Nestled in the rural/suburbia of Pottageville lives a park. Pottageville park is filled with green grassy fields, groves of pine, a colourful jungle gym, and a stream that runs through its centre that my dog enjoys bathing in on the way home from a hot summer walk. Pottageville park is…

It has been over a year since COVID-19 has caused Ontario residents to rely on remote working and learning, yet according to a Now Toronto article, many parents are forced to risk the safety of their family and send their children to school as they do not have access to…

Hi Tehreem! This is a really insightful blog post, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I am similarly alarmed at the GTA and Toronto’s issue of gentrification, it is absolutely insane that that shed is being sold at such a high price. This issue is so alarming because it causes so many other issues. It feels like gentrification is causing Toronto’s middle class to disappear as they now can’t afford anything within the city and have to choose either very poor living conditions or even homelessness. I have friends who are searching for an apartment right now and the prices of the most mediocre places are driven up to practically unaffordable because Toronto has become so gentrified.

During the past lockdown, many amenities including trails have been closed in Ontario. This is unfortunate, as in urban spaces it is a more Covid safe alternative for citizens to go on hikes rather than explore the city and walk on the sidewalks where social distancing is harder to abide by given the tight space. In addition to this, the government should encourage Ontarians to stay active and continue to get fresh air during the pandemic where most time is spent inside, and keeping trails open promotes safe physical activity.

In December of 2020, a new facility to support homeless LGBTQ+ youth was opened after 5 years of planning and construction. Friends of Ruby is a nonprofit private social services organization that aims to provide homeless LGBTQ+ people from the ages of 16–29 a safe temporary living environment and mental…

Pictured here is the corner of Yonge and Irwin street during the first gay pride festival in 1981. I find that a lot of people argue against the validity of queer people by saying that it is a “trend” because there were few queer people represented throughout history. This picture opposes that by representing the rich community of queer people and how even in the 80s the LGBTQ community in Toronto was able to celebrate their gender expression and sexuality.

Here is a short creative writing piece I wrote in last week’s workshop with Ronna Bloom. Ronna said to pick an object that we gravitate towards and describe it the best we can. I chose my big Picasso book that sits perched on my desk all day. …

The Ontario government has reported that elementary and high schools across Ontario will reopen within the next few weeks. Despite continuous high case levels and no new safety measures stated, education minister Stephen Lecce states that “We will not put your child and your family at risk,”. During the initial…

Pictured here is the skyline of Toronto from Victoria University at dawn, highlighting the empty glow of corporate buildings and apartment complexes dotted with the units of early risers. In this photo, there is a stillness and peace that exists only briefly until the city awakens again.