Unit 2 Community Space

Sorry all! Due to little sign ups and so last so last min the workshop is cancelled ! We hope to have Maria back!

Last min workshop tomorrow 6-8, with Maria Jose Salgado! Amazing Colombian percussionist who has helped bring percussion to women and / or NB / trans folks. Taught by Amazing Black and Indigenous maestros! Message us for google form! Will put form in bio!

June 5th!! is coming to town with .kei and

PWYC doors at 7.30!

SAVE STERLING LOFTS
Dear community, please read and send letters to all 25 councillors, to help the warehouse community up the street from us cut and paste draft letter below with all councillors emails

May 17:
Last Call to Save Sterling Artist Lofts

TLDR – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
The final vote is May 20 – all 25 City Councillors decide whether to demolish Sterling Studio Lofts
The April 30 hearing ended with no decision – Councillor Bravo moved to forward the application "without recommendation" to full Council
The heritage process was not transparent – City Council voted twice to designate 221 Sterling Road as heritage (2021 & 2022). Then, behind closed doors (April 2023), the Preservation Board reversed it – with no Heritage Planning staff evaluation and no public scrutiny
FOI requests for the hidden documents have been refused – judicial review failed, OLT removed our community as a party
Creative businesses get nothing – circus school, ballet school, recording studio, furniture makers, dozens of artists – no replacement space, no compensation
Tenants are being treated unfairly – lofts with bedrooms are being counted as "studios" for rent gap assistance (lower payouts), amenities like laundry and parking are being stripped, and vaulted ceilings (30 units) are only being restored for 16 units

"Demolish now, build later" is a real risk – it's already happening around the city. We need binding timelines and penalties
What we need: Pause the permit. Full transparency. Fair treatment for tenants. Replacement for creative businesses.

HOW YOU CAN HELP (by May 20):
Email ALL 25 Councillors (template below)
Share this newsletter
Watch the meeting live: youtube.com/TorontoCityCouncilLive
Silence = demolition.
Dear Neighbours and Supporters,

On April 30, the Toronto and East York Community Council heard from many impassioned deputations about Sterling Studio Lofts – the century-old home to artists, a circus school, a ballet school, a recording studio, furniture makers, and many other businesses and residents.

Then, without a vote for or against demolition, Councillor Alejandra Bravo moved to forward the application to full City Council "without recommendation."
The final, binding vote happens May 20, 2026.
This is not a win. This is a delay – and a shift of venue.
Now all 25 City Councillors will decide whether to approve the demolition permit. They will do so without a clear recommendation from the Community Council that heard our voices.

The Transparency Crisis (The Bigger Story)
Our community has been locked out at every turn.
2021 & 2022: City Council voted twice to designate 221 Sterling Road as a heritage property. The community participated in good faith.
April 2023: The Toronto Preservation Board considered the developer's heritage permit application (seeking to demolish that heritage designation) entirely behind closed doors – with no Heritage Planning staff evaluation placed before the Board. The Board adopted confidential recommendations from the City Solicitor.
The public has never seen the Heritage Planning staff evaluation. FOI requests have been filed. The City has refused to produce the documents.
Our community sought judicial review. The City's lawyers fought us all the way to the Divisional Court.
We sought an adjournment at the OLT. We were removed as a party entirely.
A heritage designation twice approved by City Council was effectively reversed through a process the public could not see, participate in, or challenge.

This is not how democracy is supposed to work.
We need you to act. Right now.

The Real Story: A Process Lacking Transparency
Our community has been locked out at every turn. Here is what the public record shows – and what City Council needs to understand before they vote.

A Heritage Designation, Then a Secret Reversal
July 2020: City Council authorized a two-year area study of the Bloor-Sterling area.
November 2021: Heritage Planning staff recommended heritage designation for 221 Sterling Road. City Council agreed.
August 2022: City Council voted a second time to designate 221 Sterling Road as a heritage property under the Ontario Heritage Act.
The community participated in good faith. We relied on these public decisions.

