City columnist, contributing to @TorontoStar & writing @cityhallwatcher. A lot about Toronto Politics and then some nerd stuff. @humbercollege prof. (he/him)
Toronto, ON
- Tweets 57,511
- Following 553
- Followers 39,150
- Likes 2,421
For sale: Eglinton LRT station signage, never used.
BREAKING: The Ontario Science Centre is closing for good today after an engineering report found the roof is in danger of collapsing, the @TorontoStar has learned.
#onpoli
#topoli
thestar.com/politics/provinc…
30
324
2,206
230,570
CP24 just cut away from their live coverage of Premier Doug Ford’s end-of-year press conference to go to a live interview with Mayor John Tory about the Toronto Raptors.
29
104
1,280
So the timeline of Ontario’s vaccine passport is:
Summer: Premier drags feet
Sept 22: passport goes into effect, but QR code isn’t ready
Jan 4: QR codes become mandatory
Jan 5: Restaurants/bars/etc ordered to shut down
Jan 31: Things start to re-open
Mar 1: End of vaxx passports
45
276
1,209
From Ontario’s new 2051 transportation plan: “Commence work towards a major gridlock relief solution to add lane capacity in the central Highway 401 corridor between Highway 427 and Highway 404.”
Right. Sure. A couple more lanes ought to do it. files.ontario.ca/mto-ggh-tra… (PDF)
ALT Image of higway 401 at 18 lanes wide.
83
214
1,036
Let’s count the ridiculous things here.
1) People need housing, but they’re hiring private security.
2) Parks need to be better maintained, but they’re hiring private security.
3) The city already spends a billion dollars a year on police, but they’re hiring private security.
Toronto to deter encampments by contracting private security guards to patrol some parks 24/7 ift.tt/QfLyrjC
19
354
965
“City of Toronto restoring Trinity Bellwoods Park while continuing to help people experiencing homelessness” is a hell of a euphemism for “we’re sending the cops in to kick people out of their tents.” toronto.ca/news/city-of-toro…
26
372
901
Call me an anti-police radical if you must, but I just don’t think the police should have a fully-stocked bar at HQ. cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/t…
63
169
823
83,170
Here’s the basic thing about elections: to defeat an incumbent — no matter how unpopular (and Doug Ford is still pretty unpopular!) — you’ve still got to run a decent campaign explaining why you’ll be better.
32
87
818
My @TorontoStar column this week: all the “stay home” messaging from government doesn’t mean a damn thing without actual support for workers, including paid sick days.
thestar.com/opinion/contribu…
20
259
784
Many reasons this 401 tunnel is silly, but another one: Ford could pay for both the (unfunded) Waterfront LRT and Eglinton E LRT many times over for what this tunnel will cost. Hell, you could gold plate the trains and offer riders champagne and caviar cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/h…
64
158
786
36,520
My @TorontoStar column: Doug Ford has found piles of cash for things like $200 cheques, vehicle fee cuts and a long list of bad deals, but just can’t seem to find money to seriously address the province’s homelessness crisis.
It’s a choice.
thestar.com/news/doug-ford-h…
47
339
897
15,031
Let’s be clear about it: vetoing changes made by a democratically-elected council as the mayor is in the process of resigning is obviously an absurd abuse of power.
Council will be around to deal with the consequences of this budget. Tory won’t. Council should get the final say
NEW: John Tory to stay mayor until the 2023 budget is passed, which could mean he remains in the job for weeks after announcing his resignation thestar.com/news/gta/2023/02…
26
221
697
103,616
New Apple billboard outside Sidewalk Toronto HQ: “We’re in the business of staying out of yours.”
30
199
773
I voted last week so I speak from experience when I tell you it’s worth doing. There are folders, big sheets of paper, markers AND you get to watch your ballot get fed into some ballot-reading gizmo. Five stars, don’t miss it.
21
180
715
Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster announces he CAN’T announce a new opening date for the Eglinton Crosstown. He says he has a good sense of the schedule, but builder Crosslinx still finding “issues and defects that require additional time” so he’s made choice not to offer a date. Wow.
73
132
743
301,346
Pending approval by new mayor Olivia Chow and Toronto city council, here’s a list of Toronto parks where you’ll be able to crack open a beer or share a bottle of wine as part of a pilot project running between August 2 and October 9.
