news
Newsstand: September 30, 2010
Illustration by Matt Daley/Torontoist.
What’s in the news? Mayoral candidates butt heads over arts funding, mutiny brews in Rocco Rossi’s camp, an outspoken pro-Palestinian advocate comes to town, and the Jays rout the Yanks on Cito’s last night.
Last night’s Mayoral Arts Debate at the AGO (which, incidentally, Torontoist streamed live) saw further battle lines drawn between the remaining candidates. While all pledged their support for arts and culture initiatives in Toronto, the main issue was how much of this support should be absorbed by the public and private sectors. Unsurprisingly, Rob Ford served as the debate’s lightning rod, drawing criticism from the other candidates for his alleged hostility towards the arts and jeers from the audience following his comments that the city’s funds would be put to better use fixing roads than improving the arts. (Ford also slinked in a few minutes late, which, all things considered, barely registers on our gaffe-o-meter.)
Joe Pantalone, on the other hand, drew hollers from the crowd, further proving that his “little candidate that could” persona is quickly making him the Ron Paul of this election. Pantalone also called Toronto “a garden” and “The Silicon Valley of the arts,” which seems an odd and somewhat dated comparison. Also unsurprisingly, wiseguy Rocco Rossi kicked things off with an embarrassing joke calling attention to his much-publicized heritage, telling the audience at the AGO that “at 400, you’re barely a decent Italian wedding.” Yikes.
Speaking of Rossi, the Star reports that many inside of Rocco’s camp are urging him to duck out of the mayoral race if forthcoming polls indicate that he has not significantly benefited from Sarah Thomson’s recent departure. While Rossi himself denied any sort of fracture in his inner cloister, one adviser (who would not go on record) compared Rossi’s role in the municipal bid to Ralph Nader’s in the 2000 US presidential election, suggesting that if he stayed in the race, Rossi could serve to siphon votes away from contender George Smitherman.
Controversial ex–Labour Party MP George Galloway is set to visit Toronto this weekend, one and a half years after being banned from Canada as a result of his alleged support of Palestine’s Hamas government, the Post reports. Vice President of UK’s Stop the War Coalition, Galloway has been an outspoken critic of Israel, and Zionist politics more generally. Galloway is scheduled to arrive in Toronto Saturday night, and speak at a public meeting downtown sometime on Sunday. His arrival corresponds, coincidentally or not, with the launch of this year’s Toronto Palestinian Film Festival.
And in sports, the Jays thumped the Yankees 8–4 last night, with whoppers from Aaron Hill, John Buck, and Travis Snider setting a franchise home run record. It was a historic end to manager Cito Gaston’s last game in Toronto with the ball club, which has served as his home since he decamped to Toronto from Texas in 1982 to work as the Jays’ hitting coach. The CBC reported that Gaston was ceremonially doused in beer and water by players following the historic win. “What a way to go out,” the soaked Gaston commented. Indeed.