Thursday, December 27, 2018

Parkdale still has human grit, in some places just enough for real life in others way to much. However in the way to much areas sometimes memories of more pleasant times appear in old signs.

A self unloader sugar ship is in port, highly unusual,and more unusual it is Canadian flagged.

Instead of docking alonng side of the inlet it is blocking the inlet.

WHITEFISH BAY


 


IMO:  9639880MMSI:  316023341Call Sign:  CFN6287Flag:  Canada [CA]AIS Vessel Type:  CargoGross Tonnage: 24430Deadweight: 37690 tLength Overall x Breadth Extreme:225m × 25mYear Built:  2013Status:  Active

What happens when YouTube and Facebook go down?


Chartbeats summeries


 

When YouTube experienced an outage for about an hour and the internet got a taste of what would happen if the platform disappeared. The results were surprising: internet behaviors shifted immediately and fiercely with a huge boost to traffic overall, with some of the largest increases seen on app and search traffic.

Chartbeat analyzed the YouTube outage using global traffic data across a sample of more than 4,000 sites. Overall, this outage resulted in a 20% net increase in traffic to publisher sites. Just over half of this increase (11% of overall traffic) went to general articles on publisher sites, while articles about the YouTube outage comprised a 9% lift.

 

What happens when Facebook goes down? People read the news


 

What would the world look like without Facebook? Chartbeat had a glimpse into that on Aug. 3, 2018, when Facebook went down for 45 minutes and traffic patterns across the web changed in an instant. What did people do? According to our data, they went directly to publishers’ mobile apps and sites (as well as to search engines) to get their information fix. This window into consumer behavior reflects broader changes we see taking hold this year around content discovery, particularly on mobile. This is good news for publishers.

Traffic Trends Reverse 

Despite volatility driven by algorithm shifts and intense news cycles, user demand for content (represented by traffic across the web) is quite stable. But the sources of that traffic are anything but static. In fact, we’ve seen a major reversal in the specific sources driving traffic to publisher sites in the last year.

Monday, December 24, 2018

Saturday, December 22, 2018

City to reconstruct Queensway from Parkside Bridge, including the bridge to King Street West, Roncesvalles from Queen Street West...






Anticipated completion date is Fall 2020





Description of Procurement:





Reconstruction of Queensway from Parkside Bridge, including the bridge to King Street West, Roncesvalles from Queen Street West to Harvard Avenue, Queen Street West from Roncesvalles Avenue to Triller Avenue and King Street West from Queen Street West to 250m south. Works include full road reconstruction, bridge deck and abutment repairs, remove and replace sewer and watermain, remove and replace TTC streetcar track, traffic signals, sidewalk and related appurtenances. Tender No. 287-2018 Contract No. 19ECS-TI-01SP


Thursday, December 20, 2018

School Crossing Guard Program will be transferred from the Toronto Police Service to the City of Toronto on Aug 1 2019


Upcoming Request for Proposal School Crossing Guard Program contactor. 4 firms to be choosen to provide the service.





As of August 1, 2019, the School Crossing Guard Program will be transferred from the Toronto Police Service to the City of Toronto.





The City of Toronto is looking for vendors interested in providing school crossing guard services to the City commencing the 2019/2020 school year (September 2019).





This is a notice for upcoming Request for Proposal (RFP) from the City of Toronto for the provision of school crossing guard services, which includes recruitment, hiring, training, disciplining, providing equipment, and supervision of school crossing guards.





The purpose of the RFP is to select up to four (4) qualified proponent(s) to provide school crossing guard services within different areas of the city. For interested proponents, please send your confirmation to Elena.Caruso@toronto.ca.


Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Midnight Hockey at Ryerson on ice


Heard the loud sounds of hockey grips, so I when don and outside to get this photo.


Railway crossing automatic protection at the Wallace Ave 1st approved 1970, removes person to operate crossing.


PROTECTION AT
THE WALLACE
AUTOMATIC
CROSSING,Public Works, viz.: 16, 1970)





The Wallace Avenue level crossing is protected by flashing lights and short arm barricades and operated manually by a person in a watch tower.
was "The upkeep of the lights and gates, including watchman's salaries, approximatelY $32,000.00 for 1969.





Equipment was available in 1970 to provide automatic operation an estimated cost of $25,000.00. This change would substantially eliminate maintenance costs and the tower could be removed





"Negotiations with the Canadian National Railways and the
Canadian Transport Commission indicate that no grants would be re-
ceived from the Railway Grade Crossing Fund. Although the respons-
ibi1ity for construction and maintenance of the crossing protection
presently lies entirely with the City, the Canadian National Railways
have agreed to contribute 50 per cent. of the maintenance."