ALT Eglinton Park, Ward 8 - Eglinton-Lawrence Earlscourt, Ward 9 - Davenport Dufferin Grove Park, Ward 9 - Davenport Campbell Avenue Playground and Park, Ward 9 - Davenport Dovercourt Park, Ward 9 - Davenport Roundhouse Park, Ward 10 - Spadina-Fort York Trinity Bellwoods Park, Ward 10 - Spadina-Fort York Christie Pits Park, Ward 11 - University-Rosedale Queen's Park (110 Wellesley St W), Ward 11 - University-Rosedale Sir Winston Churchill Park, Ward 12 - Toronto-St. Paul's Corktown Common, Ward 13 - Toronto Centre Greenwood Park, Ward 14 - Toronto-Danforth Riverdale Park East, Ward 14 - Toronto-Danforth Withrow Park, Ward 14 - Toronto-Danforth Monarch Park, Ward 14 - Toronto-Danforth Skymark Park, Ward 17 - Don Valley North Lee Lifeson Art Park, Ward 18 - Willowdale East Toronto Athletic Field, Ward 19 - Beaches-East York Milliken Park, Ward 23 - Scarborough North Neilson Park – Scarborough, Ward 25 - Scarborough-Rouge Park
70
98
670
440,021
When *this* is what your supposed effort to help people find housing looks like, maybe reconsider your tactics.
Video moments ago as Toronto Police move in and begin arresting those inside the homeless encampment at Lamport Stadium @CityNews
17
222
643
The street trees in front of this grocery store at Christie & Dupont were dying, so Loblaws replaced them with a series of signs warning pedestrians not to trip on the dead tree holes. The state of our city. (Photo by the Star’s Jack Lakey.) thestar.com/news/gta/the-fix…
ALT Photo of series of signs warning pedestrians not to trip on holes from removed street trees
52
118
646
My @TorontoStar column this week: Premier Doug Ford says Toronto should avoid electing a “lefty” mayor to replace John Tory. But city hall has tried low-tax conservative governance for more than a decade, and it’s not working.
Time for a new approach.
thestar.com/opinion/contribu…
58
143
577
52,416
307 Lake Shore Road East
2019: Toronto headquarters of a splashy new urban-focused subsidiary of a tech giant, ground zero for much-hyped new era of “smart cities” and “innovation”
2021: A Budget rent-a-car
ALT Sidewalk Labs' Toronto headquarters on Lake Shore East in 2019
ALT The same building in 2021, now a Budget rent-a-car
27
79
628
The TTC should get to keep all cars that drive into the Queens Quay tunnel. Mount them on spikes outside the tunnel entrance as a warning to other drivers. thestar.com/news/gta/2020/01…
20
105
589
Please please please: fewer columns about whether Doug Ford COULD win, more columns about whether Doug Ford SHOULD win.
Less of this: “his folksy populism could resonate in the GTA suburbs!” More of this: “his budget plan doesn’t add up and he has trouble telling the truth.”
22
193
558
My @TorontoStar column this week: after cholera, there was a worldwide revolution in clean water and sanitation. After COVID, we need a revolution in ventilation and air filtration.
City hall can lead the way.
thestar.com/opinion/contribu…
12
148
570
David Miller: To save time and money, we should build transit projects above ground
Ford government: No ONLY SUBWAYS
*Ten Years of Delays and Budget Increases Later*
Ford government: To save time and money, we should build transit projects above ground
thestar.com/news/gta/2019/08…
16
244
581
My @TorontoStar column: Doug Ford is on a bike lane witch hunt and making magical promises. It’s a distraction.
What he really wants is for you to pay no attention to the housing policy failure behind the curtain. Ontario housing starts are down big.
thestar.com/opinion/contribu…
40
207
638
25,840
Meet my really good excuse. Freddie was born at 11:11 p.m. on Dec 15, 2021 after a ridiculously heroic all-day labour from my partner Erin.
The kid is two weeks early, but right on time. Eight pounds and very sleepy. Mom is doing great. Dad is frazzled but enduring.
64
4
556
On a Friday afternoon, the City of Toronto has finally published costs on how much it cost to evict people in park encampments this summer.
$840K for trespass enforcement, $357K for fencing, $792K for remediation.
Grand total? A hair under $2 million.
toronto.ca/news/city-of-toro…
49
340
552
Hell of a thread on a popular Canadian deals forum where landlords are sharing strategies to kick tenants out of rent controlled units and jack up rents. Glimpse into a different world.
32
314
557
Lot of emojis to parse here, but I think the gist of this city ad campaign is something like: Toronto is full of litter, our trash bins are often full, and it’s your fault.
