Quieter Junction Construction, Tamil Protest Reduction, Chrysler's Potential Salvation

Photo: "Recyclable Car" by batara, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):

At precisely 8:00:01 am this morning, the pile driver's bang bang bang of the Junction rail work started again. It's only mildly annoying from where I sit, but I feel really bad for those that need to sleep (night shift workers, new parents, etc.). Just as I was ready to buy ear plugs and hone my extreme patience, it appears that GO is prepared to test quieter equipment that's less likely to create bad vibes [Star].

Things got a little heated on University Avenue yesterday evening [G&M], when Tamil protesters blocked the streetcar tracks at Dundas St. West. Police on horses and in riot gear ended up forcing the group off the road, there were scuffles, 15 people were arrested, and a woman was injured when a horse stepped on her foot. The protests are expected to continue today, but the northbound side of University Ave. has been re-opened to traffic.

Feel like going on an uber-geeky astronomical treasure hunt? There's a lost meteorite that scientists want to recover, and they're pretty sure that it landed somewhere in Newmarket, Ontario [NP]. Be sure to avoid the notorious "dog patch" and try not to contract Hep A if you go in search.

The provincial and federal governments may step in and take a stake in Chrysler [City] if the US division goes belly up and the Canadian component faces similar fate. Sounds like a terrible investment, but clearly it's the jobs that are being placed at higher value than actually profitability.

Those new Bombardier streetcars look great. But how will the TTC pay for them? After already committing some $9 billion for Transit City, the province doesn't have the additional funds to pitch for upgrading the current aging fleet [Sun].