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Newsstand: June 23, 2010
Illustration by Matt Daley/Torontoist.
Toronto stage and film actress Tracy Wright died Tuesday morning after a fight with pancreatic cancer. You can read much more in our piece here. Wright co-founded the Augusta Company with Daniel Brooks and Don McKellar in 1989, and had since been a fixture in the acting scene for twenty years. Along with her stage performances, many may remember her for her turn on Kids in the Hall or the film Me and You and Everyone We Know. You can also take a look at the Star‘s obit and CBC’s obit, and check out some of our past coverage of Wright’s work.
“Why would George Smitherman commit to sending four firefighters and a half-million-dollar pumper to a medical call when, in fact, he could achieve the same thing by sending two fully qualified paramedics to the call?” So asks one paramedic union president. Smitherman would like to see a marriage between firefighters and paramedics, but ambulance workers are less than thrilled about the plan. Combining the two would cut down response times, Smitherman said. The proposed amalgamation is part of a plan, to be revealed today, to step up core services such as garbage pick up and policing. Calgary and Winnipeg already combine EMS and fire services. Smitherman, who used to be the frontrunner in the mayoral race, opened up to the Star about why he may be falling behind.
Move over boys: the Hockey Hall of Fame is no longer just for men. Toronto’s Angela James will be one of two female players inducted into the Hall come November. James was a four-time gold medalist at the women’s world championships in the 1990s. American Cammi Granato will nab the other spot. Even though women have been eligible in the past, they had to compete with men for the spots until now. This is no longer the case, as two women can now be inducted every year based on their own merit.
And onto the G8/G20. Stephen Lewis, former special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, said the G8 nations will fall at least seven billion dollars short in their funding for Africa. Lewis said Stephen Harper’s call for better child and maternal health is a crock, considering the high infant mortality rate in First Nations communities. “If you don’t attend to these issues in your own country, you can hardly have serious credibility internationally,” said Lewis at Ryerson University on Tuesday. Always well spoken, he added, “Between promise and delivery there lies an eternity.”
Dying to go protest but just can’t figure out what to wear? For starters, black is always in. If you think tear gas might be coming your way, synthetic fabric is your friend. Don’t have a gas mask? Try some vinegar on your bandana. If you’re planning to take part in The Canadian Labour Congress’ peaceful protest or a five-year-old spending a day at the beach, the same advice holds true for both of you: “Wear something comfortable, something light. Make sure you’ve got sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat would be advisable.”