ALT City ad on the side of a Bike Share station near the waterfront. It depicts a text message conversation where two people discuss litter in Toronto, how it hurts wildlife and the planet, and how you should take your garbage home if trash bins are full.
33
69
553
Adamson Barbecue, the business making headlines for flaunting lockdown restrictions and inviting people to eat indoors at its Etobicoke location, saw its Leaside location get cited by DineSafe in July for failure to sanitize surfaces, protect against pests.
29
206
520
My @TorontoStar column: From screwing up Ontario Works to backlogged tribunals, Doug Ford’s government has overseen a whole lot of fundamental screw-ups.
There’s more to governance than slogans and big ideas, but this premier has never offered much else. thestar.com/opinion/contribu…
35
300
606
11,809
Wait, you’re telling me unpaid leave for Toronto police officers who ignore or break rules is actually possible?
STORY: Police officers who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of November will be placed on an “indefinite unpaid absence,” Toronto police announced Thursday.
thestar.com/news/gta/2021/10…
8
73
511
Doug Ford says he found “over a billion dollars in savings” at Toronto City Hall. Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nop
21
193
476
CBC’s Jill Dempsey did a great job grilling Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma on Ontario Place plans on Metro Morning. Surma says she can’t share numbers on cost to repair the Science Centre building because numbers have not yet been “triple checked.” cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-3…
ALT Ontario Minister of Infrastructure Kinga Surma with Jill Dempsey on CBC Metro Morning (April 19,2023) Dempsey: What was the cost to repair the building at the Ontario Science Centre? Surma: The cost was higher. It was much more expensive… Dempsey: But what was the cost specifically? Surma: Well, the government is doing its due diligence. We are verifying all the numbers included in the business case. Before we share that information with the public, we want to triple check all that information, but we wanted to share the news with the public. Dempsey: But when will that information be shared then, on the business case? Surma: We will share it when the numbers are verified.
41
149
465
68,197
My @TorontoStar column this week: we call them “investors” or “speculators”, but people who buy up homes and keep them vacant are really just parasites — extracting wealth from the city and giving almost nothing back.
Tax them, and tax them hard.
thestar.com/opinion/contribu…
25
101
471
Imagine devoting your whole life to politics and the PC party. You waited 15 years to get back to power. You had hopes and dreams.
Your task today: convincing Doug Ford not to overrule the constitution to get his revenge on Toronto.
#BREAKING: Source tells me @fordnation is convening cabinet right now to discuss using 'notwithstanding' clause re Bill 5 decision. He will make public his intentions on how gov't to fight decision at noon, @globalnews will have live coverage. #onpoli #topoli #cdnpoli
18
195
451
I remain confused by the emphasis on opening up indoor dining. Most people I’ve talked to who are taking this virus seriously seem to have ruled out eating inside restaurants. Which leaves a clientele of people who are generally taking the virus — and the rules — less seriously.
23
61
470
The notion that the Bike Share system needs to “break even” strikes me as pretty misguided. Eliminate it and a big chunk of the service’s 4.3 million annual trips will shift to other modes like driving, ride-share or transit. There’s a cost to that. cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/b…
16
72
476
My @TorontoStar column: Doug Ford wants a Toronto that’s designed for cars, but his own housing policies have encouraged thousands of new condo units without parking spaces.
How are car-free residents supposed to get around in a car-centric city?
thestar.com/opinion/contribu…
42
146
497
29,442
ALT Meme template of Anakin and Padme from Star Wars. Anakin says: “Don't drive downtown during Ontario Line construction - take transit” Padme says: “So you're increasing TTC service, right?" Anakin gives a blank stare Padme: “…right?”
New from me: "Need to go downtown? ‘Don’t drive if possible,’ the city says. Here’s why" thestar.com/news/city_hall/2… via @torontostar
3
84
466
40,809
The province has done a whole lot of inexplicable things over the last few weeks, but I am still stuck on their decision on March 19 to actually raise indoor dining capacity in the red zone. What the hell was the thinking there?
27
51
438
A lot of Toronto businesses have long groused about the importance of on-street parking, but after the CafeTO experience 75% of surveyed business operators said they’d prefer to keep using curb lanes for patios. Just 7% want to go back to parking. toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021… (PDF)
ALT Screenshot text: Of all business operators who responded to the survey, 75% indicated that they would prefer the curb lane be used for patios for outdoor dining. 7% indicated a preference for parking, 5% indicated a preference for dedicated loading and 4% indicated a preference for through traffic or bike lanes.
