The latest episode of The Agency Podcast is up. It’s called Uncle Spy. Listen to it here or find it in all those good podcast places. Today we feature an all Canada edition. Please join us. We hope you enjoy the show. If you like our little podcast, please tell your friends.
Donny Broussard….
Brushy One String….
Over at Sam Smith Park, this happy cat decided to show off by climbing a tree and goofing around up there for passers-by.
Barrence Whitfield and Tom Russell….
I understand Barrence Whitfield was born Barry White, but there was already one Barry White and he was a good one so…..
We enjoyed a lovely crisp and sunny morning. Ruby was working me in that doggy way that translates to “can we go somewhere in the car and have fun?….can we…can we….pleeeeaaasse?
I took them to the Arsenal lands where we met up with my friend Ted. We walked through the big field, the one with the water tower, past the ponds, back through the woods and out to the main bike trail, then back into the woods and out into the field leading to the beach.
The dogs saw the water and nevermind that it is December, they wanted a dip. “Can we can we can we can we?” OK they don’t speak English but they left little doubt what they wanted. Neither dog went very deep and they didn’t stay in for long, but in they went. The two of them are sleeping now, content.
Lazy, Staashu, and the whole gang are returning very soon, as Squeeze Box Man Volume 5 is at the printer. I’m really excited about this issue. I love the work Jacob Yerex has done bringing this set of stories to life. It even includes a gorgeous psychedelic sequence.
In this issue, the Bottle & Can is still on strike, but fortunately for Staash and Lazy, the band is getting popular around Toronto and their manager, Bananas Foster, is organizing a north country tour. Staashu and Sabina struggle in their relationship. Maggie’s demons won’t leave her alone. And Lazy tells the gang a story about the old days when he had The Rockets, and met up with a mysterious button accordion player down in San Antonio.
This will be the 5th of 6 volumes, which will complete the story arc.
If you are interested in purchasing copies of issues 1-5, please email me. Individual copies of any issue are $12 CAN + $3 shipping to anywhere. If you’re interested in subscribing to the entire set, including the future Volume 6, it’s $60 +shipping (I’ll ship 5 together and the 6th when it’s available). If you’re in Toronto and not too far from me, let me know – I can drop off copies and save you postage. Payment is by e-transfer in Canada or PayPal from out of country. For those of you who have already subscribed to the set, I’ll get #5 out to you as soon as it’s back from the printer’s.
Turning my little stories into a graphic novel was Jacob Yerex’s idea. He recognized how these stories could work in the graphic novel format and I’m beyond thrilled with how effectively he’s brought my characters to life and also added to the story and the depth of the characters. As well, he understood how we could set up a workable process for taking the project from an idea to completion. I wouldn’t have known where to start.
Around here, older houses are being demolished all the time, usually to make way for the biggest possible homes builders can get away with erecting. Down the road in Mimico, both a demolition application and a heritage status application were made for a home on Superior Ave. The demolition permit was issued a day before the Preservation Board meeting. Monday morning a demolition crew showed up. I read that at one point a woman had chained herself to the building but that did not stop the building from being trashed.
The building in question is one of 3 stone cottages unique in the area. You can read more details about the issue at BlogTo. I really have no idea if Heritage status is appropriate for this property, but in a more reasonable world, with both applications in play, the City or the Province or whoever is really in charge, should decide if we want to protect the building as a Heritage site before allowing the heavy equipment in, particularly since the responsible local politician was aware of the situation and was supporting heritage designation. Trashing the building a few hours before heritage status was to be decided was simply wrong. This demolition makes our complex multi-level processes and committees and political involvement seem like a joke.
I’m tired of the games. We have an official plan, but my experience having attended various Committee of Adjustment and other hearings is that has become meaningless. Major changes are called minor and many outrageous redevelopments are granted in the name of creating more housing. There are planners and lawyers whose entire focus is working our system.
Francine Kopun in the Toronto Star quoted our Councillor Mark Grimes: “It was heartbreaking to see this house come down.” He says he will request a review of the city’s heritage designation process. A review is a bit late, unfortunately, and I will be surprised if anything actually changes. Councillor Grimes apparently worked to stop the demolition but his efforts were ineffective. The developer had originally applied to build a triplex, according to The Star. That application was deferred at Committee, so instead he submitted a plan to build a single-family home – and he got his demolition permit. So, is the plan to build a triplex on the site dead? Apparently that original request is still out there and may be heard in the future.
Do we want to protect the character areas of our city? Does our history matter? Do we care about protecting green space and a robust tree canopy? Based on my experience here in Long Branch seems as if much of the time, profit rules. It must have been tremendously disheartening for local residents who have been fighting to protect the home to watch it fall on Monday.
Colter Wall….
Batzorig Vaanchig….
Wow!
27th Street 