news
Newsstand: July 26, 2012
Thursday! We didn't see you standing there. Come in. Say hello. And share some news: Irie Music Fest cancels urban programming, City staff misunderstand council and end the Hardship Fund, TDSB wants millions for photocopying fees, TCHC tries to fix violence, Giorgio Mammoliti also tries to fix violence, plans for Ontario Place revealed, and bike lanes begin.
On the same day (the festival formally known as) Caribana organizers announced they will search the tourists, seniors, and people with small kids (their words) that sit in the bleachers for the parade, organizers of the TD Irie Music Festival cancelled the “urban music” portion of the festival. Irie Festival organizers have not given an official statement on the cancellation, but the Globe seems fairly certain that security was the problem.
City staff are ending the Hardship Fund even though council voted to maintain funding until at least the end of the year. The fund provides for low-income seniors and disabled people to cover medical expenses. And it really should keep doing that.
The Toronto District School Board says they’re willing to hand over information about their work orders to the Toronto Star. That is, if the paper pays the $3.6 million fee.
The Toronto Community Housing Corporation board approved recommendations aimed at improving security in their buildings. Recommendations like more security; cutting money at the management level and re-allocating it to community services; and a summit with police, city departments, and academics. Summits like that usually fix everything, so let’s just stop listing other solutions to the effects of systemic marginalization right there.
Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti (Ward 7, York West) is doing that thing again where he says nutty things and then we all get distracted by his ridiculousness and stop talking about real things. Okay, now that we’ve been upfront about that, on to the show: Mammoliti says he has the solution to the gang violence that plagues the city. Mammoliti’s solution? More Mammoliti. He says that with only four years, ultimate power, more money, and cooperation from all three levels of government, taht he could single-handedly end all the bad things ever.
John Tory’s plans for Ontario Place will be/have been released today. If you are reading this before 11 a.m., when the report will be made public, then let us say that we are pretty sure the Province is going to tear down the water park and big white ball to make way for an alien landing pad/Canada’s largest pony stable. If it is after 11 a.m., we told you so.
Sherbourne Street will soon be getting those separated bike lanes we’ve been hearing so much about. Construction will start next week on repairing the road surface and adding curbs to portions of the street. And of course, because the City is doing something nice and right, they are cancelling that out with a stupid plan to un-do the bike lanes that were painted on Jarvis.
