When is a renovation truly a renovation, and when is it a ruse for avoiding additional “minor variances”? This question arose during a recent Committee of Adjustment (CoA) hearing to consider an application for minor …more
“Bonnet on a box.” Yes, you read that right. We’re referring to the shape of the roof and its relationship to the building itself. The very tall and bulky design has a mansard roof (sometimes …more
The usual pattern of development applications goes like this: start with sky high towers and density, and in response to pressure from the public and the City, heights and density are lowered to something more …more
I am writing this article on holiday, deep in the English countryside of rural Dorset. The only sounds are of birds, and the occasional lamb baah-ing in the meadow next door. It’s hard to imagine …more
As a participant in the wild world of Toronto planning, one quickly learns to recognize the driving role of the province’s Growth Plan and its direction for intensification around major transit station areas. The aims …more
Mid-June and it’s time for the annual Magical Gardens of Leaside tour, an opportunity to view and admire the most interesting, creative, and beautiful gardens in the community. But are we in danger of losing …more
You may recall that some months ago all of Toronto’s local ward boundaries were redrawn. Some municipal wards represented as many as 76,000 residents; others as few as 19,000. Consultants were hired to design models …more
Relief Line? That’s the rapid transit project intended to provide an alternative to the Line 1 Yonge Subway, originally part of former Mayor Miller’s Transit City plan, but derailed by another former Mayor calling for …more
The weather may be better now but it’s been a bad spring for Leaside’s storied streetscapes and upsetting for those who care about the incremental loss of Leaside’s heritage. Except that on Rumsey Road the …more
Every year, once March Break comes to an end, the traditional annual increase of through-traffic using Leaside streets begins. No matter where you live in our community you’ve likely noticed it, an unwelcome pattern that …more
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