Doug Ford says the Eglinton LRT may finally open this year. Be prepared for a letdown
For more than a decade, Torontonians desperate for transit have had a burning question: when will the Eglinton Crosstown light rail line open? Now, with the premier signalling a September opening is in the cards, you might expect an end to the conversation about Toronto's epic project delivery problems.
Unfortunately, we're only seeing the beginning of complaints about the Crosstown.
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Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Emerging authors land $10K prize to kickstart career
The Writers' Trust of Canada has announced the winners in three categories of the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers, which aims to help developing authors land a book deal and further their work. Vancouver author Jess Goldman won the short fiction award for the story Tombstone of a Tsaddik, beating out Toronto's Alexis Lachaîne and Victoria's Hana Mason. In the creative non-fiction category, the top spot went to Toronto's Phillip Dwight Morgan for White Trucks and Mergansers; Morgan beat out fellow Torontonians Graham Slaughter and Huyen Trân. And in the poetry category, Vancouver author Dora Prieto took top honours for Loose Threads, besting Vancouver's Cicely Grace and Saskatchewan's Nicole Mae. Each of the winners receives $10,000, are invited to networking events and have their work published in both print and digital formats. For more about the authors and to read their submissions, see ● ● ● The Forks Market launches a new literary series on Friday with a discussion about Winnipeg, affordability and more. The first instalment of the Lectures and Lagers series kicks off at 6 p.m. with Michel Durand-Wood, author of You'll Pay for This! How We Can Afford a Great City for Everyone, Forever, published by Great Plains Press. The event, which takes place in the second-floor event space at The Forks Market, will see Durand-Wood read from the book and then take part in a Q&A with Johanna Hurme of 5468796 Architecture. Registration is required, with a suggested donation of $20; Durand-Wood's book can also be purchased through the registration page, which is at The lagers of said event (as well as ales, wine and non-alcoholic beverages) will be available for purchase from an on-site mobile bar. Buy on ● ● ● Spring book launches at McNally Robinson Booksellers' Grant Park location are in the final stretch before the quieter summer months set in. On Wednesday at 7 p.m., Winnipeg educator and filmmaker Kevin Nikkel launches Founding Folks: An Oral History of the Winnipeg Folk Festival, published by University of Manitoba Press, which includes interviews with folk fest staff, volunteers and performers. The event will be hosted by David Knipe and will feature the musical stylings of Big Dave McLean. On Friday, Nikkel's documentary about the Winnipeg Folk Festival, When We Became Folk Fest, opens at the Dave Barber Cinematheque (100 Arthur St.); the opening-night screening will be followed by a Q&A featuring Nikkel and Winnipeg music historian John Einarson. Buy on Back at McNally Robinson, on Thursday at 7 p.m. York University English Prof. Robert Zacharias launches In Search of a Mennonite Imagination: Key Texts in Mennonite Literary Criticism, published by CMU Press. The essay and review collection, edited by Zacharias, compiles over 50 pieces of writing from 44 authors spanning more than 150 years; Zacharias also provides an introduction to the book as well as to many of the pieces of writing in the book. Buy on Then on Friday at 7 p.m., Manitoba sheep farmer and wool mill owner Anna Hunter launches her book The True Cost of Wool: A Vision for Revitalizing the Canadian Industry, published by Nine Ten Publications. Hunter examines how the Canadian wool industry has changed over the decades, and how Canada could rebuild a local wool industry to the benefit of farmers, consumers and the environment. Buy on books@ Ben SigurdsonLiterary editor, drinks writer Ben Sigurdson is the Free Press's literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly Free Press drinks column. He joined the Free Press full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. Read more about Ben. In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the Free Press's editing team before being posted online or published in print. It's part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Toronto Star
13 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Toronto air quality at ‘very high risk' due to wildfire smoke — and is currently among the worst in the world
Toronto and the surrounding areas have been issued a special air quality statement as smoke from the wildfires in Manitoba and Saskatchewan blow over southern Ontario on Friday. Environment Canada has assigned Toronto a 10+ on the local air quality health index, which means it is 'very high risk.' The city is also currently among the major cities with the worst air quality in the world, according to air quality technology company IQAir, which placed Toronto near the top of its ranking on Friday. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW By midday, Toronto climbed to second place with an air quality index score of 170. The company calculates regional scores based on measurements of pollutants in the air, noting the main pollutant choking Toronto's skies was fine particulate matter, also known as PM2.5. Environment Canada's special weather statement covers areas from Windsor to Ottawa, including parts of the Greater Toronto Area such as York, Peel and Durham regions. As the smoke drifts into the province, Environment Canada is asking people to limit how much time they spend outside because, as smoke levels increase, so do the associated health risks. The smoke is expected to spread across the Toronto area in the afternoon and evening before starting to lighten up around 10 p.m., according to FireSmoke Canada's forecast website. More smoke is forecasted to creep into Toronto by noon on Saturday. The smoke is expected to spread across the Toronto area Friday before starting to lighten up around 10 p.m., according to FireSmoke Canada's forecast website. FireSmoke Canada Gta Toronto is experiencing hazy skies due to wildfire smoke. What can you do to protect yourself? Asma Sahebzada Aside from local smoke, Environment Canada forecasts Friday will be a mix of sun and cloud with a high of 24 C. The UV index will be 8, which is very high. At night, temperatures will cool to a low of 15 C with partial clouds. The smoke could cause mild symptoms such as headaches, a mild cough or eye, nose and throat irritation. More serious effects such as wheezing, chest pains or a severe cough are also possible and anyone who might be experiencing a medical emergency should try to get medical help immediately. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Gta Hazy with a chance of ash? What wildfire season means for Toronto's air quality For urbanites, there's a new way to mark the calendar: the day the smoke reaches the city. Some groups are more likely to be affected by the outdoor air pollution, such as those in their mid-60s or older, pregnant people, infants, young children, those who are immunocompromised and anyone who works outdoors. Environment Canada is warning everyone to limit the amount of time they spend outside and consider reducing or rescheduling strenuous outdoor activities like sports. The city is offering six 'cleaner air spaces' equipped with high-efficiency filtration systems, open to Torontonians during wildfire smoke events. Here are the locations of the sites: Metro Hall between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays North York Civic Centre open between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. on weekdays and between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekends City Hall between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays York Civic Centre between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays East York Civic Centre between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays Scarborough Civic Centre between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays While inside, people should keep windows and doors closed as much as possible to protect indoor air from wildfire smoke. If it comes down to choosing between avoiding smoky air or staying cool during an extreme heat event, the weather agency says people should prioritize keeping cool.
