By Hamutal Dotan

Ottawa spends $300M for rail corridor upgrades (CBC): “Canada’s busiest rail corridor is set to get much quicker with the help of $300 million in federal cash.”
Cancelled by mayor, councillors demand meeting (Globe and Mail): “Thursday, with restless councillors one short of the 23 names they need to force a council meeting, Mayor David Miller announced he may call one ‘in the next week or two’ to deal with urgent items.”
Toronto on strike: the city defers to its strikers, again (National Post): “Toronto city manager Joe Pennachetti, seeking to get some wind in his sails after having had a rough go of it since the strike began June 22, proudly announced this week that 615 CUPE members have applied to cross the picket line. But how many of these 615 are actually working?”
Zoo’s funding ability ripped (Toronto Sun): “A year after the zoo’s board of directors decided to sever ties with the attraction’s fundraising arm little of the $250 million needed for an ambitious 10-year expansion announced in February 2008 has been realized.”
`Prince of pot’ bids farewell (Toronto Star): “[Marc] Emery, Vancouver’s outspoken marijuana activist, was in Toronto yesterday as part of his cross-country ‘farewell tour’ before he goes south of the border to face charges. He is accused of selling seeds over the Internet and money laundering. He has been fighting extradition to the U.S. and possible life imprisonment since July 2005.”
The real Hug Me Tree returns! (Spacing): “The Hug Me Tree, the infamous tree stump on Queen West at Peter and felled almost one year ago, has returned to it’s [sic] original location.” [Previous coverage on Torontoist: From the Sidewalk to the Institution.]