Recommendations :





  1. That Council approve the conversion of the protection of the
    Wallaee Avenue level crossing to automatic operation.
  2. That the City Solicitor be authorized to make application to the
    Canadian Transport Commission for approval of the automatic
    protection.






Tuesday, December 18, 2018

About the only icy cold thing outside in Toronto

Arif Virani Event Wed Jan 16 2019,climate change & Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland


Wednesday, January 16 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at Swansea Town Hall (Rousseau Room) where I will be hosting a Town Hall on the Environment with a special focus on climate change and putting a price on pollution.





I will also be reporting back to our community about my trip to COP 24: the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland in early December.





Space is limited, so please register to reserve your spot here.


Monday, December 17, 2018

Development of affordable housing as part of creating mixed-income, mixed-use and transit oriented communities.


1 - Motion to Amend Item (Additional) moved by Councillor Ana Bailão (Carried)
That City Council adopt the following guiding principles to facilitate the delivery of the Housing Now initiative and request that the City Manager incorporate these principles in the report to the Executive Committee in January 2019 on the implementation and business plan: 1. Sites to be activated to achieve the highest possible public benefits; 
2. A priority be provided to optimize the development of market and affordable rental housing with a mix of unit types and sizes;
 3. A requirement be included in the offering of the sites to create homes affordable for a diverse range of incomes including deeply affordable homes;
 4. Through the planning and development process existing City and other operations and uses on the 11 sites be appropriately addressed and accommodated; 
5. Utilization of the surplus properties with a priority for the public retention of sites including long-term land leases; and
 6. A strong commitment to public consultation and engagement with City Councillors and local communities be included in planning and developing of each site.
2 - Motion to Amend Item (Additional) moved by Councillor Gord Perks (Lost)
That City Council direct the Director, Affordable Housing to develop business cases for public or social ownership and delivery for any site considered for Housing Now and present them to the Planning and Housing Committee.
3 - Motion to Amend Item (Additional) moved by Councillor Paula Fletcher (Carried)
That City Council direct the City Manager, as part of the January Housing Now report, to include the development of a policy where Toronto Community Housing would provide new affordable housing as part of new developments.
Motion to Adopt Item as Amended (Carried


90% of construction, maintenance, renovation and demolition of buildings and structures can be recycled.


Construction maintenance, renovation and demolition of buildings and structures, represents a large proportion of the waste in urban cities. This form of waste is far more recyclable than household waste, and can save huge amounts of primary, natural raw materials. 





The market for these materials depends on a steady  supply of well cleaned and sorted materials. 

















The west end curling building.

New city Council information lists

Link to subscribe to the cities new information mailings.

https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/e-updates/subscribe.htm




City Council Audit Cmte Board of Health Civic Appointments Cmte Economic and Community Development Committee Executive Cmte General Government and Licensing Committee Infrastructure and Environment Committee Planning and Housing Committee Special Committee on Governance Striking Cmte Etobicoke York Community Council North York Community Council Scarborough Community Council Toronto & East York Community Council Bid Cmte Board of Directors of Civic Theatres Toronto Board of Directors of the Toronto Atmospheric Fund Board of Governors of Exhibition Place Board of Management of the Toronto Zoo Budget Cmte Compliance Audit Cmte CreateTO Debenture Cmte Graffiti Panel Property Standards - Etobicoke York Panel Property Standards - North York Panel Property Standards - Scarborough Panel Property Standards - Toronto and East York Panel Sign Variance Cmte Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee Toronto Investment Board Toronto Parking Authority Toronto Preservation Board

Friday, December 14, 2018

TTC says Wheel-Trans craziness with new booking system sense, Dec 9 almost fixed.


On December 9th, Wheel-Trans launched a new online booking and scheduling system. This has not been an easy first week for our customers and employees major change for both our customers and employees. 





The TTC has stated, 
With any new system, there are bound to be glitches. The issue with passwords has now been resolved for most of our customers and we expect our call-out phone system to be fully fixed very soon. 






Funding Cycling Infrastructure Stuff on at council.


Funding Cycling Infrastructure - by Councillor Mike Layton, seconded by Councillor Brad Bradford




* Notice of this Motion has been given.
* This Motion is subject to referral to the Executive Committee. A two-thirds vote is required to waive referral. 