Toronto Star
20 hours ago
- Toronto Star
City staff recommend allowing sixplexes across all Toronto neighbourhoods
Coming to a street near you — sixplexes? City of Toronto staff are recommending that multiplexes of up to six units and four storeys be allowed as-of-right in neighbourhoods across the city. They're also recommending a cap on the maximum number of bedrooms in multiplexes, in a pair of new reports that head to the Housing and Planning Committee next week. 'I think it's really important. It's a form of housing that we really need. It's part of the so-called 'missing middle,'' said Ken Greenberg, principal of Greenberg Consultants and former director of urban design and architecture for the City of Toronto, of the sixplex move. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'You have people of different ages and different stages in their lives who can all share a neighbourhood.' Multiplexes were allowed as-of-right — meaning without special permissions — citywide in spring 2023, and sixplexes were studied under a pilot project in Ward 23 (Scarborough North) earlier this year. The changes were supposed to encourage more 'missing-middle housing,' the kind of homes that fall somewhere between lowrise detached and semi-detached houses, and tiny condos. In the past, much of Toronto was zoned for either extreme, leading to jagged, uneven growth and a lack of affordable options. If approved, sixplexes would only be allowed in detached homes. Staff also recommend a 0.5-metre increase to the maximum building height to 10.5 metres, to allow for higher ceilings in basement apartments, as the Ward 23 pilot found they were often needed to get to six units. 'Expanding multiplex permissions will increase new lowrise housing options for Torontonians,' reads a summary of the report recommending the change on the city's website. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'New residents in lowrise neighbourhoods can help stabilize declining populations, optimize the use of existing infrastructure, and support local retail establishments and services.' Multiplexes are also environmentally friendly, as residents can bike, walk or take public transit to work, and are more accessible for younger people who might otherwise be priced out of the city, Greenberg added. The city received 750 building permit applications for multi-unit buildings between May 2023 and November 2024, with 452 permits issued. In general, there were more multiplex permits in Toronto—East York as well as parts of Etobicoke—York. Ward 9 (Davenport), Ward 4 (Parkdale—High Park) and Ward 11 (Rosedale-University) had the most multiplex building permit activity, according to the multiplex report. The Ward 23 study found sixplexes could be accommodated on 61 per cent of lots. This number is probably even higher across the city, as many residential lots are quite large, staff noted in the report. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Between the two reports the city also reported on feedback from community consultations on multiplexes, which included concerns about affordability, garbage, the impact of increased density on flooding, parking, and property taxes. On sixplexes, North Toronto's Valleyanna Residents' Association, for example, registered its disproval with an email from members submitted to the city saying, 'The proposal would allow new builds to dwarf existing homes and increased density would affect parking, traffic, and noise in these neighbourhoods.' However, there was also support for multiplexes in the community, with some residents saying they are a way for seniors to stay in neighbourhoods and for multiple generations of families to live together. The sixplex recommendation and multiplex review come as several recent multiplex proposals have upset neighbours, who argued they would increase traffic and noise on their streets. Some of those proposals, which required variances, were denied by the committee of adjustment. There have also been a few projects marketed as condos, instead of rentals, with hefty price tags that have led at least one councillor to argue they're not in keeping with the spirit of the multiplex bylaw. Greenberg said one option to address that concern could be for the city to restrict multiplexes to rentals. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW This was not one of the recommendations in the city's ' multiplex monitoring program' report, which specifies that a multiplex can be owned or rented. The report does recommend a maximum number of bedrooms depending on the number of units to distinguish from rooming houses as well as allowing multiplexes in semi-detached homes. Further, it recommends not permitting reverse slope driveways in multiplexes. They are not allowed for other types of lowrise housing under the city's zoning rules. The report found that while multiplexes 'contribute only minor increases in flow to the sewer system' in areas with combined sewers, more of them may increase the risk of basement flooding. If approved at the Housing and Planning committee on June 12, the multiplex and sixplex changes will be put to city council for a final vote at its late June meeting.