Then, behind closed doors:
January 2023: The developer filed a heritage permit application – seeking permission to demolish the heritage attributes of the very building the City had just designated.
April 2023: The Toronto Preservation Board considered the application entirely in camera (behind closed doors). There was no Heritage Planning staff evaluation placed before the Board. Instead, the Board adopted confidential recommendations from the City Solicitor's office – attached as a confidential document the public has never seen.
May 2023: City Council adopted those confidential recommendations.
Fall 2023: The Ontario Land Tribunal appeal was settled. Our community was removed as a party to the proceedings.

The result: A heritage designation, twice approved by City Council, was effectively reversed through a process the public could not see, participate in, or challenge.

We have filed Freedom of Information requests for the Heritage Planning staff evaluation.
We are still waiting.
We sought judicial review. The City lawyers fought us all the way to the Divisional Court.
We sought an adjournment at the OLT. We were removed as parties entirely.

This is not how a transparent, democratic planning process is supposed to work.

The Technical Issues (What Tenants Are Facing)
Beyond the transparency crisis, there are specific, unresolved issues about how the City is calculating what tenants currently have – and what they will lose.

1. Bedroom Count for Rent Gap Assistance (RGP)
Many units have large open spaces with lofts or half-walled rooms that serve as bedrooms. In some cases, enclosing bedroom spaces would not be safe or practical given the configuration of the building's boiler system.

The problem: The City and developer have classified these as "studio/bachelor" suites because the sleeping areas lack four full walls and a door. This subjects tenants to a lower RGP compensation rate (approximately $1,950 instead of the one-bedroom rate).

What tenants have pointed out:
Neither the Ontario Building Code nor CMHC definitions require a bedroom to be enclosed by four walls and a door. The Building Code regulates "sleeping areas" through safety standards, not enclosure.
The City's own Growing Up Guidelines state that unit design should support livability, functionality, and separation of daily activities.
What tenants have asked for: A clear set of criteria from City Planning for enumerating what counts as a "bedroom" in their existing units.
What they have received: Nothing. City Planning has insisted the current enumeration is "consistent with internal protocols" but has not provided the actual criteria.

2. Loss of Amenities
Most tenants currently have, included in their leases:
In-suite laundry
Private outdoor space
Parking
Storage facilities
The replacement building proposes none of these. Tenants will not have guaranteed parking, private outdoor space, storage, or even in-suite laundry. There is no plan for rent abatement or lump-sum compensation.

The result: Tenants will be paying more to have less.

3. Vaulted Ceilings & Volumetric Space
30 units currently have vaulted ceilings that enable business activities (e.g., circus/aerial studio).
Only 16 units are proposed to have vaulted ceilings in the new building.
The problem: Replacement units do not account for volumetric space lost. It is unclear what criteria City Planning has used to determine which units will have their vaulted ceilings restored. Tenants' requests for transparency have not been addressed.

What Is at Stake on May 20
If Council approves this demolition permit, dozens of visual artists, makers, and small theatre companies will be forced to move with no replacement space for their businesses.

The residential tenants have been offered replacement units. As far as the public record states, the creative businesses – the very heart of Sterling Studio Lofts – receive nothing to compensate for their businesses.
Toronto has demolished warehouse spaces like this for thirty years. Artists move to Hamilton, Montreal, or small towns. They do not come back. The vibrant, creative city that the 1990s promised us dies a little more each time.

This is one of the last remaining live-work arts communities in Toronto. Once it is gone, it cannot be rebuilt.

What We Are Asking For

We are asking City Council to pause or reject the demolition permit until:

Full transparency is provided about the confidential April 2023 Preservation Board process – including why no Heritage Planning staff evaluation was placed before the Board.
Clear, written criteria are provided for how bedrooms are enumerated for RGP calculation – criteria consistent with the Building Code, CMHC definitions, and the City's own Growing Up Guidelines.
Amenities (in-suite laundry, parking, storage, outdoor space) are restored in the replacement building, or appropriate compensation is provided.
Vaulted ceilings and volumetric space are restored for all units that currently have them – not just 16 of 30.
A legally binding construction timeline is secured, with penalties and a performance bond, to prevent the site from sitting vacant for years.

