fourONEsixSTYLE

Parkdale residents and politicos assembled Monday night to debate the question “Where Goes The Neighborhood?” The idea was to tackle the hot topic of gentrification. I’d attended hoping that, somehow, we could all band together to create a vision for the wayward community, but hope was not to be found. With widely respected panelists such as Spacing’s Matthew Blackett and the brain behind 401 Richmond, Margaret Zeidler, I’d hoped we’d do more than establish affordable housing as a priority and bash the former Harris government. Area MPP Cheri DiNovo stood up for comment too, saying she’s asked for 20,000 units of affordable housing to be built in this part of TO. I’m not sure where she intends to put it though, maybe that should have been on the debate agenda instead.

As it stands amongst other Toronto communities, Parkdale currently has a large percentage of renters and, Councilor Gord Perks pointed out, is one of only a few communities that still has legal rooming houses. Perhaps Parkdale is already doing its fair share to support those in the city with lower incomes and it may not have the infrastructure in place to help the resource dependant community. Parkdale is like Kensington was years ago, a place where newcomers to Toronto settle and try to build a future. Many young families are moving in as well, renovating homes and taking pride in their new neighborhood. No one wants any displacement of current residents however, so what it needs is a plan for growth and a way to ensure that rent and property taxes don’t skyrocket.

Businesses in the area are also seeing a shift. There is a much smaller percentage of variety and grocery stores, while home decor and reno stores are gaining popularity. However, commercial vacancy currently sits at 13%, making me think that gentrification isn’t the real problem. I can think of a few new cafes and bars in Parkdale too but nothing too chichi or chic that it’s going to get condo-dwellers buying into the “dream” of living right in the middle of the action. Ultimately it’s the high-rise condos that will anchor Queen Street West, in Parkdale’s neighboring ward just east of the tracks, that frighten Parkdale residents. Though, it could bring more focus westward and Parkdale could begin to see some necessary improvements. Perhaps it’ll start with a few new facades, some new parks, a community centre, then a renovated building or two. There’s so much promise in Parkdale, all that’s needed is a plan and a way to ensure it includes all kinds of people. That’s the only way Parkdale will retain its unique charm and character.

Read what people have to say about it at blogTO, so far there are 19 comments making it one of the top posts of the month.

image: avp17

With the Canadian election this week I’m feeling very patriotic, even despite the Conservative win.

I was watching one show I don’t like to miss, Rick Mercer’s Report, today and Rick was all like “Wow, remember the good old days” and i’m thinking “Yeah. Wasn’t it cool” but then I’m thinking “Wow, I wish Rick Mercer was on ifilm, or maybe, like, Canada could have it’s own version of the cool site so we could see funny Canadian content video on an all Canadian owned website.” “Wow. That would be cool”, Rick said.

But then Rick Mercer went and put up video on his own site and I’m thinking. “Yeah, That’s cool, who needs ifilm”.
So now I can check out Pierre Berton’s “How To Roll A Joint” piece any time I want and feel like nothing’s changed in this country at all; there’s still Canadian content on the airwaves and a man over 80 will still not get busted for wanting to smoke a little pot (See October 18, 2004 episode for How To Roll A Joint), but we can talk in a couple months and see if there’s still something called Canadian content.

Ps. The vids are in Quicktime, Windows and Real Media Player, but not for every piece.

In my work with the Green Party I’ve come across some people who think that the NDP’s are a sound environmental choice in this election simply because they list a few things in their policy geared toward this issue. They do not put the environment first, they put unions first, uranium mining first and import of US toxic waste to Canada first.

If you have the chance please read the Media Release I wrote and sent out this morning:

A Greener Campaign

(January 18, 2006, Toronto) Campaign brochures landed in the mailboxes of many Parkdale-High Park residents today. In this last week of campaigning, candidates know it’s critical to make an impact. While several parties claim to make environmental issues a priority, a quick look at the method and means of printing these brochures only helps compound the fact that the Green Party does more toward a sustainable environment than any other party.

Parkdale-High Park Green Party candidate Rob Rishchynski ensures his campaign is living up to the environmental standards that often define his party. “Our campaign materials are produced using recycled papers and waterless printing processes. All campaign lawn signs are collected and re-used.”

In an added boost to the party today, The Sierra Club of Canada rated the Greens’ platform highest among all five parties in its commitment to the environment. “The Green Party really improved its platform since the 2004 election, with a greater sophistication in its policy…it has the strongest set of recommendations for environment and sustainability”, said Elizabeth May, Executive Director of the Sierra Club of Canada.

No other party appears to have a comprehensive strategy for reaching its environmental goals. Nor, in the case of Parkdale-High Park, has any other candidate but Rishchynski paid attention to the little things that matter, like ISO 14001 certified printing, energy conservation and using recycled materials.

