By AFSANA GIBSON-CHOWDHURY The HomeStars 2020 Reno Report showed a staggering 80 per cent of homeowners surveyed began renovation projects since the COVID-19 pandemic started in March of 2020. Although these numbers are not based specifically in the Beach area in Toronto, being a local resident, I know how prolific renovations are here in our […]
By PAULA FLETCHER COUNCILLOR, WARD 14 TORONTO-DANFORTH This past year has been difficult and the pandemic has greatly impacted our community. However, these impacts have not all been negative. The East End has come together in remarkable ways to help those in need, showing strength, resilience and compassion. Over the winter I put out a […]
By GRETEL GREEN As a recent transplant to Toronto’s east end, it’s been a treat to explore the city’s ravines, and alongside my husband and daughter. We frequently hike them and remove invasive plants wherever we travel. Having worked in the environmental field for more than 20 years as a terrestrial ecologist, it’s also part […]
By ANIKA MUNIR I decided to take part in a Canadian program called the Daughters of the Vote (DOV) that was put together by Equal Voice. The DOV is a political summit that lasted four days (March 5 – March 8). This program allowed me and 337 other emerging young female leaders across Canada to […]
By BRAD BRADFORD COUNCILLOR, WARD 19 BEACHES-EAST YORK It’s been almost a year since Toronto went into lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The last 12 months have brought unimaginable challenges. Nearly 22,000 Canadians have died as a result of this virus. Millions of Canadians lost their jobs. We’ve gone months without seeing our […]
By STEPHEN WICKENS I like to think I love mighty oaks as much as anyone (I’ve even been known to forest bathe). I’m also a lifelong admirer of the barred owl and its enigmatic “Who Cooks For You?” Hearing one hoot steps from my home on a frosty February night stroll, and seeing a photo […]
By RIMA BERNS-McGOWN Happy New Year! May it be a better year for all of us. I hope that 2021 marks a rapid turnaround in our collective fortunes – and that you all experience only joy and fulfillment, health and happiness. 2020 was brutal. Let us hope that in 2021 we see the virus beaten […]
By ALAN SHACKLEON It’s the first day of 2021. The year 2020 is over. I believe I’ve been waiting since the middle of March to say that. I cannot think of a year I have been happier to put in the history books than the one just ended. This column is not going to be […]
By NATHANIEL ERSKINE-SMITH A successful vaccine roll-out is critical to putting an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. To succeed, we need all levels of government to work together on a rapid delivery, and we need to educate our family, friends, and neighbours about the safety and importance of protecting each other through vaccines. Our federal […]
By MARG GILLESPIE If you are like most people, 2020 has proven to be a very difficult year on many levels. We have had to stretch ourselves in many different directions to make our lives work in a way that allows us to maintain some sort of balanced lifestyle and productivity. Our businesses along Queen […]
