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Newsstand: September 21, 2011
Today is Wild Wednesday. Apologies to all of you who assumed it was Wacky Wednesday, please try again next week. In the news: Ford and Atwood meet at last, Waterfront Toronto will take the reins of the Port Lands redevelopment after all, and city councillors want you to give the city more money if you've got it.
So, a world famous author and a city councillor walk into a party, and…wait, you’ve heard this one before? Well guess what, it actually happened last night, as Margaret Atwood and Councillor Doug Ford (Ward 2, Etobicoke North) inadvertently crossed paths at a goodbye party for former mayoral arts adviser Jeff Melanson. Melanson himself was unable to attend, either because he had food poisoning or because the thought of Ford and Atwood meeting made him queasy. Turned into arch enemies this summer over the prospect of cutting libraries, the two posed for a picture and, despite Melanson’s usual rule of “Two men enter, one man leaves,” both left the party soon after.
Looks like Toronto’s waterfront probably won’t get the shiny new Ferris wheel, mall and monorail it so desperately needs. Thanks to a bunch of whiny academics, bothersome members of the public, and backstabbing city councillors, Mayor Rob Ford and brother Doug’s plan to remove a portion the Port Lands redevelopment from Waterfront Toronto’s control and put it up for sale to developers is no more. Instead, the City is now proposing to work with Waterfront Toronto, while leaving the agency in charge of the development. That sound you’re now hearing in the distance is the cork flying off an urbanite’s champagne bottle.
One snag in the waterfront redevelopment might be the lease of the Hearn generating station. The Toronto Star has learned the massive, abandoned building is currently leased from Ontario Power Generation by a company called Studios of America, who has the ability to extend the lease until 2041. And that’s a long time to wait for a measly ice rink complex.
The mayor might have promised that no library branches would be closed at the recent executive committee meeting, but his suggestion of reducing branches’ hours in order to cut 10 per cent from the library budget is still a cause for concern, according to the union representing people who get paid to work in libraries. The union’s president also says the 10 per cent cut would pretty much guarantee branches will have to be closed in the future, which is really too bad for Ford, seeing as how Toronto library supporters have proven to be almost as fiercely loyal as Justin Bieber fans.
Citizens looking to pay more money to the city in taxes may be in luck, as councillors have voted to have the city manager look into adding a “voluntary contribution option” to property tax bills. The option would allow the Warren Buffets of Toronto to hand over more money during tax season. Introduced by Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti (Ward 7, York West), it will be called the “Don’t let your mouth write a cheque your butt can’t cash” motion.
Remember how former U.S. President and satirical goldmine George W. Bush cancelled his speaking engagement for yesterday at Tyndale University? Turns out he did come to Toronto after all and, in what must be the smoothest moment of his entire public life, delivered a speech to a private group at the downtown Hilton with absolutely no protestor interruptions. Although it is pretty easy to avoid protestors when you don’t tell anyone about your event.