How You Can Help – Deadline: May 20
1. Email ALL 25 City Councillors
We have prepared a template letter below. Copy, paste, personalize, and send to every single City Councillor before May 20.
2. Share this newsletter
Forward it to everyone who cares about arts spaces, affordable housing, and the democratic process in Toronto.
3. Watch the meeting (if you cannot speak)
The meeting will be livestreamed on YouTube: youtube.com/TorontoCityCouncilLive

A Note on "Demolish Now, Build Later"
As No Demovictions noted: "Rental demolition further feeds the land development speculative bubble and drives up housing prices."
The developer practice of submitting an application, demolishing the building, and letting the land sit fallow is already happening around the city.

We cannot let this happen to Sterling Studio Lofts!

Template Letter to City Councillors

Copy and paste the text below. Add your name and address or personalize the content.
Send to all 25 councillors using the email list provided after the template.

Subject: TE32.7 - 221, 225 and 227 Sterling Road: TRANSPARENCY MATTERS!
To: [email protected] | 25 Toronto City Councillors (see email list below, please BCC their emails.)

Dear Councillors,

I am writing to you ahead of the May 20, 2026 City Council vote on the Rental Housing Demolition application for 221, 225 and 227 Sterling Road – Sterling Studio Lofts.

I urge you to pause or reject this demolition permit until serious questions about process transparency and tenant fairness are answered.

What Is at Stake
Sterling Studio Lofts is not a conventional rental building. It is a century-old industrial complex that has been home to artists, makers, and performers for forty years – including a circus school, a ballet school, a recording studio, master furniture makers, and dozens of visual artists and small theatre companies.

None of these creative businesses receives any replacement space or compensation under this application.

But even for the residential tenants, the current proposal is deeply unfair.

The Process Was Not Transparent
In 2021 and 2022, City Council voted twice to designate 221 Sterling Road as a heritage property. The community participated in good faith.

Then, behind closed doors:
April 2023: The Toronto Preservation Board considered the developer's heritage permit application (seeking to demolish that heritage designation) entirely in camera – with no Heritage Planning staff evaluation placed before the Board. The Board adopted confidential recommendations from the City Solicitor.
The public has never seen the Heritage Planning staff evaluation. A Freedom of Information request for that document remains unresolved.
When our community sought judicial review, the City fought us all the way to the Divisional Court.
When we sought an adjournment at the Ontario Land Tribunal, we were removed as a party entirely.
A heritage designation twice approved by City Council was effectively reversed through a process the public could not see, participate in, or meaningfully challenge.

Voting for this demolition permit means accepting that this closed-door process is how Toronto handles heritage protection.

The Tenant Issues: Unfair and Unexplained
Beyond the transparency crisis, there are specific, unresolved issues about how the City is calculating what tenants currently have – and what they will lose.

1. Bedroom Count for Rent Gap Assistance (RGP)
Many units have large open spaces with lofts or half-walled rooms that serve as bedrooms. The City and developer have classified these as "studio/bachelor" suites because the sleeping areas lack four full walls and a door. This subjects tenants to a lower RGP compensation rate (approximately $1,950 instead of the one-bedroom rate).

But neither the Ontario Building Code nor CMHC definitions require a bedroom to be enclosed by four walls and a door. The City's own Growing Up Guidelines state that unit design should support livability, functionality, and separation of daily activities.

Tenants have asked City Planning for a clear set of criteria for enumerating what counts as a "bedroom." City Planning has not provided this, only that the current enumeration is "consistent with internal protocols."

2. Loss of Amenities
Most tenants currently have, included in their leases: in-suite laundry, private outdoor space, parking, and storage facilities.

The replacement building proposes none of these. Tenants will not have guaranteed parking, private outdoor space, storage, or even in-suite laundry. There is no plan for rent abatement or lump-sum compensation.

The result: Tenants will be paying more to have less.

3. Vaulted Ceilings & Volumetric Space
30 units currently have vaulted ceilings that enable business activities (e.g., circus/aerial studio).

Only half of these are proposed to have vaulted ceilings in the new building.
Replacement units do not account for volumetric space lost. It is not clear what criteria City Planning has used to determine which units will have vaulted ceilings restored. Tenants' requests for transparency have not been addressed.

The "Demolish Now, Build Later" Risk
We are deeply concerned that approving this demolition permit now will lead to a vacant, fenced-off lot for years.

As the group No Demovictions has documented, rental demolition feeds the land development speculative bubble and drives up housing prices. The developer practice of submitting an application, demolishing the building, and letting the land sit fallow is already happening all across Toronto.

