Kensington Orphan Lanes

This includes Cyril Lane, the emergency fire exit for Kensington Community School, and Ellen Lane, the only vehicular access to a Toronto Community Seniors Housing building. These orphan lanes are broken, unlit and filthy. They are infested with rats and trash. Their visible neglect attracts illegal activities that are profoundly disruptive for the neighbourhood. Although they are used by heavy vehicles, the lanes' structural integrity is unknown. Municipal Licensing and Standards can do nothing in the absence of a current owner. There are multiple indicators that these lanes were always intended to be part of the city's road network. The lanes have never been assessed for taxes, and so cannot be removed from limbo by a tax sale. Some bear names marked by official city street signs. Some contain public infrastructure, such as catch basins. Community members are pleading for the city to take responsibility for these orphan lanes, or to ensure that someone else does.