With the warmth of summer finally here, Torontonians are coming out of hibernation and making use of the many City parks at their disposal. But these parks need to be maintained, they need programming, they need recreation staff, and they need groups of dedicated citizens who care about them. To this end, Toronto Parks People has launched Parks44, a program with the goal of starting a local parks group in each of the city’s 44 wards.
City council rejected all proposals for expanded gaming in Toronto today. By a resounding vote of 40–4 they opposed the establishment of any new downtown casino (the dissenters were Rob Ford, Norm Kelly, Vincent Crisanti, and Giorgio Mammoliti). This was widely expected, in the wake of a concerted grassroots campaign opposing a new facility, and news that the provincial government would be giving Toronto much less in hosting fees than casino advocates were hoping. Much more surprising was the rejection also of any expanded gaming at Woodbine, which already has slot machines—that was by a much closer margin of 24-20. Woodbine officials have maintained that they need to expand in order to stay alive at all. Even though Toronto has rejected a casino, neighbouring municipalities such as Vaughan might permit one; Woodbine representatives say this competitive pressure will put them out of business.
In the middle of it all was Rob Ford, who surprised everyone by moving a motion to reject casinos even though he has been one of their strongest proponents.
Performers with the Zacada Circus perform at the HarbourKIDS Festival.
On Saturday afternoon, inside a Harbourfront Centre dressing room, the Zero Gravity Circus was getting ready to take the main stage for its first performance of Victoria Day weekend. Jen Gregopoulos, owner and director of The Circus Academy, a school that trains kids in the art of circus performing, was brimming with excitement. The performers, most of them teenaged girls, were already feeling the jitters, but it was nothing they hadn’t been through before.
Although you can’t see it from the sidewalk, there’s a condo atop the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Architecture building at 230 College Street. Far from being another of those soulless glass boxes scattered around the city’s downtown, however, this condo is all about life and diversity. But it’s bees and wasps only, here.
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