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Newsstand: September 27, 2011
For today is Tuesday, all shall behold the tameness of this, the second day of the work week, and marvel at its nothingness. Thank goodness for news! Today: one councillor thinks it's time to stop this amalgamation nonsense, police redraw their boundaries, TCHC abandons plans for a new affordable housing building, and an evil plant is lurking in our midst.
You say Toronto, I say Scarborough. Paula Fletcher (Ward 30, Toronto-Danforth) wants to call the whole thing off. Councillor Fletcher sees all the recent budget wrangling as proof amalgamation isn’t working, so she wants council to help her ask the province to allow Toronto to undo all the careful intertwining of by-laws and services and de-amalgamate. Apparently every other municipality in the province already can de-amalgamate, but we would need special permission. Support around the council chamber for Fletcher’s proposal was luke warm, with Mayor Ford saying he’d love to get his old Etobicoke back so long as the process didn’t cost too much. But none of the provincial parties are too keen on the idea.
Speaking of redrawing boundary lines, some Toronto police divisions were redrawn on Monday. With new police stations in 11 and 14 Divisions, police say redrawing the areas will allow work to be distributed more evenly. We imagine the internal announcement went something like, “Calling all units: try to look busy, will ya?”
The Toronto Community Housing Corporation is giving up on plans to build an affordable housing complex in the Railway Lands. The TCHC says it just can’t afford to build the 43-storey condo (which was also to include room for two schools, a community centre, and a daycare) right now. The land will be turned back to the City to decide what to do. Councillor Adam Vaughan (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina) suspects the parcel will be sold to private developers, and though he’d like to see the profits of that sale go back into the coffers for affordable housing, he suspects the cash will be shoved into the budget hole.
A man accused of threatening Mayor Ford’s life on Twitter was released on bail Monday. His bail conditions include staying away from the mayor and computers.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering what’s going on with City Council these last two days, Marcus Gee of the Globe says don’t. After executive committee passed off some of the most controversial cuts further down the line in the budget process. Some other major cuts have been taken off the table completely, like closing libraries. So that leaves this special session of council to fight over less than $30 million worth of service cuts. Here are some highlights of Monday’s meeting, for anyone keeping score. Or those of you who missed the debates inside City Hall because you were protesting outside.
And beware the Wild Parsnip when wandering the city’s trails. The non-native species can grow freakishly tall, burn your skin with its juices, and even blind you. So seriously, do watch out.
CORRECTION: September 27, 2011, 1:15 PM This post originally stated that the condo building that TCHC was planning to build consisted of 43 units, when in fact it was to be 43 storeys high. We regret the error.