The Ontario Municipal Board has backed the City Council and rejected plans for a massive retail complex in Leslieville. The decision wraps a near five-year fight between the developer Smart!Centres and the city and community developers. A 56-page report from the OMB sided with the city, saying the proposed development didn't provide a positive use for the vacant lands and would likely 'destabilize' the area's employment.

City Hall is set to offer greater subsidies to businesses pursuing green renovations. The latest move will provide cash incentives to commercial, industrial and institutional (ICI) property owners to install an "eco-roof".

What exactly is an eco-roof? According to the city, it's "green roofs (roofs that support vegetation) or cool roofs (roofs that reflect the sun's thermal energy)." Put more simply, it's adding a vegetation system, or installing reflective panels to your roof.

Toronto City Councillor Michael Walker is calling on the City Council to push the Federal Government into offering greater subsidies for childcare. His motion comes in the wake of a recent announcement from Toronto's daycare service that it will be forced to shut 6,000 (that's about one-quarter) of city-run subsidized spaces. The city says it will begin closing the spaces as early as this fall unless it finds a way to compensate for a $63-million shortfall in federal funding.

Every once in a while a debate erupts with implications that extend far beyond the topic at hand. The current CRTC hearings are a perfect example.

The CRTC is entertaining the idea put forth by Canadian cultural groups that it should introduce content regulations on the internet and new media. It's also considering establishing a fund to help promote Canadian content. This, the groups argue, will ensure Canadian voices will continue to have voice on both the domestic and the international virtual stage.

As the web and web-based applications continue to garner greater attention in our lives, the city is looking at ways to make broadband access more universal.

A current proposal making its way through city hall is offering to place one thousand internet-ready, no-cost computers in public venues across the city. Better yet, as part of the plan, the city will actually generate a profit. Take a deep breath.

Gastro-throbs across Toronto may be happy to learn that the city has extended Winterlicious for another two weeks. But before you start getting all excited and making reservations, check the Winterlicious site, as not every restaurant has agreed to the new deadline.