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Newsstand: June 22, 2011
It’s nothing personal, Wednesday. We’d just like you to end already. In the news: Toronto police will never again use the kettling technique for crowd control, the City’s rejection of free nurses has the provincial government baffled, and Toronto sucks for sports, says ESPN.
Toronto Police Services has announced the force will never again use the controversial kettling technique that trapped hundreds of protestors in the pouring rain for hours during the second day of the G20 last year. A spokesperson would not comment on why the force is giving up such an effective illegal crowd control technique, but promised Torontonians won’t know what hit them when police show off their new percolating technique at the next large rally.
Speaking of the G20, Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin is once again blasting the Ontario government for its lack of transparency, which Marin says culminated in the implementations of the G20 secret law, “the granddaddy of all secret manoeuvres.” While Marin has criticized the province over the G20 and called for more open government before, this may mark the first time the word “granddaddy” has ever been used in a government document.
The provincial government is this close to a facepalm over the Toronto executive committee’s vote against hiring two nurses that would be paid for entirely by the province. If, like any dutiful left-leaning urbanite, you suspected Rob Ford is somehow behind this, you’re right. The province suspects Ford just doesn’t get what it’s offering, as the two nurses would be working with low income Torontonians and helping with HIV prevention at no cost to the City. However, if you remember Ford’s feelings on HIV/AIDS and voting record on provincially funded HIV initiatives, it’s not exactly a surprise.
To the delight of Bollywood fans and the certain horror of American flyers, the stars have begun to arrive at Pearson International Airport for the Indian International Film Academy Awards. Hordes waited Tuesday to catch a glimpse of such icons as Anil Kapoor, star of Slumdog Millionaire, and a whole whack of other people, most you have probably never heard of. More stars will be arriving in the next few days, so if you don’t like crowds, consider not hanging out in Pearson for a while.
Toronto area MPs are standing up for the city’s sports teams, or at least the teams’ fans, after ESPN rated Toronto North America’s worst city for professional sports. NDP MP Matthew Kellway (Beaches-East York), for example, commended Maple Leafs fans for their loyalty to the franchise, which bears close resemblance to Linus in the film, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. However, the ESPN study never questioned fans’ loyalty, focusing instead on why that loyalty doesn’t translate into wins. We guess you just to be here.