Tuesday’s Headlines

14 comments

1. Where’s the mention of the HUGE investigative report into the Toronto Humane Society by Globe and Mail’s Kate Hammer? Are animals not part of the city? I see CityTV booster Ann Rohmer and the Toronto Star and Sun are completely out to lunch on this. OSPCA now investigating too…. you want links? Here they are:
   http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/a-humane-society-thats-short-on-shelter/article1164168/
   http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/643920
   http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/ospca-to-investigate-ths/article1163147/
   http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/a-leader-with-a-passion-for-animals-loyal-supporters—and-an-iron-grip/article1162134/
   http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/killing-them-with-kindness/article1160810/

2. The link to the bike theft page does not work. Here is the right link: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/643938

3. Link to the first bicycling story appears to be broken.

4. Link fixed – thanks.

5. In the sun article gary grant says

   ‘I can’t remember the last time I saw a cyclist obey a red light at a “T” intersection. Sometimes they stop and then ride through but most often they don’t bother to stop at all. If a motorist can’t do that why should a cyclist? ‘

   Do the people who says this ride bikes on a regular basis in this city? I will never be a car, only drivers think we play by the same rules. I weigh with my bike less than 200 pounds and a car is something like 5000. The reason a car cannot do things a cyclist can is because drivers kill people,animals etc cyclist do not.

6. Ken: this is a blog about urban issues especially focused on design, sustainability, and the built form. Its not a daily newspaper. Animals are important but not necessarily a part of this blog’s coverage (unless it comes from an environmental perspective).

   That’s my thoughts on it and the editors might think different.

7. WHY do you have an article from Sue Ann Levy posted? I dislike Miller, but that ranting skunk wouldn’t even be taken seriously on an internet forum. The fact that she is a regular in a mainstream newspaper is pathetic, to say the least.

8. re: cyclists obeying red lights at “T” intersections

   “Do the people who says this ride bikes on a regular basis in this city? I will never be a car, only drivers think we play by the same rules.”

   There’s a little something called the Highway Traffic Act… if you don’t like it, work to get it changed, but it doesn’t mean you get to ignore it.

   I cycle daily. Yes, I stop at “T” intersections. You want respect from drivers, you gotta play by the rules.

9. Never mind this so-called ‘news’… a lot has to still be done to get the word out on cycling and the DRL. One way is to flood the city with flyers. A phony ticker-tape parade will help you avoid littering laws.

   Also, more ordinary cabrons have to get wid it in the Tim’s and Coffee crimes all across this noble town. There’s more to living than cheesy but mesmerizing neon lights and private skateboarder-free sidewalks )live a little!!!!1!). Fight for great public space. Put that Toronto Sun under the dog dish where it belongs and join the movement.

   Pick up a flyer after Saturday if you don’t understand the philosophy, there;s no mind body garbage in there. You won’t get it clearer if you walked into a rainbow. You’ll achieve greater bliss than waking up wasted at St. Patrick’s station while the night guy polishes your head with the floor polisher.

10. Animals = nature, environment, living things

    Spacing = concrete, cyclists, architecture

    Have I got it right? No place for man’s relationship to his environments unless we define environment as man-made, unnatrual structures.

    I see now. Pet owners (60% of Ontarians are) don’t count in the grand designs. Guess I gotta move out of this city to feel I belong.

11. The Humane Society, with its many volunteers and reliance on donations from the public, is arguably a community organization and well within Spacing’s mandate. That said, I don’t think that the fact that the Globe has scooped most other news organizations means that everyone in the city hates animals and pet owners.

12. As for leaving out the expose on the Toronto Humane Society, I realize that the wildlife and animals that inhabit Toronto are very much within Spacing’s mandate (We are actually planning on focusing an issue of the magazine on this subject).

    However, from the looks of it, the OSPCA investigation into allegations directed at the Toronto Humane Society regarding their treatment of animals is not specifically a public space issue. Obviously it has an effect on the urban landscape since these animals are part of the city, but the central concern seems to be the allegations of animal cruelty, the relationship between the THS and OSPCA, cash donations and the THS’ charity status, budget shortfalls, volunteers and other issues not explicitly related to public space.

    Ben, you asked why a Sue Ann Levy article was posted? Not only is it important for us to acknowledge all sides in these debates (notice that we try our best not to edit or take down readers’ comments), but it is equally important to recognize that many people read Levy’s articles and many probably agree with a lot of what she says. This is what the city is up against. If the Gardiner is to be torn down, these are the arguments that must be disproved.

    This blog does not exist in a vacuum and is in large part a counterweight to such “skunks.” However, we’d be just as ignorant to pretend she doesn’t exist rather than admitting that she is writing for a large mainstream newspaper that is read by thousands and thousands of Torontonians.

13. Toronto and most media ARE anti-animal.
    eg. Letter I sent to Toronto Star about why they don’t do more stories on pet issues got this reply:
    “Dear xxxxx: There are many subject area areas that a newspaper does not cover as effectively as those who are passionately interested in that particular topic might like and it seems that pets may be one of them.

    Saying that, I think you raise an interesting point about coverage of a subject that would indeed be of interest to many Star families. I will pass this information on to senior newsroom editors for further consideration.

    Kathy English
    Public Editor, The Toronto Star ”
    Sent my original letter April 24,2009.

14. There are anywhere between 323,000 (city estimates) and 500,000 cats in Toronto. Humanes, shelters, rescues are consistently overfull. They take up…. uh, public space everywhere. Just check my backyard. There are feral cat colonies taking up space everywhere.