15
107
445
I think what a lot of people really wanted is for Tory to be as mad at Doug Ford as he just got at Mike Layton.
12
100
425
The notion that Metrolinx has to use Osgoode Hall land — and rush to take down trees — to build an Ontario Line station entrance strikes me as pretty ridiculous when you’ve got a vast expanse of University Ave right there. thestar.com/news/gta/2022/11…
31
98
452
In summary, Ford's bike lane removals will, according to a new City Hall report:
- Cost $75 million in direct costs and sunk costs.
- Make traffic much, much worse for at least nine months during construction to remove lanes
- Have minimal long-term impact on car travel times.
20
190
475
84,500
My @TorontoStar column: A dumpster was illegally left in a bike lane. A cyclist died. The penalty, so far, looks to be a joke. And it’s not clear what the city is doing to make sure this won’t happen again.
Toronto city hall has an enforcement problem.
thestar.com/opinion/contribu…
54
114
406
28,086
Per TTC CEO Rick Leary’s latest report, the TTC has a shortage of space to store its growing streetcar fleet so they’ve decided to… just keep more streetcars in service overnight in lieu of parking them in a yard somewhere. Radical thinking. ttc-cdn.azureedge.net/-/medi…
ALT From page 28 of linked report: “Staff reviewed options to mitigate vehicle storage shortage for 2024-2026 that had arisen due to construction schedules. It was determined that operating extra vehicles for overnight service would be the most cost-effective option. The 2024 budget will reflect service hour increases. The expected customer benefits include enhanced capacity in the downtown area and reduced wait times.”
10
62
470
55,923
“There are no price tags attached to the plan” is your cue to treat the plan as fundamentally unserious
(Platform doors cost ~$2.9 billion; 50 new cops costs ~$7.4 million; 40 special constables is ~$4 million; 100 social workers is probably $10 million+) cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/b…
34
125
430
65,543
New data from the city suggests the presence of traffic agents on the King Street transit corridor reduced average eastbound streetcar travel time in the evening rush from 45-65 minutes to 17-21 minutes.
15
75
447
80,968
Would be cool if the city introduced a mandatory crowdfunding program in which residents and businesses contributed to city services and capital projects on, say, an annual basis.
In scrum Mayor @JohnTory said he will float “crowdfunding” to help buy property w historic tree, use private donations and potentially “some” public money to potentially turn land into a parkette and preserve massive centuries-old oak nitter.app/samantha_kb/status/981…
13
98
411
If Metrolinx is going to charge $6 for Presto cards, they should come with $6 worth of transit credit. cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/p…
26
62
422
My @cbctoronto column this week: Forget about the number of wards. If the goal is to make Toronto council less dysfunctional, there’s an obvious place to start: replace Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti. cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/m… #TOpoli
32
130
403
The thing I like about Raptors playoff basketball is that it’s very chill and relaxing to watch.
15
37
424
For the record, the loudest chant is “Help the homeless / feed the poor / kick John Tory out the door”
9
107
394
27,606
More details. Turns out provincial governments can’t just enact spite-based legislation affecting Canadian cities and local democracy for the hell of it.
Breaking: Justice Belobaba finds #bill5 breaches s.2(b) of the Charter, and has not been justified under s.1. Declared of no force and effect effective immediately. October 22nd election will proceed as scheduled but with 47 wards, not 25.
8
115
387
My @TorontoStar column this week: I wanted it on the record — I’ll show up at 3 a.m. for a vaccine appointment.
Once vaccine supply is available, it will be the city government’s time to step up. The effort should be 24/7, with no excuse for delay.
thestar.com/opinion/contribu…
23
73
412
With around 19K votes, Chloe Brown — despite being left off most debate stages and facing a very crowded field — got double the support of Councillor Brad Bradford, and nearly matched Mitzie Hunter. Another VERY impressive performance. Hope we haven’t heard the last of her.
6
80
415
19,185
My @TorontoStar column this week: Give downtown Yonge Street to pedestrians. The math demands it — and it’s also an opportunity for the City to make a bold statement about their commitment to road safety. thestar.com/opinion/contribu…
13
79
396
So that’s, what, like effectively 30 days total where Ontario really had a real scannable-code vaccine passport system in place?
26
42
371
My @TorontoStar column for this week: The City of Toronto spent about $33,000 per person to kick people out of park encampments this past summer.
