The audience at the SMWTO event Twitter Tea Time.

The internet is to Social Media Week Toronto what beer is to Homer Simpson: “The cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.”

At last week’s series of over 100 workshops, lectures, interactive art installations, and even a game of hoops, that sense of dichotomy was the feeling among entrepreneurs jazzed about their new gaming network, and among marketing experts looking intrigued (yet slightly terrified) of the nebulous online space. Even in 2012, the digital world is still a new frontier for those making a living in and off of it. And they seemed, as they have in the past, to dominate the conversation among the events at SMWTO—which is Toronto’s edition of Social Media Week, which took place across 21 cities worldwide.

Throughout the week, it was “social media” coming at you in “real time.” Turn “Likes” and “Retweets” into “fans” and “engagement” both “on the internets” and “IRL,” and increase the “ROI” of our time spent on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Instagram, and whatever else claims to be one of “the fastest-growing online communities.” (For a translation, simply click here.) Buzzwords are often inescapable when you’re dealing with something that’s “hot” or “emerging,” but they can also be hella alienating when you’re not the one using them. Considering that they’re driven by their everyday users, initiatives to analyze and discuss social networks have been made by companies looking to use them for marketing purposes, not by the self-proclaimed internet addicts actually using them for entertainment rather than profit.

But as memes, videos, blogs, and networks have born a unique and independent culture of their own, this year’s Social Media Week marked a shift to represent that—a shift that should keep growing in the years to come. Under the organization of Amanda Lynne Ballard, who has a background in arts events and festivals like Nuit Blanche and the Toronto Fringe, SMW changed focus from a marketing and communications conference to more of a celebration of digital culture in all its forms—visual art, theatre, lifestyle, sports, activism, even dating.

“It was still heavy on marketing and communications, but that’s what [SMWTO] is by its nature. This year though, we moved away from sessions that were basically product pitches or 101 course work,” she said.

The transition from a social media marketing un-conference (no strict schedule and multiple venues) to a full-on festival for the digital community makes sense given SMWTO’s free admission policy, one which allows the same access to Twitter newbies as it does to CEOs. Marketing and networking will probably always have a place, but in due time the novelty/fear of social media marketing will wear off, leaving lots of room for more industries to develop their own conversation. Soon, Ballard hopes to involve more leaders in education and health care, hold interactive panels, and bring new products like GestureTek into the mix—along with whatever other innovations happen to pop up in this unpredictable world.

“It’s ever-changing. Eventually, social media won’t be the new and the fancy, it’ll be integrated into everything. But that’s part of our challenge, to keep Social Media Week relevant and to keep new audiences engaged,” Ballard said. Not that this initiative will be achieved by next year, but rather it’s part of a long-term plan for SMWTO.

In one panel called The Social Media Ref, Tweeter/blogger/8-bit dreamer Lauren O’Neil said “Social media is real life,” contending that it involves the same things as reality does: social norms, practical judgment, and a variety of languages and interests. Luckily, SMWTO is taking steps to bring real life online, then off-line again.

Stuart Duncan (fifth from left) poses with members of the D'Urbervilles, Forest City Lovers, Jenny Omnichord, and Timber Timbre at the second anniversary of Out of This Spark at the Tranzac. Photo by Fil Zuzarte, photo from Out of this Spark

Out of this Spark 5th Anniversary
The Tranzac (292 Brunswick Avenue)
February 25, doors open at 8 p.m.
$15 in advance (at Soundscapes and Rotate This); $17 at the door

For many grassroots musicians, the music industry can be an intimidating environment. The daunting challenges of producing and releasing an album can discourage even the most committed artists. One has to wonder: is there a way to build a small, responsive music label that can support artists and allow creative freedom? Can a label be niche and independent while still being sustainable? Stuart Duncan founded his record label Out of This Spark in an attempt to provide that alternative. The company will be celebrating its fifth anniversary on February 25th.

