.thestar.com/…/laneway-suites-could-open-up-new-…
CBC News – Laneway housing a step closer to reality after community consultations
http://www.cbc.ca/…/metrom…/laneway-housing-report-1.4029590

Q

Alex Bozikovic covers architecture and urbanism for The Globe and Mail. He is also a staff editor at The Globe. He has won a National Magazine Award for his writing about design.Last week, I went to the Ex, and it felt like old times: hawkers, ice cream, skee-ball, and my kids won a Pokemon. Okay, some things have changed, but the experience of the fair was deliciously nostalgic. But the fair felt cramped, and behind the flashing lights Exhibition Place looked sad. The fairground is one of Toronto’s richest historical sites, and its management – run by the city – keeps on tearing down important buildings, and adding new ones that keep getting bigger and getting worse. Towering over the Ex was the newest addition, which is scheduled to open this year, Hotel X. The architecture, by New York firm Stephen B. Jacobs Group with Toronto firm NORR, is a blocky mess: This behemoth of blue glass and precast concrete looks like it was created in Minecraft. How did this failure of design occur? It happened because Exhibition Place is a 192-acre fiefdom that’s separated physically and psychologically from the metropolis around it. And it continues to turn inward – squandering a huge and historic public space in downtown Toronto. Torontonians have a strange relationship with the site. It’s busy for just a few weeks of the year, after which it becomes largely a black hole in the city, closed off unless you’re going clubbing or to Medieval Times. The big draws in the colder months are Toronto FC games and conventions (and the Royal Winter Fair). And Hotel X is part of that agenda, serving big special events and indoor conventions. Two convention centres on-site continue to drum up business; the hotel will serve them with an array of ballrooms and other amenities, including four indoor tennis courts and a golf simulator. From this perspective it doesn’t matter that the hotel (which I admittedly have not been inside) is hulking and unsightly: You’re not supposed to go outside, except to your convention event nearby. That attitude makes no sense in the middle of a city. Exhibition Place is now surrounded by residential and mixed neighbourhoods – not just Parkdale but Liberty Village and the Fort York area, home to a combined tens of thousands. The dominant theme here is renewal of the public realm. The province has committed to revamping Ontario Place, just across the water. The Bentway, the public space under the Gardiner Expressway, opens this winter. Fort York is reaching out to a broader public. On paper, Exhibition Place’s management gets this. Its strategic plan for 2017-2019 talks about “integration within a vibrant, emerging neighbourhood.” There are plans to rebuild the massive parking lot at the centre of the site as “Festival Plaza.” This landscape, designed by PFS Studio, would be a huge improvement. But even if it can pleasantly accommodate thousands of revellers or Indy-goers, is that really the best the city can do? And why should we believe this promise, when it has spent a generation creating parking lots and sealed big boxes? The site is loaded with as much history as anywhere in Toronto. What is now Exhibition Place was home to the French 18th-century Fort Rouillé, and then to New Fort York, later renamed Stanley Barracks – an important site in Canadian military history. That complex was mostly demolished in the 1950s, leaving only one building. An interpretive feature, around that building and the foundations of another, is being constructed next to the behemoth Hotel X. Exhibition Place’s parallel past as a fairground and exhibition site is deep and rich. The Toronto Industrial Exhibition was first held there in 1879, and in the years after 1900 a crop of permanent buildings were added to the site by the architect G.W. Gouinlock. Only five remain, all of them very good, and most of them poorly used. The Toronto Event Centre occupies Gouinlock’s Horticulture Building, and the former Government Building now houses Medieval Times. A 1920s building boom delivered a new crop of fine buildings; what’s left has largely been rebuilt for conventioneering. And then the 1960s brought modernist structures; these haven’t fared well. Architect George Robb’s Shell Oil Tower was wrecked back in 1985. The white-brick Better Living Centre, designed very audaciously by Marani Morris & Allan in 1962, is looking sad; the sculptural tower atop the building looks like it’s about to fall over. (It’d better not.) And more recently the Hockey Hall of Fame was eaten by BMO Field. The entrance of that 1962 building, by Allward & Gouinlock, is tacked onto the side of the soccer stadium. The stadium, like the massive Enercare Centre, reflects a new scale that overpowers the previous generations of exhibition halls. They are inherently unpleasant, massive obstacles to walk around. And now there are plans to expand the seating for BMO Field even further. Good for the city? Maybe. But if you think of the site as nothing but real estate, it invites bad ideas, like the casino proposal of the Ford era. The fact is this: Most of Exhibition Place, which was a rich and layered district 40 years ago, is becoming a miserable place to walk around. The other day I returned in daylight for a look: They were packing up the rides and machinery, and the place was ready to go quiet again. Across King Street, the city was buzzing as always. The fairground could use some of that life.

