City
Morning Brew: One Sexy Bridge, Armed Policing of the Subway, Garbage Threat
Photo: "401 - bokeh" by craig.dales, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.
What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):
Wait a minute... how did 38 fully armed Toronto police officers get assigned to a new "transit unit" and start patrolling the TTC subway system over two weeks ago, without any major media reporting on it until now? The Sun reports that the unit has been active since May 18th, joining unarmed TTC Special Constables. Should the TTC constable role now to be re-examined?
Something is in the air, and it stinks. The threat of a summer strike by unionized city workers may mean that garbage collection will be halted. They want a 3% pay raise because, heck, if city councillors and cops got theirs, why shouldn't they get theirs as well?
The much-anticipated "wavedeck" bridge down on the waterfront at Lower Simcoe is close to completion, and will debut next week. The Dutch designer behind the $5.5million project is convinced that people will liken the bridge (one of five being built along the shoreline) to the Canadian Shield, and will be flocking to it to have their eyes animated by it, to lay down on it, and to make out on it. Ahhh, yeah.
A big, tall garage built by a resident in Downsview has his fellow residents calling on building inspectors. I'm not one to call for strict bylaws that restrict us from doing what we like with our own homes and property, but that thing is huge!
We all know that tow truck drivers have friends (mechanics, insurance brokers, personal injury lawyers, etc) and get kickbacks for referring you to them. But if police officers are working with tow truck operators, that adds a whole other layer of potential dishonesty to this problem. One OPP officer is being investigated for just that.
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Miller's Toronto has no problem with that sterile eyesore... yet goes after tall grass without hesitation. Maybe if Mr Green painted it pink or added some sorta mural to it (like a sky motif) then people would be ok with it.
Re: Tow truck
You'd be naive if you thought cops don't do underhanded deals like that on a daily basis.
Are you kidding? According to the city, garages are only supposed to be 14 feet high. If this guy wanted it to be higher, then he would have had to submit plans to the committee of adjustment. Then all the neighbours would have received the plans and been able to voice concerns/opposition. So it sounds like a bit of bullshit to me how this got through without anybody knowing about it.
If that lower cinder block wall is just a wall, it's higher than 6 feet, which is a violation.
While it was being constructed did nobody try to put a halt to it? This story seems a day late and a dollar short - the thing is already built.
If its height violates the garage building code (and I'm 99% certain it does) the owner is going to have to suck it up and tear some of it down.
Very, very fishy.
I live downtown and that is what i expect
when i move out of center when i am older into a small neighboorhood i expect there to be no monstrosities.
I was afraid this was going to happen. This is what happens when we begin allowing the police to be the judge and jury. The new street racing law assumes you are guilty before being proven innocent. Sure it sounds good but now you have incidents like this, cops getting a kickback of the towing and impound fees. Innocent people are losing their cars and insurance. By the time you get to a trial, the damage is already done. Pretty slippery slope.
The real news here is that certain officers are already abusing their new-found power to act as judge and jury too, and convicting motorists of crimes they may or may not have committed.
i can see that happening more and more as the unions strike
especially when people are loosing jobs and the ones that keep em loose any advancement.
So Canadian
>>Hmmm...garbage strike...again. This isnt't about wages - it's about 18 sick days that union workers get PAID FOR if they don't take them!!! The garbage doesn't stink, it's CUPE Local 416.
>>>Glad someone's happy about the 'wave-deck bridge' - even if it is the designer. Sorry...not inspired.
>>>>Nice garage (or whatever the intent is)! It would look even better tagged in spray paint. Or, plant some trees and be good to the environment!
The Simcoe WaveDeck will officially open tomorrow – Friday, June 12th at 10 a.m. You are welcome to join us for the opening celebration and check it out for yourself. The event is being held on the new wavedeck located just west of Simcoe Street at Queens Quay Boulevard West. More information is available at the following link: http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/dbdocs//4a314d0b8c7c6.pdf
We hope you can make it.
Andrea Kelemen, Waterfront Toronto, akelemen@waterfrontoronto.ca