Recommendations
Councillor Mike Layton, seconded by Councillor Brad Bradford, recommends that: 1.  City Council request the Federal Government to fund the shortfall created by the cancellation of provincial contributions to fund cycling infrastructure over the next three years. 
2.  City Council request the Federal Government to develop a stable long-term walking and cycling infrastructure investment strategy and funding program to which cities and communities across Canada can apply. 
3.  City Council direct the City Manager to write to the Prime Minister of Canada on behalf of City Council regarding City Council's decision. 
4.  City Council direct the City Manager to seek partners within the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and other communities throughout Ontario to collaboratively seek support for federal leadership on cycling infrastructure.




Summary
In December 2017, the Province of Ontario announced a $93 million investment in cycling infrastructure as part of Ontario's Climate Change Action Plan. Ontario’s Climate Change Action Plan identified an intended investment of $150 to $225 million from cap and trade proceeds over 4 years to support the creation of better cycling networks, more cycling facilities in urban areas, and more bike parking at transit stations and provincially owned, publicly accessible facilities. The intention was for funding to be allocated to the City of Toronto annually over 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. To date, the City of Toronto has received only the 2017-2018 funding in the amount of $25,639,263.91, which can be spent until March 31, 2020. 120 municipalities in Ontario, including the City of Toronto, applied to the Ontario Municipal Commuter Cycling funding program. While significant, the funding announced to date is between 37 percent - 62 percent of the total the City of Toronto had hoped to see, meaning a shortfall of between $14,860736.09 and $35,110,736.09 for the cycling infrastructure needed across the city. Furthermore, the current Provincial Government of Ontario did not mention cycling in their policy platform and it is likely that no further funding will be issued under Ontario Municipal Commuter Cycling Program. This leaves a critical gap in funding. At the national level, the Government of Canada needs help from municipalities and provinces to meet its greenhouse gas reduction targets. Canada's long-term infrastructure plan includes more than $180 billion in funding over 12 years. Active transportation projects are currently allowed in the context of public transit spending as part of Infrastructure and Communities Canada’s Public Transit Infrastructure Fund, but not structured so as to encourage municipalities across Ontario and the City of Toronto to apply for it for standalone cycling infrastructure. The Government of Canada has options to directly fund municipalities and could use those to ensure that cycling infrastructure projects throughout Ontario go ahead as planned.




Background Information
Member Motion MM1.14 
(http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2019/mm/bgrd/backgroundfile-122387.pdf)

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Riverdale Farm in early 1900’s a most beautiful description of a visit, much about the adding of animals


VISIT TO THE TORONTO ZOO By W. T. Allison










ILLUSTRATION'S BY VICTOR WRIGHT





First I saw the white bear, then I saw the black; Then I saw the camel with a hump upon his back. Everyone who has read Thackeray's impressions of his visit to the Zoo will remember the order in which he describes the animals. No two zoos arrange their animals in the same way. In the very large zoos the animals are all housed in streets of cages. In the London Zoo, for in- stance, the visitor passes down Bear street, crosses over into Wolf avenue, and then saunters down Ostrich row. They have not attained to this aristocratic plenitude in the Toronto Zoo, and consequently the spectator sees a new variety at every step. There are over 250 living things in the Riverdale Park, since the idea of a city zoo won favour with the Council, and these birds and beasts are arranged in a happy-go-lucky fashion which wards off monotony. But the Riverdale favourites are lodged in most comfort-able quarters. Passing through the charming park with its pleasant shade trees and great beds of flowering shrubs, the visitor walks beneath a large palm tree, into the close proximity of creatures which are assembled from the burning tropics, the Siberian snows, Arabian deserts, and the gorgeous East. First, we come to the lion house, a magnificent brick building, with a caged verandah, on which a lion and his gentle partner, Nero and Venus, parade all day long, stopping long enough to feed or enjoy a brief siesta. The upstairs of their house is nicely furnished, and has windows.













