Historicist: Life in Wartime
Elsewhere in the Ist-a-Verse
Yesterday, the province gave Toronto $52,000 to test recycling programs in apartment complexes as part of the goal to divert 70 per cent of waste from landfill by 2010.
King Street is still closed off because of the falling marble slab. Developer Harry Stinson says that it was a bad idea using marble in the first place.
Police shot a man in the chest near Kingston Rd. E. and Lawrence Ave. early this morning. The man's injuries are not life-threatening.
Councillor Adam Giambrone says he conducted a door-to-door survey last August, asking Lansdowne-area residents if they'd mind the narrowing of Lansdowne Ave. between Bloor St. and College St. Now that the plan is underway, the residents are arguing that no survey ever took place and are appealing to city council.
So wait, why exactly are hot dogs Toronto's only street food? The Star speaks to Gerry Lawrence, manager of Healthy Environments for Public Health, about why the government doesn't want us to eat soup from a cart.
And who doesn't like hearing about the discovery of over 700 species of deep-sea creatures off the coast of Antarctica? Say with with me now: carnivorous sponge.
Photo courtesy of Gabi~ in the Torontoist Flickr Pool.
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Harry Stinson is hardly one to talk about buildings. He's had so many financial and other problems with his towers and other efforts that it's amazing anyone will lend him money.
I remember when he tried to sell his hotel concept and people were amazed about the money elements.
I'm sorry, every time I hear about this pencil-necked geek, I wonder what's he gone and done now. Something like the neighbourhood brat.
I wish someone would give First Canadian Place a good scrubbing. The façade has been looking pretty dumpy lately.
Stinson is correct, though. FCP was built in 1975, and the architect designed it as a sort of homage to Chicago's Standard Oil Building (built three years earlier, now the Aon Center). Both buildings shared the same proportions and white Carrara marble exterior. Probably the same mounting method, too, although I can't verify that myself.
Chicago's climate is not too different from our own, and in the 90s their building's marble cladding also started parting from the building. The owners reclad the structure in white granite from 1990-1992 at a cost of USD $80 million.
Anybody with half a lick of sense could have seen that FCP would suffer from the same fate as its slightly older inspiration.
Also, the façade replacement at the Aon Center cost more than the skyscraper cost to build.
Haha, really? I bet it's cheaper than knocking the whole building down and putting up a brand new one (with the same sq. footage), though. =\
Well, the cost of upkeep of a building always far exceeds its initial building costs within only several years. Additionally, a re-cladding of some sort happens with virtually all buildings. (Just wait until all those glass condos need their windows replaced at the same time...)
But alas, I've said this before and I'll say it again and again: the TD Bank towers are the most beautiful buildings downtown... and you don't see any I-Beams falling into the streets...
Maybe recycled plastic could be used instead of expensively mined, transported (possibly even imported!) granite to replace the cladding?
Better yet solar panels, but then with TD opposite that area would start looking like the Death Star with all that black and us evil capitalists stealing the people's money inside them.
As Stinson points out, it's not just the materials, it's how you hold them up and I don't like the sound of these "clips" he refers to as holding up the slabs.
For almost a year now, Lansdowne residents have been expressing their concerns about the City’s proposed changes for this road between Bloor and College. Many are concerned that the plan will create more traffic congestion (and pollution), disadvantage seniors and disabled residents, as well as members living in extended family units who rely on street parking. We’re also concerned that narrowing the street will make it more difficult for emergency vehicles to service this stretch of road – a concern the City’s Fire department shares. On June 29/06, a petition with the names of over 300 people opposed to this plan was forwarded to Councillor Giambrone’s office. Residents were assured that the Councillor would respond in two weeks – which turned into four weeks, then two months and still no response.
Then, on September 27/06, the Councillor sent residents a letter saying their would be opportunities for community consultation in 2007. We also had an email from the Mayor’s office saying they were assured by the Councillor that meetings on this issue would be held after the election. Flash forward to April/07, when we learned that the construction tender on the project has been issued and the plan has been rushed through for Council’s approval at its April 23rd meeting. So much for community consultation. Residents asked that Council send this item back to committee until the Councillor had made good on his written pledge to consult the community. The request was denied. As a member of the Toronto Lansdowne Residents’ Association, I’d like to point out that we first became aware of the Councillor’s claims that he surveyed residents on this street on this issue in a story that appeared in the April 19/07 issue of the Toronto Star. The Star’s story said the Councillor referenced this survey in response to complaints by residents that they had not been consulted.
We were very surprised to learn about this survey because we were certainly not aware of anyone who could recollect the Councillor coming to their door to ask their opinion on this matter. We asked the Councillor’s office to share with us some written analysis of this survey – we were told it couldn’t be shared. So, we decided to do our own survey of the 200 or so properties on this stretch of road. We started on May 5th with a team of people who collectively are able to speak in English, Portuguese, Vietnames, Spanish etc. (Not all residents are fluent in English.) To date, we have spoken to representatives of 182 households/properties, and not a single respondent has acknowledged being surveyed by Councillor Giambrone or his representative on this issue. Virtually all the respondents we spoke to have signed off on their survey statement. Even the residents who support the City’s plan said they were not surveyed by the Councillor. Many respondents acknowledged that Councillor Giambrone canvassed at their door during the 2006 Municipal Election campaign. However, respondents stated that if the issue regarding the road changes was discussed while the Councillor was canvassing at their door, it was because the issue was raised by the resident. Several respondents who said they discussed the proposed road changes with the Councillor when he was canvassing said that the Councillor told them that he was finding that more residents supported the City’s plan than opposed it. Many of these respondents said they told the Councillor that his statements were not consistent with their experience. Also, several respondents said that they would have liked to discuss the proposed road changes when the Councillor canvassed at their door – but were unable to do so because of language barrier issues. So far, 148 of the 182 respondents said their household opposed the City’s plan.
That people on the street are unhappy with the plan is abundantly clear from the number of protest signs now dotting this stretch of road. If there is evidence that the Councillor has done a door to door survey of residents here concerning this issue, we’d like to see it. In the mean time, we are asking that Council reconsider the circumstances of its decision on this matter.
Sam Galati, Toronto Lansdowne Residents’ Association