Archives /// Public Enemy

"Muriel Avenue is a very graphic example of the detrimental effects front yard parking has on a neighbourhood," says Ron McKay, who's lived on the street near Pape and Danforth with his family for ten years. South of Selkirk Street, there's a relatively mature canopy of trees shading the street, shielding homes from the wind and the sun, and greening the avenue. To the north, only one mature tree remains standing, says Ron, and parking pads — those strips of pavement in front of homes that provide personal parking spaces on private property — are largely to blame. Technically, front yard ...

It's almost impossible to make plans with my dad in the winter. His rural sensibilities dictate that as soon as the first snowflake of the season touches the ground, driving conditions are unpredictable. No matter how far ahead you plan, or how important the event you're planning may be, his reply to any invite remains frustratingly consistent: "We'll have to see what the weather's like," he says. "You never know if they'll be calling for freezing rain." This attitude towards winter driving is rare in Toronto. The nation's economic engine can't afford to let nature get in the way of people ...