The lions are in splendid condition, and are apparently happy in their new Toronto home. Quite properly the dis- poser of the animals placed the king of birds next to the king of beasts, and three or four gray and golden eagles occupy a lot roofed over by strong wire. Then come the foxes and prairie dogs and the grey ocelot. A family of raccoons live next door, and any after- noon they may be seen sleeping in their tree, some caught in a cleft and using it as a cradle ; others sound asleep with a leg over a branch, like a man who throws one leg over his arm-chair while taking an after-dinner nap. A pair of grey wolves occupy the next cage to their friends and cousins the raccoons. But the gray wolves, the raccoons, and the ocelot who sleeps in the corner of his cage with his nose in the sawdust, receive but few glances from the children or their parents while the camels browse around in the front yard. The Siberian camel and the African dromedary are new arrivals at the zoo. If the expression is permissible, the camels are being lionized by the public just now. Every visitor stands at eager gaze as the camels walk back and forth carefully lifting their padded, two-toed feet over the pigeons which impudently strut beneath them, and craning their limber necks to catch a far-off view of the pleasant river Don, along whose banks they are wont to stray on particular days. One camel is beautiful as camels go, the other is decidedly unprepossessing in appearance. The cheery, complacent ship of the desert is the Siberian camel. His colour is a-creamy gray, diversified here and there by bunches of curly black hair. His curved neck is a thing of beauty, its soft hue suggesting moon- light on the arid sands. This camel often smiles as he rubs his left hind leg against the wire fence and ruminates on the good times his fathers had as they travelled the caravan route be- tween China and Russia, laden with silks, spices and teas for Muscovy. The corded bales weighed twelve hundred pounds, but the Siberian camel cared nothing for this burden, and walked his forty miles a day to the encouraging incitements of his Chinese driver. The refined, pale gray countenance of the tall, stately Siberian camel forms a striking contrast to the wizened, ascetic face of the dromedary. The dromedary hails from Arabia, and is of a cinnamon-brown colour, and looks as if he wore a buffalo robe. He is an ugly brute, and seems to be a pessimist, but he ought to be proud of himself, for he can travel one hundred miles a day across the burning sands of Araby, carrying his master on his hardy hump. The dromedary is one of the most famous of all the friends of man. From the time of the Hebrew patriarchs he has been the pride of the black tents of the East. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob petted him, and the Arabian sheikh of to-day values him far beyond rubies and fine gold. On first viewing the camels many people are inclined to think they are starved. A camel, however, never grows fat. If he has any nutriment to spare he packs it away in his hump. The camel is a firm believer in concentrated food, in condensed fodder. A full hump will supply meals for a fasting camel for a whole week. The keeper of animals at the zoo lets the eastern potentates roam as much as possible, for it is their nature so to do. Camels are strange beasts, and have a queer taste in the matter of food, preferring thistles and the prickly cactus to smooth and luscious grasses. But" the visitor cannot always stand and look at the camels. He hurries on and pays his respects to the black bears, mother and father and twins, all of them meandering around their cage restless, longing for the wild woods. Brilliant peacocks and pea- fowl are next in order, and then more bears,'the sun bears of Borneo, who are very fond of chewing up wooden objects. Then come the prairie wolves and the Canada lynx, who loves to ^o to sleep lying out along a limb straddle fashion. The lynx does not sleep overmuch, however. He is always on the look- out for an adventure. One day he dis- covered a weak place in his cage, and after impatiently awaiting the coming of night he made good his escape and entered upon a festal escapade, the memory of which still cheers him on gloomy winter days, when visitors are few and dulness palls upon his eager spirit. During the night of his joyous escape from prison-bars the lynx captured seven of the costly wild fowl in the neighbourhood of his quarters and managed to masticate the most toothsome portions of the birds. In the morning the keepers made diligent search for the missing one, and found him at last beneath the bears' cage. On being invited he refused to issue forth, and the irate keepers were forced to nail up all the openings save one, and against this exit they placed a "shifting box." The lynx was persuaded to enter the improvised moving van by the full stream of a hose, which a keeper remorselessly played upon him until he re-entered captivity. The Toronto Zoo is set upon the slope of a hill overlooking the Don and there" and performing- a two-step in a very creditable style. This affable brown monster took lessons from a Russian dancing-master in 1897, and travelled extensively on the continent and in England as a public entertainer. Peter the Great i s probably the best specimen of his race now in captivity. He weighs 700 pounds, and as he has not yet reached maturity, he is expect-ed to double his weight if his present state of good health continues. Immediately above the cages of the bears and midway on the slope is the monkey house, the great at- traction at the zoo for the juveniles of Toronto. The house in which the funny little cousins of man are at home is a circular structure containing some ten or eleven cages, with a brick retiring room in the centre. The monkeys come out in the open from a little win-dow, and they are always going in and coming out, for they lead a strenuous life. To stand in front of the Bengal monkey cage is as good as witnessing a trapeze performance. A piece of rubber hose tied to the ceiling of the cage serves as a handle on which the act- ors perform. They spring from their tree to this hose-rope with the most astonish-ing agility. They pull one another down and play tricks all day long, wrestling and boxing and making grim- aces. There is something- irresistibly fascinating' about all the monkey tribe. A boy looking at the antics of the Bengal monkeys the other day, suddenly saw the comical face of one of the elders poked through the little brick window, and the young spectator nudged another boy excitedly, and cried, "Look, there's another man coming out!" And that is the idea that strikes every spectator, the great similarity of the monkeys to human beings, and this lends an interest and a drollness to every grimace and every caper in the monkey-house at the zoo. The pheasant house is the last stop-ping place on the tour of the zoo. It is a splendid building, and the birds within are the admiration of every visitor to the zoo, the hues and markings of the rare and gorgeous birds forming a chromatic study for all lovers of the beautiful. There are several deer belonging to the zoo, also a pair of moose, but the latter are to be seen only on Saturdays. It is very difficult to keep moose in good condition while they are in captivity, as they are accustomed when at home in the west to feed on Water ous plants in the summer months, and in winter they browse on ground spruce. In order to give them as succulent a diet as possible in the summer time, the keeper of the zoo takes the moose up to the ravine near the Swiss Cottage Hospital, where they thrive on the tender herbage. On Saturdays they are brought down to the zoo to exhibit them-selves to the crowds who visit Riverdale Park on that day. It is interesting to consider the modest beginnings from which this efficient and well-stocked zoo has sprung. In 1889 two Canadian deer were procured. Then it was considered advisable to obtain a few more Canadian animals to keep the deer from getting lonely. It was the original idea to have none but our own home-grown animals in Riverdale Park. Aid. Lamb, who has taken a very active interest in the zoo from the outset, wrote to all the Indian agents in the west, and also to the officers of the Hudson's Bay Company, asking them to buy wild animals from the Indians, and offered a fair price for all captives forwarded to Toronto. He received encouraging letters in reply, and began to imagine he would be swamped with the supply of animals that would be sent to him. But strange to relate, not an Indian forwarded an animal. Our Canadian Indians have always been accustomed to killing animals for food, but have not been taught how to catch them alive. A few white settlers sent on some elk and wolves, however, and these formed the nucleus of the present zoo. Then various animal dealers began to send in price lists and offered to stock the zoo within thirty days. And just here it might not be uninteresting to give average prices which animal dealers ask for their stock, in order to show what an expensive luxury a good zoo becomes. A five-year old Barbary lion costs $1,500, a pair of Nubian lions $750, a female Bengal tiger $750. For the hay-eating class of animals some large prices are asked. For a hippopotamus 83,000, for a female Indian elephant $1,500, for a pair of zebras $1,750, for a Siberian camel $300, for a blue gnou $900, for a pair of kangaroos $65. Monkeys come cheaper. Baboons can be had for $20 each, and small cage monkeys sell at about the same price. An African ostrich is worth $20; white pea-fowl sell at $100 a pair, and a python snake is ticketed at $400. It will probably be some years be- fore Riverdale Park is densely populated with animals, but the progress that has been made during the last two years is very encouraging, and in the next decade in our zoological collection ought to be one of the finest in North America.













