Here are a few articles from the weekend that are wroth exploring if you haven’t already.
Art to hold your eye, and your bike [Globe and Mail]: Cycling west on Queen in Parkdale, you’ll notice a slight blip in the soothing staccato of post-and-ring bike racks along the sidewalks. In front of the Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre, you’ll see bikes locked to a tree and to a bird instead. Designed and manufactured by members of PARC, a mental-health community centre, the one-of-a-kind metal racks may soon be spreading across the neighbourhood. [Topic also previously reported on Spacing].
Inaugural smiles not likely to last [Globe and Mail]: When Toronto City Council meets tomorrow for its ceremonial inaugural session, re-elected Mayor David Miller and the 44 councillors will be all smiles. But don’t expect the bonhomie to last long. Unlike in 2003, when the newly minted mayor basked in the glow of a prolonged honeymoon, no one predicts a long grace period for Mr. Miller this time.
For one thing, decision-making reforms approved by the last council give the mayor new powers — including control over the selection of a new cabinet-like executive committee — to pursue the agenda he laid out in the closing weeks of the election campaign. So he will be held even more accountable, for good or ill, on city matters.
New councillors cupboards almost bare [Globe and Mail]: Former TV reporter Adam Vaughan, the incoming rookie councillor who upset the NDP machine in Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina, is accusing his predecessor of conducting the handover with “scorched-earth” tactics.
Standing in his “office” — the former CITY-TV press gallery broom closet, to which he still has a key — Mr. Vaughan complains he received only a half-dozen slim file folders from outgoing place-holder councillor Martin Silva.
Mayor to listen, learn in poor neighbourhoods [National Post]: Mayor David Miller will celebrate his second inauguration by visiting four of Toronto’s poorest neighbourhoods next weekend. When he was first sworn into office in 2003, Mr. Miller marked the event with a skating party at Nathan Phillips Square. This time around, he has decided to travel to Toronto’s downtrodden neighbourhoods to say hello to residents. “We wanted to get out into the communities and give more people a chance to meet the Mayor,” said spokesman Stuart Green. “Getting downtown is not easy for everyone, so we thought, ‘Let’s go out there.’ ”
Moscoe appears to have given up on TTC post [National Post]: Howard Moscoe has apparently decided not to seek a second term as TTC chairman. Mr. Moscoe’s name does not appear on a list released yesterday of city councillors interested in serving on the TTC in the upcoming term. The list, distributed by the city clerk’s office along with similar documents for other committees, features the names of 27 interested candidates — but not Mr. Moscoe’s. The usually verbose Mr. Moscoe refused to comment when contacted by phone yesterday evening. “I expect to be involved in Toronto in whatever way the Mayor deems appropriate,” he said.
Idea floated for farmers-only market in Toronto: [Toronto Star]: [Farmer] Bob Chorney is pitching a certified market for Toronto next year that would be open only to farmers who grow their own goods, the first of its kind in Canada. “The hucksters, peddlers, produce jockeys — call them what you will — are certainly becoming more dominant,” he said. “In some cases, farmers have decided they don’t want to try and compete with these guys and have left markets in disgust. That’s a tragedy.” Chorney’s Brighton-based association represents 130 farmers’ and public markets across the province. He’s been recruiting farmers for one or two new markets he plans to open in Toronto or Mississauga next spring.
Mississauga approves “cool” bridge to downtown [National Post]: The City of Mississauga agreed this week to spend a little extra on a bridge over Highway 403, to make it an ”aesthetic gateway” to the city’s downtown. ”It’ll be the one bridge on the 403 where you say, ‘Hey, cool!’ ” said Mark Langridge, the project designer from du Toit Allsopp Hillier.
City council on Wednesday approved $1.5-million of enhancements to the $12.8-million Confederation Parkway Bridge, which will connect Rathburn Road West to McLaughlin Road. The big draw: dramatic lighting that will make the bridge ”come to life” in the evening. ”The major thing is the use of light,” Mr. Langridge said. The design includes a horizontal blue band of light along the bridge’s width, and hidden lights that will ”throw a light onto the main beam.” Construction will begin early next year.
The Way We Were: 1947 [Toronto Sun]: A story that appeared in the local papers on this day in 1947 described the opening of the new Toronto-Oshawa Dual Highway. This limited-access four lane thoroughfare, with the temporary name Hwy. 2A, ran from the bridge over the Highland Creek in what was still known as the Township of Scarborough to Ritson Rd. in Oshawa.