FUN DAY FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY AT PUMPKINFEST IN THE JUNCTION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2017.

Each year, The Junction BIA holds an exciting event for families to celebrate fall together. The day is filled with family friendly activities, pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, arts and crafts, and much more!

Toronto, ON, October 28, 2017, 2pm-6pm: The Junction invites you and your family to Pumpkinfest in the afternoon of Saturday October 28. Dundas Street West, at Keele, from Quebec to Indian Grove, will be hosting a fun day for the entire family. Beginning at 2pm, children of all ages are welcome to design or carve pumpkins at the Junction Train Platform. Pumpkins have been donated by the Sweet Potato, so they are free to carve, and all tools are provided too.

“Pumpkinfest has always been a family favourite in the Junction. It’s a perfect opportunity to celebrate fall. We are offering a safe and fun opportunity to go trick or treating in the afternoon (on a weekend). Get outside, enjoy games and activities with your family, join a dance party. The best part is that attendees can leave with a carved pumpkin (without the mess of doing it at home) for free. This event really showcases all the great things our neighbourhood has to offer!” said Christine Sweeton, Executive Director of the Junction BIA.

The Junction is full of fall spirit, there will be activities for all ages, and those in costume can go trick-or-treating at local businesses. Visit Haveli Home, Cut the Cheese, Lily Avalon Shoes, Junction Health, Isaan Der, Stadt Cafe, UB Social, Wildhood, When the Pig Came Home, A Perfect Pair, A&W, Pinot’s Palette, ARTiculations, Community Junction, Creative Children’s Dance Centre, Baby on the Hip, Snug as a Bug, Sweet Trolley Bakery, Natureal, Wilder, The Arts of Demolition, and The Sweet Potato. Look for the Pumpkinfest Trick or Treat Location decal on their windows!

Other special events include The Junction City Music Hall’s Monster Mash Costume Dance Party from 2pm-5pm. This is a family event, it is $5 per group, and everyone is welcome. So come on out with your costumes, dance, and play pinball and win some great prizes.

Snug As A Bug will feature a Teal Pumpkin window display this year, creating awareness of food allergies and promoting inclusion of all trick-or-treater throughout the Halloween season. They will also host an afternoon arts and craft activity that includes creating superhero arm bands with stars and ghosts. As a bonus, they will be giving away baggies of secret goodies that promote crafting at home!

Weather permitting, there will be a bouncy castle at Junction Health too!

As a follow up event, on November 1st, from 6pm-9pm, there will be a Pumpkinwalk in the Vine Park (200 Vine Ave), as part of the City of Toronto’s Pumpkin Parade tradition. The Junction Project and Councillor Sarah Doucette will host this year’s event. Show off your pumpkin one last time before its fateful drop to the green bin, and line the park’s paths with all your beautifully-light creations.

Approaches to health for persons with disabilities include the right to health and the right to medical services. The right to health includes the right of persons with disabilities to physical or overall wellbeing, health protection, health security, or a life free of illness or disease

. The right to medical services captures references to the state’s commitment to cure, restore or rehabilitate health; to ensure adequate health facilities for the population; or to provide access to healthcare services, curative services, medical aid, medical assistance or treatment to persons with disabilities.

The term ‘disability’ refers to both general references to disabilities and specific mentions of mental or physical disabilities.

No relevant provision or limited means that the constitution does not explicitly protect the right to health for persons with disabilities. This does not mean that the constitution denies this right, but that it does not explicitly include it for persons with disabilities or all persons.

