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Newsstand: February 8, 2012
What's German for Wednesday? Mittwoch. Now that you know, some news: the battle over transit continues (though some councillors just want to know WTF is going on), drivers everywhere groan as parking fines threaten to rise, Toronto schoolkids turn reading into a sport, and Toronto Hydro equipment is likened to dinosaurs.
For those looking forward to a good scrap, Rob-Ford-versus-TTC-Chair-Karen-Stintz–styles, today’s your day: councillors did not reach a last-minute agreement last night regarding Stintz’s proposal to resuscitate Transit City, so that special council meeting will run as planned this morning. Though it’s a crucial vote—for which Stintz needs 22 councillors on side—one councillor was apparently so confused about what everyone was talking about, she asked a reporter to help make sense of it all. Probably a bad sign.
Also, Councillor Norm Kelly (Ward 40, Scarborough-Agincourt) says no matter the results of the vote, the province should ignore council and start digging them subways. A gem of a man, him.
If you’re into the downtown driving (and who isn’t?), you may be unimpressed by city council’s attempts to get court approval for upping certain rush-hour parking fines to $150. This also applies to blocking a bicycle lane anytime, ever, which should further incense those with a hate-on for bikes. There’s always the TTC, right? Those guys hate raising fees/controversy/rush-hour insanity. Waaiiit.
Non-athletic Toronto elementary school kids were given a chance to compete yesterday, in the sport of—wait for it—reading! Forty-three teams from different schools duked it out for literary prowess. Take that, jocks!
Arguments that Toronto Hydro needs to spend heavily to renew an antiquated system may be validated by the fact that a piece of equipment recently pulled from service was affectionately dubbed “T-Rex.” Its currently in-use “cousin” seems to be over the hill as well. That’s comforting.