A preview of an exciting installation that portrays public space and is displayed in public space – a layered imagery of the fabric of Toronto. Continue reading
Author Archives: Schuster Gindin
EARLY TORONTO PLAYGROUNDS
The lack of open space in overcrowded neighbourhoods created a visible problem a century ago. Children played in hazardous storage yards and vacant lots, were exposed to disease near waste disposal sites and were struck down by vehicles. Local reformers tackled the problem through the Toronto Playground Association. Continue reading
WAITING FOR GOOGLE
Our contemporary public square may be the internet, but China exerts state power and alerts us to the limits of freedom on the web. Continue reading
PUBLIC INTERVENTION/PUBLIC INSTALLATION
What was that geodesic plywood and scrap construction? And how did it change over time as people added messages, signs and pylons? Collaborative art? Perhaps. Continue reading
Ellington’s Cafe, a Highrise Documentary and Boneshaker
The latest from our Sidebar features. To see more, click on Going Out, Staying In and What’s Here. Continue reading
ARCHITECTURE FOR LEARNING, DOG WALKING, MAKING BREAD
Recent articles from our sidebar – to read the wide variety available there click on Going Out, Staying In and What’s Here. Continue reading
POWER
Power is a concept or phenomenon too amorphous, sprawling or chameleon-like ever to be amenable to exact identification. Where we are concerned with power, we must be satisfied to live with vagueness.* Vagueness may be inherent, but we can’t be satisfied without attempting to make a dent in it. We begin simply. Power is the … Continue reading
WORLDPRIDE 2014: How We Got Here
A look back at the origin of Pride activities in Toronto and the activism and efforts that have gone into the making of WorldPride 2014. Continue reading
HYDRO: Getting The Power We Deserve
As we huddled under the covers in the dark and cold last December, the ice storm and its aftermath got us asking. Why was it such a massive outage? What was taking so long to fix it? Why is our system vulnerable to this? Who is responsible? How can we make sure this never happens again? Continue reading
PROTESTING THE MEGACITY: The Activist Camera And Citizen Power
The 1990s saw widespread street protests as unions and community groups came together to fight against the cutbacks in social services that were made in a radical shift to the right by the neo-conservative government of Mike Harris. Continue reading
COMMUNITY CONSULTATIONS: A Fraud Detector
Faced with a developer’s unwelcome application for rezoning, a Toronto neighbourhood agreed to take part in a Working Group set up by City Hall. Continue reading
EMPOWERING PARENTS: Information for Equitable Education
“Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world.” These are the wise words of Nelson Mandela and are especially important when it comes to meaningful parental engagement. Continue reading
ABUSE OF POWER: The Justice System at Risk
Recently, a Toronto criminal lawyer was found guilty of ‘smuggling’ marijuana into the Don Jail. Many criminal lawyers, including myself, were united in their anger with this verdict. Continue reading
POLITICAL POWER: More Than Voting
Canvassing is a great way to discover your neighbourhood and understand the ideas and concerns of people in your community. Continue reading
PORTUGUESE POLITICS IN THE CITY
It is often said that Toronto is a city of neighbourhoods, each with its own socioeconomic characteristics, ethnic communities, life cycles and histories. While that may be true, Toronto is also a cluster of “invisible cities”… Continue reading
LETTERPRESS, PUPPY LOVE AND INDIAN FOOD
The latest articles from our sidebar. For more, click on Going Out, Staying In, and What’s Here. Continue reading
ROAST, AMERICANAH AND NAAN
Recent items from our sidebar pages – see more by clicking on Going Out, Staying In, and What’s Here. Continue reading
Updates
Recent developments, the latest info and follow-up to some of our stories. Continue reading
BRIDGES
Over ravines, rivers, railroad tracks. Across ages, languages, cultures. From past to present. Situations requiring bridges are rife in Toronto. How do we extend ourselves to connect? Continue reading
BUILDING BRIDGES THROUGH MUSIC
World-renowned harmonica player Mike Stevens has been connecting with young people in remote Aboriginal communities through music since 1999. His goal is to
inspire kids who have been left behind by giving them tools to ‘breathe in their world and breathe out their music’.
Continue reading
BELOW THE BRIDGE
Toronto photographer Alex Ioannou’s series of images is not a view typically captured in photos of bridges. Startling visions of altitude and grandeur occasionally evoke cathedrals while others display function in the heart of a city. Continue reading
A SHOOTING, A PLAY, AN EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND
What can a city do to deal with the tragedy of a police shooting? An answer comes from an unlikely place. The city’s arts community offers a way to build bridges between people and communities. Continue reading
Toronto’s Chinatowns, the Music Garden and a Film Short
The newest articles from our sidebar. Check under Going Out, Staying In and What’s Here for more. Continue reading
Building a better bar, Place of Art and Cake
The latest articles from our sidebar. Look under Going Out, Staying In, and What’s Here for more. Continue reading
Saving an Old Building, Comfort Food, Watching Film
The latest additions to our Sidebar features. Click on anything under Going Out, Staying In and What’s Here for more. Continue reading
St. Clair Streetcar is 100, Little Libraries and Arctic Defenders
A few articles from our sidebar categories: Going Out, Staying In and What’s Here. Click on them for many more. Continue reading
The City
Our take on Mayor Ford. Continue reading
Book Group, Red Peppers and Pumpkin Pie
Some of the new articles from our Sidebar spots – Going Out, Staying In and What’s Here. Continue reading
FINDING HOME
We are a city of immigrants, we know, but what does this mean for each of us? We explore some of the myriad aspects of being at home. Continue reading
I KNOW HOME
I know home: it’s St. Clair West but belonging here today is the germination of seeds planted decades ago. For those, like me, who have lost their place in the world, finding it again becomes a journey, a quest to feel rooted… Continue reading