It’s money that could have gone toward housing people. Instead, it was spent to evict them.
thestar.com/opinion/contribu…
24
142
388
Doug Ford, 2023: don’t vote for mayoral candidates who voted to “defund” the police by cutting 10% from their budget.
Rob Ford, 2011: the police must cut their budget by 10%. thestar.com/news/gta/2023/03…
ALT Screenshot of headline: Doug Ford to Toronto residents: ‘Don’t vote’ for mayoral candidates who want to defund police
ALT Screenshot text: Toronto Mayor Rob Ford says he's not budging on his demand that all departments find 10 per cent in savings for the 2012 budget, following a meeting with the police chief on Monday. The city wants the police force to create a 2012 net operating budget of $886.4 million, according to a report tabled at a police services board meeting on Wednesday. "I've made it quite clear that we're looking for 10 per cent and I'm not leaving any rock unturned," Ford said, adding that he has confidence that the board and the chief will find the efficiencies he's asked for.
17
115
383
34,051
Speaking of Saunders/Furey, they combined for just 13.5% of the vote, both running campaigns that were very preoccupied with tearing up bike lanes and blaming cyclists for traffic. There’s not a large constituency for this anti-bike stuff anymore. Progress!
8
66
370
52,908
My @TorontoStar column this week: tens of thousands of cyclists were counted riding closed-to-cars sections of Toronto roads. No one should be surprised.
The trend is clear — make streets safe and welcoming for cyclists, and they’ll show up.
thestar.com/opinion/contribu…
12
122
366
Hard to know which part of this story is more absurd. City not issuing tickets to 25%+ of speeders caught by photo radar because of staffing shortages? Or literally TURNING OFF the cameras for part of the day to “manage the volume of tickets”? thestar.com/news/gta/2022/03…
26
135
389
This Bob Rae guy gets it. Any candidate promising inflationary (or below) property tax increases can’t realistically promise to do anything else. It’s a pledge for austerity.
18
144
354
If the province sold this Foundry land for a fair price to a great developer that was going to build oodles of affordable housing, wouldn’t they want to, you know, tell people all about it? cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/o…
7
116
354
The City of Toronto is turning 184 today. To celebrate, here’s a list of @BlogTO headlines that start with “Toronto is getting…”
18
101
392
Meanwhile, the premier is weighing in. It’s been 12 years since Toronto had a left-wing mayor and the city has a $1.5 billion budget hole so I’m not sure what the fear is, really. The last left-wing mayor left office with a budget surplus.
“If a lefty mayor gets in there, God help the people of Toronto,” Mr. Ford adds.
“If a left-wing mayor gets in there, we’re toast.”
But he adds he wouldn’t rescind the strong mayor powers, says it’s up to people to decide.
7
141
351
44,697
Some of Toronto city hall’s busiest lobbying firms represented on this list: StrategyCorp, Rubicon Strategy, Navigator, Enterprise.
I’ve been hearing from residents from across this city, and I’m committed to building a #Toronto we can all be proud of. That’s why I’ve assembled an Advisory Committee that crosses sectors, political ideology, and geography. The future belongs to Toronto.
19
96
373
114,503
My Toronto Star column this week: as a councillor, a mayoral candidate and now the premier, Doug Ford has spent almost a decade trying to find big government waste at City Hall. He’s failed. thestar.com/opinion/contribu…
36
131
347
What a waste. The City, by their own admission, doesn’t have enough affordable housing units and shelters are seen as unsafe. The tents will come back, here or in another park. The people will return. City will have spent money and resources to make no progress and help no one.
8
99
363
Also: this only targets Toronto? Ottawa has 23 city councillors for a city of less than a million people. Toronto gets 25 for a city almost three times bigger? Nothing makes annnnnny sense.
23
149
365
Whichever of you campaign strategists keeps telling candidates to address audiences as “my friends”: quit it.
24
41
355
Toronto City Council votes 18-7 to APPROVE multiplexes of up to four units in areas zoned for residential, city-wide.
16
79
351
220,155
Kudos on a job… done.
BREAKING: Phil Verster is leaving as @Metrolinx president and CEO, the @TorontoStar has learned.
#onpoli
#topoli
thestar.com/politics/provinc…
22
14
408
29,729
Silver lining: they walked back the playground ban via a tweet, instead of hinting at changes for several days, letting rumours take hold, and then making everyone wait around for a thrice-delayed press conference.