Duncan moved to Toronto from Guelph in 2006. He had been working at the Guelph University radio station and promoting concerts around the area. In the process, he got to know a tight-knit community of musicians who, for the most part, burned their own CDs and bound them by hand.

Duncan noticed that these homemade efforts tended not to gain much mainstream traction. Some artists were reluctant to sign with larger labels, because they worried they’d need to cede artistic control.

Duncan figured he could start his own label as a middle ground between the do-it-yourself and those bigger labels that his friends had been frustrated with.

At the time, Duncan’s friends Jamie Bunton and Casey Mecija, of Ohbijou, were putting together a compilation called Friends In Bellwoods. Duncan thought of this as the perfect opportunity to start his label. Not only was the album a fundraiser for the Daily Bread Food Bank, but it was also meant to be a grassroots effort.

For that compilation, Duncan was able to get distribution through Sonic Unyon, and the project evolved from there. The label now supports eight bands, including Evening Hymns, Forest City Lovers, and Snowblink, among others.

Distribution wasn’t the only problem Duncan found facing small bands. He also recognized a need for a good, supportive venue. That was where the Tranzac came in.

“When I first came to Toronto it seemed everything was very niche, circles of people. So you would have this circle of musicians, but you wouldn’t really have much cross-pollination between,” he said. “The Tranzac was the first space in Toronto that I found was really a cross-pollination of all those different types, beyond ages, and types of music.”

Duncan and Out of this Spark have been actively involved with the Tranzac ever since. The label has hosted numerous events there, including the first Friends in Bellwoods release, and releases for the D’Urbervilles and Forest City Lovers. The Tranzac has also hosted several of the label’s anniversary celebrations, and will host the upcoming one.

Duncan anticipates a bright future for Out of this Spark. He hopes the company will continue to grow slowly, while maintaining its original focus: publishing music while allowing the musicians as much control and input as possible.

“We just have to stop pretending that we can become one of those larger labels and just find a way to have as much impact as we can in our own immediate community,” he said. “I think the future is a bit of a movement back towards where we were when we started. Smaller scale, still putting out music, but not so much worrying about the bottom line and trying to reach this arbitrary level of success that some of these large indie labels have had.”

WHERE: 130 Horner Avenue, Etobicoke

WHEN: Tuesday, February 21

WHAT: As the new Toronto South Detention Centre (or “superjail” as it’s sometimes known) nears completion, the complex it’s being built to replace—the old Mimico Correctional Centre—is being demolished. Photographer Chris Drost captured these images of the old jail in its half-destroyed state.

The men of Tiny Danza have been struggling to keep a secret, even with the writing etched all over the walls. After being declared winners of Indie Week 2011 and self-releasing the acclaimed album You Could Have It All…, they had billed their Saturday show at Cherry Cola’s as a farewell. With all the group’s momentum, and upcoming dates scheduled at CMW and SXSW, that night seemed like anything but an ideal time for the them to call it quits.

So it came as no surprise that the farewell in question was only to the group’s name and unsigned status.

“The biggest thing was our joke band name,” the group’s emcee, Galen Hogg, says of the decision. “As we expand into new markets, we don’t want to have to explain it over and over again because really, there is no reason—other than alcohol.”

Following an exhaustive search for a new moniker that involved whittling down around 300 potential names—including Manic Hispanic and Diabetes: The Band—the band members decided to rebrand themselves as Nixon. They also recently signed with Wax Records, which they say was a direct result of the victory at Indie Week.

“I remember [drummer] Nick [Shao] saying ‘I entered us into this thing. We’re not gonna win,’” Hogg recalls.

“It was a huge vehicle to get gigs, bring our brand up to something more visible,” says vocalist Andrew Cameron, adding that he looks forward to collaborating with other Wax artists. Despite the new developments, everyone insists that what will not change is the group’s output—a distinctive fusion of R&B, hip hop, and rock.

“We’ve learned so much being together for six years, “Cameron explains, “and during that time we’ve definitely picked up new styles from each other.” The group exudes a renewed sense of determination—a natural by-product of slogging through some tough times and tasting the first few sweet drops of success.