William Talbot Allison 1874 1941
C




Cleric, professor.





Born at Unionville, Ontario in 1874, he was educated at the University of Toronto (Harbord Collegiate) and Yale University. He was Editor of “The Harbord Review” while at school, and a reporter at the Toronto News and The Star. He wrote a volume of poetry entitled “The Amber Army.” He served as pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Stayner, Ontario, until his appointment to Wesley College in 1910. In 1920, he became Assistant Professor at the University of Manitoba. Allison was active in journalism, syndicating a weekly book review feature in leading Canadian newspapers. He was Literary Columnist of the Winnipeg Telegram and  Montreal Daily Star, and Literary Editor of the Winnipeg Tribune. He was a founder of the Canadian Authors’ Association and one of the first educators to take advantage of the medium of radio, lecturing over CKY as early as 1924. He was the author of Bolshevism in English Literature (1921). He and wife Annie Josephine Cunard Dawson (?-?) had three children: Frederick Gerard AllisonGerald Carlisle Allison, and Mary Allison (1913-?, wife of Colin Ashdown). He died at his Winnipeg residence, 600 Gertrude Avenue, on 4 February 1941. A scrapbook of newspaper clippings is held in the Archives of Manitoba.


Toronto island ferry dock Onigerea to be replaced at cost of $114,924.68



Allied Marine & Industrial / 1264250Ontario Ltd. has won the contract to replace the ferry dock Onigerea for a price of $114,924.68








Construction / metal fabrication, loading ramp, Onigara Ferry dock.,





Remove old city side Ongiara ramp, fabricate new, reinstall, complete with new marine grade industrial strength retractable hook with one coat of anti-rust outdoor rated paint. Supply and install galvanized checker plate with honey comb grating. Grate and galvanize the top checker plate.










contract given by Parks, Forestry & Recreation. #3907-18-5082.Allied Marine Industrial
1 Lake Road, Port Colborne,










Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Inaugural city Council Session for the 2019 council knowledges indigenous, land.


