TorontoSIU called in to investigate East York collision that sent police officer and woman to hospitalBy Jermaine WilsonOpens in new window and Bryann AguilarOpens in new windowPublished: March 08 The province’s police watchdog has invoked its mandate after a Toronto police cruiser was involved in a collision in East York Saturday morning that left a woman and an officer injured Toronto police said it involved their cruiser and three civilian vehicles two of which were parked at the time of the collision A woman in her 50s and an officer were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries police said the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) had been called in to look into the circumstances of the crash The SIU investigates whenever police are involved in an incident that results in death COLLISION:(UPDATE)Danforth Ave & Oak Park Ave- woman in her 50's transported to hospital with non-life threatening injuries- officer transported to hospital with non-life threatening injuries- consider alternate routes#GO495719^sc Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved COLLISION:(UPDATE)Danforth Ave & Oak Park Ave- woman in her 50's transported to hospital with non-life threatening injuries- officer transported to hospital with non-life threatening injuries- consider alternate routes#GO495719^sc shows off a tattoo of her brothers signature who was homeless and died after addiction struggles stands near a pedestrian tunnel in her neighbourhood Her brother Brad Chapman was homeless and died after addiction struggles stands under a pedestrian tunnel in her neighbourhood the coordinator of SRCHC’s COUNTERfit program holds some of the harm reduction equipment that will be distributed to people who use drugs in The Danforth and East York areas through a new street outreach project which will be distributed to people who use drugs in The Danforth and East York areas through the agency’s new street outreach project A sampling of some of the harm reduction equipment that will be distributed to people who use drugs in The Danforth and East York areas through a new street outreach project by South Riverdale Community Health Centre THE ISSUE: The opioid crisisLOCAL IMPACT: South Riverdale Community Health Centre's outreach project will help drug users in underserved areas and the information within may be out of date the coordinator of SRCHC's COUNTERfit program which will be distributed to people who use drugs in The Danforth and East York areas through the agency's new street outreach project An east Toronto agency is taking its work to reduce harm from substance abuse to the Danforth and East York South Riverdale Community Health Centre (SRCHC) which for 20-plus years has helped people who use drugs access new education and referrals to a wide range of services and resources through its COUNTERfit harm reduction program is launching a new street outreach project The two-year pilot is made possible through a $250,000 grant from the Public Health Agency of Canada’s $30 million Harm Reduction Fund The Leslieville-based organization has also received a one-year $69,000 grant to hire a full-time community health worker and five part-time peer workers as well as host four outreach events in the community The new East Toronto Outreach Project will see a small team of harm reduction workers hit the streets to get to know people who use drugs in the underserved Taylor Massey and Oakridge neighbourhoods as well as along the Danforth from roughly Greenwood Avenue to Main Street Relevant harm reduction programs and services will then be rolled out as relationships with substance users in this part of the community evolve Another goal of the project is to strengthen and develop new partnerships with social service and health-care organizations as far east as Warden Avenue and secure an accessible space on the Danforth “The initial part is about building up that trust and engaging with people then developing evidence to get more funding so this pilot project can be more permanent,” explained Rhiannon Thomas the co-ordinator of South Riverdale’s COUNTERfit program The South Riverdale Community Health Centre which serves those living in an area roughly bounded by Lake Shore Boulevard East to O’Connor Drive and from Coxwell Avenue to the Don Valley Parkway started working to expand its harm reduction services in the spring of 2018 by hosting a community meal and paid focus groups with about 45 people from the East Danforth area who use drugs The goal was to gauge if those surveyed wanted to see these kinds services available on the Danforth and to determine what effective and accessible harm reduction would look like The organization also consulted its staff to get their thoughts on the expansion “Everyone very clearly said they want outreach to protect themselves and others and to prevent overdose,” said Julia Barnett South Riverdale’s manager of urban health and consumption services a Leslieville-based nurse whose brother Brad died of a drug overdose in 2015 said providing people who use drugs with more opportunities to access non-judgmental programs and services will make all the difference “Those connections can absolutely be a life-saving intervention The more people looking out for each other a strong supporter of supervised consumption sites “(This expansion) shows how SRCHC is such a responsive organization They’re really willing to think outside the box and be innovative.” A former volunteer co-ordinator at the unsanctioned Moss Park overdose prevention site she’s seen firsthand the great need throughout Toronto “There’s really nothing east of Carlaw,” Chapman said adding harm reduction is about acknowledging drug use exists and providing people with the necessary supports Barnett said SRCHC has been aware of the need for dedicated harm reduction services on the Danforth and in East York for some time but there just haven’t been resources available for expansion “We know there’s a high incidence of overdose in this area from EMS statistics pointing to August 2019 data prepared by Toronto Public Health that has identified Danforth Avenue as a so-called hot spot for suspected opioid overdoses based on calls received by Toronto Paramedic Services Toronto EMS responded to 4,208 calls for suspected opioid overdoses in Toronto About eight per cent of requests for assistance came from the Danforth East/East York area This figure is based on numbers collected by neighbourhood and intersection SRCHC distributes harm reduction materials and resources to people who use drugs in the east end through a mobile service The agency also has some satellite locations at private homes as well as an evolving partnership with the Comprehensive Treatment Clinic at 1154 Danforth Ave Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: After a two-year absence during the pandemic Locals were happy to see the beloved Danforth East Arts Fair envelop the park over the weekend Showcasing a variety of handmade art pieces and goods and included more than 60 upcoming artists and established independent businesses from Toronto’s East end Many of the fair’s art vendors enthusiastically set out their work for visitors to buy while they strolled through East Lynn Park. “It’s always a great event … It’s very family friendly, with a great atmosphere and great food,” said Henry VanderSpek, a long-time photographer and documentarian. VanderSpek honoured his tenth anniversary working with the Danforth East Arts Fair this past weekend. He has worked on a variety of art shows and has had his worked published in The Globe and Mail, BlogTO, CTV Ottawa and VICE Canada. While juggling his responsibilities as a parent, he takes time out of his day to capture photos and create his unique pieces. “It gave me something to be creative with, along with the craziness of young kids and caring for them,” VanderSpek said. While working for World Vision, VanderSpek rediscovered his love of photography, capturing photos from scenes through his travels in Africa and Tanzania. World Vision is a relief, development and advocacy organization that tackles issues of poverty and injustice around the world. VanderSpek also credits his creative edge to his parents, since he was raised with a photographer father and an artist mother. He has a deep love for Toronto and its unique neighbourhoods, which he explores on his weekly photoshoots around the city. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Henry VanderSpek Photo Art (@culturesnap) “What moves me are scenes where there are symbols messages and human presence interacting in a way that creates something all together,” VanderSpek said VanderSpek displayed prints of his work at the Danforth East Arts Fair, as well as custom pillows too. His work can be viewed on his Instagram account and purchased on his website. Alongside VanderSpek, Catherine Schroh, the artist behind Hooked on a Feline Crochet, was also a vendor at the Danforth East Arts Fair. Schroh sold her crochet creations, which take hours of her time and dedication. Offering everything from sweaters to custom lamp covers, Schroh is very experienced in her knowledge of varying stitches and patterns of crochet. “I really like to make things that are unique,” Schroh said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Catherine Schroh (@hooked_on_a_feline_crochet) Schroh’s handcrafted items differ in colour and style with each of the shows she attends, and she takes input from those who purchase her pieces. “I never take the same things to each show,” Schroh said. This past weekend was Schroh’s first time participating in the Danforth East Arts Fair as a vendor, although she had attended the fair before the pandemic. Being a vendor meant a busy schedule beforehand, but Schroh was excited to display her work and interact with the community. “It is a lot of work on the day of the show,” Schroh said, “but I do love meeting the people and talking about what I’m doing and seeing what they’re interested in.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Catherine Schroh (@hooked_on_a_feline_crochet) After the Danforth East Arts Fair, Schroh plans to sell more of her work in upcoming shows for the winter season, including Christmas-themed items and ornaments. Her work is frequently updated on her Instagram account and is open to making custom pieces through email requests at cschroh@gmail.com. Shawna Cotton, the event’s organizer, was happy to see the show’s success after a long absence in accordance with COVID-19 restrictions. Many artists sold out of their pieces this year. Cotton began working on organizing the Danforth East Arts Fair in 2018, and was a vendor in the fair 14 years ago. She said she’s glad to be supporting other local businesses and collaborating with the artists in the community. “As a local business owner, it was nice to be able to do a community activity,” Cotton said. After her involvement as a featured artist in the Danforth East Arts Fair, Cotton realized that the fair’s committee could use help in setting up the event yearly. “I thought it would be great to help out,” Cotton said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Danforth East Arts Fair (@deca_arts) The Toronto Observer is an award-winning news organization staffed by journalism students at Centennial College in Toronto © The Toronto Observer | Produced by Centennial College journalism students Target store at Victoria Park Avenue and Danforth Avenue Target’s two stores in the East Toronto area will be shut down by the middle of next week as will the Target at Etobiocke’s Cloverdale Mall The closure comes as operations are winding down faster than expected after Target Corp announced in January the shutdown of all 133 Canadian stores All Canadian stores are expected to close by mid-April Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account You will also start receiving the Star's free morning newsletter The latest home prices and home sales data from the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board Compare house and condo sales in The Beaches Here’s how east-end Toronto’s housing market performed by neighbourhood in April 2024 according to the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board: East York and Danforth North home prices averaged $1.35 million up 12.5 per cent from March 2024 and up 6.6 per cent compared to April 2023 Riverdale and Danforth Southwest home prices averaged $1.28 million up 5.2 per cent from March 2024 but down 4.1 per cent compared to April 2023 The Beaches and Danforth Southeast home prices averaged $1.41 million up 7 per cent from March 2024 but down 9.6 per cent compared to April 2023 Those home sale prices compare to an average of $1.15 million for the City of Toronto and $1.16 million for the Greater Toronto Area There were 77 home sales in April 2024 after an average of 11 days on the market and 93 active listings at the end of the month Sales were up 16.7 per cent and active listings were up 17.7 per cent compared to April 2023 Detached houses (↗) averaged $1.51 million up 12 per cent or $161,723 month-over-month and up 9.4 per cent or $129,076 year-over-year There were 48 detached house sales after an average of 11 days on the market and 64 active listings at the end of the month Semi-detached houses (↗) averaged $1.33 million up 1.6 per cent or $21,499 month-over-month and up 3.4 per cent or $43,461 year-over-year There were 17 semi-detached house sales after an average of seven days on the market and 11 active listings at the end of the month Attached houses (↗) averaged $1.31 million up 43.2 per cent or $395,000 month-over-month There was one attached house sale after four days on the market and one active listing at the end of the month Townhouse-style condos (↗) averaged $777,450 There were two townhouse-style condo sales after an average of eight days on the market and one active listing at the end of the month Apartment-style condos (↗) averaged $708,675 up 34.9 per cent or $183,367 month-over-month and up 17.4 per cent or $105,207 year-over-year There were nine apartment-style condo sales after an average of 22 days on the market and 16 active listings at the end of the month the average sale price for all houses and condos in East York and Danforth North has increased 105.3 per cent including a $785,181 gain for detached houses a $167,450 gain for townhouse-style condos and a $462,493 gain for apartment-style condos There were 60 home sales in April 2024 after an average of 12 days on the market and 133 active listings at the end of the month Sales were down 10.4 per cent and active listings were up 111.1 per cent compared to April 2023 Detached houses (↘) averaged $1.67 million down 3.3 per cent or $57,054 month-over-month and down 0.8 per cent or $13,300 year-over-year There were 14 detached house sales after an average of 13 days on the market and 21 active listings at the end of the month Semi-detached houses (↗) averaged $1.41 million up 0.7 per cent or $9,433 month-over-month and up 1.1 per cent or $15,934 year-over-year There were 22 semi-detached house sales after an average of 12 days on the market and 28 active listings at the end of the month Attached houses (↗) averaged $1.36 million up 3.9 per cent or $51,167 month-over-month but down 7.2 per cent or $106,083 year-over-year There were two attached house sales after an average of four days on the market and seven active listings at the end of the month Townhouse-style condos (↘) averaged $943,333 down 18.8 per cent or $219,000 month-over-month but up 3.6 per cent or $32,916 year-over-year There were three townhouse-style condo sales after an average of 12 days on the market and 14 active listings at the end of the month Apartment-style condos (↗) averaged $880,105 up 11.8 per cent or $93,130 month-over-month and up 10.1 per cent or $80,651 year-over-year There were 19 apartment-style condo sales after an average of 13 days on the market and 63 active listings at the end of the month the average sale price for all houses and condos in Riverdale and Danforth Southwest has increased 90.6 per cent including a $949,322 gain for detached houses a $548,313 gain for townhouse-style condos and a $486,011 gain for apartment-style condos There were 61 home sales in April 2024 after an average of 13 days on the market and 87 active listings at the end of the month Sales were up 38.6 per cent and active listings were up 33.8 per cent compared to April 2023 Detached