Haydain Neale, 1970–2009
The Lee's Palace Mural is Dead! Long Live the Lee's Palace Mural!
Peeve Patrol
Polling Booth: "Kick a Ginger" Controversy
Third Floor, First Rate
Public trashes strikers (Toronto Star): "This is all the union's fault. Scrap the sick-bank system. End the strike. The feeling among GTA residents is clear, according to an Angus Reid poll conducted for the Toronto Star." [More coverage in CityNews.]
Terrified tipplers stampede the LCBO (Toronto Star): "Brides, bar owners and casual drinkers jammed local liquor outlets yesterday, depleting shelves as talks continued toward a midnight strike deadline." [More coverage in the Post, CityNews, and CBC.]
What's open, what's closed (Globe and Mail): "Household pickup cancelled everywhere but Etobicoke. Yard waste, white goods (e.g. fridges and stoves), household hazardous waste, and ElectroVan and HazMobile collection is cancelled everywhere."
Family of Boat Cruise Stabbing Victim Speaks (CityNews): "Andy James was stabbed to death following a weekend party boat cruise and on Tuesday devastated family members offered their first public rememberance of the fallen 26-year-old."
City staff to recommend closure of 23 school pools (CP24): "Toronto District School Board staff will recommend closing 23 school pools at a budget meeting to be held on Wednesday."
CAW, Bombardier have tentative agreement (CBC): "Bombardier Inc. and the Canadian Auto Workers Union members at the company's de Havilland aircraft manufacturing plant in Toronto reached a tentative agreement Tuesday afternoon."
Mississauga council wants wage freeze for Ontario (National Post): "Mississauga council is expected to call on Premier Dalton McGuinty tomorrow to freeze provincial and municipal wages and benefits in Ontario for a year."
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You know it's a weird week in Toronto when the Star columnists you find yourself most agreeing with about the strike are Rosie DiManno and Joe Fiorito, which basically make up for the horrible mess that was Vinay Menon's article in the paper yesterday.
Menon's article was a mess, but he struck a chord. With extra taxes and fees added on to knee-jerk bylaws and nannying, it's getting tiring.
By separating the cost of garbage in the tax bill, the City may have made it easier for people to claim they should be refunded for each pickup missed, especially if a judge accepts the view that the picketed transfer stations are not really "open".
So why hasn't the City gone to court to get injunction? Windsor did that for several municipal facilities. The maximum CUPE can hold you for is five minutes. And with the heat wave, that five minutes is more like 2 or 3 minutes.
The strikers here in Windsor can stay out all summer. 10 weeks in and I've been to the waste depot twice with no problems. Right now I have two garbage bags and a bunch of paper recycling in the garage. The uncut grass has become home to birds not seen in the city.