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Newsstand: May 21, 2012
Dust off those white shoes, starch those cream-coloured capris, and pour yourself a nice, cool bevy right out of that 2-4. It's Victoria Day! Hurray! Also happening: a new campaign promise made (or an old one broken?) by the (already in office) mayor; 2025's World Expo could be landing at our waterfront if one city councillor has her way; a new report suggests that police were provoked and attacked at the 2010 G20; and valuable information for Toronto's royal watchers.
Mayor Rob Ford has pledged to contract out all garbage collection east of Yonge Street should he be re-elected next term. Mayor Ford, who seems to be perpetually campaigning (though perhaps not as diligent at following through on previous campaign promises) said on his weekly talk show that completing contracting out of Toronto’s garbage collection will be part of his 2014 election platform, and has indicated that this is something he’ll work on early in the next council term. In 2011, a plan was approved to contract out all trash collection between the Humber River and the west side of Yonge Street starting this summer. No word yet on why Mayor Ford will wait until next term (the optimist!) to do the same on the east side.
City Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam (Ward 27, Toronto Centre-Rosedale) doesn’t want the City’s waterfront watershed moment to be about a casino, and is instead pushing for a world’s fairground, suggesting that Toronto should play host to World Expo 2025. Wong-Tam believes that this will spur economic activity and tourism, develop transit and housing infrastructure, and revitalize the waterfront. She plans to bring a motion forward in a June council meeting that asks City staff to examine the feasibility of making a bid for 2025. Ah, yes. Since this went so very well the last time.
What about the police, won’t anyone please think about the police? For the first time since 2010′s controversial G20 summit in Toronto, evidence suggesting officers policing the summit were attacked, and possibly provoked, by protesters is being compiled in a report. According to the Toronto police, nearly 100 officers “were injured in the course of carrying out their duties.” We’ll make a shocking observation here and suggest that the officer-as-victim role may not go over particularly well with the more than 1,000 protestors that were arrested and released without charge, or those accusing the police of gross misconduct, including unlawful arrests and Charter rights infringements.
Planning on stalking spotting the visiting royals this week? The CBC has got you covered. But, if donning a silly hat in the heat just isn’t your thing, perhaps you can quietly reflect on the top six royal moments in Toronto. This may also reinforce your decision not to be a royal watcher as nothing of interest really seems to happen when those Windsors show up. Well, William got in trouble once, and that was probably pretty cute.