Announcement:





We acknowledge the land we are meeting on is the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.


Monarch Rd much missed.


Monarch Road which was situated at what is now the north end of the parking lot for the organic garage store, was the quintessential junction industrial street it held the dominion corrugated company and the back of the Campbell Mills company which was  where the organic garage supermarket is now. 





The street right up until the 80s had a wonderful distinction of always being covered in oil milling dust in and was a sticky mess.





Also in there under the old Weston Road bridge, Where Until The mid 80s the Junctions  young couples hung out in darkened cars.





Image of Bridge and mills after the read more click.













 


Massey Square Bridge pedestrian bridge collapse, ramifications for future.


Addressing safety and integrity of Massey Square Bridge, and privately owned publicly accessible spaces into the future - by Councillor Brad Bradford, seconded by Mayor John Tory




* Notice of this Motion has been given.
* This Motion is subject to referral to the Executive Committee. A two-thirds vote is required to waive referral. 




Recommendations
Councillor Brad Bradford, seconded by Mayor John Tory, recommends that: 1. City Council request the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building and the Executive Director, Municipal Licencing and Standards to report to the Executive Committee in the first quarter of 2019 on: a. causes of and identification of known facts about responsible parties for the pedestrian bridge collapse at Massey Square on November 17, 2018; b. recommended actions for an Internal Review using Internal Audit resources or an independent inquiry into the City actions with respect to the Crescent Town bridge, including: i. inspection and enforcement activities; ii. interactions with and between other parties, including Pinedale Properties and the Toronto District School Board; iii. City policies and procedures within and between Divisions; and iv. any City regulatory, policy, and procedural changes for the City; c. current work being undertaken by the City and its agencies and divisions to improve monitoring and enforcement of privately-owned, publicly accessible infrastructure; and d. recommendations for future work and actions needed to improve safety standards for privately-owned, publicly accessible bridges including recommendations for legislative or regulatory changes to the Ontario Building Code or City By-laws related to building condition assessments and reporting requirements for private and public property owners.




Summary
On Saturday November 17, 2018 around 6:00 a.m. a portion of the Massey Square pedestrian bridge collapsed. The bridge connects Crescent Town Elementary with the nearby residential apartments and is jointly owned by the Toronto District School Board and owners of the neighbouring apartment buildings. Many of the neighbourhood children have used the bridge every day to reach school and residents have used it for decades to provide convenient access to and from their neighbourhood. This event took place in the early morning on a weekend. At any other time, there would have been a higher likelihood of injury or harm to individuals in the community. The regular maintenance and state-of-good-repair of the bridge was a concern to residents. Over several years, former City Councillor Janet Davis brought together the property owners and City divisions to address these concerns. Various inspections and studies were conducted by the City and the property owners. Repairs were planned or completed by both parties. Despite these efforts, a section of the bridge collapsed. It is critical that the City understand both the physical causes of the collapse as well as the regulatory gaps in property standards and state of good repair requirements for infrastructure that is not City owned. The joint-ownership of the Massey Square bridge makes it a valuable test case. While privately owned, publicly accessible infrastructure is not new, the number of these spaces is growing. These partnerships and shared spaces are positive opportunities to create new community amenity and connections between and within neighbourhoods. As such they should be encouraged. However, the City should have confidence in its mechanisms for ensuring good maintenance and safety for all that use them.




Background Information
Member Motion MM1.3 
(http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2019/mm/bgrd/backgroundfile-122404.pdf)

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Gord Perks elected as chair of Toronto East council, where the Junction now resides.






email: teycc@toronto.ca
phone: 416-392-7033
fax: 416-397-0111Members














Mark Grimes elected chair of Etobicoke Community Council, Note the Junction is now part of the Toronto East community council.


Mark Grimes as Chair of the Etobicoke York Community Council









 Councillor Michael Ford as Vice Chair of the Etobicoke York Community Council 





email: etcc@toronto.ca
phone: 416-394-8101
fax: 416-394-5600Members










Galleryhouse.ca @ 2068 Dundas Street West


Sitting at the intersection of Dundas and Howard Park this small gallery with few opening hours, has a interesting domestic scene created in its space right now. 





Google reports the gallery is open Friday and Saturdays 11am to 4pm while their website states Hours of Thursday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., best to call before visiting.





T: 416 587 0057





E: info@galleryhouse.ca














Suggest an edit









Suggest an edit










The simple reason most rotisserie chickens are processed foods.


processed foods





Because  they're injected with a seasoned saline - salt -  liquid  to add flavor, upwards of  400 mg of sodium each,  ring seasoned in factories before being shipped to stotes results in their them processed food title.


