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Newsstand: August 20, 2010
Illustration by Matt Daley/Torontoist.
Friday’s Newsstand: All Rob Ford, all the time! Also, Sarah Thomson’s less interesting legal history and the Ex heralds the end of summer today.
With only a couple of months until the municipal election, the campaign has settled into a comfortable rhythm—Rob Ford does or is found to have done something controversial/stupid, opponents grandstand sanctimoniously, Ford blusters or grovels as appropriate, and voters nod approvingly at whoever they supported already and go back to watching Bachelor Pad. Repeat as needed. However, the Globe speculates that the most recent revelations about Ford’s DUI in Florida eleven years ago may derail the teflon tax-cutter, at least with undecided voters. For those who haven’t been following the latest episode of the Ford show, it goes something like this: “I have never been charged with a drug offence. Except for that time they found me with a joint in Florida, which I forgot about because I was also charged with failing to give a breathalyzer test. Except it wasn’t failing to give a breathalyzer, it was impaired driving, which I also forgot about. But seriously, who do you trust?”
Perhaps anxious to scoop some of Ford’s bad boy mojo, Sarah Thomson has come clean about a charge she faced briefly back in 1999. Thomson had a dispute with a disgruntled ex-employee at the Hamilton Examiner who then filed assault charges against her, but those charges were never pursued by the Crown. It’s not known whether the employee later became gruntled.
Alleged cancer grifter Ashley Kirilow may be getting out on bail. The Burlington woman is in jail, accused of falsely claiming to have cancer and running charity scams that bilked thousands of dollars from people who thought they were supporting cancer research. She’ll get a bail hearing this morning after a man with “tattoos covering his face and neck” turned up on Thursday and offered to post her bail. The man, who it appears does not know Kirilow, has been identified as Bob Muck and not a demon sent to drag her to hell as originally speculated.
Yep, summer’s almost over, and carnie glitz and glamour takes over down by the lake today with the opening of the annual Canadian National Exhibition. Some things to remember: corndogs are not vegetables, you will never toss the ring over the milk bottle, and the Polar Express is going to go faster regardless of whether you answer yes when the guy with the mic says, “do you want to go faster?” Also, for aspiring rappers looking to immortalize their hometown in rhyme, note that “Ex” rhymes with “sex.” You can have that one.
Further east along the waterfront, plans are taking shape for a new neighbourhood. The eight hundred million dollar development, tentatively called Bayside, will be built along the lake between Parliament and Sherbourne and include condos, office space, and a boardwalk. If you’re interested in becoming a Baysider, it’s hoped phase one could be done by 2014 and the full project by 2021.