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Newsstand: March 24, 2015
Early reports say a German plane has crashed in the French Alps, likely claiming the lives of all 148 passengers on board. In less grim the news this morning: Mayor Tory defends some TCHC executive bonuses, frozen pipes are still affecting more than 800 properties in the city, and antique explosives in a Vaughan home.
Mayor John Tory is defending the decision to give performance bonuses to three top executives at the Toronto Community Housing Corporation, saying that he is satisfied that they earned them based on “real, tangible, measurable criteria” even if the organization still faces a $1-billion repair backlog to properties. According to Mayor Tory, while the optics leave something to be desired, the bonuses themselves—which could total nearly $125,000—were based on performance benchmarks such as ensuring that money budgeted for property repairs was actually spent on property repairs. According to a report by the Toronto Sun, both the TCHC’s CEO Greg Spearn and general counsel/corporate secretary Pamela Spencer were paid out 20 per cent of their base salaries as a bonus, while CFO Jason Gorel received 15 per cent. Councillor Ana Bailão (Ward 18, Davenport), who sits on the TCHC board, also supports the bonuses: “I think it makes sense—you perform better, your pay is better. If your performance is not OK, if you don’t do what you were managed to do, then you don’t get it.”
Frozen pipes were a common theme of this year’s frigid winter, especially after Toronto plunged into a deep freeze for most of February. Now, as temperatures slowly begin to climb, 829 properties across the city are still receiving water through a highline—essentially a hose that connects to another home or building to deliver water. According to Toronto Water, there are still some 20 homes across the city that still have no access to running water whatsoever. Why is it taking so long to fix everyone’s pipes now that the worst of the weather is over? The City says it has received more than 4,000 calls regarding frozen pipes since the middle of February. Since it can take up to eight hours to unfreeze a pipe, there is still a significant backlog.
On Monday, some Vaughan residents near Willis Road and Riverside Drive had to be evacuated from their homes while the Explosives Detection Unit removed aged explosives from a neighbouring property. The explosives were discovered by someone cleaning the home. Police say they had been left there for decades by a resident who had once worked in the mining industry. For those of you contemplating the odds of such a discovery, it is worth noting that back in December the bomb squad also had to be deployed to a Cabbagetown home after a woman found old sticks of dynamite while she cleaned out boxes left at the property by her parents. Amateur explosives collectors take note: you should probably get a new hobby.