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Newsstand: January 13, 2015
Three million copies of this week’s issue of Charlie Hebdo will be printed in 16 languages, according to a lawyer for the publication. This far exceeds the usual 60,000 copies of its typical weekly print run, and is a stronger memorial than any local rally. In the news: new delivery zones in the downtown core, a record number of condo rentals in 2014, TDSB trustees vote on their director’s salary, and where to buy Charlie Hebdo in Toronto.
Last week, 260 vehicles were towed during the swift introduction of Mayor John Tory’s campaign to ease gridlock in the city. An additional 1,600 vehicles were tagged during the blitz, which is now working its way up to midtown, according to Toronto Police. Delivery services and couriers have been criticizing the new rules, citing the impact to their jobs. A new pilot project, launched Monday, aims to help provide a happy medium by strategically making room for delivery trucks in established delivery zones. So far, 15 zones have been erected throughout the downtown core, each with a capacity to fit two to three delivery vehicles at a time. If the project is a success, it is expected to expand through the city as the crackdown on illegally parked vehicles also widens.
The number of condos rented in Toronto hit a new high in 2014 with 22,765 units leased across the GTA, representing a 15 per cent growth since 2013. This number only includes listings posted through the MLS real estate system, and does not touch on other units that may have been offered via online platforms like Craigslist or Kijiji. Real estate experts are taking it as a good sign, saying that the rental market in Toronto has proven to be stable and shown consistent growth. However, there’s bad news, too: the average size of condos being rented shrunk in 2014, going down 12 square feet to an average of 761 square feet.
Toronto District School Board trustees voted on Monday evening to keep Director of Education Donna Quan’s salary at $289,000, which is $17,000 more than previous director Chris Spence. Controversy over Quan’s salary increase stems from a letter written by Education Minister Liz Sandals in January 2013 that stipulated she should be paid $272,000 according to a provincial public sector wage freeze. A report by a province-appointed education consultant, to be released later this week, should to weigh in on whether or not Quan’s increased salary is indeed allowed, and will investigate other allegations of tension between Quan and trustees which have been ongoing.
Finally, if you are looking to get a copy of this week’s historic issue of Charlie Hebdo in Toronto, Gateway Newsstands, located at Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue, says that it plans to stock copies of the paper. The store typically receives new issues a week after street date, and has started to compile a waitlist, since it is still unclear how many copies will arrive next week. A Canadian distributor for the magazine says they are expecting 1,000 copies to be available across the country, with most being shipped to retailers in Montreal.