Morning Brew: RioCan CEO hates Toronto casino plans, convicted cab drivers still operating, Janet Davis turns to crimefighting, big snow coming, and a subway closure
You know who doesn't want a downtown casino? RioCan CEO Edward Sonshine, that's who. It's unusual because the chairman of RIoCan is also the chairman of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. Sonshine told city manager Joe Pennachetti in a letter signed by other RioCan brass that a casino in the core would lead to gridlock. Would a casino be better placed outside the downtown?
Cab drivers with criminal convictions for offenses as heinous as sexual assault, drunk driving, and threatening death are plying the city's streets thanks to the city's lax licensing policies, according to a Toronto Star investigation. Just 50 of the 340 drivers refused a taxi license was denied at an appeal hearing and licenses are only checked every 4 years. Some drivers have multiple convictions but still continue to operate legally.
The president of a taxi driver's association says cabbies with convictions should be taken off the streets immediately. Do you agree?
Cheese theft is apparently a big thing in today's world, and Toronto sees a fair amount of it according to the Star. The dairy product is top of the list for light fingered shoppers around the world, apparently.
Speaking of theft, councillor Janet Davis is being hailed a hero for scaring off a group of burglars raiding a Danforth Ave. toy store. Davis was walking with her partner past Silly Goose Kids near Woodbine when the pair made the discovery. Davis said she "yelled" at the group who fled the scene. Nothing was taken.
Found pictures gathered by Toronto camera collectors are on display over at the the Star. The photographs range from candid family shots to pictures of rockets at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
Today is going to be a snowy one, according to a storm warning Environment Canada. An Alberta clipper capable of delivering up to 19 cms of snow will arrive in the GTA late afternoon and linger until early morning Friday. The storm could be the worst since 2011 if it packs the punch experts say.
Finally, the Bloor-Danforth line will be closed between Keele and Kipling this weekend to replace a crossover track at Jane. Steel, stone, and ties used in the track's construction have reached the end of their service life. Normal service resume Monday.
IN BRIEF:
Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.
Image: "Hong Kong or Toronto?" by Jesse Herzog/blogTO Flickr pool.
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