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TRANSIT
• GO service not growing fast enough to meet need [ Toronto Star ]
• Next stop: Toronto’s transportation future [ Globe and Mail ]
• What Torontonians want from their TTC, in an ideal world [ Globe and Mail ]
• TTC shooting suspect may have fled [ Toronto Sun ]

CITY HALL
• Streets to Homes program draws praise, criticism [ National Post ]
• Moscoe disowns phony Facebook page [ Globe and Mail ]

NEIGHBOURHOODS
• Letter from Yonge-Dundas Square: Designing for the public [ National Post ]
• It’s a cruel summer for Parkdale [ Globe and Mail ]
• Area deals with a clash of planning approaches [ Toronto Star ]

MISCELLANEOUS
• Saving Montreal, losing Toronto [ National Post ]

11 comments

  1. thanks for this, especially the Parkdale bridge story.
    I swiped at Msrs. Miller, Giambrone, and Pantalone for supporting the costly FSE instead of an accessible waterfront for “poorer” Parkdalians. If the $50M set aside was gathering interest, that alone could have “bridged” this problem – so those in Parkdale who can’t get to the waterfront thank Mr. Miller for his strong support of Deputy Pantalone’s Porkway.
    At least it’s been knocked back from five years of no action; now it’s just the WWLRT that needs adjusting but at least it’s a transit project. Progress! in 2008!

  2. How are Lake Ontario’s waters intentionally kept high? Is there a dam at the east end of the lake that I don’t know about? Anyone know?

  3. The Lake Ontario water level is regulated by controlling the flow of water past the Moses-Saunders dam. It’s in the St. Lawrence, between Cornwall & Massena.

  4. Hamish, if your communications with City Hall are as lucid as your spacing comments I am not surprised you have trouble pushing your agenda.

    The parkdale bridge story seems a little trumped up. Is an extra 500 metre walk really such an extreme hardship for the majority of people?

  6. Not sure why “pb” felt the need to take a swipe and Hamish. I share Hamish’s concern and consternation regarding the bridge work. It demonstrates a profound lack of civic-mindedness on the part of the city to choose what’s cheapest over what’s best for the residents of Parkdale.

    It might also demonstrate that the idea of lake access being a critical idea for the city doesn’t extend to the Works department.

    And to “pb”‘s comment about hardship…with the rail lines, the Gardiner and the Ex, Parkdale isn’t always the easiest place to get in and out of by bike or on foot. Should we sit by while it’s made even more difficult?

  7. Hamish has a point.But why bother, this council has the power and the means to do whatever they want.Why should they listen to the constituents?Poor planning seems very normal in this city(or should I say total lack of planning), just look at exhibition place.I don’t even think the public has a clue what is going on there.And when the front street extension goes in….well we can then go down to fort york to watch those wonderful lights mounted under the gardner and dream of better days.So start walking parkdale, you helped vote this bunch in!

  8. hmmm… sounds like what went down on Lansdowne between Bloor and College – Mr. Giambrone just did whatever he wanted without considering the needs and wishes of local residents. Sorry to see Parkdale’s woes, despite a reasonably good councillor in Perks. But then, the city bureaucrats and insider councillors do whatever they want. Maybe its time to vote out ALL the incumbents and start over?

  9. Oh yeah Kevin…you’re right. I thought that the bridge allowed me to cross over Lakeshore Blvd and access the bike trail.

    Oh wait…hold on…that’s exactly what it does!! Why should the public be forced to compromise on their access to the lake as opposed to the Works department compromising on their budget or timetable?

    Maybe they’ll sneak another parking lot in down there while we’re not looking.

  10. pb didn’t really swipe – I do struggle with clarity, and complex situations and politics aren’t always too easy to sum up in short(er) “bits” that draw readers.
    Ken’s comment about a changeover – the four year terms aren’t good for the city (pbbt to province), and maybe we should have a limit of 12 years for our councillors.

  11. NEIGHBOURHOODS
    • Letter from Yonge-Dundas Square: Designing for the public

    Mr Wright says that he is inspired by groups like Active 18. The reality is that citizens had to go atomic to get the Planning Departments attention in the first place after the whole thing was bungled. No attack on him personally, but Active 18 started because the Planning Department was asleep at the wheel. The article about the so-called public space at Dundas just seems like icing on the cake to me.