As then-Councillor Jaye Robinson noted in 2020, developers "demolish the existing homes after letting them fall into a state of disrepair, and then leave the site dormant for years." Today, Councillor Josh Matlow warns that Toronto is "littered with pre-development condo sites that remain empty" as "big holes or derelict eyesores."

If this permit is approved without strict, enforceable timelines and financial penalties, our community will be displaced indefinitely while an empty lot sits where our homes and studios once stood.

What We Are Asking For
We are asking you to pause the demolition permit until:
Full transparency is provided about the confidential April 2023 Preservation Board process – including why no Heritage Planning staff evaluation was placed before the Board.
Clear, written criteria are provided for how bedrooms are enumerated for RGP calculation – so that tenants are fairly compensated when they are displaced criteria consistent with the Building Code, CMHC definitions, and the City's own Growing Up Guidelines.
Amenities (in-suite laundry, parking, storage, outdoor space) are restored in the replacement building, or appropriate compensation is provided.
Vaulted ceilings and volumetric space are restored for all units that currently have them – not just 16 of 30.
A legally binding construction timeline is secured, with penalties and a performance bond, to prevent the site from sitting vacant for years – a documented pattern that has already happened at other Toronto sites.

You have the power to demand transparency and fairness before approving the destruction of one of Toronto's last live-work arts communities.

Please do not let this happen in the dark.

Respectfully,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Address / Ward, if known]
[Your Phone Number]

EMAIL LIST – ALL 25 CITY COUNCILLORS (Copy and paste into BCC field)
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
*(Note: Ward 16 is currently vacant following Councillor Robinson's passing. Emails to that office may bounce or be auto-forwarded.)*
In Closing
The building is still standing. There is still time to do this properly.
Silence = demolition.

Toronto City Council We manage meetings, agendas and minutes of Toronto City Council and its committees. An official site of the City Clerk's Office for the City of Toronto.

Practice of Love 🎶
TICKET LINK IN BIO!

We’re stepping into the new season with intention and we want you in the room!

Join us for a very special night of previews from our new live show and celebration of two special singles;

🎧 LAL - Shadow Of Your Dreams
🎧 FOLKE EP launch- Stephaun.

Two celebrations. One room. All love. ❤️

📍 Tranzac (Main Hall) – 292 Brunswick Ave, Toronto
📅 Saturday, March 21
⏰ 8:00 PM – 12:30 AM (or later if the dance floor says so)
🎟️ $12–25 sliding scale – no one turned away for lack of funds - FREE SINGLE IF U BUY TICKET ONLINE!

ASL prodvide for show by (https://www.instagram.com/phoenixthefire1111/)

This is a community affair. Come through for the music, stay for the people, and let’s fill the space with energy.
Design by: (https://www.instagram.com/maxholio/) SPECTACULAR short film by (https://www.instagram.com/octo_supra/) produced by Rosinamultiplefutures (https://www.instagram.com/rosinamultiplefutures/) (https://www.instagram.com/jvoils/)

This event has been supported by : (https://www.instagram.com/ontarioartscouncil/) (https://www.instagram.com/torontoartscouncil/) .council (https://www.instagram.com/canada.council/) (https://www.instagram.com/tangled_arts/)

(https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/lalforest/) (https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/torontomusic/) (https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/communityovereverything/) (https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/singlereleaseparty/) (https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/supportlocalartists/)

Starting a weekly focus hours, every Wednesday 2-4pm!

Share please! welcome tender again, second edition.

on tuesday, december 30, we gather once more for a pay-what-you-can drop-in bodywork clinic offering acupuncture, massage, osteo, myofascial, reiki, cupping, and all-day acu-detox.

we’ll spend the final hour in community - sharing space and connection - and from 3–4 PM, we’ll teach acu-detox so healing can travel with you.

this clinic is for unhoused neighbours, frontline workers, low-income, Indigenous, Black, trans, and migrant community members.

free childcare provided.

pay what you can, only if you can.

tend to the body to tend to the fight.

if you would like to donate funds for acu-detox supplies or food for the day, dm miru  (https://www.instagram.com/bubblewandbrb/) or nyda  (https://www.instagram.com/de_adyn/)