Wednesday’s Headlines

8 comments

1. Hell no! Ban the airshow now? First, let all the new condo buyers who will move into the Bohemian Embassy (and other related developments) suffer through the ear shattering fly-bys like I have for the last many years.

2. Kevin> What does the Bohemian Embassy have to do with the airshow? Are you people down there that bitter? When you moved there, are you sure nobody said the same about you moving in?

   If active 18 is to be successful, it’s got to somehow keep a lid on bitter comments like yours, and there are so many. That whole crummy 48 Abell is the loudest of the bitterest. Jeez.

3. Re; Tor Real Estate Board telling the city needs to be audited to get its house in order. Hello, KPMG audit!

   I wish TREB would concentrate on trying to woo the province instead of city hall because that’s where the problems are really arising.

4. Quote of the day from the National Post:

   Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone countered both ideas (casino and lottery) were a needless distraction.

   “It gives the impression that if we went after casinos, lotteries [or] hidden pots of gold hidden by leprechauns — that somehow they’re going to solve our financial crisis,” he said.

5. I can personally vouch that Kevin Steele is a 100% long time, like 25 years, resident of the Abell area and nobody protested or was offfended when he came east on a wagon train to settle there.

   Instead of putting down Active 18, and yes they can be a bit self-centered, complain about the OMB, and the (Lack of) City Planning department that hides behind it. Abell gets lots of attention, they have have worked hard and are engaged and to be congratulated, but there are lots of other “Abells” out there too if you look.

   Last 2 points. I think I know who the bitter person actually is and as a long time airshow fan I have reached the point where I think it is time to end it. Screaming jets over residential areas seems nuts to me.

6. Joe Fiorito wrote in his article in the star:

   “There were times over the past weekend when I felt like ducking under the table waiting for the bursts of napalm.”

   “Some of the people in my neighbourhood came here to escape warplanes.”

   “What do those people tell their children who shiver with post-traumatic stress, and how do they calm their grandparents who are trying to nap in their beds?”

   Did those people tell those children anything? Did you take the opportunity to bring people of different world and life experiences together and share those experiences and life stories?

   That thought went through my mind as I watched these planes roar over my own neighborhood. These planes, this pornography of military and killing power, roar above our heads and we see only a spectacle at which to buy corn dogs.

   Banning the air show, although would indeed provide ecological benefits, would only serve to further dissociate the reality of war and the military industrial complex. It should be taken as opportunity to make real feelings that we can only imagine – to truly be conscious of how fortunate we are that this is only a spectacle and how in many places of the world a fighter plane over head means death and destruction from which many can not escape.

   “We drove away from downtown on Sunday afternoon to escape the noise.”

   I hope it was hybrid!

7. I can appreciate the technological marvel of planes. Seeing them fly over my apartment on Jameson, thru the trees, was very thrilling.

   But my father was not so pleased. He has been in war zones, and his family house was bombed by Israeli jets. He and his friends have come to peace with the wars witrh Israel and now is happy to be here away from strife and war zones.

   His friends get together on this weekend and get out of town — sometimes just to a lake north of the city or to a friends place in Barrie. They can’t stand the air show. They all live in south Parkdale and all are vetrans of different wars. The first time he heard a plane from the air show (about 10 years ago) in brought on post-traumatic stress that lasted weeks. He didn’t know about the show and it seriously rattled him and our family.

   I’m not saying get rid of the Air Show or keep it. But there are very differenet experiences and the CNE and City should think about the significance of military displays and what it means to its citizens, certainly those who live close to the show. As a nation of immigrants, and Parkdale being the home to many new arrivals (and those of us who are haivng a hard time making a go of it here in Canada), we need to discuss these issues.

   Peace to all of you.

8. My apologies for bringing up other neighbourhood issues. When you live here it all seems related.

   If my sarcasm left anyone confused, I would be very happy to see the air show end immediately. The deafening fly-bys are made worse for the reasons already stated — the show is wasteful, and some of us believe it is a distasteful show of military force.