No disability-specific protections means that the constitution explicitly guarantees the right to health, or free medical services to broadly, but does not specifically guarantee any of these rights to persons with disabilities or broadly protect persons with disabilities from discrimination.

Aspires to health rights means that the constitution protects the right to health or medical services for persons with disabilities but does not use language strong enough to be considered a guarantee. For example, the nation will endeavor to provide the right to health for persons with disabilities or the state intends to provide medical services broadly and persons with disabilities enjoy equal rights.

Prohibits discrimination broadly and guarantees health rights means that the constitution guarantees the right to health, or free medical services broadly and provides general protection against discrimination based on disability, but does not specifically guarantee any approach to health for persons with disabilities.

Guarantees health rights to person with disabilities or free medical services broadly means that the constitution explicitly guarantees health rights to persons with disabilities or guarantees the right to free medical services broadly.

On mouseover on the map, a note may appear for some countries which indicates “potential positive action”. This is a measure or measures that may be taken to promote the right to health for persons with disabilities. Positive action can be framed in guaranteed terms (e.g., “the State shall adopt measures of affirmative action for persons with disabilities”) or in terms that leave open the possibility for positive action (e.g., “Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from taking measures to promote the right to health for persons with disabilities, in order to address past discrimination against them”).

Why consider constitutions?

Among the tools that governments use to regulate human rights are national and sub-national legislation, targeted programs and policies, and national constitutions. Most of the maps in our website are based on national policies and laws such as whether education is free, and whether parents can take leave for children’s health needs. The implications of these policies, if implemented and enforced properly, are clear. Constitutions typically outline a broader set of rights for which implementation mechanisms are less clear. They often need to be translated into laws and policies to have a widespread impact on citizens’ lives, however:

Map reflects constitutions in place as of May 2014

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Constitutions are fundamental building blocks of a nation’s government and laws. As such, they can play an important role in establishing values and rights that may be more equitable and progressive than prevailing social norms.
Constitutions are particularly difficult to repeal or amend. Their commitments remain relatively stable and permanent even as different political parties assume power, which can help guard against attempts by governments to retreat from or weaken national human rights guarantees.

Constitutions are typically the highest laws of a country, which means that they can be used to overturn formal legislation and policies, as well as customary and religious laws, that violate human rights.

Constitutions often contain mechanisms for the legal enforcement of citizens’ rights. In countries around the world, such provisions have been used successfully to combat discrimination and hold governments accountable to their constitutional commitments.
For these reasons, we consider it important to provide information on countries’ constitutional provisions in addition to the commitments outlined in policies and legislation.

informationial text from the WORLD Policy Analysis Center, greater amounts of imformation may be found at the United Nations Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

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Viaduct Embankment Will Commence to Crawl Westward From Logan Ave. in One Month

Modern Mound-Builders Plan a Snake-Mound Three Miles Long – Trestles Begun

Toronto’s waterfront viaduct will commence to take actual form in one month.

Progress to date has been confined to purchasing land, destroying buildings, constructing the Spadlna bridge and a temporary bridge near Bay street, building a few subway walls, filling in water lots and erecting trestle-work. In addition, of course, there is the work now going on back of the new Union Station. But none of these things spells “viaduct” to the public, because the public thinks of a viaduct as an embankment carrying railway tracks—a “mud wall” as W. F. Maclean used to call it in the days of the Toronto World. And as yet no embankment has appeared. But it will begin to show itself in a month.

The New Embankment

It will commence at Logan avenue, north of Queen street, and will crawl slowly southwest and west. It. will be built by dumping sand and grave! from a high wooden trestle. Part of the trestle is already built—from Logan avenue nearly down to Queen st., and again between the Don and Eastern avenue. This trestle will carry tracks, the tracks will carry trains, and the trains will carry the earth of which the viaduct is to be constructed. Subways are to pierce the embankment at many points. Their walls will be built in advance of dumping operations. Such walls have already been erected at the Don and at Eastern avenue. They are in course of erection at Queen street.