Saturday, December 8, 2018

Luxembourg is set to become the first country in the world to abolish all fares on public transport.

Luxembourg is set to become the first country in the world to abolish all fares on public transport. Y esterday a new coalition govern-ment took office in the Grand Duchy, with the promise of abolishing tick-ets on trains, trams and buses. From summer 2019, tickets are set to be abolished, with part of the cost covered by removing a tax break for commuters.

Friday, December 7, 2018

government plans to fire the three provincially appointed directors on the board of Waterfront Toronto


From the Globe and Mail, Ontario government plans to fire the three provincially appointed directors on the board of Waterfront Toronto over frustrations about its governance, including the handling of its proposed smart-city development with Google affiliate Sidewalk Labs.





The firings would mark the first significant public government intervention in a widely criticized partnership with Sidewalk Labs, a subsidiary of Google parent Alphabet Inc. Waterfront Toronto is a development agency representing all three levels of government, each of whom can appoint four board members at a time.





The board members to be fired are chair Helen Burstyn, veteran investment executive Michael Nobrega – who is Waterfront Toronto’s acting chief executive, and University of Toronto president Meric Gertler. They were notified shortly after 9 p.m. Thursday, said a source close to the Ontario cabinet who was briefed on the plan, but was not authorized to speak on the record. Ms. Burstyn confirmed Thursday night that she had received a call from Infrastructure Minister Monte McNaughton that the provincial appointments would be revoked.


Thursday, December 6, 2018

Preview and silent bidding begins tonight for the 29th Annual Mistletoe Magic, John B. Aird Gallery, Dec 13th

29th Annual Mistletoe Magic

A holiday art fundraiser

On View: December 6 – 13, 2018

Gala Fundraising Night: Thursday, December 13, 6 - 9 p.m.

The John B. Aird Gallery is pleased to announce the details of its annual fundraising gala Mistletoe Magic, which will take place on Thursday, December 13, from 6 - 9 p.m.

This highly anticipated event brings together over 150 works of art from more than 100 contemporary artists across the province.

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The John B. Aird Gallery is delighted to present its 29th edition of Mistletoe Magic, a silent art auction fundraiser. This popular event raises much needed funds for the Aird Gallery’s year-round programming (12-13 exhibitions per year) and to increase the visibility of the gallery, the participating artists and organizations, while remaining free of charge to the public.

This highly anticipated event brings together over 150 works of art from more than 100 contemporary artists across the province. In addition, the gallery is delighted to feature three renowned artist at this year’s fundraiser: Tony Vander Voet, OSA (posthumous), Andrew Harwood and Chris Ironside.

Leading up to the December 13 event, visitors will have a week, beginning Thursday, December 6, to visit the gallery to preview and even place an advanced bid for this year’s outstanding collection of affordable Canadian art.

Poignantly, Mistletoe Magic 2018 will mark the final edition of this popular annual silent art auction before the Aird vacates its space as part of the upcoming Macdonald Block reconstruction project.  Critically, the funds raised will support the Aird’s search for a new home over the next several years.

 

The Gala Fundraising night is open and free to all, from 6 - 9 p.m. on Thursday December 13, where the final frenzy of bidding will take place! The winning bidders will be able to take home their outstanding artworks at the end of the evening. The event includes lots of nibbles and a cash bar.

OUR FEATURED ARTISTS:

TONY VANDER VOET (posthumous) was an artist, scientist, teacher, leader, public servant (Ontario), world traveler and photographer. He embraced his life and adventure. Born in Holland and immigrated to Canada with his family when he was five years old, Tony was always drawn to the arts. He was primarily a self-taught artist and studied drawing, painting and printmaking with a number of renowned Canadian artists at both the Haliburton School of the Arts and at the Toronto School of Art. His works can be found in the Government of Ontario Collection and private collections in Canada, Germany, Chile and Mexico. Tony applied his organizational abilities to several arts organizations as President, Colour and Form Society and Ontario Society of Artists; Treasurer, John B. Aird Gallery and board of Pastel Artist of Canada and Headwaters Arts. His work "Inspired by the Glacier" won first prize, International Juried Online Exhibition, Society of Canadian Artists, just before his death. He passed away on April 22, 2018.