Rishchynski knows it’s these very things that will make an impact with residents and business owners in the community, and he’s certain his party can offer real solutions for the environment while improving Canada’s economic outlook. For your copy of the brochure or to learn more about Green Party policies please visit www.parkdalehighparkgreens.ca

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Also, if you have the opportunity, visit the Green Party blog, where I pulled the following:

The Green Party is unequivocally opposed to subsidizing car companies such as Ford and GM – which have the highest CO2 emissions of any major car companies worldwide
The Green Party is unequivocally opposed to construction of new nuclear power plants
The Green Party is unequivocally opposed to exporting uranium for nuclear weapons
The Green Party is unequivocally opposed to clear cutting
The Green Party is opposed to the commercial seal hunt and would cut government subsidies to it
The Green Party is unequivocally opposed to importing toxic waste from the United States to incinerate in Canada.

The NDP Record:

The NDP government in BC supported the clear cutting of Clayoquot Sound
The NDP government in Ontario supported the construction of the Darlington Nuclear Power Plant
The federal NDP supported $100 million in subsidies to Ford in the Fall of 2004 and $200 million in subsidies to General Motors in March 2005 to protect CAW jobs, but GM announced 30,000 layoffs for North American workers in November 2005
The NDP accepts exporting uranium without guarantees that these exports are not used to create weapons of mass destruction;
The NDP always puts unionized jobs ahead of the environment. Which is worse: putting business interests ahead of the environment or unions’ interests ahead of the environment? Answer – both are creating an ecological debt for our children.
The NDP instigated the fall of the Liberal government in November 2005 before the most important conference in my lifetime – the conference to negotiate the follow on agreement to the Kyoto Protocol. All the opposition parties put short-term political interest ahead of the long term interest of the planet and future generations.

Guess which Party made the following statements or actions:

“Environmentalists are the enemies of progress” (NDP Premier in BC)
The largest mass arrest in Canada’s history – arresting grandmothers, students and teachers stopping logging trucks from clear cutting old growth forest in Clayoquot. (Under an NDP government).
In power, the NDP in Ontario, BC, Saskatchewan and Manitoba has never implemented proportional representation.
What party pressured the leader’s Chief of Staff to resign because he personally opposed the commercial seal hunt in Newfoundland? (Answer: NDP – Rick Smith as Layton’s Chief of Staff was pressured to resign in 2004).

Jim Harris rides the C-Train
Originally uploaded by Grant Neufeld.

I’ve been campaigning with the Green Party in the Parkdale High Park riding for a couple weeks now. I’ve been to several All-Candidates meetings and met many business owners who reassured me that the idea of electing a Green candidate is not far off. Many welcome the idea that the Green Party’s policy is both fiscally responsible and environmentally sustainable.

What impresses me, after reading all federal party platforms, is that green leader Jim Harris and the Greens have a clear vision and also have very realistic objectives with which to reach their goals for the future of this country. I didn’t seem to find this with any other party. Sure, the Liberals will throw cash at their “issues” which might help in the short term, and the NDP’s words tell us they believe in the environment while all their actions point in support of dirty dirty industry.

The Liberals have an appaulling record at meeting Kyoto standards - carbon emissions have gone up 24% since 1993 instead of their promised 20% decline; and Harper’s party is starting to remind us of why we hated them in the last election, telling the papers the Conservatives will scrap Kyoto altogether. Even though they say Harper’s a changed man doesn’t mean he won’t set us back 10 years to a time when the lack of certain freedoms and liberties repressed and alienated friends and neighbours.

The Green Party seems to be the only one thinking ahead. They are socially progressive, want to change the way government and tax is structured, do away with corporate campaign donations and give us all a place to live where we can breath freer, fresher air.

On January 23rd, vote Green. Tell Ottawa we are ready for a greener country and a greener government.

If you need more information visit greenparty.ca.

green party
Originally uploaded by 416style.

We often tell ourselves we’d like to get involved and make a difference. Well, there’s no better time than now. With an election happening on January 23rd it’s a short time commitment if you want to make your voice heard in your community, and there are several ways to do it. The first place to start is to read about the candidates in your riding. The second step would be to get involved with the campaign: canvas the neighbourhood, distribute signs or see what else you can offer the campaign office. For some of us this is not possible, so the next step is simple: GET OUT AND VOTE! There’s no excuse.

I’ve been involved in my riding of Parkdale-High Park since the last election. I knew the candidates and was amazed by 2004 Green Party candidate Neil Spiegel. He was well-educated, well-spoken and had a clear vision. This time I’m on board again with new candidate: Rob Rishchynski for the Parkdale-High Park Green Party. The Greens’ mandate is one I can respect: they are fiscally responsible, socially progressive and wish to sustain the environment which they recognize is interconnected with the economy. It’s worked in various parts of Europe for years and now it’s time for their policy to start to work here: in Parkdale-High Park, in Toronto and the rest of this beautiful country.

Welcome to the Neighborhood
Originally uploaded by steffiejupe.

Heard a great Parkdale story last night: a guy was giving his wife grocery money in the car and got arrested since the cops thought he was a john. Great neighborhood, if you can contend with crack users at 9 in the morning. Still, some people get upset when neighborhoods go through “gentrification”. What would you rather live in, a community that’s rebuilding or an abandoned one like parts of Detroit with no momentum unless its crime related?

