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Newsstand: March 2, 2010
Illustration by Roxanne Ignatius/Torontoist.
For the past seventeen days, nobody could get their heads out of the snow. But now that the Winter Olympic Games fever has cooled, so has the City of Toronto’s need for ski slopes. The proposal to privatize two of the GTA’s ski hills and a Scarborough campground will apparently save the city $715,000 over the next two years, but would freeze out skiers who can’t afford steeper fees and place about 360 jobs on the edge. But the bid still needs to pass a vote before going into action, something that Councillor Joe Mihevc (Ward 21, St. Paul’s) slalomly doubts. Get it? Instead of solemnly, we said slalomly. Eh? Eh? Ah, it’s early.
Stephen Harper’s post-games analysis is that they were the sickest, awesomest, most kick-ass games EVER—we’re paraphrasing obviously. But what’s really shocking is… he may be right, at least in terms of national pride. Even the cool kids to the south think we did a good job. While every party has its pooper, Harper’s probably hoping the warm fuzzies will last until the budget is revealed later this week.
But the spirit of competition continues as the most epic head-to-head battle the country has ever seen begins.
Can you put a price on a smile? Well, yes, if the smile is painted on the side of the Cameron House on Queen Street West. Owners Cindy Matthews and Paul Sanella sold the muralled musical monument to “a bunch of rich 20-year-old kids from Thornhill and Rosedale”, aka Sanella’s relatives, and will sadly close the bar May 1.
But as one landmark closes its doors, others rise from the ashes. A strip of Queen Street West that was levelled after a devastating fire in 2008 will soon see the return of the area’s favourite indie shops, like bike haven Duke’s Cycle and vintage-clothing mecca Preloved. Duke’s is celebrating its centennial in 2014, but now it may feel like the new kid on the block among big box chains and hiked property taxes. But Councillor Adam Vaughan (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina) is welcoming back the businesses with open arms and hopefully an open wallet to help them out.
A bid to include public citizens on the board of the TTC has been effectively squashed by city council. The City decided an all-politician executive was the only way to ensure accountability. Apparently another way is to create their own publicly funded legal service.
A Royal Bank opened in Regent Park yesterday, the first in the area over the past seventy years. Located at the base of a condo tower at Dundas and Parliament streets, the new addition to the redeveloped neighbourhood will offer much-needed jobs and financial assistance to residents.
Now we’ll end with some good and bad news. Good news? Ryerson University has chosen a duo from the Toronto architectural firm BBB, responsible for the ACC and Vancouver’s GM Place, to helm the transformation of the historic Maple Leaf Gardens. Bad news? One of them is a Canadiens fan.