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Newsstand: July 23, 2012
We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but Monday is back. Here is mean ol' Monday's news: a gun crime–focused political powwow will take place today; the condo boom is putting pressure on Toronto's emergency rooms; a high-paying part-time job option for high school students willing to bare it all; a TTC bus crashes into a building; Toronto's elephants are staying put (for now); Mayor Ford has had a car upgrade; and good news about Queen and Spadina.
A high-profile brainstorm session between Mayor Rob Ford, Police Chief Bill Blair, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, and other members of the provincial government will take place today, focusing on the issue of gun violence in the city. The meeting was called in response to the recent Danzig Street shooting, though there have been additional cases of gun violence since the meeting was booked. Time will tell if the mayor and the premier find a way to agree about strategies and tactics to deal with this issue, as they seem to be off to a shaky start.
Next time you are enduring a long wait in the emergency room, take your mind off your pain/illness by considering why you are there. No, we are not suggesting you take the time to reflect on whether alcohol and nail guns mix (a bit late for that), but on whether Toronto’s condo boom is to blame. According to hospital administrators in the University Health Network, the rate at which downtown Toronto’s density is increasing is outpacing the area hospitals’ capacity and infrastructure, forcing doctors in some hospitals to treat patients while they’re still in the waiting room.
Recruiters are reaching out to Toronto’s high school students, and they aren’t talking entry scholarships. In response to tighter immigration policies that have cut off the inflow of foreign strippers, a brochure touting the benefits of working as an exotic dancer, including flexible hours and enough money to pay for tuition, will be one of the pieces of career material students at high school, college and university job fairs will receive.
After colliding with a car, then a cab, a TTC bus crashed into the side of Little Nicky’s Coffee shop on Sunday. Fortunately, only minor injuries were reported, but unfortunately for those stuck at the accident while it was being investigated, Little Nicky’s is closed Sunday, so there were no hot, fresh donuts to boost their spirits. Mmmmmm. Donuts.
Toronto’s elderly elephants needn’t pack their trunks just yet. Though scheduled to make the journey to PAWS sanctuary in California next month, their move has been delayed due to concerns about the heat, which seems, ahem, ironic.
Speaking of things that are mammoth and hulking, Mayor Ford, man of the people, has retired his minivan in favour of a Cadillac Escalade (whoa, no need to get testy, that wasn’t a fat joke; it was a car-size joke!). Mayor Ford’s brothers, Randy and Doug, purchased the large luxury car for the mayor’s birthday, because flipping the bird in a car like this just looks classier.
Here’s a little something to ease your Monday-morning commuting blues: after a two-week construction closure, the intersection of Queen Street and Spadina Avenue reopened to drivers, pedestrians, and some streetcars today.