houses (↗) averaged $2.07 million up 2.4 per cent or $49,102 month-over-month and up 4.9 per cent or $96,843 year-over-year There were 17 detached house sales after an average of 20 days on the market and 24 active listings at the end of the month Semi-detached houses (↗) averaged $1.39 million up 0.3 per cent or $4,472 month-over-month but down 5.6 per cent or $82,285 year-over-year There were 22 semi-detached house sales after an average of nine days on the market and 14 active listings at the end of the month Attached houses (↗) averaged $1.19 million up 1.8 per cent or $20,834 month-over-month but down 19.1 per cent or $281,389 year-over-year There were six attached house sales after an average of 14 days on the market and two active listings at the end of the month Townhouse-style condos (↗) averaged $1.29 million up 48.7 per cent or $421,800 month-over-month and up 25.6 per cent or $262,500 year-over-year There were two townhouse-style condo sales after an average of 20 days on the market and three active listings at the end of the month Apartment-style condos (↘) averaged $765,943 down 1.8 per cent or $14,307 month-over-month and down 20.5 per cent or $197,400 year-over-year There were 14 apartment-style condo sales after an average of 10 days on the market and 43 active listings at the end of the month the average sale price for all houses and condos in The Beaches and Danforth Southeast has increased 67.9 per cent including a $940,558 gain for detached houses a $633,900 gain for townhouse-style condos and a $302,193 gain for apartment-style condos Find out how the housing market performed elsewhere in the GTA. This story was automatically generated using data collected and maintained by the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board Account processing issue - the email address may already exist This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page 2012 byelection in Toronto-Danforth: Grant Gordon (Liberal); Adriana Mugnatto-Hamu (Green); Andrew Keyes (Conservative); and Craig Scott (NDP) Former NDP leader Jack Layton represented the riding from 2004 until his death on Aug The riding is bounded by Lake Ontario to the south Taylor Creek and the Don River East Branch to the north Coxwell Avenue/Coxwell Boulevard to the east The federal electoral district encompasses municipal wards 29 and 30 (Toronto-Danforth) and is home to several charming neighbourhoods namely Riverdale Email: info@grantgordon.liberal.ca Website: www.grantgordon.ca What is the federal responsibility on transit The federal responsibility for transit rests with the Department of Transportation though the budget is where funds come from The federal government can budget funds for specific causes or for transfers to local and provincial governments If I am elected to represent the people of Toronto-Danforth I will fight for increased funding for Toronto’s light rail projects Without a reliable public transportation network our economy will suffer We need to build the system the city and its people deserve Tell us about a local issue you plan to champion as MP and how it will affect your local constituents One of the things that pushed me to run in this election was knowing how many kids go to school hungry Every child that goes to school hungry is at a disadvantage It’s harder for them to concentrate and to retain what’s being taught We can’t let this happen to the kids in our riding or anywhere else in Canada we need to make sure kids have everything they need to build their lives and that includes proper nutrition and not going hungry Would you vote against your party if an issue came up that did not align with the feelings of your constituents If the people of our riding speak loudly and clearly against a policy it is my job to give their position in Parliament I don’t believe in ‘my party right or wrong.’ I believe that Members of Parliament are sent to Ottawa to represent the people And if I voted against the people of Toronto-Danforth I’ve got the best wife in the world and three young boys that make me a proud father One of my biggest thrills comes from being a hockey coach I love seeing my boys play and feeling the excitement for the game I’m a business owner and dedicated to sustainability through protecting people That combination of caring for social policy the environment and the economy is what attracted me to the Liberal party Email: adriana@danforthgreens.ca Website: http://danforthgreens.ca We need to shift the focus on public transportation funding from roads to transit This is in order to fulfill Canada’s emissions reductions targets And it will reduce health care costs from smog All public transit funding should be contingent on: 1) substantive community consultation; 2) economical delivery; and 3) reduced energy use and/or reduced emissions The Green Party’s national transportation strategy makes major investments in high-speed rail and the infrastructure for electric cars Our budget doubles federal funding for public transit We’ll redistribute carbon revenues in a way that benefits transit users We’ll provide a tax exemption for employer-funded transit passes and protect local businesses and cultural hubs My vision for Toronto-Danforth includes clean walkable and child-friendly streets with local businesses In Parliament I will work toward the following national goals: a climate change plan that can actually work; guaranteed annual income; revitalize our democracy to make every vote count; national pharmacare; handgun ban traceable weapons; honest food labelling; modernize standards for ethical treatment of animals; and the right to clean air and water All will benefit this community and all are unique to the Green Party If necessary I will face my constituents with an explanation If I believe my constituents’ needs are not best served by party policy Only the Green Party would allow me to do so We allow our MPs the freedom to exercise their consciences I commit to consulting closely with my constituents to ensure I take them fully into account when casting my votes No candidate from another major party can honestly say so I have a close working relationship with the party’s leader I will be encouraged to speak out boldly and clearly I graduated from University of Toronto and spent many years raising five children It’s my protective instinct for children that drove me to become publicly engaged.. even though my natural inclinations tend to be more quiet A hopeful future for children demands a bold shift into new directions so I need to do everything I can to secure that future Email: info@andrewkeyes.ca Website: www.andrewkeyes.ca Federal support of transit in Toronto is vital the Government of Canada has committed more than $1.3 billion to public transit projects in the Greater Toronto Area More than $1 billion was committed to public transit projects in the GTA under the Building Canada Fund - Major Infrastructure Component $263 million was committed to public transit projects in the GTA under the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund municipalities in the GTA have used approximately $497.6 million of their federal Gas Tax Fund allocation toward transit investments - the City of Toronto has chosen to invest 100 per cent of the federal Gas Tax Funding it receives in public transit my absolute number one priority would be to continue to focus on the economy and creating jobs for Canadians and residents of Toronto-Danforth On the local level I would do my very best to take a leadership role with residents and other levels of government on how to best develop the port lands to the maximum benefit of Toronto-Danforth residents The Conservative party believes in restoring democratic accountability to the House of Commons by allowing free votes We are the only party that believes all votes should be free the Conservative party acknowledges the diversity of deeply-held personal convictions among individual party members and the right of Members of Parliament to adopt positions in consultation with their constituents and to vote freely I have deep roots in the Toronto-Danforth area I have served as board member and president of a local ratepayer association served on the Industry Advisory Board of the Liberty Village New Media Centre and sat as a judge for several industry-leading advertising and design competitions I understand the value of family and hard work I graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Arts from Ryerson University in 1984 both attended public school in the Toronto-Danforth riding Email: craigscott@ndp.ca Website: http://craigscott.ndp.ca With across-Canada ridership increasing twice as fast as revenues public transit must be a top priority in the coming budget We see the need here in Toronto everyday - commuters clamouring for a seat or getting bypassed completely by overloaded street and subway cars While the Conservatives have let public transit slip under their watch New Democrats see investing in transit as the way forward for our communities NDP Transportation Critic Olivia Chow has been touring the country promoting the NDP national public transit strategy which includes directing one cent of the existing gas tax to public transit New Democrats know the people in our community want fast we’re pushing this government to act My plans for our local economy dovetail with a lot of local issues I care about Gerrard and other main streets are the lifeblood of this community I want to make sure they have the support they need including targeted tax breaks and tax credits for new hires so that we can create more jobs for people right here in Toronto-Danforth I also see greening our local economy as a way to move forward on climate change while creating jobs I will work in the House of Commons to bring back the ecoENERGY Retrofit program so that families can save money on energy and our local green economy can thrive I see so much creative potential in this community I want to be a strong advocate in Ottawa and in the community in support of our incredible arts and culture industry Anything that enriches our local culture while creating jobs in our community deserves our full support My number one priority is to be a strong voice for this community; and being a strong voice means bringing the concerns of the people in our neighbourhoods to the House of Commons the New Democratic Party has a long history of working together to solve problems as a caucus so I’m confident I’ll be able to stand with the party while also standing by the people in our community I’ve lived in Riverdale for more than 20 years I am often in local parks with my mini-Schnauzer Joey or chatting with former students on the Danforth I’ve worked as a human rights advocate I’ve represented Toronto-Danforth artists worked to promote Toronto’s Aboriginal and minority artists and supported the work of a creative works studio on Gerrard and Logan I’ve also worked to end discrimination in Toronto housing and to make Canadian human rights law more relevant for combating poverty Here’s how east-end Toronto’s housing market performed by neighbourhood in January 2024 East York and Danforth North home prices averaged $1.03 million up 4.3 per cent from December 2023 but down 9.5 per cent compared to January 2023 Riverdale and Danforth Southwest home prices averaged $1.12 million up 6.8 per cent from December 2023 but down 2 per cent compared to January 2023 The Beaches and Danforth Southeast home prices averaged $1.2 million up 4 per cent from December 2023 and up 8.1 per cent compared to January 2023 Those home sale prices compare to an average of $959,915 for the City of Toronto and $1.03 million for the Greater Toronto Area There were 26 home sales in January 2024 after an average of 27 days on the market and 43 active listings at the end of the month Sales were down 7.1 per cent and active listings were down 47.6 per cent compared to January 2023 Detached houses ( ↗) averaged $1.21 million up 15.4 per cent or $160,914 month-over-month and up 0.2 per cent or $2,734 year-over-year There were 15 detached house sales after an average of 27 days on the market and 31 active listings at the end of the month Semi-detached houses ( ↗) averaged $1.21 million up 27.5 per cent or $259,900 month-over-month but down 13.5 per cent or $188,133 year-over-year There were five semi-detached house sales after an average of 33 days on the market and two active listings at the end of the month Apartment-style condos ( ↘) averaged $429,750 down 29.5 per cent or $180,250 month-over-month and down 33 per cent or $211,550 year-over-year There were six apartment-style condo sales after an average of 22 days on the market and seven active listings at the end of the month the average sale price for all houses and condos in East York and Danforth North has increased 72.5 per cent including a $517,619 gain for detached houses a $644,377 gain for semi-detached houses and a $237,950 gain for apartment-style condos There were 28 home sales in January 2024 after an average of 22 days on the market and 73 active listings at the end of the month Sales were up 27.3 per cent and active listings were up 23.7 per cent compared to January 2023 Detached houses ( ↗) averaged $1.51 million up 6.2 per cent or $88,333 month-over-month but down 20.1 per cent or $381,917 year-over-year There were six detached house sales after an average of 31 days on the market and nine active listings at the end of the month Semi-detached houses ( ↗) averaged $1.22 million up 3.2 per cent or $38,111 month-over-month and up 7 per cent or $80,011 year-over-year There were nine semi-detached house sales after an average of eight days on the market and 13 active listings at the end of the month Attached houses ( ↘) averaged $1.04 million down 26.7 per cent or $378,333 month-over-month There were three attached house sales after an average of seven days on the market and four active listings at the end of the month Apartment-style condos ( ↗) averaged $820,940 up 13.9 per cent or $100,025 month-over-month and up 15.3 per cent or $109,226 year-over-year There were 10 apartment-style condo sales after an average of 36 days on the market and 39 active listings at the end of the month the average sale price for all houses and condos in Riverdale and Danforth Southwest has increased 87.1 per cent including a $683,258 gain for detached houses a $533,158 gain for attached houses and a $392,618 gain for apartment-style condos There were 19 home sales in January 2024 after an average of 26 days on the market and 40 active listings at the end of the month Sales were down 24 per cent and active listings were down 11.1 per cent compared to January 2023 Detached houses ( ↘) averaged $1.34 million down 12.1 per cent or $184,750 month-over-month but up 7.1 per cent or $88,717 year-over-year There were four detached house sales after an average of 17 days on the market and 12 active listings at the end of the month Semi-detached houses ( ↗) averaged $1.34 million up 22.1 per cent or $243,586 month-over-month and up 3.8 per cent or $49,041 year-over-year There were six semi-detached house sales after an average of 17 days on the market and seven active listings at the end of the month Attached houses ( ↘) averaged $1.27 million down 2.6 per cent or $34,000 month-over-month There were three attached house sales after an average of 40 days on the market and one active listing at the end of the month Townhouse-style condos ( ↗) averaged $984,333 There were three townhouse-style condo sales after an average of 27 days on the market and one active listing at the end of the month Apartment-style condos ( ↘) averaged $900,000 down 14.1 per cent or $147,667 month-over-month but up 29.7 per cent or $206,000 year-over-year There were three apartment-style condo sales after an average of 41 days on the market and 18 active listings at the end of the month the average sale price for all houses and condos in The Beaches and Danforth Southeast has increased 79.3 per cent including a $569,562 gain for detached houses a $603,429 gain for attached houses and a $303,333 gain for apartment-style condos Kids and adults borrow books from the Little Library initiative in East York Nestled along the Playter Estates – Danforth East York neighbourhood a mini version of a painted house sits on a post where residents and passersby stop to take a look at the free books inside uses the Little Free Library and was aware of it since 