The bargaining strategy that helped Mayor Rob Ford stave off labour troubles with several of the City's unions the last few months is attracting calls from other municipalities across the country. Ford's successful avoidance of several strikes (though he couldn't quite prevent brief action by library workers) and brinkmanship helped his team stave off a potential four to six-month strike by the city's garbage collection workers, says the Globe and Mail.

It's been a while since we've had something bonkers from the Toronto Sun, so to make up for the wait, columnist Cristina Blizzard has written a gem of a piece that rails against the "smug" and "self-entitled" downtowners daring to suggest the Downtown Relief Line be placed back on the TTC agenda. I don't know what's more ridiculous - that Blizzard can't see how necessary and beneficial something like the DRL could be for all Torontonians or that she equates Starbucks with some sort of downtown liberal xanadu. Thoughts?

You know what single mothers need? Yeah, that's right, a casino to work in. According to Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti during a cameo on the Ford's weekend radio show, a GTA casino could create 10,000 jobs - many for single moms. "Imagine how many single mothers we can actually train, perhaps if they want, to become dealers," Mammoliti mused during the show.

Hold on to your hats! Not one but two super-duper celebrities are in town today. Purveyor of ovations and tears, Oprah Winfrey, is recording an episode of Oprah's Lifeclass Tour at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre while across town business hairdo Donald Trump is cutting the ribbon on yet another hotel named for himself at Bay and Adelaide.

And finally, a Monday morning blast from the past thanks to Retrontario. This was apparently an actual ad for an actual product actual men were supposed to buy. What's the betting it smelled like desperation and rejection.

IN OTHER NEWS:

• Toronto police officer stabbed in North York [The Star]
• Jays use Drabek's pitching, 7-run outburst to beat Orioles
[CBC]
• Woman on Toronto police 'most wanted' list arrested [CTV]
• The feud of Kensington: Ten-year rivalry between two cousins divides neighbourhood [Nat. Post]
• Builder to use mesh to combat falling glass concerns [The Star]

FROM THE WEEKEND:

• That time when the Don River was straightened
• Toronto through the eyes of James Chatto
• High Park cherry blossoms 2012
• Tape trips with Not the Wind, Not the Flag
• The Neighbourhood Mixtape: On your favourite we can end it
• Toronto through the lens of Sam Javanrouh
• Street Style: At Wizard World Comic Con 2012
• This Week in Theatre: The Game of Love and Chance, Dancing Queen, Armide, The Adaptation Project, Twelfth Night Or Whatever
• This Week in Comedy: ALTdot Comedy Lounge, Indie Comedy Hour, Phil Hanley, and Myq Kaplan

Image: "Victory Gardens" by jennyrotten in the BlogTO Flickr pool.