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

Toronto says it’s facing $46.5 billion in budget pressures over the next decade and wants the province to grant it permission to charge a sales tax within its borders as part of slew of measures to tackle the “unprecedented financial crisis.”

The recommendation to pursue a municipal sales tax was included in a sharply worded 192-page staff report released Thursday that paints a dire picture for the city’s fiscal future without significant new revenue tools and additional assistance from the province and Ottawa.

The report also details measures the city could quickly pursue under its own authority, such as progressively higher rates of land-transfer tax on homes that sell for more than $3 million and increasing the existing vacant homes tax from one to three per cent, both campaign pledges of Mayor Olivia Chow.

Chairman Chow The Racist: Opposition mounting to Dundas Street name change. Three former Toronto Mayors call for reconsideration

For some people, renaming Toronto’s Dundas Street is a necessary step to confront the history of a city built in part by individuals connected to the British Empire’s transatlantic slave trade.

Others say the estimated $8.6-million cost of renaming the 23-kilometre thoroughfare is a wasteful expense for a city facing a financial crisis, including a looming budget shortfall estimated at $1.5 billion.

Statistics may say that gun violence is actually down in Toronto so far this year compared to last, but residents are feeling that the metropolis’ adopted epithet of “Gotham City” is more relevant than ever as shootings and other alarming crimes continue to make headlines.

We are big Taylor Swift fans, so when she announced that The Eras Tour is coming to Toronto for six shows at the Rogers Center, we started dancing like we’re 22.

We are also big fans of analyzing everything at Toronto City Council. So we did the math, and the economic impact from Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour in Toronto will be significantly larger than what’s anticipated from the hosting five FIFA World Cup matches in 2026.

Tomas Mirabelli knows the symptoms of crystal meth when he sees them: a person on transit or along a city sidewalk behaving erratically, talking in circles or lashing out at a passerby.

These days, Mirabelli, a drop-in coordinator with St. Stephen’s Community House in Kensington Market, is seeing the signs more than ever.

The synthetic stimulant is booming citywide; police have seized increasing amounts off the streets, and amphetamine-related cases at Toronto’s largest mental health hospital have soared, driven predominantly by meth use.

I just do not see anything getting “better” in Toronto.

Refugees and asylum-seekers are being forced to sleep on the streets of Toronto because of a lack of accommodation — but the city’s new mayor, Olivia Chow, thinks it’s a good idea to spend more than $8 million on renaming a street.

Park permit revoked for Toronto Eritrean festival after violent protest leaves 9 injured

The City of Toronto has revoked the park permit for a weekend Eritrean festival after a protest turned violent, leaving nine people with injuries.

The protest started up shortly before 10 a.m. on Saturday at Earlscourt Park, near Caledonia Road and St. Clair Avenue West.

According to festivalgoers, a large crowd of people started gathering in the area and were chanting.

#Eritrea|n justice seekers attacked the PFDJ festival in Toronto, Canada pic.twitter.com/2ELEyc2WQv

— Amir | אמיר | ኣሚር |أمير🟥 (@amir_mohad) August 5, 2023

And It’s Caribana Time!

Toronto’s police union has criticized Mayor Olivia Chow for her lack of public support after a rash of recent violence against law enforcement officials.

The Toronto Police Association (TPA), which represents nearly 8,000 uniform and civilian members of the Toronto Police Service, issued a statement calling on the newly elected mayor to publicly acknowledge the incidents.

“In the last five days, we have had a police officer struck and injured by a stolen car, officers shot at, and a police dog killed in the line of duty. Will Mayor Chow offer any words of condolence or support for our members?” the TPA said in a tweet issued Thursday.

Driver seen mounting sidewalk before driving along bike lane downtown in road rage video

Chaotic scenes from Downtown Toronto… A man was seen driving on side walks and bike lanes almost hitting people in the process. pic.twitter.com/vfTkCRqxr2

— 6ixBuzzTV (@6ixbuzztv) July 30, 2023

I drove through that intersection around 5 or so. The Gardner was closed westbound due to an accident so I scooted north to Dundas. Queen west was ludicrous as was King. While Bloor was OK I see the city has escalated its war on the car by essentuially turning it into a two lane street. No wonder people are going off the rails.

Cue summer heat, families lining up with coolers and kids in wagons to catch a ferry to the Toronto Islands.

Cue the grumbling on social media, accompanied by pictures of a jam-packed Jack Layton Ferry Terminal, and a string of humanity snaking from the ticket booths to Queens Quay W., under a scorching sun.