2018 before the COVID -19 pandemic and lockdown According to their website, Little Free Library (LFL) is a non-profit organization and free community initiative based in St This initiative aims to strengthen neighbourhoods across Toronto to expand access to a wide array of free books for everyone having this initiative as a staple is a wonderful asset to have in the community where neighbours can connect with readers which hopefully the books they put in mean something to the reader and to be able to pass it on to somebody else Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald is one of her favourite books to take out from the Free Little Library collection a neighbour who lives in front of the Centennial College Story Arts campus in the East York neighbourhood has a son who borrows books on a regular basis “It is the kids books and stories that he borrows She heard of this neighbourhood initiative for about 15 years and see a book to bring to your child to make them happy at home We are happy to have it.” Diana says “He always stops and looks at what is there but also the children and it grows as your family and child grows,” she adds Jordan Hale used to specialize in map and data library systems at the University of Toronto (U of T) as an original cataloguer and reference specialist She started to pay attention to the Little Free Library initiative after seeing her friend Jane Schmidt’s social media tweets Hale was eventually called on by Schmidt to participate in the early stages of this U of T and the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) research lead by her friend Jane Schmidt Hale was later invited to contribute as co-author Hale noticed many of these Free Little Libraries on her commute to work According to a 2016 University of Toronto study, most of these Little Free Libraries are situated in well-educated and wealthy white neighbourhoods Hale considers this a phenomenon and wonders who this initiative is really intended for “The year after the article was published I started to notice the spatial dynamics of the Little Free Libraries appearing in neighbourhoods with the better access to the public library system,”says the now City of Toronto senior taxonomy and metadata specialist The Little Free Library initiative website strives to provide twenty–four seven access to books as well as to foster the sharing of diverse voices in books and representation of Black Most people agree it’s a loaded word Depending on where you sit on the property ladder it could mean enjoying the boon of higher property values The east end of Toronto is no stranger to gentrification Queen Street East in Leslieville was once littered with syringes the universal symbol for a rough neighbourhood It’s already been 10 years since the New York Times christened it as the new Queen Street West The latest neighbourhood in the east end to see this kind of change is the strip of the Danforth from Greenwood Avenue to Main Street which for this article we’ll call Danforth East In the midst of its decline it was sometimes called the other Danforth But it’s recently been rebranded The Danny by the local Danforth Mosaic BIA “A big part of the rebranding process involved understanding the appeal of the neighbourhood,” Deritilis said puts emphases on the neighbourhood’s “mom-and-pop shop owners,” businesses that are often run by one’s own neighbours and therefore by people who have the area’s best interest in mind we have something to offer that other businesses areas in the city don’t,” he said “That rebranding is a more recent initiative to revitalize what was once a desolate streetscape filled with empty or run down storefronts.” The Danforth East Community Association (DECA) is the local residents’ association which initiated a highly successful pop-up shop program to help rent empty storefronts Their weekly newsletter has 1,119 subscribers as of Nov 20 and notifies the community whenever a new business opens But the signs of exclusivity have also appeared Torn down houses are being replaced with new builds and frequently break the million-dollar barrier is making an appearance at Monarch Park and Danforth Avenue Many involved in revitalizing this part of the city consider gentrification to be inevitable but they’re doing what they can to make the community more livable and inclusive Danforth East has seen its fair share of ups and downs “I’ve seen this area right here as the dark age and then again back to being dark age,” said Sebastiano Dinatale His business has been serving up some of the best coffee in the city since 1991 (four years earlier than the first Starbucks arrived in Toronto) and is one of the oldest establishments on this part of the Danforth With his shop located right across the street from East Lynn Park on Danforth Avenue Dinatale is happy to see the space being used by families again “The only sad part about this whole area right here is the fact that the originals that were here all moved out,” Dinatale said they all moved out because a lot of the people who had business(es) lived in the area Steve Wickens is another local community activist and amateur historian who has seen all the changes this part of the city has gone through. He leads an annual Jane’s Walk along Danforth East heading west from an old watering hole with a rough history to the recently revitalized Linsmore Tavern “I’ve lived in the east end my whole life,” Wickens said “I would say if it bottomed out at any time on the east Danforth it was the early 1990s when there was a deep recession Lots of stores were closing and places like East Lynn Park which is now quite a lively place with a Farmer’s Market Wickens reminisced about the neighbourhood in the early 90s “I remember hearing tales about parents going out and picking up needles in the morning,” he said “We don’t have those concerns anymore and I think overall we’re getting more life on the street on the Danforth.” director of research and public policy at WoodGreen Community Services WoodGreen Community Services has partnered with DECA to administer their successful Pop-up Shop Project Dyson says they keep their eye on the importance of inclusivity “Part of the tension in our work is making sure that it doesn’t tip over into gentrification so that poor people are pushed out,” Dyson said According to Pop-up Shop Project co-coordinator Gay Stephenson and six landlords outside the program have received help securing tenants Popular gastropubs are now lining the street and successful shops from other parts of the city such as the Toronto Tool Library and Kops Records Local businesses are routinely named to NOW Magazine’s Best of Toronto list LEN: Democratic Purveyors of Find Art and Beautiful Things for best design store Leslieville showed how a community can come together when a development threatened a key community resource Paula Fletcher and the community rallied to save it “We were able to all work together with the developer and they were able to keep the Red Door Shelter exactly where it’s been for many many years while at the same time offering new locations for people who want to move into the neighbourhood,” said Andrew Sherbin But not everyone has survived the increases in property values and rents on the Queen Street East stretch of Leslieville Dertilis was prompted to move Red Rocket Coffee to its new location by an increase in rents How can a neighbourhood know for sure that its efforts are inclusive Recent research and the experiences of another gentrified community in Toronto suggest that creating a livable community isn’t as simple as attracting families with more disposable income and creating more places for people to shop It takes strategic public investments in infrastructure like transit It takes a concerted effort from the federal government to address issues such as income inequality and precarious employment Maureen Fair is executive director of West Neighbourhood House (formerly St Her organization was the initial community partner for the Neighbourhood Change project led by University of Toronto urban and social planning expert Hulchanski is also author of the well-known three cities report that put the stark reality of income inequality onto a map that’s been pretty hard to ignore While Fair acknowledged the benefits of mixed-income neighbourhoods she also says that avoiding the negative effects of gentrification takes more than what local organizations can do a senior research associate with the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and Cities Centre at the U of T is project manager for the research project now called The Neighbourhood Change Research Partnership which focuses on income inequality and socio-spatial polarization trends in major metropolitan areas across Canada “A big part of what drives that of course is housing and housing costs,” Paradis said “A key concern is displacement of lower income groups who have long made their homes have built networks of social support in these neighbourhoods who become dispersed as housing costs increase and also as the costs of services and amenities increase as well.” Paradis believes that local grassroots initiatives and networks are important to keeping neighbourhoods inclusive but she agrees with Fair that the real changes need to happen at a policy level “We need housing policy that can help address the needs for housing that’s affordable to lower income groups,” she said “We hear quite a bit about affordable housing from the new elected government because certainly we haven’t heard much in that regard in the last 10 years.” Paradis added that affordable housing can mean many things at least in the case of low and moderate income household affordability as rent that is no more than 30 per cent of household income,” she said This can be accomplished in a number of ways Inclusive zoning that mandates developers provide units at 80 per cent of market is one option But the City of Toronto needs the province to give the city power to enact that policy Paradis said it also means an increase in social housing stock “We also need a big expansion of rent subsidy programs to lower income households and makes up the difference between people’s incomes and the rent they’re paying.” Both Paradis and Fair lamented the missed opportunity to create affordable housing in the downtown core during the condo boom “It breaks my heart every time I’m standing at the corner of Queen and Dufferin and looking at the new towers that have developed in Liberty Village thinking about all of the affordable units that could have been created there and were not,” Paradis said Dyson said that WoodGreen is consulting with community organizers in Parkdale to learn from their experience with gentrification One idea being explored is the idea of land trusts “Community land trusts essentially buy buildings and land for community and then preserve it so that it can be used by all as opposed to used by those who happen to have the most money,” Dyson said This model is already commonly used in U.S “You set up almost like a non-profit corporation and they become the owner for these new commercial spaces,” Dyson said While changes at the policy level sound daunting Fair doesn’t want people to discount their power in influencing public policy “It shouldn’t feel so far away just because it’s located in Queen’s Park or Ottawa,” Fair said “I do encourage people to think about getting involved in provincial and federal public policy.” but to do something,” said DECA chair Sheri Hebdon “It was just a group of neighbours that came together in someone’s dining room was one of the first community members to take steps to improve Danforth East “The Globe and Mail called the areas a ‘no man’s land’,” McMahon said “Them’s fighting words.” While one of the group’s first projects with local businesses was helping with rebranding eventually the issue of empty storefronts was put on the table The group wanted to approach local landlords about beautifying their spaces to help get them rented “What they learned was that a lot of the landlords had no interest in doing any kind of streetscaping,” said Hebdon “They had a vested interest in keeping it vacant for the tax credit.” former board member and Toronto Star reporter Catherine Porter including all four city councillors within DECA’s boundaries and local MPP at that time “Within a couple of months we had our first pop-up shop,” Hebdon said The current coordinator Gay Stephenson was the first landlord they approached DECA and WoodGreen received a grant to hire a full-time staffer to administer the program Stephenson shares that position with Tina Scherz But Paradis cautioned that efforts like this need to be wary of excluding the earlier residents of a community is something that could go in two directions,” she said “It could either contribute to the ‘hippification’ of a commercial strip and contribute to an overall rebranding of the neighbourhood as a place for a certain type of white middle class consumption an initiative like that could be incredibly important in sustaining commercial viability for the many different groups who live in the neighbourhood highlighting the cultural diversity of the neighbourhood and the diversity of not just consumer preferences She referenced anti-gentrification protests at a London-based shop called Cereal Killer to illustrate the complexity of the issue The shop was selling bowls of cereal at up to $6 a pop it’s totally understandable that something like that would be the target of people’s anger,” Paradis said these two probably pretty precariously-economic-group-positioned young people are just playing a role in a much “The bearded lumberjack guys who run that shop they’re just trying to start a small business,” she added “And they probably don’t represent the financial elite who are really benefiting from gentrification.” A recent DECA initiative in the spring of 2015 shows that this neighbourhood is eager to celebrate everyone in it DECA asked their newsletter subscribers to tell them about their favourite gem in the neighbourhood The field was then narrowed down to three and the community voted for their favourite “It was just overwhelming how many people were engaged,” Hebdon said “It was like a love-in for the neighbourhood.” Paradis said that this is exactly the kind of initiative that fosters inclusion “That stands in stark contrast to other kinds of initiatives by resident associations that might have a less critical outlook where they unwittingly contribute to the marginalization of those exact same businesses,” Paradis said but just because they’re not thinking about paying attention to that stuff.” Dyson said she believes there’s a Toronto solution The DECA and WoodGreen Pop-up Shop Program has sparked what could become a movement Together they hosted Building Vibrant Main Streets and the Power of Local an event designed to share the knowledge gained with the community of business owners residents and experts in attendance and analyze the policy changes needed to ensure good progress chief planner for the City of Toronto was the keynote speaker She highlighted the city’s plan for complete streets a vision for moving people around the city and making streets more walkable Keesmaat shared her concern that her regulatory powers as chief planner don’t include making inclusivity a priority was realistic about the effect of the event it’s really a matter of being honest,” said Morgan “There are some honest and fairly hard conversations that need to happen.” race and culture are important factors to keep in mind “There may be a community that wants to name something from back home That makes perfect sense to them but doesn’t necessarily resonate with the broader Torontonian sense Invariably you have to have conversations about power – who has the right to name something and who doesn’t And then how do people live with those decisions.” “I think in the long run an event like this can really start the conversation put the questions out there and see people take it up and take it back to their own organizations and spaces where they’re doing work If enough of us have these conversations in different spaces Stay tuned for upcoming instalments in this series We’ll be delving into property values crime and speaking to more local residents Toronto City Council has okayed study of a new cultural district Banglatown on Danforth Avenue between Main Street and Pharmacy Avenue Beaches-East York Councillor Brad Bradford says the district will recognize contributions of Bangladeshi-Canadians to the area the stretch of Danforth Avenue between Main Street and Pharmacy Avenue has been a magnet for Bengali-speaking people and Bangladeshi-Canadian businesses A motion at Toronto City Council’s July 19 meeting sought to make that official: the city will explore creating a cultural district “It’s a recognition,” Beaches-East York Councillor Brad Bradford said later “I want to make sure everybody in Toronto knows the story of Banglatown.” the city installed the International Mother Language Monument in Dentonia Park a goal many neighbourhood residents had pursued for years Designating a cultural district is the next step in recognition of the area’s Bangladeshi-Canadian culture and achievements City staff will report on the process of creating the district by year’s end and Bradford said he meanwhile will talk to community leaders and local business improvement areas about the project councillor for the Scarborough side of the proposed district He has since announced his resignation to take effect July 27 is a reporter with toronto.com and Metroland Media Toronto who covers Scarborough and other overlooked parts of Toronto He worked previously for Metroland in York Region Sometimes all you need is a little support to kick start your goals The East York Runners is a fun and social community of runners who enjoy gathering together to share something in common They are aiming to bring in new members and to continue to expand the word throughout East York The startup was initially established in 2009 but was taken over by one of the club’s current organizers Clayton began his running career in 1998 and was looking for a club to be a part of in the East York area.  “I started looking up places and I saw this East York Runners group After the second time there was [only] one person,” he said in a phone interview with The Toronto Observer felt that the East York Runners needed some sort of routine to get into the habit of running he configured the running times to reoccur saturday mornings at 8 a.m Clayton noticed a lot of mothers liked it because they could get their runs in before their kids wake up “People just started coming like crazy because I made it at the same time We’d run for an hour and then have coffee and it just grew.” Clayton provides the routes and noticed that “Saturday morning would generate the biggest group” of 20 plus runners and they were people of all types You can be a beginner and the members would help you find your way “A lot of them come out and they want to be a better runner or they want to improve their health And then once they realize how friendly and nice the group is has been a member of the East York Runners for just over three years and he happens to also be a part of the organizers crew McBride was looking to find a group that shares the same love of running “I was new to East York looking for some new people to run with and came across this group on Meetup and they were very warm and welcoming About a year ago I stepped up in the group to help out James organizing runs within the group,” he said The community behind the runners club is what kept McBride committed to his health and running goals considering that can sometimes be a difficult thing to stick with “This group has 100 per cent helped me get into my best running shape to go for a run when the weather is anything but co-operative is so much easier with a supportive community,” he said Clayton and McBride both shared that this runners club is such a positive and friendly experience that any goal you want to accomplish can be done because you have a great support system “It may start off as a health thing or running thing but then you realize there’s more to it than meets the eye,” Clayton said The community behind this club has been recognized for pushing people to great heights that they may have not even considered to be attainable themselves and Daniel Ptak have qualified to run in the Boston Marathon on April 17.  “You have to run a marathon in a specific time for your age group which is rather difficult now because everybody wants to do the Boston Marathon and these guys did it in smashing times,” Clayton said.  “Not too many [running] groups have this many guys going to Boston.” Clayton shared that this opportunity is a big deal and knows how hard this group has worked and trained to get to where they are now “East York runners is like a family and I love them like a family I am very thankful to be a part of such an amazing running community,” McBride said Residents have been fearing for their safety due to rising crime rates Crime in the Danforth Avenue has been rising for the past few years and is higher now than ever Different categories of crimes have gone up these past few months according to the major crime indicator statistics from Toronto Police auto theft and robbery during January and February have risen from 111 last year to 147 year Some local residents have noticed this trend also I’ve felt a change in the neighbourhood,” Maria Persaud says “The neighbourhood used to be so safe when I grew up here as a kid but in these recent years and as I’ve grown older I’ve noticed that it’s had a change in the atmosphere,” Persaud says With assault jumping from 44 instances last year to 64 this year it’s hard for residents to look forward to any positive change in the future “A lot of bad things are happening to good people here and it’s really a shame to see,” Persaud says “A friend of mine was recently assaulted in the neighbourhood and it’s a scary thing to hear and even scarier to be involved in The police have had a lot of issues to deal with as the year progress but they urge everyone to do their part in keeping others safe and to call them when they see something, or someone else’s life is in immediate danger get to a place of safety as soon as you can and call 911,” Const The Danforth has been a local attraction in East York for years now With the sudden rise of major crimes in the recent years locals are thinking of ways to lighten up the neighbourhood for the visitors and future residents “It’s been on my mind for the past few weeks now I was thinking maybe starting a block watch or something “I was recently watching a show where they had to bring in a neighbourhood block watch and I was wondering if the same could be done here on the Danforth,” she says “It would definitely help bring the people here together.” An Instagram post by the owner of a Danforth East vintage shop caused swift and strong reaction earlier today when some felt the sports memorabilia being sold was racist The owner of a Danforth East vintage shop received public objection today for selling a vintage sports item some people feel is racist Maggie Krawczyk of The Handwork Department at 1898 Danforth Ave. posted a photo on Instagram of a Kansas City Chief mirror circa 1968 she hoped to sell for $50 The Canadian-made piece depicts an image of player E.J Holub and the team’s former logo of an Aboriginal chief Some even said they’d boycott the shop if Krawczyk didn’t apologize for her defensive reactions to the feedback who lives just minutes away from the shop and has shopped there saw Krawczyk’s post and immediately let her know they find the piece being sold is “offensive.” I think it’s my responsibility to speak out when I see racist imagery and cultural exploitation of Indigenous peoples I was also hoping they would take the product and image down,” Pragg shared during a Facebook interview with Metroland Media Toronto “There’s a lot happening around protest and sports right now and no one should be able use the excuse of difference of opinion or willful ignorance to continue racist commercial practices it’s about investing in the histories of violence and the current circumstances of denying Indigenous peoples their own self determination.” Krawczyk said she’s taken aback by the backlash which she said she’s never before received for a piece she posted on social media also said it was not her intention to offend anyone when she chose to post this particular item for sale on Instagram I realize that sort of imagery is not politically correct nowadays I get it but (that mirror) is just a thing,” said Krawczyk who initially took the view that the relics she acquires and sells are just objects even if some may be viewed as a “symbol of oppression.” “People need to understand I’m just trying to fill the store with neat things I really don’t care about a stupid football mirror.” felt otherwise and were disappointed with Krawczyk’s response who lives near Danforth Avenue and Main Street and has shopped at The Handwork Department said as a shop owner Krawczyk has a “huge responsibility to (her) customers and (her) community to leave those racist objects in the past where they belong.” She also said she realizes Krawczyk may feel uncomfortable to be challenged for her decisions but in the end the community benefit is far greater than one’s personal feelings “I know how difficult it is to be called out but please try to just take it for what it is - an attempt to prevent our neighbors from being harmed further – and build more awareness into your business practices to prevent this from happening again,” Leis wrote on Instagram “I just think that vintage stores rely heavily on nostalgia and that feeling is very different for racialized people as well as others who experience oppression.” Krawczyk posted a follow-up video on Instagram where she apologized for her initial response to the backlash she received about the questionable piece She also asked the community for feedback about what she should do with it “I was not thinking at the time about the racist implications of the imagery associated with this football team I saw it as a piece of sports history that some person out there may like to have admitting when she was called out she “took a position of defence.” “I now realize that my attitude toward this was offensive to those who simply wanted the item removed I have done so with this item and since I cannot sell it I invite the community to tell me what we can do with this specific item Donate it to a museum as an example of a racist item Metroland Media Toronto also reached out to three posters on Instagram who said they like the piece and don’t necessarily feel offended by it One person said in a post that it’s a “wonderful old piece of sports memorabilia” and they’re glad to see “history preserved.” in other places around the world “history” They said in North America “everyone just wants to burn everything and forget anything ever happened.” A third commented that they love the piece and encouraged Krawczyk to keep up her “good work at finding great thing (sic) from our past A post shared by The Handwork Department (@the.handwork.dept) on Oct 25 Power has been restored to several homes and businesses in a section of East York following an outage on Tuesday morning bounded by O’Connor Drive to Danforth Avenue and the Don Valley Parkway to Woodbine Avenue A spokesperson for the power utility said the power failure was due to damaged overhead equipment “We were able to restore power to the majority of impacted customers in the area through switching,” a spokesperson told 680 NewsRadio Toronto Hydro crews have since restored power to remaining customers A Canadian man arrested on vacation has been proven innocent Melissa Nakhavoly with why he is still being held in the Dominican Republic Warmer temperatures but showers are expected on-and-off for the next few days Meteorologist Natasha Ramsahai has your seven-day forecast Ontario Premier Doug Ford calls on Prime Minister Mark Carney to prioritize a list of projects including the proposed Highway 401 tunnel a mentally ill man who was killed in an Ontario prison is calling out the provincial government over the lack of correctional reform listen to NewsRadio Toronto live anytime and get up-to-the-minute breaking-news alerts weather and video from CityNews Toronto anywhere you are – across all Android and iOS devices Beaches-East York MP and Canada’s housing minister is supporting Mark Carney as the next Liberal leader and prime minister whatever happens,” Carney told a packed Beaches Brewpub near Woodbine Avenue and Queen Street East on Jan The two politicians walked into the bar to the tune of Eye of the Tiger greeted by eager and antsy Liberal supporters who clapped as they entered “I think with the current issues we’re facing my biggest issues are the environment and the economy,” said Alex MacDonald “I can’t see anyone better qualified than he is to face those two things right now.” Carney highlighted Canadians’ concerns about the housing crisis and cost of living Carney previously served as governor of the Bank of England and financial advisor to the British prime minister, and helped the United Kingdom navigate Brexit He was also governor of the Bank of Canada from 2008 to 2013 “I’ve spent my life managing crises,” he said “We can’t be strong abroad if we’re weak at home.” Carney said he wants to build on Canada’s progress to resolve economic and environmental concerns Erskine-Smith lists Carney’s approach to politics commitment to sustainability and experience as his reasons for supporting Carney The Beaches-East York MP spoke about the riding’s concerns with affordability as these are constituents’ and citizens’ main concerns In an opinion piece for Beach Metro Community News Liberal MPP Mary-Margaret McMahon addressed necessary renovations for Beaches-East York public schools and lack of expansion for upcoming residential projects Erskine-Smith is also worried about inflation rates not meeting inflated funding toward health care He believes Carney’s campaign will effectively address the housing issue it’s a challenge across the country,” he said But not all local MPs are supporting Carney to become Liberal leader In the neighbouring riding of Toronto-Danforth Liberal MP Julie Dabrusin announced her support for former finance minister and deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland Residents who attended Carney’s event throwing everyone under the bus,” said Beaches resident Patricia Wilmot referring to Freeland’s spontaneous resignation from Trudeau’s cabinet in mid-December Erskine-Smith said Freeland is an excellent candidate But he believes people both in and out of the Liberal party are looking for change so perhaps Carney’s lack of political background is best to bring it “There are people who are joining our party for the first time because they see in Mark an opportunity for renewal they see in Mark an opportunity for more serious politics,” he said it’s an optimistic message to say it’s time to build and it’s time to build a stronger economy I think a lot of Canadians are going to gravitate towards an optimistic “It’s hard to knowingly run into cat-people on the street and go I do cats!’ but dogs are always part of the conversation,” says Glick who specializes in paintings of pets and was one of over 60 local artists at last weekend’s annual Danforth East Arts Fair in East Lynn Park I adopted my dog and there was a little neighbourhood gallery just up here on Danforth and I went in one day and said It will be a great community effort and a great way to bring people from the neighbourhood to your gallery!’ and he said OK and ever since then I’ve been doing pet paintings.” It’s hosted by the Danforth East Community Association (DECA) a volunteer-run residents association dedicated to making positive changes to the East York community journalist and community-activities coordinator Mary Cowan founded the fair which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year “There was a need for events in the community to support local artists and that’s what we’re doing with this fair,” says Amanda Olson “Everything is a hundred per cent hand-crafted and it ranges from photography to T-shirts to ceramic bowls and oil paintings.” Another artisan at this year’s fair, Henry VanderSpek, is a photojournalist from Culture Snap Photography take detailed shots of their work,” says VanderSpek Those two areas are both my loves — people and their stories and then the street scenes that I capture.” This year’s event was bigger than ever before thanks to all the hardworking volunteers and sponsors who dedicate their time to supporting the East York art community co-owner Ashvin Gehani is disappointed that his business has been excluded from vending at this year’s East Lynn Farmers’ Market The Danforth Avenue establishment took part in last season’s market The East Lynn Farmers’ Market returns to to the Woodbine and Danforth community on June 1 co-owner Ashvin Gehani is disappointed that his business has been excluded from vending at this year's East Lynn Farmers' Market The Danforth Avenue establishment took part in last season's market The East Lynn Farmers' Market returns to to the Woodbine and Danforth community on June 1 A Danforth East eatery’s co-owner is disappointed his establishment won’t be serving up fresh prepared food this season at the popular East Lynn Park Farmers’ Market was barred from submitting an application to vend at the Thursday evening market “We approached Farmers’ Markets Ontario and asked to apply and were told we’re not welcome,” Ashvin Gehani told Metroland Media Toronto during a recent interview broke the news to its customers in early April on its Facebook page that it wouldn’t be returning to the market for a second year “This was not our decision,” the post read “We loved having the longest lineups and weekly sellouts We also relished being the only business owned and operated by people of colour.” many of whom said they’d continue to support the eatery regardless of their participation in the market Farmers’ Markets Ontario said the East Lynn Park Market is one of only three branded MyMarket in Ontario and has the mission of being a “bone-fide producer based entity which will champion the cause of real farmers and producers across the province.” vendors must be verified under the MyPick Verification Program which means they produce all that they sell on their farms “The MyMarket brand exists to showcase local farmers and their products As with most customer-focused farmers markets our goal is to create a welcoming environment that celebrates local food while offering visitors the opportunity to not only purchase fresh local food but have the option of enjoying some ready-to-eat food while at the market,” FMO said “We therefore encourage participation of local restaurants and prepared food vendors at the Market providing they have complied with the MyMarket Prepared Food Vendor regulations and agreement.” market vendors are required to purchase some local product from specific ‘MyPick’ vendors we once again encourage a small number of restaurants and/or other prepared food vendors to participate in the MyMarkets,” the statement read “Given that there are typically numerous applications for these limited spots in the market preference is given to those vendors who have demonstrated a consistent commitment to their role as a MyMarket vendor in the past and also meet all the conditions as noted in the Prepared Food vendor agreement.” They’re not meeting the (community’s) needs with the vendors,” he told Metroland Media Toronto “They have the right to include or exclude who they want but as a vendor of prepared food we always had a long line up We were easily one of the most popular vendors at the market Gahani – who grew up in the community and still lives in the area – said they’re taking the high road and would be seeking out other options Out of necessity breeds opportunity,” he said adding in recent weeks they’ve been approached by some other markets and will take part as they see fit “We’ll do what is in our best interest and what’s in our customers’ best interest.” volunteers from the Danforth East Community Association (DECA) founded the local farmers’ market with the goal of revitalizing the Danforth-Woodbine neighbourhood “The market is the result of countless hours that DECA volunteers have dedicated to make happen for about 20 weeks each and every summer,” the organization said in a statement to The Mirror “What started with a passionate group of people looking to bring fresh Ontario-grown food to our urban neighbourhood has grown over the years to become a weekly which they indicated is “responsible for selecting the vendors according to their criteria.” Local food vendors featuring food from the farmers and other producers were added to the roster in 2012 The Danforth East Community Association takes care of the rest like weekly children’s activities organized by local businesses and high school students as well as a community booth and a wellness booth that all showcase local organizations These incidents were reported by police in the past week and reportedly occurred in the past two weeks There was one vehicle reported stolen in the district from March 13 to March 19 Toronto Police Service received 30 reports of a stolen vehicle between March 13 to March 19 including one in the district of East York In total 424 auto thefts have been reported in the City of Toronto since Jan 1 — down 81.1 per cent compared to the same period in 2024 A vehicle was reported stolen from a curbside near Durant Avenue and Sammon Avenue on Sunday This was the first auto theft reported in Danforth East York in 2025 Find out where auto thefts were reported in Etobicoke, North York, Old Toronto, Scarborough and York This story was automatically generated using open data collected and maintained by Toronto Police Service. The incidents were reported by police in the past week and reportedly occurred in the past two weeks, but recent crime data is preliminary and subject to change upon further police investigation The locations have been offset to the nearest intersection and no personal information has been included for privacy reasons Long-time east Toronto resident Dean Will said he’s concerned for his safety after a number of recent incidents of gay bashing Community member Michael Rusek (left) stands with Dean Will Will alleges he’s the victim of gay bashing The community has recently come to his aid is concerned for his safety after experiencing a number of alleged 'gay bashing' incidents Long-time east Toronto resident Dean Will said he's concerned for his safety after a number of recent incidents of gay bashing Will alleges he's the victim of gay bashing Members from the Danforth-Woodbine community gathered this afternoon to show their support for a long-time resident who has been the victim of alleged gay bashing rainbow flags placed outside Dean Will’s Stephenson Avenue home have been removed Someone has also reportedly been damaging his plants and banging on his door who is visually impaired and is on long-term disability was physically assaulted on May 18 by a man he believes lives in the area Will said he feels the harassment is hate motivated and wants it to stop He said he’s speaking out because he feels his landlord “I’m terrified more bad things are going to happen to me,” said a tearful Will who has erected a sign outside his home warning of a secret camera which he said offered him the option to move to another building Will’s assault and the theft of his property.” “All our tenants deserve to feel safe in their homes and we take these allegations very seriously,” he wrote in an email to The East York Mirror “We encourage all tenants to immediately contact police if they are a victim of a crime If a tenant is charged with a crime against another tenant we would immediately apply to the Landlord Tenant Board for eviction against the accused.” Akers did note that privacy laws prohibit TCHC from sharing any specific information regarding this situation without the direct consent of all parties involved and as soon as we have sufficient grounds to take a tenant to the Landlord Tenant Board for eviction attended the rally and said police have canvassed the area and collected evidence pertaining to Will’s case “Whether it’s Pride Month or any other month (this type of behaviour) is unacceptable,” said Morrice who urged anyone who sees an act of gay bashing to contact police immediately “Act on it and report it if you witness incidents like this.”  runs a 7,000-member strong Facebook group in the Danforth-Woodbine area We want (Dean) to know he’s not alone in this and we’re shocked that this would happen in an area like ours,” he told The Mirror Rusek said several community members who heard about the situation from Facebook have already come forward to offer their support Any funds collected will be used to purchase a camera system in the next few days “We hope that’ll deter any further harassment,” said Rusek adding an upcoming fundraiser for Will is also in the works at a local pub I just met him and I don’t understand why anybody would do that,” she said life-long east-ender Viola Frasier who lives in the Upper Beach area and asked to not give her name “It’s a very nasty story about somebody being victimized for nothing but who they area,” she said “Nobody’s gonna put up with that kind of nonsense I think it’ important for people to know people care and this is not going to be tolerated by anybody.” Area residents David Riley and his partner Rob MacNeill were also in attendance “It’s our neighbour and any kind of violence or discrimination in our neighbourhood should be stopped,” Riley said but we heard about (his situation) on social media and felt compelled to come out.”  Will retained Pothen on a pro bono basis prior to the rally to provide him with legal advice and act as an intermediary whenever needed as he wasn’t sure what to expect at today’s gathering Will said he’s grateful for the all the support he’s received “Maybe through this some good can come for other people There’s got to be some good that can come from this,” he said This is the second time the community has come to Will’s aid area residents replaced Pride flags that were stolen from his balcony and offered their support “It is very troubling to us to find out recently that the situation escalated very badly,” Rusek said crime and transit among issues candidates raise With the municipal election on Oct. 24 six candidates are vying to replace Brad Bradford “My objective has always been to be a strong voice and representative for our community,” Bradford said in an email “I’ve been hearing about the big issues that are affecting people’s day-to-day lives That includes building more attainable housing … ensuring it is safe to travel by bike and supporting our vibrant local businesses here in the East End.” Bradford was elected in 2018, beating out political veteran Matthew Kellway in a tight race One new challenger to Bradford is candidate Jennie Worden who says her policies focus on issues including mental health “I would like to see a city that shows more compassion more interest in its residents’ needs and more focused on building strong communities,” Worden said Adam Smith, who ran in 2018, is running again on policies of providing food security scaling back developments like condominiums while also preparing for the effects that climate change will have on people and the economy “We’ve got a ‘develop at all costs’ attitude regardless of the impacts it’s having on our city and its livability,” Smith said Crime is another concern candidates raised, specifically citing a rise in crimes such as auto theft “What we’re not seeing is a lot of police presence,” said Frank Marra, another candidate who ran in 2018 “I’ve counted the police passing by my street on one hand.” Marra’s policies focus around slowing down development and clearing traffic congestion for cars by removing or relocating bike lanes in Beaches-East York He also said he believes in having flexible policies that change according to the situation Another candidate focused on crime and policing Donna Braniff also wants more police presence Her other policies include more assistance for seniors and a dedicated system for people in Ward 19 to express their concerns so that they can be addressed Sébastien Auger is running on a platform of local issues and removing hurdles for businesses you’re not there to solve world-wide problems,” he said “Ultimately you want to resolve local problems.” Auger had previous issues with the City of Toronto and incumbent councillor Brad Bradford was prohibited from operating on Kew Beach due to lacking permits Auger attempted to obtain permits to operate at Kew Beach but the city has to date not issued them for Paddle Pirates he aims to make it easier for small businesses in Beaches-East York “I don’t want what’s happened to me to happen to other small businesses,” he said Steve Thompson is running for councillor in Beaches-East York with policies focusing on affordable housing and more resources for marginalized groups “There’s no doubt that we are in a housing crisis,” Thompson said but specifically I’m for affordable housing.” Early voting for the municipal election begins Oct A new police station to house the amalgamated 54 and 55 Divisions will be built in East York on the site of the TTC’s current Danforth Garage Council approved the preferred site, at 1627 Danforth Ave. near Coxwell Avenue, on Jan. 31. It prevailed over two other finalists: the East York Civic Centre and the current 55 Division headquarters and Mary-Margaret McMahon (Ward 32) submitted a letter of recommendation for the two-hectare site that characterized the location as a “Fantastic building opportunity that cannot be missed.” The new site also “aligns with the city’s real estate goals seeking to co-ordinate and maximize the value of city assets,” the report for action said The budget for the consolidated building is estimated at $32.425 million The funding “is included in the 2018-2027 preliminary capital budget and plan,” the report for action said The current 54 Division building is at 41 Cranfield Rd The 55 Division building is at 101 Coxwell Ave the two divisions cover the Central and East parts of Toronto Petition calls for 49-story tower development to be reviewed A recent petition created by an advocacy group is calling for a proposed 49-story condo tower at Pape and Danforth avenues to be reconsidered.  Danforth Residents for Appropriate Development (DanforthRAD) came together over concerns about the tower and what it means for the area’s future. The group posted a petition calling for the tower to be reconsidered with something more fitting to the community “Just the scale of it is my most immediate concern,” said Scott deVeber “It’s just this massive tower completely out of place in the neighbourhood the actual design of the tower itself is going to create wind challenges for pedestrians The tower, proposed by Toronto developer Del Boca Vista, will be located beside future Pape station developments on the Ontario Line projected for 2041. The building will extend from 654-658 Danforth Avenue.  The advocacy group started in October 2023 after announcements of the building sparked debates among residents in the area Casual discussion became an informal meeting to hear from the community about their concerns.  “It really was just conversations on the street,” said Paul Hamel director of communications for DanforthRAD a number of us thought that we might see if there was an appetite in the neighbourhood to … think about this project more broadly.” DanforthRAD put up flyers around the area to inform residents about the development and their website which has a petition posted to gather community support to reconsider the building The petition currently has more than 1,000 signatures The website lists several concerns the group has with the building and the creation of sections of the Danforth with fewer local retailers The Danforth is known as an intimate community with deep cultural heritage with many low-rise buildings and local businesses across its main Danforth avenue stretch The city of Toronto completed a Danforth Planning Study in March 2022 to analyze local developments in the area Many residents who participated in the study favoured mid-rise development in the area, and some favoured higher building heights. City guidelines in the study set the height of buildings along the Danforth to seven to eight storeys Fasken, the law firm representing Del Boca Vista Properties Inc. sent a letter in Februrary 2022 addressed to the Toronto and East York Community Council requesting the proposed Pape and Danforth sites be “appropriately identified now for greater intensification.” In a follow-up letter discussing more developments they added their “client’s objection regarding the passing of the Danforth Planning Study.” Fasken and Del Boca Vista did not respond to the Observer’s request for comment by time of publish DanforthRAD isn’t against developments in the area What members seek is appropriate accommodations for the community deVeber said projects that suit the current neighbourhood’s stature are happening and can be found further east of the proposed site “If one goes to the corner of Greenwood and Danforth they’ll see that there are some appropriate new developments … they are under 10 storeys,” he said told the Observer the city is considering all options we share a number of the concerns,” he said “We’re continuing to explore different ideas and alternatives around what could be developed and what is the preferred development scenario on the site.” Many of the issues and concerns surrounding the building have been submitted to Toronto city council through phone calls and Barber says they “have been hearing from the community in large numbers and are very receptive to that feedback.” On Oct. 11, Coun. Paula Fletcher (Toronto-Danforth) presented DanforthRAD’s petition – with 866 signatures at the time – to Toronto city council Fletcher mentioned the proposed tower is “far and above any of the guidelines [in the Danforth area] that have been set before.”  