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Newsstand: February 27, 2012
It's another dreary February Monday, but the good news is that it's the last one we have to face (until next year. Sigh). Today: a commuter alert for Burlington-area transit users, a TTC near-tragedy, what the Toronto Taxpayers Coalition is up to now, and yes—we've worked in an Oscar mention.
Following yesterday’s VIA Rail train derailment that left three dead and 43 injured, GO Transit has issued a transit update to say that commuters who rely on the Lakeshore West rail line can expect to see reduced service during the morning rush hour and should consider alternative options for their morning commute. This morning, all train service on the Lakeshore West line will originate and terminate at Burlington GO Station. For passengers that normally take the train from Hamilton or Aldershot GO Stations, GO will have shuttle bus service to and from Burlington GO Station. GO also suggests using Appleby GO Station as an alternative to Burlington GO Station. As for VIA Rail, the cause of the derailment has not yet been determined, but the railway has been continuing to update its Twitter feed with news on an ongoing basis.
An attempted robbery at Dupont Station left one ticket collector fighting for his life. The ticket collector, whose name has not been released, was shot twice by the would-be robber, once in the neck and once in the torso. He underwent surgery at St. Michael’s Hospital and is now in stable condition. The suspect has not been identified or located. Dupont Station has been reopened, so morning commutes on the TTC should not be affected.
In lighter transit news, the Toronto Taxpayers One-Man Show Coalition seems to share Mayor Rob Ford’s vision (surprise, surprise!) for the future of Toronto’s transit system and has launched a new ad campaign that seeks to “save the subways.” The “group” plans to purchase ads this week that hail the virtues of subways versus light-rail transit. If all goes according to plan, these ads will be on buses shortly. The coalition also hopes to solicit donations so it can expand its media reach. Perhaps the group can just aim for some media stories to get some free publicity? Oh wait…drat!
As Oscar-watchers know, Toronto was represented in Hollywood last night in the form of 82-year-old Christopher Plummer. The Toronto-born thespian was named Best Supporting Actor for his role in Beginners. The octogenarian, who was born just two years after the annual award ceremony first began, is the oldest person ever to win an Academy Award. Also, did we mention that he’s from Toronto? Because he is. From Toronto. And he won an Oscar. Boo-yah!