news
Newsstand: May 5, 2010
lllustration by Clayton Hanmer/Torontoist.
Subways for everyone! Mayoral contender Rocco Rossi gave a press conference yesterday in which he criticized the Transit City plans and vowed that if he became mayor he’d get more trains underground, paid for in part by selling off Toronto Hydro and other city assets. Other candidates quickly took the bait, with George Smitherman accusing Rossi of getting the numbers wrong, and Rob Ford observing that he already wanted subways before, so Rossi’s just a big copycat.
Vocal Irishmen Bono and Sir Bob “why do all my pictures look like mugshots” Geldof will be donning fedoras with “Press” cards in the hatband this coming Monday, May 10, as guest editors of the Globe and Mail. This isn’t just one of those “we’re celebrities so we’re probably good at everything” deals; the edition will focus on the issues and opportunities facing Africa and is timed to anticipate the upcoming G8 and G20 summits here in Canada. May 10 is also the day that Bono marks his first fifty years on the planet, so if you’re planning a letter to the editor, a “Happy Birthday” might be in order.
After last year’s civic workers’ strike piled up trash in city parks, parking lots, and tennis courts, there was a lot of talk about whether contracting out waste collection services might be a way of avoiding another summer stinkfest. Now the Toronto Board of Trade has put their two cents into the debate, recommending outsourcing garbage pickup as a way to save money. In a report entitled “Bridging the Chasm: Fixing the CIty’s Finances,” the Board advocates not only turning your disgustables over to the private sector, but holding the line on police and transit budgets and reining in the city’s generous pension plan.
A group of West-West-Queen-Westers want to see the Queen 501 streetcar route—the longest in North America—spilt into two to provide better service to those in the far reaches of eastern Etobicoke. The TTC eliminated the 507 Long Branch route from the Humber Loop to Roncesvalles back in 1995, judging it not cost effective, but residents at the west end of the line contend that not all factors are being taken into account. Nonetheless, a report going to TTC commissioners this week will recommend maintaining the status quo. Hmmm, “Queen Street subway line”—the ball’s in your court, Rossi.
In a sad postscript to a sad story, a coroner’s report said that former Toronto resident and Lost Boy Corey Haim died of pneumonia. There was widespread speculation—okay, assumption—that the troubled actor had died from an overdose of prescription drugs. However, the report said that while several cold and flu medications were found in Haim’s bloodstream, they did not contribute to his death.