Toronto city council previously failed to decide on the proposal within 90 days because of the complexity of the development plan The proposal went on to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) which conducted a virtual Case Management Conference on Oct the OLT decided on a 10-day hearing date of Sept DanforthRAD plans to continue following the 49-storey tower proposal and other developments in the neighbourhood and encourage appropriate expansion in the area do want development and housing at that corner I think it’s an appropriate thing with the transit that’s going in It’s just the scale of this is just inappropriate,” deVeber said CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story identified the secretary and treasurer for DanforthRAD as Scott deVerber instead of deVeber Thousands of Toronto residents in East York and the Danforth experienced a power outage Tuesday morning The outage was caused by damaged overhead equipment Tuesday morning The power has been restored after thousands of Toronto residents in East York and the Danforth were affected by an outage due to damaged overhead equipment Tuesday morning in and around O’Connor Drive and Danforth Avenue as well as Don Valley Parkway and Woodbine Avenue and left about 4,000 customers without power at its peak “We were able to restore power to the majority of customers in the area through switching,” Toronto Hydro spokesperson Daniel McNeil said this morning around 9 a.m “Crews will continue to work as quickly and safely as possible to make repairs and bring back all customers.” power had returned to most of the area except for a small portion near O’Connor Drive and Coxwell Avenue with less than 100 customers still affected Power was fully restored for all customers by 3:30 p.m NDP Leader Jack Layton arrives at a post-election rally at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre Monday night The NDP garnered 102 seats and will be the official opposition Layton easily retained his Toronto-Danforth riding This is a timeline regarding East Toronto’s voting history when it comes to Canada’s last four federal elections for the Toronto-Danforth and Beaches-East York ridings The next general election is scheduled to take place on Oct Toronto-Danforth saw a Liberal candidate sent to Ottawa with the election of Julie Dabrusin who beat NDP incumbent Craig Scott by 1,206 votes voters also ousted that riding’s one-term NDP MP in favour of Liberal Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Erskine-Smith and Dabrusin are part of Liberal PM Justin Trudeau’s red wave which won a federal majority with 184 seats was a huge victory for NDP voters in Toronto-Danforth and across Canada who saw longtime NDP MP Jack Layton become his party’s first leader of the Official Opposition who had previously battled prostate cancer 2011 he was fighting an unspecified form of the disease and took an immediate leave of absence from his political duties Elected as the leader of the federal NDP in 2003 Layton died less than a month later on Aug A byelection to replace Layton was held on March 19 New Democrat Craig Scott won that contest handily with 60 per cent of the vote NDP candidate Matthew Kellway was sent to Ottawa for the first time NDP candidate Marilyn Church unsuccessfully took on Liberal Maria Minna in Beaches-East York NDP MP Jack Layton won his third term as MP beating Liberal Andrew Lang by almost 7,000 votes longtime Liberal MP Maria Minna was sent back to Ottawa for the fifth time who represented the former Riverdale riding and Toronto-Danforth riding provincially for 15 years NDP MPP Jack Layton was sent back to Ottawa for a second term whose daughter Sarah Elisabeth Coyne is former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s only daughter 'It's like a giant "Screw you,"' one resident said A proposal to build a 49-storey condo tower at Pape and Danforth avenues is generating debate among residents The proposal, from Toronto developer Del Boca Vista, features a design from architects Studio JCI, and the building would be adjacent to Pape station and on a future Ontario Line stop, at 654-658 Danforth Avenue Some East York residents are unhappy with Del Boca Vista’s vision for their neighbourhood “What we are talking about is densification which is grossly exceeding the most basic elementary necessary infrastructure,” John Hartley said “We don’t have the sewers to support these developments The site is currently a medical office building with the new building being a mix of retail and office spaces, along with 469 condominium units. The site was formerly the Palace Movie theatre, which originally opened in 1924. One of the goals of the proposed building is to help with the densification of the Danforth. According to the Danforth Planning study the majority of community members are supportive of introducing density through mid-rise developments In a letter addressed to Toronto and East York Community Council a law firm on behalf of Del Boca Vista Properties Inc “it does not represent good planning and the sites should be considered now for increased intensification.” Another reason that sparked the debate is the height of the proposed building which exceeds the urban planning guidelines of a mid-rise and contrasts the current absence of high rises in the Danforth Despite the public’s opinion of the building proposal said planners will consider the height of the building against the characteristics of the general mid-rise of the Danforth and it is something they will be looking at closely Community member Chris Allen did not shy away from voicing displeasure about the proposed project “It’s like a giant ‘Screw you,’” Allen said Other residents are welcoming of the proposed development with former journalist Michael Hainsworth calling for the need for more housing “We need more of these types of developments to not only fuel the much-needed housing market but to also build an economy,” Hainsworth said City staff are currently reviewing the submitted proposal a formal community consultation meeting will be held at a later date Small business owners who rent a commercial property face challenges Starting a small business can be difficult for those who rent a commercial property “There is a whole bunch of great businesses that eventually get pushed out of the neighbourhoods, just because rents become extortionately high,” said Colin Johnson, manager of Danforth Mosaic BIA More than 500 businesses are registered in the three-kilometre stretch of Danforth Avenue covered by the BIA Three or four of them shut down each year due to an inability to afford rent said that rent for his property is not too hight but he knows other business owners in the area who struggle to pay for rent Other business owners who were asked to share a comment about their rent were reluctant to speak with a reporter The price per square foot for businesses varies depending on the location and estimated property value it’s about $28 per square foot — before tenant improvement allowance a fee that goes towards the maintenance of a building Johnston compared this price with the Beaches where business owners pay $55 per square foot which he said is almost the same price in downtown “You just need to look a little bit south onto the Beaches and business owners there are struggling the most,” Johnson said Why would you open an establishment in the Beaches You could rent a property in downtown and get even more customers.” said her favourite butcher at Woodbine Avenue is shutting down at the end of the month because its rent went up to $4,000 They have a good-quality meat from Alberta that reminds me of home.” Neighbourhoods in East York have gentrified in the past five to 10 years and become desirable locations for commerce and tourism putting at risk the business owners whose leases are usually extended from three to 10 years and many of them say ‘I don’t know if I’m going to stay once my lease is up because I don’t know what my landlord’s going to do with the rent price,’” Johnson said and Johnson says just blaming them is not the way to solve the problem we would be able to not only encourage local business but landlords would have less incentive to charge crazy rates,” he said a landlord can decide to sell the property to build a condo which displaces local institutions located there the business owners can find other places to rent in the neighbourhood but they might lose customers because they move outside of the range that the customer wants to go,” Johnson said Amid the challenges that businessmen face renting a property the Danforth Mosaic manager said he would recommend buying a property for those who are eager to start a business and not many people have that income to be able to purchase it,” Johnson said “Starting a business in Toronto is a very dangerous game.” was arrested and charged with attempted murder on March 17 three days after a stabbing outside a convenience store next to a bar at Danforth and Greenwood avenues Police reported a man confronted the victim and stabbed him multiple times with a large knife The victim was rushed to the trauma centre at Michael Garron hospital in critical condition Residents living at Greenwood and Danforth say they witnessed the police at the scene after the stabbing “The crime rate these days is growing because of these youth,” said one “They deal with all of their problems using violence.” Adam Bryan James MacDougall was charged with attempted murder and appeared in court on March 17 Paula Fletcher is ready to take on the new Toronto-Danforth but first she’s going to need more staff With a bigger ward comes more East Yorkers to serve Fletcher says staffing needs will be one of her team’s top priorities come December when she takes over as city councillor for Ward 14 getting things done to benefit constituents will be more difficult Fletcher was city councillor for what was known as Ward 30 covering the area south of Danforth Avenue including Riverdale and part of the lakefront which adds much of East York north of Danforth since Premier Doug Ford reduced the size of city council She defeated fellow East York incumbent Mary Fragedakis Fletcher said it’s unfortunate she and Fragedakis will no longer be working together as councillors and friends Despite the challenge of serving more citizens with fewer resources Fletcher is committed to advocating for the causes that matter most to the East York community Affordable housing is one issue she plans to keep fighting for until it’s solved “There is a huge problem right now with ‘reno-victions,’ where landlords evict their tenants to remodel homes,” she said “Families and seniors in the east end are panicking that they might lose their homes or get priced out of the market.” Fletcher is working to address the issue by supporting a new development of rental units on Queen Street in the Beaches she will continue to oppose rezoning that will put East Yorkers at risk of being priced out of the market Other  issues Fletcher says she is addressing are creating more child-care spaces through the Danforth Garage project and supporting the development of a large park along the Don River Fletcher can often be found in the community enjoying a cup of coffee at Broadview Espresso or sampling a vegetarian treat at Mon K patisserie “East York has a wonderful small town feel in the midst of a big city,” she said “It’s diverse and the people here are proud of where they live “I’ve proudly represented East York before and I’ve always championed its separateness throughout the years I plan on continuing that this time around.” Also re-elected in Toronto-Danforth was TDSB trustee Jennifer Story Story’s Toronto-Danforth is now known as Ward 15 Story ran with Fletcher in the election and won her ward with 80 per cent of the vote in her ward “I was interested in running with Paula because we both take the same approach to the job,” Story said “The needs of the local community is what drives our work.” creating more access to child care in Toronto-Danforth is a priority for Story She said she has already worked on creating an extended child-care program that is run by the TDSB that offers before and after school care She is also a supporter of the sex-ed curriculum that was removed by Premier Doug Ford Story and Fletcher attended the walk-out protests staged by East York students in October I will take a stand for the curriculum our kids need,” Story said “I’ve also heard from concerned parents that they want the new curriculum I want parents to feel like they’re part of the system “I’m always available if they want to share their concerns with me over coffee.” \"our\") of the service provided by this web site (\"Service\") are not responsible for any user-generated content and accounts Content submitted express the views of their author only This Service is only available to users who are at least {age} years old you represent that you are this age or older or otherwise make available to the Service (\"Content\") may be reviewed by staff members All Content you submit or upload may be sent to third-party verification services (including Do not submit any Content that you consider to be private or confidential You agree to not use the Service to submit or link to any Content which is defamatory You are entirely responsible for the content of We may remove or modify any Content submitted at any time Requests for Content to be removed or modified will be undertaken only at our discretion We may terminate your access to all or any part of the Service at any time or re-publish your Content in connection with the Service These terms may be changed at any time without notice If you do not agree with these terms, please do not register or use the Service. Use of the Service constitutes acceptance of these terms. If you wish to close your account, please contact us You should review the Privacy Policy on a regular basis for any such changes You agree that your continued use of the Website after the revised Privacy Policy has been posted constitutes your consent to such revised Privacy Policy use and disclosure of your personal information as described in the revised Privacy Policy The Website may contain links to other non-Chart websites Chart is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of such other websites Chart may collect the following types of information about you: your name gender and any facts that Chart deems to be reasonably necessary for the purposes of completing a transaction with you or to otherwise communicate with you (for example Chart may also collect facts relevant to your participation in a contest or facts relevant to a complaint made by you) In addition to your agreement above to the collection use and disclosure of your personal information in accordance with this Privacy Policy Chart will obtain your consent to the collection use and disclosure of your personal information at the time personal information is collected Chart will make reasonable efforts to ensure that when personal information is collected that you understand why it is collected Chart will seek a form of consent that is appropriate to the sensitivity of the information collected.Limiting the Collection of the Personal Information Chart will limit the collection of personal information to that which is required to provide