“Toronto – Canada’s version of a Democrat run city”

Should authorities detain people who refuse to get treatment for severe mental illness and addiction? That question has moved to the front burner in many Canadian cities. My ride to work on a Toronto streetcar this week showed why.

When I got on, a guy was lying passed out or asleep on the long bench at the back, taking up all the seats. A barefoot man in dirty clothes was walking up and down the aisle. At Yonge Street, just in front of the Eaton Centre, he got off and meandered unsteadily through the midday crowd.

This is from the Globe, and the author is not “right wing.”

Before attending a luncheon where my boss would be speaking, I went by my local library to print out a copy of his draft speech. Because both of my home printers are busted.

Inside, as always, were the homeless. They’ve as much right be there as anybody else, of course, even if not remotely interested in reading, just sleeping or sheltering or loitering. In the past, I’ve witnessed violent episodes here, someone shooting up in the washroom, deranged shouting from the mentally ill, and those poor librarians trying to politely manage the situation, though there are now security guards.

Three dead, many wounded, no one arrested and silence from the politicians.

Five deadly and bloody incidents in the GTA overnight and eight cases of heinous violence in two days.

It’s out of control. On violence, the GTA has lost control.

You let a huge surplus of Mormons settle who have nothing in common with their hosts culture, values or heritage mix em all in with a city in steep decline and this crap is bound to happen.

Fossil fuel ads on the TTC will now face pre-screening

Some fossil fuel advocate advertising will now be pre-screened by TTC staff before it runs on vehicles, as the transit agency takes steps to ensure the groups are making factual claims in their messages to the public.

The TTC board directed staff to review all future advertising from a pair of fossil fuel advocates to confirm the claims they’re making have been independently verified. The board has also asked staff to propose changes to current policies that would allow the city to decline fossil fuel ads if they don’t align with Toronto’s own climate change policy, TransformTO.

The TTC is in dire financial straits so it makes sense to strangle ad revenue on the say so of a few fear mongering ideologues.

Majority of residents in 4 Canadian cites believe their mayor and council are out of touch: CityNews poll

The majority of residents in Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver all believe their mayor and city council are out of touch with what residents want, according to a new CityNews poll.

The survey, conducted by Maru Public Opinion for CityNews, found on an individual city basis, 74 per cent of those living in Calgary felt their mayor and council were out of touch, followed by Edmonton at 72 per cent, Vancouver at 70 per cent while 61 per cent of those in Toronto agreed.

The Ontario government is considering bringing forward legislation that could prohibit the installation of bike lanes when lanes for motor vehicles are removed as a result, sources say.

CBC News has obtained internal government draft documents indicating such a proposal has been under consideration, which several sources with knowledge of the proposed bill confirmed. It is not, however, clear if the measure has been formally brought before cabinet.

The provincial government declined to comment to CBC News on the measures outlined in the documents.

Nothing ever gets better in Toronto anymore.

Toronto drivers caught blocking intersections across the city will now face significantly steeper fines, Mayor Olivia Chow announced Monday.

At a news conference near King Street and University Avenue, Chow and Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie confirmed that the province approved a request to up the fines for this infraction, which Chow said “infuriates” other motorists.

“These drivers that blindly rush out into the middle of the intersection, even when they didn’t have room in front of them to get through… the light changes and everyone is stuck,” she said.