“Everything before we released our record was a disaster,” Hogg concedes with a hard-won laugh. But at this point, not even the transition from Tiny Danza to Nixon seems daunting to him. “We have loyal fans, they’ll support us.”

“As long as we sell out really slowly,” Shao deadpans.

There was an air of celebration as the band took to the stage for the last time as Tiny Danza. They delivered a compact and energetic set. Cameron and Hogg alternated spitting rapid-fire verses—Cameron both sings and raps—backed by solid musicianship from Shao, guitarist Matt Russo, and Andrew Santaguida on keys. The band doesn’t have a bass player, but this proved to be less of a hindrance than one might expect. Santaguida capably fills out the rhythm section from behind his keyboard, essentially playing the parts of two men.

It was only after a few songs that Tiny Danza formally announced the purpose of the evening. Hogg made a point to clarify that the switch to Nixon had not been at the insistence of their new label. And then with that bit of business squared away, the band picked up right where it had left off, delivering an impassioned performance of album stand-out “Hindsight,” a searing kiss-off to a former flame that saw Cameron scaling Zack de la Rocha heights in a venomous final verse. Hogg—who confessed to wanting the performance to be over due to an overwhelming party itch—invited the whole crowd onto the already cramped stage for the band’s final number, the hyperkinetic “Beatfly.” Fortunately for the band, only a few obliged.

As Hogg was thanking everyone for coming out, his mic abruptly cut out and music came over the speakers, bringing the show to an unceremonious end. But it didn’t seem to matter. Nixon will have plenty to say, soon enough.

Correction, February 22, 12:30: Tiny Danza’s (Nixon’s) drummer’s name is spelled Shao, not Zhao, as we had mistakenly put alongside his quote. The correction to the copy has been made. Apologies, Nick.

Yesterday, amidst great controversy, the Toronto Transit Commission decided to fire Gary Webster, effective immediately and with no just cause. Today, Webster said goodbye to the transit service where he spent his career, with the following note:

NOTICE TO ALL TTC EMPLOYEES
Keep up the good work—and thank you

As many of you will now know, the Commission has decided to replace me as the TTC’s Chief General Manager.

I am proud to have been part of the TTC for almost 37 years, most recently as its CGM. Each day you and your colleagues provide excellent, safe and courteous service to our 1.6 million daily customers. People are passionate about public transit in Toronto; that healthy passion will continue as the TTC improves and expands. Toronto is blessed with an excellent transit system and I thank you for your hard work.

There are times when situations arise that are outside of our control. But the one thing we always have control over is how we respond to those situations. I ask that you respond to all of this by doing what you all do so well – by continuing your professionalism and delivering the safe, courteous service that our customers expect and deserve.

The Commission has asked Andy Byford to continue in his role as Chief Operating Officer, which includes the role of deputy CGM, while a search for a permanent Chief General Manager is undertaken. Please show Andy the same support you have shown me as he continues his excellent work around strengthening the TTC.

Thank you again for all of your support and the kind words so many of you have shared with me.

Gary Webster

UPDATE, 1:47 PM: A few minutes ago Webster’s interim replacement, Chief Operating Officer Andy Byford, sent out a note of his own…

NOTICE TO ALL TTC EMPLOYEES

Dear TTC Colleagues,

As you are aware, the Commission voted to terminate the services of Gary Webster yesterday with immediate effect. I would like to place on record my respect for Gary’s outstanding 37 year career at the TTC and my gratitude to him for giving me the opportunity to join this great company.

I have been asked to cover the responsibilities of Chief General Manager until further notice, while a search is undertaken to appoint a permanent CGM. As I said publicly yesterday, my immediate focus is on the delivery of the day to day service to the 1.6 million riders that depend on the TTC every day. As such, our priorities remain focused on safety, performance and customer service.