16
33
361
Here’s an unhinged letter from the Davenport Triangle Residents Association opposing the end of parking minimums. “There are no captains of industry, or tradesmen taking a bike to work or mothers cycling their kids to school.” Jesus, what year is it? toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021… (PDF)
73
51
365
The city owes us a full accounting of how much money was spent on the Trinity Bellwoods encampment evictions, the fences, the continued presence of security guards, etc. How much was spent to move ~20 people? cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/b…
11
110
351
Check your inbox: it’s @cityhallwatcher #302
Doug Ford says he wants data to justify bike lanes. The good news? We’ve got lots.
A detailed look at ridership data, traffic data, and whether it’s true that Toronto gets six months of winter. (It’s not!)
toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/…
27
108
333
24,973
Here’s my transcription of Premier Doug Ford’s Arthur anecdote at the end of his schools-are-closed press conference this afternoon. “Like a little butler.” pastebin.com/KK0fzdq1
ALT Screenshots of text transcript linked in pastebin URL.
123
96
340
Blue Jays President Mark Shapiro has written to Mayor Tory and council, urging an end to the ActiveTO program on Lake Shore West. “We support folks getting outside and being active, but Toronto has many options and routes to use, whereas our fans do not” toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2022…
105
43
387
(The cherry on top: just behind this sign, a city trash bin sat broken, its door flapping languidly in the summer breeze. )
9
30
359
Nice bit of real-time Ford fact-checking from the CBC’s Mike Crawley. cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/o…
33
190
324
In her goodbye speech, retiring councillor Janet Davis listed ten things she’s learned at Toronto City Hall.
10
154
306
Councillor Lai defends giving pedestrians reflective arm bands, saying “I don’t think we should blame anybody” for pedestrian injuries. I dunno, feels right to me to blame the people carelessly operating heavy metal boxes hurtling around at high speed. thestar.com/news/gta/2019/11…
20
65
326
“The procurement was in Oct 2022—you were there. While you were busy collecting emails for your campaign, maybe? I’ve been working very hard right now to get a deal to rebuild the Gardiner faster. You know, these deals don’t just fall out of coconut trees,” Chow says to Bradford.
3
32
324
67,280
If the provincial government is dictating what Toronto can and can’t do with the Gardiner and DVP, the provincial government might as well just own them. Stick Queen’s Park with the Gardiner and its $2 billion repair bill.
NEW: The Ford government is shutting down talk of tolls on the Gardiner and DVP saying it "will not be imposing any new tolls on any roads in Ontario."
This after John Tory said he’d consider revisiting tolls on Toronto’s Gardiner, DVP
globalnews.ca/news/9213908/j…
#onpoli
12
45
305
I still don’t understand why DineSafe info like this has long been public, but the city isn’t publishing the names of businesses who have been cited for breaking COVID rules. It’s the same basic public health principle.
7
43
306
In summary:
- Only leave home for essential reasons
- Non-essential businesses can stay open (for curbside)
- Max of five people can gather outdoors
- Don’t leave your home to gather outdoors
- Don’t go to work if you’re sick
- There is no provincial money for paid sick days
🤷♂️
14
161
323
Banning cars in High Park during the cherry blossom season is a good move. People who try to drive in just get stuck in slow-moving traffic jams anyway. And make things dangerous for pedestrians. blogto.com/city/2019/03/cars…
16
29
335
I think some people would be less anti-condo if: a) the commercial spaces actually filled up with places like Sneaky Dee’s or whatever, instead of chain fast food and dental offices; b) inclusionary zoning meant some affordable housing was guaranteed. thestar.com/news/gta/2020/09…
18
55
336
The city by its own post-eviction media releases counted 23 people in the encampment at Trinity at time of eviction, 26 in Alexandra Park, 11 at Lamport Stadium, so about 60 people evicted in total, for $2 million in combined costs. Cost per person of about $33,000.
28
175
309
Just incredible that in 1997 our govs looked at 25 years of a pretty darn successful affordable housing model in Toronto — co-op housing — and were like, “hey, we should stop doing this.” thelocal.to/housing-co-ops-r…
ALT Chart showing new co-op housing construction in Toronto between 1971 and 2021. Construction largely stops in 1997.
ALT Chart comparing rents in co-ops versus market rental in Toronto, 2006-2022. Co-op rents are much more stable and lower.
12
105
311
31,940
My @TorontoStar column: Mayor Tory says city hall must keep property taxes low to protect seniors.
But city hall has a program designed to shield lower-income seniors from tax increases.
Please, can we have an honest conversation about city revenues?
thestar.com/opinion/contribu…
17
83
310