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30 Comments

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Duly Quoted: Doug Ford

By Hamutal Dotan

“I’m a big supporter of these charitable organizations; they do a great job. On the other hand, you get a few phone calls from constituents that aren’t too happy that the roads are blocked up. Do I agree there’s always better ways of doing things? Yes.”
—Councillor Doug Ford (Ward 2, Etobicoke North), on the inconveniences of shutting down roads for fundraising events like this past weekend’s Ride for Heart. The event raised $3.9 million and drew more than 13,000 participants. According to the Star, Ford “wants organizers of the ride and other big events to sit down with city officials and see if some can be moved off busy roads into large parks or other venues.” Because 13,000 people in High Park won’t be inconvenient at all.

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  • tyrannosaurus_rek

    There are just a handful of days each year that motorists don't have uncontested right-of-way on these streets. Suck it up.

  • http://twitter.com/kattancock Kat Tancock

    The squeaky wheel gets the grease – I've already written to the mayor and my councillor in support of these events and I encourage everyone to do the same.

  • http://twitter.com/natekelly Nathan Kelly

    “Now I'm a big supporter of these events, but they simply can't mildly inconvenience motorists for a short period of time. Let's just do everything in High Park from now on. Derp derp.”

  • torontothegreat

    The added snark was great!

  • tyrannosaurus_rek

    Think how stupid we'll look when charities take their events to Hamilton and Mississauga because Toronto thinks driving to the mall is more important than fighting cancer.

  • http://twitter.com/maharper82 Matthew Harper

    It's all well and good to promote cycling and poo-poo motorists.  But there has to be a certain level of importance for our public infrastructure where we say, hold on, it really is vital that we use this infrastructure for the purpose it was designed for.  
    Is it OK to block access to downtown hospitals ERs, shut down Pearson or sever power lines for occasional charity events?  Most people would say no.  
    I happen to think that major traffic arteries are quite vital to the city.  I would be fine with one major marathon that killed some number of major arteries a year.  But I think we have too many such events.

  • http://profiles.google.com/sachin.hingoo Sachin Hingoo

    Remember, this dude wants to bring in an NFL team.  I wonder if he'd be okay with having them play their games out in Downsview Park so as not to bung up the roads?

  • Roy Murray

    Doug Ford never bothers to return constituents' calls anyway (too busy being an NFL lobbyist) so what does he care. BTW Doug, we want our councillor back – Rob Ford may be a disappointment as mayor but he returned calls promptly.

  • http://twitter.com/mark_dowling Mark Dowling

    How's the Indy gonna work in High Park?

  • scottld

    ” Most people would say no. ” Really not the most people I know. Its not like the DVP is the only road in and out of Toronto and that its closure for a few hours will collapse society.

  • torontothegreat

    when has a charity blocked hospital ERs, shut down pearson or severed power lines?

    ” But I think we have too many such events.”

    WHA?!  Yea, damn them charities trying to cure us of diseases!

  • http://twitter.com/dpirraglia Daniela Pirraglia

    I have a solution: let's hold all these events in the sky, The Fifth Element style. We can pay Bruce Willis to cut some symbolic ribbon at the first event.

  • tyrannosaurus_rek

    That's different.

    Cars.

  • http://twitter.com/maharper82 Matthew Harper

    Those were examples of no-brainer essential infrastructure.  I'm not saying that every road way is as essential, but some really are quite important.  
    And people don't need inspirational cyclists to donate to charities trying to help treat a cure diseases.  I think that a lot of people in this discussions are being just as idealogical as the “War-On-Cars” idiots, instead of rationally looking at whether or not some infrastructure should be reserved for its intended purpose more often than it currently is.  For the record I also don't think the city's roads should be messed with for the Indy.

  • tyrannosaurus_rek

    It's all well and good to place a certain level of importance on our public infrastructure. But there has to be a point where we say hold on, it really is vital that we share the space with the people who paid for it with their taxes when it's done for a good cause. Is it OK to hit-and-run the elderly and people in wheelchairs, tailgate buses of orphans until the driver gets so nervous he plunges the vehicle off a cliff or swing baseball bats out the window to bean pedestrians? Most people would say no. I happen to think that motorists can use detours a few times a year without bringing about the collapse of the city as a financial, cultural and entertainment centre and international destination. I would be fine with motorists having the roads exclusively for 360 days a year. But I think we could reduce that even further.

  • Astin44

    I don't see the problem here. I mean, High Park surely has 75km of 6-lane roadways running continuously through it, right? I guess moving all the geese, ducks, squirrels, and other small creatures could be time-consuming, but that work can easily be handled by the private sector.

  • http://www.scotchblog.ca canuck1975

    You tell me another route that can be looped to run 25/50/75 km that can accommodate 13,000 cyclists and I'm all ears, but if you actually read what Doug Ford has said, he's not looking at the Ride for Heart. He's looking at events with 1,000 or less participants where major roads are blocked. When I lived in Little Italy one of the things that drove me mad were the Easter processions on Dundas & College that stopped traffic. 