In my time at the TTC so far, I have spent a lot of time on the system, meeting staff and understanding the challenges that you face. I continue to be incredibly impressed by the professionalism, dedication and passion of TTC staff at all levels and to me, you are our greatest asset.

I really believe that the future is bright for the TTC with new streetcars and trains, ticketing systems and subway extensions coming on stream. If we continue to drive up performance and staff morale, customer satisfaction and our reputation will improve and we will get the TTC back to where it belongs as a leader in world transit systems.

I am honoured to be asked to lead the TTC if only temporarily and I look forward to working with everyone as one team to take the TTC forward.

Best wishes,

Andy Byford
COO/Deputy Chief General Manager

Riding along the Lakeshore Path near the Beaches. Photo by TOrebelXTguy from the Torontoist Flickr Pool

For cyclists in Toronto, the future is a mixed bag. With the impending unveiling of the City’s new Multi-Use Trails Plan in March, Toronto could start accumulating new off-road bike paths at an unprecedented rate. But cycling advocates are worried that it won’t be enough to deliver an effective bike-lane network. Right now is the last window of opportunity for public input.

The expansion, if it goes off as planned, will add approximately 30 kilometres of new off-road bike trails to the existing network in 2012, which would represent the largest-ever one-year expansion of the City’s trail system. Much of the work would focus on a few major projects in rail and hydro corridors, including the CN line that runs through Leaside, the Gatineau Hydro Corridor, the Finch Hydro Corridor, and the Scarborough Pitt Spur.

There aren’t going to be any more public consultation meetings on the plan, but the City is still accepting feedback on the whole thing by email (reach them at bikeplan@toronto.ca) before they finalize their findings. The deadline for submissions is this Friday, February 24.

The proposal is expected to go to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee for approval on March 21, after which it will still need final clearance from council.

Andrea Garcia, director of advocacy and operations for the Toronto Cyclists Union, believes this is an exciting development that could see some important changes to the City’s infrastructure, but wonders how effective it will be at solving the existing network’s problems.

“I think the plan has the potential to drastically improve cycling in areas of the City that are completely underserved by cycling infrastructure,” she said. “There are still a lot of issues that need to be addressed around winter maintenance and lighting specifically, but I certainly think it is a good start.”

This updated map shows some of the key trails and on-street connections the City is exploring. Photo from the City of Toronto.

Garcia believes that the new trails, rather than serving only recreational riders, should allow cyclists who live in the suburbs to commute to work, run errands, or get around. For this reason she says it is important that off-road trails be functional at all times, no matter the time or the season. This would require plowing in winter, and lighting at night.

Another concern of Garcia’s is that the emphasis in bike infrastructure planning under Mayor Ford is on putting trails where they won’t impede auto traffic. This, she said, can tie City staff’s hands, making it impossible for them to address the ongoing need for on-street infrastructure to promote safety for cyclists.

Tammy Thorne, editor-in-chief of Dandyhorse magazine, is skeptical of the plan and shares Garcia’s concerns about maintenance. Thorne thinks the biggest problem is that the City lacks the political will to make better bike infrastructure. She points to Ford’s open disdain for cyclists as evidence that the City’s commitment to building new bike infrastructure isn’t as strong as it could be.

“My priority is to make [bike trails] interconnected,” she said. “It’s all piecemeal. The trails aren’t connected and that’s where we see accidents at intersections. We can’t leave cyclists in the soup.”

“If [Mayor Ford] is not interested in bike lanes and wants people off-road we need more work to create decent infrastructure,” she added.

Jennifer Hyland, a transportation planner for cycling infrastructure and planning at the City, explains that there has been some progress in connecting paths. Waterfront Toronto and the Toronto Region Conservation Authority, she said, are beginning work on filling in the gaps in the Martin Goodman Trail this year. Other work will include a boulevard trail along Queens Quay, between Bathurst and Bay streets. These projects are expected to get underway in 2013.

Hyland also pointed out that the West Toronto Railpath will undergo a feasibility study this year to examine a future extension north and south. In the meantime, cycling staff are investigating a better transition from the trail to the street network at Sterling Avenue.

