Results tagged “industry”

During the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, much was made of Joe Biden's scrappy devotion to his blue-collar roots. A sudden widower and bereaved parent within weeks of his 1972 Senate win, his ensuing six terms—thirty-six years—were divided between the halls of Washington and caring for his two surviving sons in Delaware, riding Amtrak for ninety minutes in either direction to balance the demands of both. So when the White House announced its "vision for a new era in rail" on April 16, jointly declared by Biden, President Obama, and U.S Secretary of Transportation Raymond LaHood, the vice president anecdotally chimed in to underscore the strategy's importance. "Everyone knows railways are the best way to connect communities to each other," he said, "and as a daily rail commuter for over thirty-five years, this announcement is near and dear to my heart."

With the national economy struggling under the weight of a global economic crisis, Governor General Michaëlle Jean yesterday delivered a throne speech that was both incredibly brief (the English version contains just 750 words) and, due to the intense Ottawa cold, surrounded by hardly any of the usual vice-regal pomp and circumstance. Which was probably just as well, given that yesterday's speech was really just the pre-game show for today's main event, the federal budget.

This is the third in a three-part series exploring the effects of the global economic downturn on Toronto. Two weeks ago, economist Walid Hejazi gave an overview of what we're in for as the slowdown worsens. Last week, community activist John Campey explained how Toronto's most vulnerable residents might fare in the crisis. Today, the view from City Hall.

This is the second in a three-part series exploring the effects of the global economic downturn on Toronto. Last week, economist Walid Hejazi gave an overview of what we're in for as the slowdown worsens. Next week, a view from the halls of power.

This is the first in a three-part series exploring the effects of the global economic downturn on Toronto. Next week, a community activist explains how the city's most vulnerable residents might fare as the crisis worsens.

Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani from the NDP's Flickr photostream.