Morning Brew: Two dead in Scarborough shooting, Rob Ford lands top fundraiser, man charged in heritage site arson, we're world class, and ads coming to library slips
All eyes are on Scarborough this morning after last night's horrifying shooting that killed a teenage girl, a man in his early twenties and sent 19 others to hospital. Roughly 200 people were gathered at a house near Morningside and Lawrence avenues for a block party when two gunmen opened fire in a crowd during a dispute. Shaken, police chief Bill Blair described the crime as "the worst incident of gun violence in my memory anywhere in North America."
Elsewhere, Rob Ford has won the support of a top Bay Street political fundraiser who says he believes the mayor has got the "big things" right so far this term. Ralph Lean, who backed the unsuccessful Smitherman campaign two years ago, told the Globe and Mail he "loved" the mayor's first budget and would help Ford seek re-election in 2014. Does this mean Ford will win backing from other political figures in the run up to the next election?
Toronto police have charged a man in connection with an arson that destroyed a 122-year-old building at Yonge and Gould in 2011. According to the National Post, the man could also be charged with other unexplained fires elsewhere in the city, too.
Americans and Brits think Toronto is a world class city even if we don't always rate our town so highly, according to a poll by Angus Reid. Yum, validation.
Ads will soon be appearing on the back of library reminder slips once the Toronto Public Library finds a company willing to sell the space, reports The Star. The move is part of a broader foray into advertising for the city, which famously includes the sale of naming rights to subway stations. Mississauga and Calgary are the only other cities in Canada to sell this type of ad space.
With the temperature expected to hit 37 degrees, today could be the hottest day of the year so far. Make sure to pack sunscreen - the UV index will be high and the humidity could make it feel like 43. Scorchio.
Finally, here's a video montage of Marc Soares playing the jaunty Maple Leaf Rag on 20 of the 41 pianos dotted around the city to mark the countdown to the 2015 PanAm Games. Enjoy.
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Photo: "Humber Bay Bridge" by gdquerubin in the blogTO Flickr pool.
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