Thorne and others are still not impressed with the progress being made on cycling infrastructure.

“These are paltry improvements to off-road infrastructure,” said Thorne. “We need better pavement, connection paths, and lighting.”

“People are starting to lose faith. And why would they have hope for infrastructure looking at the way they treat cyclists in the city?”

CORRECTION: February 22, 2011, 12:50 P.M. This post originally misstated details of the City’s plans for a boulevard trail on Queens Quay, omitted mention of Toronto Region Conservation Authority’s involvement in filling in gaps in the Martin Goodman Trail, and stated that those projects would be completed in 2013, when in fact 2013 is the year they are expected to commence. It also misstated Jennifer Hyland’s title and provided a link to an outdated version of the City’s trails plan. All of these errors have been corrected.

Remember when the city went crazy about Shirley MacLaine coming to town and how the box office went wild when Mrs. Winterbourne finally hit? No, neither do we. This is one of those grand, Toronto-shot films that essentially came and went without a sound, unless you happen to be an aficionado of films in which Brendan Fraser plays a double role.

As you well know, however, quality is not a prerequisite for inclusion in Reel Toronto. Au contraire, this film’s seven per cent Rotten Tomatoes rating is hardly even noteworthy in the context of achievements like Glitter and Cheaper by the Dozen 2. Sigh.

So, the film is set in the Boston area and New York and features Ricki Lake, who was making her transition from a member of the John Waters repertory company to daytime talk show host serious actress.

The film opens and closes with a lovely wedding. The framing is perhaps a bit too tight for it to be entirely obvious, but these are the steps of the St. James Cathedral.

You can see it a bit wider here…

…and you can see King Street in this reverse shot, with St. Lawrence Market just hiding in the background there.

They also used the handsome interior.

The Winterbourne mansion is played by King City’s lovely Eaton Hall.

You may recognize this entrance from the climax of David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence…

…which also made use of this lovely lakeside lawn, albeit in a completely different context.

Hey, it’s Brendan Fraser hanging with a fairly young Jane Krakowski!

Inside Eaton Hall is nice enough but it hardly compares to Oshawa’s Parkwood Estate, where they shot the interiors. We’ve seen that old chestnut in Billy Madison and a billion other things. (It was, somewhat incongruously, the X-Mansion exterior in X-Men; the interiors were Casa Loma.)

They used the dining room….

…these steps…

…and the indoor pool.

They shot something down in Hazelton Lanes so we’re guessing it’s this spa.

About the same level of speculation can be applied to this city street, which may be ol’ Queen Street West, where they shot something or other.

With greater certainty, we can declare that this motel…

…is actually the Andrews Motel, out on Kingston Road.

If you read the credits (which we have to; every frame, to the bitter end) you’d hardly know they even shot here, what with all the hearty thanks to the Big Apple and Beantown. You’re welcome, Hollywood! You’re welcome, people of Earth, for our invaluable contribution to human culture!

It is dismal news to wake up to: TTC chief Gary Webster has been fired. The result of yesterday’s special—and largely secret—meeting of transit commissioners, had Webster voted out, 5-4. Apparently, the specific terms of his severance (a.k.a. the gravy it’ll cost taxpayers to fund the sacking of a city official without just cause) will be kept confidential, though a $500,000 figure has been thrown around speculatively. The mayor attributed the ousting of the upstanding, 35-year employee (a year before his retirement date, no less) to the “general public” wanting the TTC to “move forward.” Charming. Further proof of Webster’s decency were the composed and remarkably acrimony-free public remarks he made following the decision. Seems that not everyone is prepared to stoop to the new level of pettiness gracing us of late at city hall.

While injustice reigned at city hall last night, several TTC executives proceeded with their weekly “Meet the Manager” drop-in event. Though most TTC riders gave the usual complaints about train frequency and short-turn streetcars, apparently some weighed in on the subway-versus-light-rail showdown. And someone affectionately called the mayor “Robbie Ford.”