ANDREW HARWOOD is a Toronto-based artist who works in a variety of media, currently painting. His most recent solo exhibition, "While I Was Away" 2017, at No Foundation, Toronto concentrated on the relationships between interior design, nature and painting. Harwood has had exhibitions in Miami, Los Angles, The Museum of Canadian Contemporary Art, Toronto and the Tom Thomson Memorial Gallery, Owen Sound. His works are in the collections of the TD Bank, Bank of Montreal, University of Guelph, Queen's University, University of Manitoba, Centennial College, Sheridan College, The Gay and Lesbian Museum of Art, New York and in private collections in Canada, The United States and Europe. He opened one of the first galleries, Zsa Zsa, in what is now called the West Queen West Art and Design District in Toronto. He is a co-founding member of the Toronto Alternative Art Fair International, 2004 – _06, co-organizing and co-curating exhibitions, lectures and special music events for TAAFI held at the Drake and Gladstone Hotels. He was the former President, BOD A Space Gallery and Treasurer, BOD member Gallery TPW.

CHRIS IRONSIDE received his MFA from York University and BA from the University of Guelph. His drawings and photographs have been exhibited throughout North America. His work has been featured in the Globe and Mail, C Magazine and Headmaster Magazine, and exhibited at Daniel Faria Gallery, the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives and the Gladstone Hotel (Toronto), Four-Eleven Gallery (Provincetown) and with ClampArt at the Art on Paper Fair (New York). His recent body of work, “Loving For the Fame”, was exhibited at Angell Gallery this past October and he will have his first solo public gallery exhibition in the fall of 2019 at the Art Gallery of Peterborough. He has formerly taught in the School of Fine Art and Music at The University of Guelph and currently teaches in the Faculty of Fine Arts at York University.

ABOUT THE JOHN B. AIRD GALLERY:

Our Mission: The Aird is a generous, safe contemporary art exhibition space where visual culture can be shared and explored by an audience as diverse as its makers.

The John B. Aird Gallery opened in 1985. It was named in honour of the 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Ontario to recognize his support for the visual arts in the province and in Canada. Governed by a board Directors, the Gallery’s mandate is to create awareness and promote the enjoyment of works of art by professional contemporary artists.

The Aird is one of the few remaining public art galleries in Toronto. Operating for over 30 years as a non-profit and registered charity, we connect people to ideas – where contemporary art is presented, discussed and enjoyed. We are a space where visual culture is shared to inspire, where communities connect with each other, and where artists are supported throughout their career lifespan.

 

John B. Aird Gallery | Galerie John B. Aird www.airdgallery.org

900 Bay Street, The Macdonald Block, TO, ON, M7A 1C2

A Canadian Registered Charity: 85850 5191 RR000

Junction Historical Society's annual holiday party Tonight

Tomorrow is Junction Historical Society's annual holiday party in the basement of the Annette Street Library.

Thursday Dec. 6th, 6:30pm to 9:30pm.

The West Toronto Junction Historical Society is a non-profit organization with the sole purpose of preserving our neighborhood's history.

West Torontonian. 1917

A. C. Chapman, well known in circulation promotion work as the "Man from Canada," is starting a weekly community newspaper in West Toronto. It is called the West Torontonian. 1917

C. S. Chapman has begun the publication of a weekly newspaper called the West Toronton-ian. It will serve the well-settled population of West Toronto.

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

U of T student calls for Disability Studies program

 

In response to U of T’s lack of a dedicated disability studies program, a student has started a petition to establish one that would be on par with those of universities across the country. The petition has received over 200 signatures in less than two weeks.


Full article from the Varsity Newspaper after the read more button.


Sorauren ave neighborhood historical retail still commonly used as retail!

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Did

Bandit Brewery 2125 Dundas St West. @ Richie St.







Nestled in along Dundas West as Dundas starts its sweeping turn from Roncesvalles Ave, and just before the Howard Park intersection is brewery pub which is an addition to this section of Dundas which was greatly needed. The short section long was devoid of destination eatery, which it now has.










Info below from the brewery





WE ARE A SMALL 10BBL MICRO-BREWERY LOCATED IN THE HEART OF RONCESVALLES. A GROUP OF PASSIONATE BEER HEADS WHO DON’T TAKE OURSELVES TOO SERIOUSLY - WE FOCUS ON MAKING BEER THAT WE’D LIKE TO DRINK OURSELVES.














































BlogtTO patio picture.jpg










THE SPACE

We were inspired by the experiences and the atmosphere of German beer gardens, that bring people from all walks of life together through great beer. Having lived in Germany and spending quite a bit of time at these establishments inspired us to create a brewery with that same relaxed, airy, comfortable and inclusive beer garden atmosphere.




Saturday, December 1, 2018

Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3rd, 2018, event,Empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality

ARCH invites you to celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3rd, 2018.

The theme this year is “Empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”.