Hydro One says the trees, which served as a sound barrier against nearby train tracks, were cut by mistake

September 10, 2016

CBC News

Coun. Josh Matlow says the residents he represents are angry Hydro One cut down mature trees that served as a natural sound barrier after promising not to at a community meeting. (CBC)

Roberston Davies Park was a quiet midtown green space — until Hydro One cut down the natural sound barrier provided by 29 maple trees that lined the nearby train tracks.

Summerhill-area residents say they were blindsided by the clear-cutting, and Hydro One says it was taken aback, too.

The power company had crews there last week to prune the trees away from power lines, but says workers chopped the trees down without permission.

They've issued an apology, but local councillor Josh Matlow isn't satisfied, and told CBC News the community isn't either. Matlow said the utility said it would need to do some pruning to protect power lines at a public meeting in past years, "but they did promise us that they did not have to, nor would they, clear-cut all these trees."

"This doesn't just affect our community; this affects the entire city and the province," Matlow said.

September 26, 2016

Momin Ahmad

Urban Toronto

As Toronto continues to grow, technology and more specifically the role of technology in urban growth has become a fixture of much academic and political discourse. NXT City, a non-profit organisation that helps to connect young urban leaders with city-builders and facilitates the shaping of Toronto's public places, focused on this discourse in their latest quarterly NXT City Talks event held on September 22, 2016.

Titled 'Smart Spaces: Will Tech Disrupt Public Space?' the panel discussion focused on the roles that technology can play in public programming for urban spaces as well as how newly emerging services like public Wifi, wayfinding apps and developments in mapping affect the public realm. The panel consisted of Ward 22 City Councillor Josh Matlow, Co-Founder of Civic Tech TO Dorothy Eng, Co-Founder of ProjexityMarisa Bernstein, and Co-Founder & Global Advisor of YouthfulCities Sonja Miokovic.

NXT City Co-Founder Mackenzie Keast delivering opening remarks, image by Craig White.

Community groups have noticed the banks of the Vale of Avoca by Rosedale and Summerhill are deteriorating.

September 13, 2016

May Warren

Metro

John Bossons, a member of the Summerhill Residents’ Association poses next to a damaged staircase in the ravine next to his home. Bossons and his neighbours say the sought after green space is being damaged by flooding.

Concerned Summerhill and Rosedale residents are ringing the ravine alarm bell.

Users of the Vale of Avoca ravine near Yonge Street and St. Clair say the sought after green space is being ruined by flooding and are calling on the city to take action.

John Bossons, a member of the Summerhill Residents' Association said the narrow strip of nature is under threat from increased storm water draining into Yellow Creek and eroding its banks.

“Storm water surges have hugely increased thanks to global warming,” he said, noting flooding has already washed out walking paths, one of the ravine’s two bridges, and a pedestrian staircase.

Human error blamed for freight train derailment in heart of the city after a Canadian Pacific Railway train collided with another on Sunday morning.

Aug 21, 2016

Ebyan Abdigir

The Toronto Star

A CP Railway freight train derailed near Bathurst and Dupont Sts., early Sunday after two trains collided, causing a diesel fuel spill. CP blames human error for the collision. (ANDREW FRANCIS WALLACE / TORONTO STAR)

Human error is being blamed for a freight train derailment in the heart of Toronto Sunday morning that had crews scrambling to contain a diesel fuel leak.

The derailment happened after a train struck the tail of another train at about 5:20 a.m. near Dupont and Bathurst Sts., Canadian Pacific Railway spokesperson Martin Cej told the Star.

No one was injured in the collision and subsequent derailment and the diesel fuel leak, which Toronto police said had not been a threat to public safety, was quickly contained.

Cej said that one car was carrying batteries and aerosols, which are classified as “dangerous goods” under Canadian regulation, but they did not leak, he confirmed.

City councillor Josh Matlow raised new concerns Sunday about freight trains running through densely populated neighbourhoods.

Force of the Friday night blast pushed a couch out of the storefront window

Aug 20, 2016
CBC News

A Toronto police officer talks to Office of the Fire Marshal investigators inside Tweeder Medicinal after an explosion at the marijuana dispensary injured a man on Friday. (Chris Glover/CBC)

Toronto police say a man burned in an explosion at a midtown Toronto marijuana dispensary was among those charged in a large-scale raid of pot shops in May.

Toronto police spokesman Mark Pugash said Saturday that a 29-year-old man injured in the blast had been charged with two drug-related offences in the spring. He faces a count of possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime.

City says proposed legislation creates an impossible choice for the city - asking councillors to choose between affordable units and community infrastructure.

Aug 18, 2016

Torstar News Service

Without inclusionary zoning powers, the city has had to find other ways to get affordable housing built. In one case, the city is moving ahead in partnership with Dominus Capital Corporation to build 80 affordable rental units on surplus city land in CityPlace next to the rail corridor.

The city has put the province on notice that proposed legislation to build affordable housing will leave communities without desperately needed amenities such as community centres, park improvements and child care spaces.

While Toronto city council has long pushed for provincial rules that would force developers to create affordable units, a proposal from the province to do just that would exempt developers from paying for other community benefits.

Councillors and city staff say the province is asking them to make an impossible choice — build badly needed affordable housing or secure every day amenities that make communities livable and are increasingly necessary as the population balloons.