the necessary service or conduct the necessary activity and will only collect personal information through fair and lawful means You may withdraw your consent to the collection use or disclosure of personal information at any time subject to any specific contractual commitments that you have made with Chart in respect of your personal information and the requirement for you to provide reasonable notice to us A cookie is a message that is sent to your browser from a Web server and stored on your computer's hard drive You can set your browser preferences to reject all cookies but then you will not be able to participate in most customized services and you may be required to repeatedly log in to participate in various services Cookies make your experience easier by saving your preferences and passwords We also use cookies that contain no personal information at all These cookies help us estimate our audience size determine which areas of the Website are the most popular Third party advertisers and our ad server may set and access their cookies on your computer in accordance with their own privacy policies Some parts of the Website use cookies to collect information about visitors' use of the Website and to facilitate return visits Information collected about user activity may be done in partnership using a 3rd party tracking tool The information collected from cookies is tracked to enhance security and to improve the functionality of the Website by avoiding duplicate data entry Cookies on the site may collect the following information: a unique identifier user preferences and profile information used to personalize the content that is shown and membership information to access the Website services Some cookies used by the Website may remain on the user's computer after they leave the Web site Most browsers can be configured to reject cookies or alert you when cookies are being sent it is possible that some portions of the Website may not function exactly as intended Chart may also collect IP addresses for the purposes of systems administration or to report information in aggregate form to our advertisers (e.g how many visitors logged in to the Website) An IP address is a number that is assigned to your computer automatically when you use the Internet When you visit a particular the Website web page Your IP address is not linked to anything personally identifiable Chart understands the importance of protecting your personal information and will implement safeguards to protect personal information against unauthorized access including the use of the latest Internet security protocols to protect personal information collected through the Website you should be aware that the Internet is not a secure medium Chart does not represent or warrant the complete security of the personal information provided by you to Chart through the Website You understand that you are transmitting such information to Chart at your own risk.Employees of Chart who will be involved in the collection of personal information will be educated with respect to the importance of maintaining the confidentiality of personal information.Chart will use care in the disposal and destruction of personal information in order to prevent unauthorized parties from gaining access to the information Chart uses your personal information for one or more of the following purposes: service or information you requestedIf you are a customer of our publication we use your name and address (postal and/or e-mail) in order to deliver the product service or information you requested and to follow up with you about the transaction (i.e. notify you that your subscription is expiring If you enter into a contest offered through the Website or printed publications we use your personal information to administer the contest on our own behalf or on behalf of our sponsors (b) To process paymentYour credit card number for pre-authorized payments is used only for processing payments and for presenting you with payment options - not for marketing purposes (c) To send you informationFrom time to time we may send you further information about the Website or the publication (d) To respond to complaints from youWe may use your personal information to identify you and respond to any complaints that you may make to us we may use your personal information for the following purposes:· to detect and protect Chart and other third parties against error and to audit compliance with Chart policies and contractual obligations;· to understand your needs and preferences including to contact and communicate with you and to conduct surveys research and evaluations;· for any other purpose we may indicate to you from time to time We will provide you an opportunity to “opt out” of any such other purposes Your personal information will not be used to place you on any mailing lists Under no circumstances will we sell our customer lists or rent your personal information to third parties from time to time Chart may offer you the opportunity to respond to an “opt in” solicitation to receive marketing information from other carefully selected organisations and partners by email Chart will only pass on these details if you opt in Chart takes all measures possible to ensure that the contact you receive will be from reputable organisations Chart however cannot accept any responsibility for use of the data once it has been passed on and is no longer within Chart’s control Chart will take all reasonable steps to update or correct your personal information when necessary Chart will keep your personal information only as long as necessary for the identified purposes or as required by law Upon your written request and subject to the exemptions stipulated by law use and disclosure of your personal information and provide you with access to that information You may be required to provide sufficient information to permit Chart to provide an account of the existence Chart may charge a reasonable administration fee ($15) for providing access to the personal information in accordance with your request Chart will respond to the request for personal information within thirty (30) days of receipt of your request and if Chart is not able to produce the information within this time frame Chart will provide an explanation and will indicate when the information will be produced Chart is responsible for personal information under its control and has designated a Privacy Officer who is accountable for Chart’s compliance with this Privacy Policy and PIPEDA If at any time you have any questions or complaints about this Privacy Policy or your personal information and how it is being used collected or disclosed (including if you wish to request to update or correct any personally identifiable information you have provided) or you wish to withdraw your consent to “Use of Personal Information” Chart Communications Inc.5255 Yonge Street nestled between Lumsden and Secord avenues currently houses townhome blocks that would be demolished to make way for the redevelopment An aerial view of the site and surrounding area Directly to the south would be a small public park already secured as part of the initial phase The site’s location offers access to several more parks within a 1km radius particularly those of the city's ravine system along the nearby Taylor Creek The location of Phase 2 south of the initial high-rise buildings on Eastdale Avenue is intended by the developer to create a cohesive and well-integrated urban block while retaining the 24-storey apartment building immediately north of Phase 2 The proposed tower would reach a height of 132.7m with 546 units in a 40storey tower and a 6-storey podium with townhouses at grade level The inclusion of 65 three-bedroom units is intended to provide more than the City's 10% mandated family-oriented living spaces while also fulfilling replacement of the 31 existing townhouse units on the site With a total Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 38,848m² the design allocates 1,092m² each to indoor and outdoor amenities Most indoor amenities area located on the second and third floors with a smaller amenity area on the seventh floor resulting in a ratio of one elevator for every 137 units The two-level underground garage is designed to house 172 parking spaces a mix of 141 resident and 31 visitor spaces complementing the existing parking facilities at 90 Eastdale Avenue and 2 Secord there would be 493 long-term and 110 short-term bicycle parking spaces including 516 at grade close to the pedestrian sidewalks on the west and east sides of the site Within a 15-minute walk of Main Street subway station and shorter walks to Danforth Avenue and Main Street the site is served by TTC bus routes along both roads These routes provide access to multiple stations on Danforth Line 2 The upcoming Lakeshore East Line GO Expansion (LELGE) project is set to further improve service to that station offering faster and more efficient train services that will benefit future residents UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development you can learn more about it from our Database file you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page that tracks projects from initial application.​ The Danforth East Community Association (DECA) hosted a Ward 31 Beaches-East York all-candidates debate Wednesday night at the Kimbourne Park United Church Seven out of nine candidates attended the debate Heading into the final stretch of Toronto’s municipal election campaign seven candidates from Ward 31 Beaches–East York attended a councillor debate hosted by Danforth East Community Association (DECA) Wednesday The debate which focused on public transit and a number of local issues such as the vacant property tax and crime got a bit testy as candidates criticized incumbent Janet Davis’s work at city hall Davis who has been the councillor in the ward for the last 11 years was targeted for some of her work by the majority of the candidates some even calling her “too tired” to get things done Beaches–East York resident Janet Andrews attended the debate concerned about the deflated Danforth strip in the neighbourhood “I’m near Main Street and Danforth Avenue and I would like to see development of businesses in the area,” Andrews said “I see the same empty buildings along the Danforth with very little improvement…we need to bring some vitality to the area.” Approximately 80 people attended the debate at the Kimbourne Park United Church where seven out of nine candidates attended including Davis Dealing with the revitalization on the Danforth east of Coxwell Avenue was a hot issue as many store fronts have been vacant for years Currently the City of Toronto must follow a 1998 provincial law that grants tax rebates on vacant commercial properties This results in a loss of $27 to $35 million in tax revenue for the city The rebate handed down from the provincial level was meant to soften the grant of the recession on landlords backfired providing an incentive for landlords not to fill their spaces Add that to the increasing rental costs and many small businesses are having a difficult time getting a foothold in the neighbourhood “I do not agree with the property tax rebate We really need to flourish our businesses on the Danforth,” MacDonald said “We have seen the problems for 11 years now I think its time to look at the rebate program and obviously push the province to change these policies.” criticized by her peers for not moving faster on the issue said she was able to move a motion at city council to help reform the rebate policy “City council has endorsed that we should be changing the rebate policy so instead of it being an incentive to stay empty it should be an incentive to have new activity in those spaces,” Davis said “We need to either incubate new businesses or provide new artists an opportunity to display their works.” Davis said she will continue to push for change with the provincial regulations that prevent the city from implementing changes Candidate Janet Sherbanowski looks at the tax rebate in another light with a people-first approach We need to bring development first to our Danforth if we are not bringing people there to allow them to make money?” Papadakis suggested bringing in the private sector and community organizations together to develop a plan to utilize those vacant spaces for services the community needs such as childcare or whatever else the community is underserviced in candidates were asked if they were in favour of dedicated revenue streams whether they would be through increases in property taxes “The downtown relief line is absolutely essential if we are going to solve the crowding problems on the Danforth and the Yonge lines,” Davis said “There is no transit that is going to be built for free and I’m prepared to look at all of those revenue sources.” Turnbull suggested once a dedicated revenue stream was finalized that we should be looking at ways to embed it into the official transit plan so politicians won’t use it as a playing card at each election,” Turnbull said does support the relief line but thinks we need to look at different city budgets particularly the bloated police budget for ways to divert money to transit “There are ways for us to fund the subway we just have to be extremely creative on how we do it,” she said She suggested a combination of installing cameras to collect money from speeders collecting parking payments for those who live out of province or out of Canada who are using Toronto streets without paying for parking 'The inflation is eating the earnings,' says one owner With inflation cutting back their earnings coffee shops on Danforth Avenue are eager with new ideas to bring their shops back to life after the pandemic “The inflation is eating the earnings,” said Luis Hernandez He had been able able to maneuver around the pandemic and help the business survive last year posting a record number of sales Pomarosa did not profit as much as it has in the past Coffee shops in the area are getting creative — experimenting expand their menus and even bringing more people in with live shows One brother manages Red Rocket’s two stores — one on Danforth Avenue and the other on Wellesley Street — while the other focuses on the food said the coffee shop has been able to survive thanks to its customers in the area This coffee shop offers a warm environment where families can be seen spending time together after a busy day It also offers fresh pastries made in-house at its Danforth location “They plan on expanding the menu,” Morales said They tried selling sandwiches a few months ago but had to stop as “we didn’t have the resources to keep it going,” she said Pomarosa is not far from Red Rocket on Danforth It was opened in 2017 by Luis Hernandez and his wife who let their Venezuelan and Colombian roots be the main influence in the shop Hernandez said he had always dreamed of opening his own business and bringing Latin American culture to Toronto they expanded what the coffee shop could do “We started as a coffee shop and now we are expanding to a restaurant,” Hernandez said He wants to bring new food to the restaurant that is a fusion of all of Latin America but everything has my touch,” Hernandez said Close to Donlands Station on Danforth is The Only Café which sells not only coffee but also alcohol and is currently looking to hire kitchen staff to bring back its food menu They are also bringing back their events and have live music every Tuesday Every Tuesday they have Ricky Toledo a soul and Isaak Bonk and the Roast Chicken Ramblers The Toronto Observer is an award-winning news organization staffed by journalism students at Centennial College in Toronto, Canada. The new amalgamated 54-55 Division police station will be located at Coxwell and Danforth avenues on surplus Toronto Transit Commssion lands, if Toronto council approves a report from city staff at the end of the month. - Google Maps/Image The new amalgamated 54-55 Division police station will be located at Coxwell and Danforth avenues on surplus Toronto Transit Commssion lands, if Toronto council approves a report from city staff at the end of the month. This article is over a year old, and the information within may be out of date. The station would be built on the site of the TTC’s Danforth Garage at 1627 Danforth Ave. – a site selected after the police’s Transformational Task Force recommended the consolidation of 54 Division at 41 Cranfield Rd. and 55 Division at 101 Coxwell Ave. The selection came with the assistance of various city departments and agencies, including the Toronto Realty Agency. Last year, the group narrowed site selection down to three sites: the Danforth Garage, the East York Civic Centre at 850 Coxwell Ave. and the existing 55 Division station. Following a community consultation, the staff group reported that while the existing 55 Division station would be least disruptive, it was too far south to adequately serve the northern part of the division areas. The East York Civic Centre, meanwhile, was deemed too disruptive, and also that it would result in a loss of local green space. The new station will cost $32.435 million, the report said.  