TTC streetcars are flying little Canadian flags off their back wires this weekend. I find this a charming little touch.
NOW has an interesting article this week about the conflict over the placement of a skateboard park in Etobicoke. More facilities for skateboarders are definitely needed, but some are questioning the choice of Colonel Sam Smith park, a waterfront park that is mostly a nature reserve. It seems like one of those depressing conflicts between good causes.
Another article in NOW this week deals with what is potentially a major change in Toronto’s government — the passage of a series of changes to Toronto’s city government that centralize power to the Mayor and a new “executive.” While the changes were supposedly proposed after public consultations, in fact the main thrust of the public input was that power should be decentralized into more community councils, rather than centralized. There are some minor additional powers given to the existing four community councils, but they’re not that significant.
A final note — next weekend (July 7-9) is one of my favourite public space events in Toronto, the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition in Nathan Phillips Square.