The Emery Village BIA in the northwest of the city has rescinded their support for building the Finch West LRT line along Finch Avenue. Although, in 2008, a BIA newsletter touted the prospect of a Finch West light-rail line for promising better transit efficiency and increasing “the magnetism of Emery Village,” the Globe and Mail suggests that the subway-loving Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, who sits on their BIA, has influenced something of an about-face on the subject.

The Auditor General’s annual Report on Fraud says City employees supposedly misused a whole bunch of money last year. Like, a $939,000 bunch. Apparently, calls to the fraud and waste hotline (who knew?) have skyrocketed.

Shary Boyle and Christine Fellows from Everything Under the Moon. Photo by Marc de Guerre.

PERFORMANCE: You never know what’s coming at Everything Under the Moon, the latest project by visual and performance artist Shary Boyle and songwriter and performer Christine Fellows. The production uses overhead projectors, costumes, and puppets, and is accompanied by an original score featuring xylophone, timpani, wurlitzer, ukulele, cello, trumpet, percussion, and voice. The story is about two small creatures on an adventure to rescue their species. The all-ages show started on Saturday and runs until tomorrow night. Enwave Theatre (231 Queens Quay West), 10 a.m. 7 p.m., $10–$15.

LITERATURE: Stop in for a talk by PEN/Malamud and Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction winner Nathan Englander, as he shares his new collection of short stories, What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank. The stories range from provocative to dark, including one about vigilante justice by a group of geriatric campers. Harbourfront Centre (235 Queens Quay West), 7:30 p.m., FREE.

COMEDY: Some of the best improv comedians in the city are taking to the stage for Back to the Future: The Improv Show. The show’s premise is a love story that goes off script (with a little time-travel thrown in for good measure). Performing tonight are Sean Tabares, Alexandra Wylie, Julian Frid, Ken Hall, and Isaac Kessler. Black Swan Tavern (154 Danforth Avenue), 8 p.m., PWYC.

OPERA: Officially opening tonight is Nicole Brooks’s original Canadian work, Obeah Opera. The performance is a look into black history through music and movement and tells the story of women silenced by the 17th century witch hunt. Toronto soul singer Saidah Baba Talibah stars, alongside Nicole Brooks, Sapphire Dimetro, Joni NehRita, and Calypso Queen Supreme Macomere Fifi. The show is on stage until March 4. 918 Bathurst Centre (918 Bathurst Street), 8 p.m., $25–$30.

Urban Planner is Torontoist‘s guide to what’s on in Toronto, published every weekday morning, and in a weekend edition Friday afternoons. If you have an event you’d like considered, email all of its details—as well as images, if you’ve got any—to events@torontoist.com.

CORRECTION: 10:20 AM Today’s performance of Everything Under the Moon, originally scheduled for 10 a.m., has been moved to 7 p.m. due to popular demand.

Photoist is the first post we publish every weekday morning. In it we feature an image (or two) by a photographer in the Torontoist Flickr Pool, to show off their great work and begin the day with something pretty.

Photo by Photolipher from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.

6:30 PM Of note: in the open mic meeting are Peter Milczyn and John Parker, two right-leaning councillors who have broken with Ford about transit issues. Anyone who calls this a meeting of downtown Pinkos isn’t doing a proper head count.

6:22 PM: @goldsbie: In the hall, Milczyn says to Royson [James, columnist for the Toronto Star: "This is your fault!" He's heard this was in response to Royson's column about the suppressed report.

6:13 PM The question of the hour: if city council cans the current TTC board and installs new Commission members, could that new TTC board re-hire Webster. Answer: procedurally yes (i.e. those commissioners would have the authority to do so), though in theory Webster's settlement package could include a clause precluding this.

6:07 PM We stepped out for a bit as Webster gave a short statement. He too was diplomatic, and took no questions. "This is not how I expected this or wanted it to end...I am proud of the opportunity I have had to serve as chief general manager." He thanks Torontonians for their support and says transit will still run tomorrow, as usual.