Parkdale’s feeling some pressure now that the lovely little stretch of Toronto called West Queen West is seeing a rivival. Charming galleries and shops line the streets. The Drake and Gladstone Hotel (which opened last night) have tried their best too to make something that the artsy neighborhood would appreciate. But now here comes Starbucks and everyone freaks out. This picture was published in Now and eye magazines this week to further their social commentary about the nasty beast called gentrification.

Sure, there’ll always be those that suffer as things change. People won’t always be happy. But The Stardust Motel, which is now The Drake, did nothing to make this city sparkle, and to be honest I can’t even remember what was on this corner of Dovercourt previously.

On the opposite side of the street there is now a big sign and a very unusual structure which looks like a climbing wall with mirrors, but it’s actually a condo office for Westside Lofts. That should make the neighbors happy, or crazy, depending what side of the tracks they’re on. A recent article in the Toronto Star featured the lofts at 48 Abell, where my boyfriend Craig used to live. Seems these lofts will be torn down since it can’t be brought up to code. So these tenants, who’ve had great rent and some of the best true lofts in the city will now have to find a new place. I do feel for them, but they’ve had a great ride.

It’s a fantastic new location and I couldn’t help put my name “on the list” for the new condo’s marketing campaign, as stupid as their message was. Go to the site for westsidelofts to see it for yourself. Girl and guy line up outside a club, but they’re “not on the list”. “Get yourself on the list” it says. Pretty gay, but condo advertising usually is. I didn’t know much about these condos when I signed up but I heard that plans might be to build two towers, one a low income building “with a mind to the art crowd” the paper says, and one tower with “snappy condominiums [for] hipsters that can afford real estate”. I think I’m out. Towers in this neighborhood are a bad idea and anyone who thinks they can market condos to wanna-be “hipsters” needs to be a bit more dialed in to this neighborhood’s personality.

citygirls
Originally uploaded by 416style.

Madonna’s lyrics “Am I Gonna Be A Star?” run through my head. Took yesterday off to ’star’ in a commercial for Toronto’s Beck Taxi. Not a bad way to spend the day, drink wine, say a line…. I wasn’t feeling natural at first but it seemed to all come together. My boyfriend Craig starred opposite me, the archetypal boyfriend trying to rush his woman out the door. Hope the chemistry shows on screen.

Later in the night I attended some broadcaster’s convention/piss up with my sisinlaw Wendy. We were there at about 7pm but these kids had been drinking since noon. It was a little nuts but a great time. The highlight? I ran into Mayor Miller in the Sheraton, shot him a coy smile and got a sincere hello from the charming man.

Love this city. Toronto’s feeling electric lately and (maybe since it’s all lit up in fantastic Christmas lights) yesterday I was bubbling with civic pride.

space ship
Originally uploaded by steffiejupe.

Traveling through Scandinavia as a teen, I would see massive amounts of graffiti all along the major train routes. Click clak. Click clak. My eyes would be fixed on the art as I passed; one brief moment, one spontaenous message, one image burned in my memory. It made me happy and reassured. Then, I would come back to my home in this city and everything felt so bland, so constructed, lacking the color and life of more established cities.

A couple years into High School my friends started the Keele wall, seen here, behind the Midas garage in High Park. It inspired me, made me draw, take pictures, explore the city. It was also really cool that Midas let my friends spraypaint whatever they liked as long as they designed a Midas logo for the passing subway cars and commuters to see. The wall still flourishes today, its message always new and simple. In this image it’s a spaceship, and the word “sight”. Next month a new artist will cover the space.

Even though the trend toward grafitti covered walls has been increasing in popularity, the City of Toronto has been pushing for stricter measures against its proliferation. The message to commercial property owners is this: “Clean up the art or pay the painting bill that the city hands over and a potential fine.” The argument presented is that alleys and walls of spraypaint scare away tourists. But, which tourists?

At the same time as this crackdown, festivals around the city are supporting the art and bringing people into the city core to celebrate it. Harbourfront Centre sponsored a Beats, Breaks and Culture event which showcased grafitti-based art, as well as music. The Grafitti 416 expo is on this weekend at Portland and Queen, and Little X’s Getting Up Festival last weekend advertised grafitti demos as part of its allure. Even, City Hall was involved in one outdoor art exhibition held this summer on its grounds that featured some of Toronto’s grafitti artists.

Yet, grafitti still gets a bad rap. Sure, there are punks with no respect, tagging buildings they have no right to. My anger flared seeing 1930’s dance club Palais Royale tagged by some amateur, and now the Hotel Edgewater’s retro sign will never be the same.

So some people give it a bad name. They’re not artists in the same right. Parameters should be set, and business owners should have their say. The mayor’s little broom icon from his campaign bumper stickers refered to trash and not art, I thought. Mayor Miller should learn the difference. The rest of the city knows. As do I. When I’m on that subway train heading to Keele station, about to pass the wall, and I see several TTC riders looking out the window with curious eyes all lit up looking at the wall, it makes me proud, and reassured that art of many kinds has a place in a city of many cultures.