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Newsstand: January 14, 2010
In the continuing saga of ignoring posted signage at the risk of hypothermia, the Post is taking sound bites from people at City Hall that could be construed as being in favour of permitting skating on Grenadier Pond in High Park (if they didn’t explain why it isn’t allowed): Councillor Kyle Rae (Ward 27, Toronto Centre-Rosedale), for example, has a problem with those damned bureaucratic bigwigs because they’re “more interested in risk management than delivery of programs.” (As in: they’re more interested in making sure that people don’t fall through the ice on their watch…the bastards.) Meanwhile, Brenda Patterson, general manager of parks (who, incidentally, has never been to the pond in question), first admitted that she didn’t know if it was an appropriate skating option for the public before going on to state that there wasn’t the staff available to maintain it even if it were. “What has happened here is that, as opposed to making a determination about to whether the ice is safe or unsafe,” she continued, “the policy basically says that any natural body of water is inherently unpredictable and therefore unsafe.” (Um, maybe because it’s true?) But don’t worry, kids: “The ice is fine,” according to Peter Kuitenbrouwer. And if it isn’t, we’re sure he’ll find some space on the front page for his writeup of your tragic demise.
Our four-legged friends may have more reason to bark it up thanks to Councillor Karen Stintz (Ward 16, Eglinton-Lawrence), who proposed an amendment to the “People, Dogs and Parks” off-leash policy that suggests “if the Parks Department deems a site suitable [for an off-leash area] where no Dog Owner Association exists, the Committee can waive the provision for a Dog Owners’ Association.” Of course, this amendment (which will be discussed at the next Council meeting) just means that dogs are going to run ripshod over anything and anyone in their path because they’re a bunch of rabble-rousing hooligans, according to one grandmother who complained that her “30-pound, three-year-old grandson was accosted by a 70-pound bulldog who jumped on him and knocked him off his sled” in a non-off-leash area. While the mental image conjured by her complaint actually sounds pretty fun and awesome, the fact remains that you pet owners out there need to be responsible for your no-goodniks. Don’t go ruining it for the rest of us.
In mayoral news, veteran city politician and deputy mayor Joe Pantalone threw his hat into the ring yesterday. We’re going to keep this short and sweet with a delicious quote: “I have experience under my belt.” Please leave your garment-related puns (we’re talking about pants, not…oh, quiet, you) in the comments.
And here’s your college tuition at work, kids: The Ontario Public Service Employees Union has announced that approximately 57% of its members, whose contract expired at the end of August, have voted in support of a strike action after five months of talks with the colleges broke down in mid-December. “I am very concerned that the ongoing contract dispute between faculty and Colleges has the potential to interrupt classes for thousands of Ontario students,” said Training, Colleges and Universities Minister John Milloy. Rahly. But the fact that both sides are still willing to talk, and a walkout wouldn’t happen for at least a month, almost makes it seem as though this is just a ploy by the union to get what they want. But unions wouldn’t go for such nefarious and underhanded schemes, would they? *plink plink*
This post originally and mistakenly attributed the quote in the first paragraph to Councillor Paula Fletcher (Ward 30, Toronto-Danforth) instead of Ms. Patterson. Our apologies to Ms. Fletcher and Ms. Patterson.