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Newsstand: August 9, 2012

Thursday, don't even get us started. Unless you're starting with blueberry pancakes. In that case, proceed. To the news: A new new plan for the Portlands, a peek at the mayor in a hospital gown, police are on the case of that awful video, another man charged in connection the Danzig Street shooting, and keeping a close eye on the private garbage trucks.

By • Illustration by Brett Lamb

The newest new plan for the Port Lands revitalization was revealed Wednesday, and it’s looking a lot like a plan. The Ferris wheels of yore have been replaced by bus rapid transit, and the megamall has given way to a phased-in naturalization of the Don River mouth that will hopefully bolster development prices, which will then feed back into the revitalization budget as revitalization progresses. For those curious about the fate of Doug Ford’s (Ward 2, Etobicoke North) final piece in the trifecta of waterfront revitalization, the monorail, stay tuned for more coverage of the plan later today.

We’re getting thrilling glimpses into the very private life of Mayor Rob Ford as he continues his hospital visit and we all continue to wish ’90s George Clooney would just appear in his E.R. scrubs and explain everything. Ford admitted himself to hospital on Tuesday night for throat and/or stomach symptoms, and is now still just kind of hanging out in the hospital. But he is putting his time to good use and looking thoughtfully at some paper getting some mayor stuff done. There is still no word on when exactly the mayor will be discharged.

Police are seeking the public’s help identifying the gross person who peed on an unconscious man outside the Eaton Centre and posted the video on WorldstarHipHop. Police believe the assault happened last November. A police spokesperson added they don’t “think anyone would have a problem stepping forward and providing the information that we need to make an arrest.” Here’s hoping.

A second man has been charged in connection with the shooting on Danzig Street last month. Police say there’s no evidence the 18-year-old was at the block party when the shots were fired, but he was allegedly threatening people who planned to be at the event. The teen had a gun on him when he was arrested, but there’s no evidence that gun had anything to do with the shooting.

And after getting off to a slow start on Day One of private garbage pick-up in the west end, Green for Life continues to be slow.

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Comments

  • http://www.facebook.com/jpaterson1 James D Paterson

    Green For Life continues to be slow? That’s (not) a shocker, and attempting to shift blame on union crews is a bit far reaching. Granted, CUPE is as useless as they come, but I highly doubt they’re holding up the trucks fourfold.

    The Etobicoke North councillor, I forget his name, had a good idea in suggesting Toronto start fining GFL for their obvious incompetence. I say don’t levy fines, just levy a termination of the contract; surely GFL isn’t living up to the requirements.

    • Anonymous

      Not much room for a leaning curve, as I understand, GFL stepped into the job. Schedules and routes were already in place. They claimed it could be done with fewer staff and fewer trucks.
      It might be premature for the criticism, but I understand why some are feeling that way.

      • http://www.facebook.com/jpaterson1 James D Paterson

        Indeed. Had they not made such claims, perhaps the delays wouldn’t have as much of an effect. But when you claim you can operate with less people and less equipment, and then send out MORE equipment because your original claim had no chance of being true, you shoot yourself.

        • Anonymous

          Exactly. It makes me wonder that if they bid on the contract under the assumption that they could do it with the number of trucks/crews they started with, they might be taking a bath on this contract.

          Which leaves them with two options: try to get out of the contract, or continue taking a bath, and then when the whole thing is privatized and the city can’t go back to public, they can jack the prices up to where they should be.

          Net result being that it’s no cheaper for the city, but rather than having well paid union jobs within the city, the money goes to the execs and the shareholders. Yippee.

  • Anonymous

    “looking thoughtfully at some paper”

    I sincerely hope the paper is as blank as his mind.

    • Anonymous

      When is a mayor not a mayor?

      • Anonymous

        I dunno… ambulant vegetable?

      • http://www.facebook.com/jpaterson1 James D Paterson

        When his name is Rob Ford?

      • Anonymous

        When he’s like a writing desk.