The item goes to the Jan. 24 meeting of the Executive Committee and then the Jan. 31 meeting of council. is a reporter and columnist for Metroland Media Toronto, who specializes in municipal politics. He is also an author of speculative fiction. His most recent book is VOLK: A Novel of Radiant Abomination. Choose a plan from below, subscribe, and get access to our exclusive articles! Beloved Greektown men's store is closing its doors more than a year after death of Saul Korman Longtime customer Sid Diament fondly recalls his visits to Korry Clothiers in Greektown over many years. “My favourite memory of coming down here was going upstairs and spending time with Saul [Korman] and talking to him about old times and present times and future times and whatever,” he says. “I knew him for a long long time from the time I was, I guess, 12.” Diament and other customers will soon no longer be able to add to their memories of Korry’s as the store is closing in two months, about a year after the death of Korman. The Danforth Avenue men’s clothing store has served customers from around the area for generations. Leaving school at 16, Saul Korman, a first-generation Canadian, and his father started the business 70 years ago. Despite the upcoming closure, the store is still filled with people looking around the store. Korman’s son Shawn calls the closing sale bittersweet. “And you know we’re making some great sales and at the end of the day it’s the right thing for us,” he says . Saul Korman was, locally dubbed “Duke of the Danforth” and was known by his customers for his kindness and the values he held dear, Shawn says. His father was a major part of his memories of Korry’s. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Korry's Clothiers to Gentlemen (@korrystoronto) “We loved when my dad was here working and when it was busy having all the friends and people come by and having coffee and just enjoy people shopping in the store,” he says “It’s the only word we have with all our neighbour’s coming in from the Greek bakeries from the neighbourhood that have known my dad for many many years.” He says the family had to thank the whole Greek community for the store’s success “They supported us and they made this Greektown what it is The east end has notoriously been overshadowed by the west in terms of nightlife With the west holding currently popular restaurants the east tends to get the short end of the stick most are considering their weekend plans and we've compiled a guide capturing what exciting experiences the east end offers The east end can be broken down into three major streets where nightlife thrives: The Danforth Here's a breakdown of the best places to hit up on the east end Dominated by pubs, retrp and grill bars from Mom's Basement to The Wren the strip offers a taste of legacy establishments If you're looking for a night filled with pitchers of Labatt 50 or Moosehead At Eva's Bar and Restaurant, they break the conventional pub experience with Chinese and Greek food served alongside traditional diner foods. Up the street at Linsmore Tavern you can order cocktails and beers from their set-list-inspired menu Much like the west, this part of the east holds many pool bars that cater to a laid-back and intimate night with friends. The Rusty Nail Pub, Rails and Ales and Moonlight Pub are just three of the pool bars on the strip Prices for pool range from free to $3.50 a round you're going to experience an abundance of new flavours and tastes Gerrard has evolved over the years and is slowly becoming a popular weekend strip to explore Starting at Poor Romeo and sip on their tangy and sour Gin Lizzy ($13) Raspberry Beret ($14) is infused with bourbon Poor Romeo also has an extensive selection of beers from their fizzy and sweet Left Field Black Cherry ($7) to their classic Blood Light Pale ($7) The bar also gives you their take on what Ruby Soho ($14) - a bar located on King St It's made from Lot 40 mixed with Port-Absinthe and angostura bitters and tastes exactly like what the bar feels like: to be out of your comfort zone yet still ordering a second round Gerrard also houses bars such as The Dive Shop, East End Vine and Bar Habana The Dive Shop offers a grand selection of cocktails from their signature Delilah's Moon ($14) with hints of hibiscus tea and lemon to their classic Sangria surf ($14) their take on sangria with the addition of vodka While Queen West has spent its post-lockdown months thriving with patio season and the popularity of the Ossington strip But the east end has a plethora of gems that shouldn't be missed The Comrade holds its place on Queen East as an iconic spot to spend your weekend The bar itself takes you out of Toronto and throws you into the heart of a rustic tavern from the 18th century Pair your half dozen oysters ($18) with their Hunter's Choice ($16) a cocktail that infuses Cynar and Cocchi Americano to get their happy hour specials and half-off on oysters Queen East has a theme of dimly lit rustic bars that give off a Prohibition-era look. From Goods and Provisions, known for their unpretentious cocktail selection to Aura with its theatrical drinks and snack plates If you're looking for a space that offers a unique selection of cocktails and wine, Chez Nous is the spot to be. The wine bar offers a selection of Ontario wine, from a Meldville sauvignon blanc ($67/bottle) to Ravine cab franc ($55/bottle) there's everything from the Kir Royale ($15) a sweet mix of champagne and sparkling wine to Limewire ($17) a jalapeno-infused tequila with hibiscus syrup The latter is sure to test your taste buds in the best way possible The east end isn't dead and deserves to be put on a pedestal much like the west the city is sure to reclaim the east and mark it as a centre for nightlife “I tried five kinds of dances in 10 days when I first decided to start dancing and this is the only one that made my smiling muscles sore,” says Liddle The Toronto Contra Dance is a community event that features Scots-Irish and French-Canadian live music Contra dance is similar to square dancing except that you dance in lines and don’t need an eight-person square A caller leads the dancers through each step we just expect them to have fun,” Liddle says you just smile because everyone else is smiling and we send you in the right direction and everybody has fun.” The group has been holding dances for 20 years There are many experienced dancers and they usually look for newcomers to partner up with and help along Dancers change partners with each song and everyone is a friendly “It’s a really welcoming group of people,” Liddle says but I never sat out a dance even though I came alone.” the Toronto Contra Dance community will hold a bake-sale fundraiser Over 95 per cent of the proceeds will go toward the band You can stop by at 7 p.m. every second, fourth and fifth Saturday from now till June for a basics class before that evening’s dance. For more information, visit www.tcdance.org A shocking video making the rounds on social media shows a pedestrian attacking a delivery driver using a shopping cart in what appears to be a completely unprompted assault 2025 shows a pedestrian launch a shopping cart into a bike lane along Danforth Avenue near Monarch Park striking and injuring a food delivery driver on an e-bike The food courier was reportedly hospitalized due to the attack which is circulating in the Danforth East York Woodbine Community Facebook group Among those shocked by the incident is personal injury lawyer and cyclist rights advocate David Shellnutt who issued a statement on the seemingly random assault "the cyclist is struck and falls to the ground injured," while "the perpetrator looks back at the harm caused and continues walking away from the scene." the cyclist has sustained injury and was taken to hospital Another e-cyclist arrived on scene first to render aid to the fallen cyclist as the perpetrator looked back at the mayhem and harm he had caused and casually kept walking." "This represents a clear and present danger to cyclists and other road users in the City of Toronto," warns Shellnutt Shellnutt appeals to locals to help identify the suspect "our hope is that members of the community can help identify this perpetrator and share that information with Toronto police," and is hoping for "an arrest for aggravated assault." He also hopes that "sharing his image and the video of the incident will ...create awareness amongst cyclists to be wary and stay safe." "Our hope is that the person injured has a speedy recovery," he continues "We know all too well the long-term recovery costs and complications that result from incidents like this." Nestled into the west side of the Danforth near Greenwood station is a cozy gastropub that’s starting to make waves in the Toronto culinary scene. Morgans on the Danforth prides itself on its selection of local craft beers and the local ingredients it uses in various dishes Executive chef Anne Sorrenti has been at the helm of the East York restaurant’s kitchen for more than three years. Her talent has not gone unnoticed. After being pressured for some time by friends and family to apply to the Food Network’s top-rated show, Chopped Canada “My kids have always said to me…you could do it you could do it,” she said in an interview “because I used to work at the farmer’s market every Saturday morning and it was basically a Chopped episode every week.” Sorrenti found out shortly after that she would be in a cook-off against three other chefs from across the country for a chance to win $10,000 The chefs were victims of the unco-operative ingredients and immense pressure that Chopped Canada is known to provide Her calm demeanor was evident from start to finish as she went about her business smoked turkey thigh and sour gummy worms somehow evolved into a sweet chili turkey and leek sauté that looked appealing Sorrenti’s ability to make do with what lies in front of her helped her take down the competition one by one The East York chef survived all three rounds on the chopping block and was crowned champion of Chopped Canada Sorrenti has never had any formal training in her craft Her lack of culinary teaching may have helped her win this particular food challenge “I think because I have worked at so many different places and with different kinds of chefs it has helped me become more adaptable,” she said Sorrenti credits much of the success she has had in the food industry to her family she always felt that she had a knack for working minor miracles in the kitchen She grew up watching her Nonna and her mother work masterfully as a team in preparing delicious meals for the family how to use every part of the ingredients available and the importance of cooking with local foods “My grandparents lived in a little place on College Street and they had no backyard,” Sorrenti said “They lived above and behind a store but they had a roof patio and my grandmother grew vegetables on that in wooden top crates.” Much like the local chef’s passion for food, she is deeply invested in introducing children to the essentials of the culinary world. She was vice-president of Green Thumbs Growing Kids an organization that encourages children living in the city to create gardens in unused green space on school property She even taught children the basics of cooking for five years at a local school Cooking originally started out as more of a hobby for Sorrenti rather than the successful career it has become She worked in an office for an MP in Toronto for years but eventually found herself going back to the kitchen because not only are customers who walk into Morgans reaping the benefits but so will local young people in need of a boost Sorrenti plans to use her $10,000 prize to jump-start her dream of opening up a culinary centre in Toronto for underprivileged youth she says she was lucky to have food as an emphasis in her life She believes she can use her experiences to help make a difference by the middle of the month it might be done because they don’t have the skills on how to spend the money Those are all skills you learn,” Sorrenti said “It’s not something that if you have a troubled upbringing or you’ve lived on the streets since you were 15 that you’re going to know.” Conseil Scolaire Viamonde has received $10.2 million from the Province to purchase the 0.9-acre former Greenwood Secondary School site at 24 Mountjoy Ave former high school near Danforth and Greenwood avenues is being considered as the future home of a French-language high school both the French Catholic (MonAvenir) and the French public (Viamonde) school boards have shown an interest in the former Greenwood Secondary School site at 24 Mountjoy Ave Toronto District School Board trustees voted to declare the Danforth East school surplus and for lease this property is currently going through a Regulation 444 process where other public agencies such as school boards are invited to express an interest in using it Those public agencies were given a 90-day period to officially express an interest in this site Bird said the TDSB received an official expression of interest from Conseil Scolaire Viamonde today an additional 90 days will then be allotted for both parties to negotiate terms and conditions of an agreement A date has yet to be set as to when this may be complete 444 lays out a priority ranking of public agencies/organizations and the French public board has priority over the French Catholic board “There are several conditions (that must be met) before any final decisions will be made,” he told Metroland Media Toronto L’Heureux said a lot needs to be done to renovate and even possibly expand Greenwood Secondary School before they put in any formal offer “That school is not in shape for today’s requirements,” he said pointing to an agreement that must also be hammered out between his school board and the City of Toronto so that students can use nearby greenfield for their physical education classes and sports activities Ontario’s Ministry of Education has not promised any funding to Viamonde for a new French-language high school in east Toronto a grassroots group of parents that has long been advocating for an equivalent French-language high school in Toronto’s east end isn’t entirely convinced the former Greenwood Secondary School and the property it sits on are the best option “Our position has been clear for a long time: Greenwood is not equivalent to other local English high schools Our children are sufficient in numbers and have the constitutional right to an equivalent secondary school We have not received any information that allows us to believe that Greenwood could be equivalent Providing the nearly 1,000 francophone elementary students in our area with an equivalent school must not be delayed any further,” members of the Coalition de Parents pour une École Secondaire de Quartier said in a recent statement sent via email to Metroland Media Toronto Coalition PESQ sent out an email blast to its supporters providing details about a lawsuit they’ve recently launched against the province filed to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice by constitutional lawyer Nicolas Rouleau on behalf of long-time Leslieville resident Lianne Doucet and Coalition PESQ calls on the province to respect their right to an equivalent French-language high school in Beaches-East York and Toronto-Danforth 23 newsletter included a call for supporters to take part in a letter-writing campaign urging Ontario’s Education Minister Mitzie Hunter and other provincial politicians to remember that the need for an equivalent French-language high school in east Toronto must be a priority especially during the upcoming election year