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Newsstand: February 16, 2010
Illustration by Roxanne Ignatius/Torontoist.
Food: we can’t live without it but we’ll be damned if we know how to eat/grow/distribute it properly—but not for long, hopefully. The Toronto Board of Health is unveiling the most comprehensive plan made by a Canadian city to reinvigorate its urban food system. The strategy aims to cultivate “food-friendly neighbourhoods” (isn’t there already a Cabbagetown?) and nurture communal gardens, programs, and food education. While some remain skeptical that municipal food regulations will make much of a dent on widespread issues like hunger, obesity, and carbon footprints, they’ve done significantly well in cities like Vancouver; London, England; and Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Just let us know if we need to change our name to Zucchiniist.
The dark cloud of public-transit grumblings and grievances hanging over downtown Torontonians is slowly drifting out towards the ‘burbs. GTA-ers from Etobicoke to Scarborough are resisting plans for public-transit expansions, specifically along the Georgetown GO corridor and light-rail lines along Eglinton and Sheppard Avenues. Banded together under the name Save Our Sheppard, the residents say the TTC’s LRT will only enflame traffic chaos—subways are their vehicle of choice. And they’re putting the TTC communications department through the ringer once more by slamming officials for ignoring their concerns in public meetings. Still, the province hasn’t shown any signals of pulling out of the projects, seeming more interested in saving face than Saving Sheppard.
Family Day turned tragic for the loved ones of twenty-six-year-old Mahboba (Sarah) Attayee, who was killed early Monday morning in a car collision stemming from a high-speed police chase. Now the Special Investigations Unit, a civilian watchdog agency that investigates instances of death involving the police, is looking into the case and allegations of excessive force in apprehending the man responsible for the accident. The chase began when the man fled a break-and-enter in Scarborough, and ended when his van struck Attayee’s car at Pharmacy Avenue and Lawrence Avenue East around midnight. The impact killed her and injured six others. Witnesses say police “were pounding on [the suspect]” who wasn’t resisting arrest. The OPP is also asking for any information about the death of cab driver Kevar Singh on Highway 427 near Eglinton Avenue, who was struck and killed almost twenty-four hours before Attayee’s death.
Canada is second-best, again! This time in men’s snowboard cross, with Alberta’s Mike Robertson nabbing the silver medal in Monday’s event at Cypress Mountain. The Olympic rookie took an early lead in the final race, but was edged out by Seth Westcott from the U.S. near the end of the run. Canada now has four medals in total (one gold, two silver, one bronze), and still trails the U.S., Germany, and France in overall rankings.
If today inexplicably feels like Christmas, but more specifically like the year Uncle Ray brought home his new internet girlfriend, the general feeling of anticipation mixed with certain dread is mutual. It’s budget day at City Hall, and speculations aren’t hopeful. But maybe Torontonians will be pleasantly surprised, like when “Call Me Aunt Sherry” gave you that wicked awesome LED light-up pen. Torontoist will fill you in on all the monetary details later today.