CITY COUNCIL
• Green programs and grants on Ford radar [The Star]
• Uneven growth leaves some wards just too big [The Star]
• Ford leaves slash-and-burn prediction unfulfilled [The Star]
• Porter: ‘Gravy train’ cuts mean more lead in our water [The Star]
• Doug Ford: Deep cuts coming in 2012 [The Star]
• Chris Selley: Ford cuts one thing — oversight at city hall [National Post]
• Quoted: ‘There is more gravy here than at Thanksgiving’ [National Post]
• Toronto through the eyes of councillor Josh Colle [BlogTO]
• Tuning out in York South-Weston [Now Weekly]
• Magic Man [Now Weekly]
OTHER POLITICS
• Former mayoral foes dining to fight debt [The Star]
• Councillors growing weary of Missileaks issue [The Star]
• Schwarzenegger praises hard work, dismisses ‘girly men’ [Globe & Mail]
• The done-running man [Eye Weekly]
TRANSIT
• Queen’s Park on board with electric airport trains [The Star]
• Fiorito: Meeting on TTC cuts was a waste of time [The Star]
• Ontario approves environmental assessment of electrified GO trains [National Post]
• Queen’s Park backs plan to electrify Union Station-Pearson link [Globe & Mail]
• Snow removal at transit stops a high priority, TTC and city say [The Sun]
• A different perspective on TTC bus route changes [BlogTO]
• Service reductions to TTC bus routes would affect 250,000 riders [BlogTO]
• A Longer Walk to the Bus [Torontoist]
• Transit tech [Now Weekly]
CYCLING
• Antiquated bike bylaws need updating: police [The Star]
• Councillors want to get tough on cyclists who use sidewalk [The Star]
• City seeks to curb bikes from sidewalks [The Sun]
ROADS
• Durham road warriors fight for a longer 407 [The Star]
• The Fixer: Too much light on Don Valley Parkway [The Star]
• Be careful, cops tell elderly pedestrians [The Sun]
CULTURE & RECREATION ATTRACTIONS
• 10 years later, dining is safer [The Star]
• Toronto posts record year in tourism [The Star]
• Pride Toronto executive resigns after deficit report [Globe & Mail]
• Sherbourne Common rink opens at end of month [The Sun]
• The Cineforum is back (again) [BlogTO]
• That time Rob Ford saved Reg Hartt’s Cineforum [OpenFile]
• Can-Do on Dundas [Now Weekly]
CRIME & POLICE
• G20 charges dropped against visual artist [The Star]
• A list of GTA officers charged with assault while on duty [The Star]
• Blair underlines commitment to community policing [Globe & Mail]
• Artist cleared of all weapons charges in G20 case [Globe & Mail]
• G20 suspect admits to breaking bail [The Sun]
HOUSING
• Fiorito: Wellesley fire victims still without their stuff [The Star]
• Building ‘living hell,’ MP says [The Sun]
• Living the Canadian dream not always heaven [The Sun]
• Levy: Gift-wrapped garbage has to end [The Sun]
• North York’s place in the sun [OpenFile]
CITY IMAGE & INNOVATORS
• A “superhero” that befits the Toronto Maple Leafs [BlogTO]
• How to get $1000 for being awesome (with ideas) [BlogTO]
• Gaming the system [Eye Weekly]
• A picture of us: A century’s worth of photos tell tales of the city [TorontoLife]
OTHER NEWS
• Dog’s best friend: the story behind the Toronto Humane Society [TorontoLife]
5 comments
Carolyn Morris’ Toronto Life article on Toronto Humane Society seems to have the events more or less accurate…
But the over the top praise of painting Tim Trow as the victim betrays a terrible bias. He’s gone for good reasons, as anyone who worked with him or saw him in action knows.
The election year campaign to make the dirty diesel money hole issue go away seems to be working judging by the headlines. The Government of Ontario has committed to ONLY doing an EA which could be shelved after the election. A closer read of Wynn’s comments says:
: From The Globe
“The government is not in a position to make long-term commitments on big-ticket items while it is grappling with an $18.7-billion deficit, Ms. Wynne said.
“We are only promising at this point to do the environmental study,” she said.
In the meantime, the cars for the air rail link will be powered by diesel.”
That sounds like a stalling technique to me, not a government that has seen the light.
ScottD, the problem with the electrifying the Pearson rail corridor is that it affects a small number of people and is very expensive. Politically it does not make sense to commit to it.
I think eventually it should be done, but right now there are other pressing transit issues (like expansion of both GO and TTC).
I think the stupidest part of the diesel-to-electric plan is re-engining the ARL trains. The three or four car Sumitomos would be ideal to kickstart GO service to Bolton and to provide mid-day service on the Lakeshore Line, or to provide service to the Ottawa Valley as the municipalities there have been screaming for.
When the ARL goes electric, it should be with a fresh tender allowing all electric train manufacturers to participate – including ones with manufacturing operations in Canada.
Also: I really hope the OMB does the ward redistricting. I don’t trust city hall to do it, and especially not this administration.