The Doors Open Festival is back for 2012 this weekend, offering the public access to many spaces throughout Toronto that are typically hidden from view or restricted in some manner. Now entering its 12th year, the event has never been more popular — which is great from a civic interest standpoint, but not so good for those who despise line-ups. To avoid spending an exorbitant time waiting around to get into places, one needs to prioritize which buildings he or she most wants to see and arrive at them early.

Ossington Avenue used to have many names. Perhaps most notably (and confusingly) the stretch that now runs between Dundas and Queen West was itself known as Dundas Street until it was renamed in the early 20th century. According to the Toronto Archives, other streets eaten up by Ossington over the years include "Denison Street (By-Law No. 1115, 1881), Lancaster Road (By-Law No. 5470, 1910)... and Dundurn Avenue (Registered Plan T4395, 1924)." At one point Ossington also extended up to St. Clair, though that portion of the street was later renamed Winona Drive.

It's been a fixture on West Queen West since 2009. Serving as the exterior facade at 1042 Queen West, the mural of a boy biting into a fish has brought a welcome dose of colour to a slightly tired stretch of the street for the last three years or so. And now it's on the move.

The Grid reported back in March that both the building at which the mural is placed and its neighbour to the east were sold to a single investor who plans on combining the properties. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the mural doesn't factor into the redevelopment scheme. It was, after all, intended primarily to cover up the worn exterior of an old printshop that had sat vacant for years.

What a week! First Rob Ford defied expectations by showing up at PFLAG's rainbow flag raising event at City Hall yesterday and today Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair has acknowledged that "there were things that were not done well" at the G20. As far as the latter goes, today's statement from Blair is carefully crafted to praise the TPS more than knock it, but has just enough of a remorseful tone to quiet some of the criticism directed towards him upon the release of yesterday's report from Office of the Independent Police Review Director.

Although he had previously indicated that he would not attend today's flag raising ceremony to mark International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia at City Hall, Rob Ford unexpectedly sauntered onto the roof shortly after 12:30 p.m. to take part in the event. And, yes, in case anyone was wondering, the reception was unanimously positive as the mayor received multiple rounds of applause, first upon arrival and later when he read a proclamation decrying homophobia on the part of the City.

One of Toronto's stranger relics from the 1930s, the last remaining Joy Oil gas station is back in the news — though sadly only because there still isn't anything to report about what will ultimately become of the building. The Post's Peter Kuitenbrouwer outlines the predictable but frustrating bureaucratic process that's left the quirky landmark on Lake Shore Avenue West in a state of limbo since it was relocated and restored five years ago.