6:05 PM The first of the speakers at the open mic session: Allan, who deputes frequently at the TTC. He had a slidedeck in which he draws an analogy between Gary Webster and Galileo, who both got in trouble for saying true things public leaders didn't want to hear. (The text in his slides was red for emphasis.)

5:57 PM Some updates from the past half hour. Stintz is currently running an informal open mic session in the overflow room, so that those who had registered to speak at the TTC meeting and other in attendance can still share their views on today's decision. About six or seven have spoken so far, all opposed to firing Webster. In a scrum before the session she was very diplomatic, saying that while she opposed the decision it was the Commission's decision to make. She also noted that the last search for a general manager took a year and a half, and produced no results. This isn't an easy role to fill. When she came into the overflow room she sat down and introduced herself: "My name is Karen Stintz, and I am the chair of the TTC. For today." Laughter.

5:21 PM VOTE ON MOTION TO FIRE WEBSTER: 5-4, same lines as the councillors who called the meeting.

5:19 PM Milczyn, long a Ford ally, is breaking with him over this, says managing the transition will be a challenge. Finally, Stintz speaks, offers thanks to Webster for his service at the TTC. She says she wants to take a moment "to talk about the values we all share. We all value the TTC and what it does for the city... "the decisions we are making today are certainly difficult ones, but the values we share are shared by Gary Webster," and those values will survive.

5:14 PM Frank Di Giorgio: "I come at this from an angle that examines the behaviour of previous administrations." Can't think of another mayor where "they haven't come across this kind of situation.... I also think very highly of the general manager." (Jeers.) "In a bureaucracy excellence is defined by...ability to put forward positions that are consistent with positions put forward by the major." And then, astonishingly: "I agree that it's without just cause, no question about it."

5:14 PM John Parker' s speech, in its entirety: "the key words in the motion are 'termination without just cause.'"

5:14 PM Augimeri, speaking against the motion. This isn't servicing riders, the TTC, employees, or the City. "You can rely on him to for .intelligence and decency and hard work. What are you thinking?" Also, she says, "you can rely on him not to hide reports." And then: "Today is a clear demonstration of an abuse of power and an abuse of privilege."

5:13 PM Gary Webster has requested that there not be deputations. Stintz is recommending that they set up an informal open mic session in a room next door; she will officiate.

5:09 PM Meeting back in session. Motion on the floor: "[T]hat Gary Webster….be provided with immediate written notice of termination of his employment.” Also calls for an immediate search for his replacement, and for the current chief operating officer to fill the post on an interim basis.

4:58 PM And…still in camera. Making the rounds outside, via Joe Mihevc, the Professional Engineers Act, and specifically a clause which states that failure to disclose the consequences of a deviation in proposed work (say, a major shift in a subway or LRT plan) constitutes negligence.

4:31 PM Yep, still in camera.

3:31 PM In camera session is lasting longer than predicted—the official announcement from the TTC advised that public proceedings would resume around 3:15 p.m. In the meantime, it’s a #TOpoli social in the overflow room. Janet Davis took a turn at the board game, residents exchanging stories about the replies they’ve received from various councillors offices, journalists and councillors milling about waiting.

3:08 PM Speaking to the press, TTC union head Bob Kinnear does not pull any punches. Says Denzil Minnan-Wong (one of the TTC commissioners who called for this meetng) has “little to no understanding” of how transit works, and that overall he has never seen a set of commissioners with such a lack of understanding of how transit works.

3:03 PM Activist Dave Meslin interjects: “The Sun is very sad nobody brought board games.” (Meslin created a Facebook page for public attendance at the meeting, and suggested people bring board games for the wait.) Someone raises a tote bag: “I have one!” Outside, TTC union head Bob Kinnear is giving an interview.

Game time! People waiting to re-enter the meeting play a city council-themed version of "Guess Who?" (top), originally created for a previous meeting by David Hains, and Jenga. Also spotted: "Settler of Catan," with resource values defined for building subway vs. LRT.