    That's more frustrating to me than a massive event that shuts down two highways where there was advertising on TV, radio and in print along with massive closure notices for weeks.

  • torontothegreat

    so you're unable to answer to your red herring.  Figures.

  • HotDang

    The idea isn't “inspirational cyclists,” the idea is that the participants put in a lot of work fundraising so that they can ride in a cool place that they're not usually allowed.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Robert-Stemmler/644800361 Robert Stemmler

    Here's the thing, though: if you're involved in your community, you know when the Easter processions et al, are; they're announced on CP24, on more than one radio station, and in community organs like newsletters and online discussion groups. Many times there are posters and broadsheets all over the neighbourhood in question. And if you know that Main Street is going to be closed for the Chili Dog Extravaganza on Saturday (for example), you know that you have to take an alternate route, one you should be aware exists because it's in the neighbourhood you live in.

    If you aren't involved in your neighbourhood enough to know when certain streets will be closed ahead of time, then the frustration isn't caused by the event–it's caused by your cluelessness. And cluelessness does not in any way trump the rights of people to engage in their community on public roads.

  • http://www.scotchblog.ca canuck1975

    I wasn't referring to the city sponsored Easter Parade in the beaches (it's not like College goes eastward past Yonge) but a church having an impromptu parade on the streets. They also would have funeral processions (obviously not planned) and other unschedule parades, without police patrol or protection, through the streets. There was no way to know in advance about these, and as a Jew, I'm offended that you're implying I should know when a Catholic Church would spill out of its doors and take over the streets without notice or warning.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Robert-Stemmler/644800361 Robert Stemmler

    As an atheist, I'm offended that you use your Jewishness to be offended. Perhaps you only think those parades are impromptu. Your words here certainly make it seem like you think your Jewishness means you don't have to know anything about your Catholic neighbours, meaning it's quite possible that those parades aren't nearly as impromptu as you think. Further, what kind of person gets upset over funeral processions? I mean, really, that's your leveler?

  • http://paul.kishimoto.name Paul Kishimoto

    Wise men have said that Death is the great leveler ;)

  • nevilleross

    But you're forgetting that our city's roads aren't 'messed up for the Indy' at all, Mr. Harper-the Indy is held at the Ex grounds.

  • AugustWest99

    I would LOVE to know how many calls he has had “from constituents that aren’t too happy” about these events. I mean how many people are going to bother  to pick up the mobile to call and say, gee, Doug, I know you are busy, and I don't want to sound like a heartless turd, but do you think you could do something about these charity events that block the street? What do you think? Two calls? One?

  • rich1299

    Every year in my neighbourhood of New Toronto the Hindus have a parade around the neighbourhood, yes it blocks a lane of traffic but i think it adds colour and vitality to my neighbourhood even though I'm an atheist. Remeber that at least inthe older parts of Toronto and even south Etobicoke the roads were built for horses, streetcars and pedestrians, not for cars. What's the big deal about pedestrians taking back a bit of roadway for a few hours a year? One of the things that I love about Toronto is its street festivals, its not much of a hardship for car drivers to take a detour so our citizens can celebrate whatever in our streets.

  • http://paul.kishimoto.name Paul Kishimoto

    I agree with you, but find it funny that you tagged on, “…even though I'm an atheist.”

    It reminds me of the people who say, “I felt so blessed,” in just such a way that you know they're regular churchgoers.

  • Toronto_Dave

    Probably the same number of calls they got from people complaining about the Jarvis bike lanes and the 5 cent bag fee. Which, coincidentally, is the same number of calls Tony Clement got from people upset about the “intrusiveness” of the long-form census.

  • http://www.scotchblog.ca canuck1975

    There's a funeral procession where a body is moved from the house of worship or morgue or wherever it is to the gravesite. That's not what these ones are. These ones are these folks doing a march around the block carting the body around the block before putting it into the hearse to go to the gravesite. It's part of that neighbourhood block that I used to live in and accepted it, that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it. Let me reiterate what I originally said: I was driven mad by these unplanned events and that it was frustrating. 

    Never did I say they should stop nor get off the streets. I just clarified that Doug Ford said they are looking at how to move some of these events off roads. Let's be clear here, 13,000 cyclists or 10,000 runners can't be moved off city roads and I think Doug Ford knows this. On the other hand, can a walk with 2000 people be moved off a roadway and onto a sidewalk? That's something to be looked at.

    Personally I have no issue with streets being closed for community events but there are 2.5 million people who live in the city and everyone's views should be heard to come up with the best solution for the most people.The less divisive everyone is, and yes, that includes you, the more livable this city will become. If only the mayor and the partisan factions would see things the same way.

  • http://www.scotchblog.ca canuck1975

    Read above. ;)