One problem of the railways has been to secure “mud” for the mud wall. Where water lots are being filled in, the necessary sand is being pumped across the bay, from near the Island shores. But for the “hump or embankment on which the viaduct tracks are to run, the material must be secured from another source—and. a lot of it. The railway “snake,” which is to have its head at Logan avenue, and the tip of its tall near Bathurst street, will be nearly three miles long, and will have an appetite for “fill” rivalling the best traditions of its species. It will consume millions of cubic yards of sand and gravel.

This material is to come chiefly from Scarboro township. It is known to-day that the land purchases made there by the C.N.R. last spring, and thought at the time to he for a different purpose, were really for a huge “borrow pit”. A borrow pit is really a pit from which material is “ borrowed” but never paid back. It is like a loan from a friend. On the 300 acres which the C.N.R. has secured in Scarboro monster shovels will soon be busy gouging out soil and dumping it on cars for transfer to Toronto’s waterfront to be picked up and carried off and made into an embankment three miles long.

The opposite thing took place when the provincial Hydro built the Chippewa canal. There it was a case of getting rid of earth, instead of needing it , and the Hydro acquired farms, not to dig up , but to cover with rock and soil from the “big ditch”.

The earth from Scarboro will be rust out on the wooden trestles which are to be the “skeleton” of the Toronto embankment, and the trestles—will he embedded in it and remain there. For the most part the material will be allowed to form its natural slope. In a few places a retaining wall will be built. When the modern mound- builders have completed their work it will be given time to settle and permanent tracks -will then be laid on it.

Many Properties Acquired

In preparation for the viaduct many: waterfront properties have already been acquired, and approximately $1,000,000 has been paid for these — in some cases the whole amount; in others a deposit- Between Logan avenue and the Don (C.N.R. territory, as distinct from the Toronto Terminal one hundred and ten properties have been bought, including one hundred and fifty buildings, chiefly homes. Final arrangements have yet to be made with regard to the Toronto Iron Works and the Richardson estate. Between the Don and Cherry street there has been an amicable arrangement with all parties concerned, as this Is mostly railway, crown and city property. One of the matters to be Ironed out is the dedication of crown property for viaduct purposes. but it is not anticipated that there will he any difficulty, as parliament passed Lies viaduct agreement with such an arrangement in view. The old bed of the Don river is one of the properties still vested in the crown.

The checks being paid for the properties acquired are from the Termite Terminals Company so far as the more central portion of the work is concerned, and from the Canadian National Railway in the east end. Then bills are sent to the city for its share of the cost—thirty per cent.

Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) is an annual national public education campaign designed to help open the eyes of Canadians to the reality of mental illness.

The week was established in 1992 by the Canadian Psychiatric Association, and is now coordinated by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health.

One of MIAW’s major initiatives is the Faces of Mental Illness campaign, a national outreach campaign featuring the stories of Canadians living in recovery from mental illness. Thousands of pieces of MIAW materials featuring the Faces are disseminated to hundreds of organizations across Canada in an effort to raise awareness and end the stigma associated with mental illness.

Want to help share Mental Illness Awareness Week with your friends and followers? Below are some messages that you can share on social media.

Remember to use

#MIAW17

Did you know that 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental health problem or illness in a given year?

Want to learn more about Mental Illness Awareness Week? Visit http://www.camimh.ca/mental-illness-awareness-week/about-miaw/ #MIAW17

No one should have to feel alone on the road to recovery with #mentalillness.
Join the conversation today! #MIAW17

#CANADAvsHPV

I1. The universal right to information is essential for societies to function democratically and for the well-being of each individual.

Freedom of information or the right to information is an integral part of the fundamental right to freedom of expression

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It is established as a right in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1966, which stipulates that the fundamental right to freedom of expression encompasses the freedom “to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”.
2. Realizing the importance of the right to information worldwide – based on the declaration of the African Platform on Access to Information of September 2011, which enjoyed the participation of several governmental and parliamentary bodies, regional and international professional organizations and civil society partners – the Africa Group defends the initiative of the establishment, by UNESCO, of 28 September as “International Access to Information Day”.