3:01 PM Other questions getting raised by the public: “If they’ve already made up their minds, what are they doing for so long?” A few laughs. “What happens with the special report on Sheppard?” Explanation that the report will need to go through an approval process at council, several steps still to come there.

2:57 PM “Show of hands, who thinks Webster should be fired?” Only hand to go up is Sue-Ann Levy’s. Gord Perks: “Aw, you lost Sue-Ann!”

2:53 PM One of the members of the public asks if Webster has a case for wrongful dismissal. Nobody commits on an answer, but there’s already been speculation that he might bring suit.

2:51 PM Phonebanking advice continues in Committee Room 1. Jamie Kirkpatrick, an advocate with the Toronto Environmental Alliance, is reading out the phone number of Vincent Crisanti (Ward 1, Etobicoke North), one of the TTC commissioners planning to oust Webster.
“The subway the mayor promised is just a line on a map at this point,” he says. Joe Mihevc is wearing his “I <3 Gary Webster button."

2:47 PM: @GraphicMatt: Fun coincidence: one of Ford’s campaign planks was whistleblower protection for staff. “Your transit plan is a waste of money” is a whistle.

2:47 PM Earlier today, TTC Chair Karen Stintz: “Transit’s not political. It shouldn’t be. Transit’s about making sure people get to where they want to go on time, and making sure we have the most transit available in the most parts of our city.”

2:26 PM “Rapid transit now, underground just where it needs to be.” Shelley Carroll (Ward 33, Don Valley East), speaking to the overflow room, with advice on the message to convey to their councillors. Says that a short, simple message will be heard most loudly by councillors.

2:22 PM Advocacy 101 going on in here. Other councillors in the room: Gord Perks (Ward 14, Parkdale-High Park); Joe Mihevc (Ward 21, St. Paul’s); Paula Fletcher (Ward 30, Toronto-Danforth); Pam McConnell (Ward 28, Toronto Centre-Rosedale); Josh Matlow (Ward 22, St. Paul’s); Gloria Lindsay Luby (Ward 4, Etobicoke Centre); Mary Fragedakis (Ward 29, Toronto-Danforth); Raymond Cho (Ward 42, Scarborough-Rouge River).

Toronto Environment Alliance chair Franz Hartmann.

2:15 PM Councillor Gord Perks (Ward 14, Parkdale-High Park) is now talking to the overflow room. Warns that the Commission may vote against allowing public deputations when the meeing reconvenes, urges everyone to use this time to have an open discussion about transit.

2:06 PM Next, a motion for that in camera session. It passes, and members of the public and media are booted from the room. We all head over to Committee Room 1, set up for overflow for this meeting.

2:02 PM Just getting underway in Committee Room 2 at City Hall: special TTC meeting on a “personnel matter,” i.e. firing Gary Webster. First motion, by councillor and TTC commissioner Maria Augimeri, would allow councillors who are not members of the TTC board to participate in their “in camera” session. Required for handling any contractual matters still up for decision, in camera sessions are portions of City meetings which are not open to the public. Augimeri’s motion fails.

Photos from City Hall by Miro Wagner.

Photo by psychedelicmojo2001, from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.

• We’ve just learned that Giorgio Mammoliti will, in fact, be appealing his campaign compliance audit, despite saying earlier that he wouldn’t do so.
• Spacing, the local urban-design magazine, was lucky enough to get a nice mention on Atlantic‘s awesome Cities blog. Founder Matthew Blackett talks all about the influential mag’s origins.
• If you missed John Lorinc’s article on soil contamination in Toronto for the Globe go read it now, and then ponder whether subways would be cheaper to build if there weren’t so much dirt in our dirt.
• And Rob and Doug Ford have lost nearly half the weight they set out to lose at the start of their Cut the Waist campaign. Hopefully the stress of overthrowing the TTC’s upper management in the face of widespread protest doesn’t drive either of them back to the ice cream tub.

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