Morning Brew: Toronto Parks & Dumpcreation, Dirty Ice Cream, Timmy's Homecoming
Photo: "Elmo Cooling Off" by Zen Imagery, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.
What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):
School is just out for the summer holidays, but come September, when students return to class at 50 Toronto high schools, they'll be meeting police officers that have been assigned to duty at those schools. Last year 30 high schools had uniformed police officers, so I suppose the program is expanding because it's either working so well, or it's still so needed elsewhere.
Protesters fighting the 19 temporary garbage transfer set-ups that are in our city parks aren't going to be pleased with this news. The city is mulling over the idea of using 150 more parks and recreation areas for the same purpose. I can hear the raccoons and flies cheering right now.
A popular summer treat is under fire, and the issue is food safety. Toronto Public Health is cracking down on soft serve ice cream vendors after many tested too high for coliform bacteria, an indicator for E. coli and other bacteria responsible for food-bourne illnesses. Ice cream is supposed to bring about joy, not hasty and frequent restroom visits.
Someone is mocking the Toronto union strike by posing as Local 416 on Twitter, and the union isn't impressed. Apparently the backlash online is building, and requests to remove commentary from Twitter, Facebook, and Toronto news media sites are being made. Here's the fake union feed (it's not particularly funny, witty, or well-followed).
A section of Mississauga townhomes that were still under construction were gutted by fire for the second time since February. 10 units are gonzo, as many as 30 in total damaged, and everyone is going "hmmmm..."
Tim Hortons is coming home. After a failed attempt to penetrate the US market under a US parent company tied to Wendy's, the coffee chain is bringing its business core back into Canadian ownership and territory.
And if you haven't yet figured out what you're doing to celebrate Canada Day tomorrow, be sure to check out a few of the options in the city.
Comments (39)
Why isn't there more outrage about turning our parks into dumps? This is disgusting. When this strike is over, do you think the city staff is going to clean these properly? I can't wait to skate on poop-coloured ice that smells of rotting death this winter.
I agree.
but it has to go somewhere... Union Parking lots? Durham? City paved squares? (like Dundas square and City hall)
Instead of opening more drop spots, end this strike. But not at the cost of banked sick days... seriously, I know it's about more than this... but this issue erases any sympathy I might have had for the unions.
"When this strike is over, do you think the city staff is going to clean these properly?"
Sure, they'll clean the parks properly. Spell it with me: O-V-E-R-T-I-M-E.
My proposal for dump sites:
Nathan Philips Square, the arches over the fountain will help contain the giant pile.
Yonge and Dundas Square, meh, no loss there.
Skydome... errr... Rogers Centre... I know it's not publicly owned, but what else are they using it for?
Union Station... Welcome to Toronto, here's our crap!
Using parks as dump sites sucks, but the garbage has to go somewhere.
What really irks me is all the people loading up on disposable food containers, disposable bags, and the other accoutrements of their business-as-usual wasteful lifestyle, even in the middle of a strike that may go on for weeks or more.
I can't believe how many people are wandering around town with Starbucks cups and plastic food containers. And I can't believe how many of these I'm seeing tossed onto sidewalks.
If you notice on the expanded list of dump sites - they're not just using "parks and recreation areas" anymore. Some of these options are STREETS (e.g. SHAW STREET - King Street south to Douro...that is a street that runs between two condos!). We're getting out of hand here ladies and gentlemen. It's a shame to use parks and public space...but come on now...that's someone's front door!
ALTERNATE SITES:
Nathan Phillips Square
Dundas Square
Fort York parking lot
etc...
There are better options than parks located in residential communities.
And by the way, the flies and raccoons will not be happy. The city is dropping rodenticide, spraying commercial grade insecticide and other chemical compounds to supposedly repress odours. This stuff has toxic effects for humans, and will kill insects, small rodents, and the animals who ingest them.
Why isn't there more outrage at the amount of garbage that has piled up over the past week? I agree with Matt above that people can also use this experience to see just how wasteful they are. To me it's ridiculous that almost an entire hockey rink was filled with garbage after less than a week.
Seriously?!
"Tim Hortons is coming home. After a failed attempt to penetrate the US market under a US parent company tied to Wendy's, the coffee chain is bringing its business core back into Canadian ownership and territory."
Their expansion in the US has been successful and is continuing. They are now partnered with Cold Stone Creamery. They are opening in Time's Square and several other Manhattan locations in July and across the rest of the country throughout the year. Converesly, Cold Stone is launching in Canada via Tim Horton's. Their first outlet is already open at Bay and Bloor.
Not surprised at all. Pre-strike, people tossed crap anywhere rather than wait a block or two to find a garbage can. I still don't get why people are repulsed so much by their own empty coffee cup ... they don't realize that the only filthy thing about it is the germs they put on it?
Unfortunately residential dumps make it easier for residents to drop off their garbage. Are ppl going to TTC down to Fort York with 2+ bags of garbage?
The remote locations like the gardiner and portlands are great if you drive, but we don't all own cars.
If we could only hire workers to shuttle people's garbage in a trash related truck of some kind...
Here's a good link from "Heather Craig" in the Christie Pits article: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/658609
While a Canadian company not prospering in the larger U.S. market might seem typical, I'm also fascinated by the large number of U.S. businesses that get slaughtered here. A visit to an American city seems completely odd because of the strange store names, many of them long out-of-business here. Crispy Cream and Olive Garden come to mind although there are probably a hundred better examples. The U.S. really is a foreign country and despite a common language there are cultural differences that are elusive and deep.
Yeah, let's be a little more accurate about the Tim Hortons move. They're coming back for tax purposes - http://www.financialpost.com/news-sectors/story.html?id=1744591
Most people are driving to residential dump sites. They simply don't want to wait in line at the transfer stations. Ask any staffer on any of the sites.
Many local residents who do not drive (like me) are reducing our waste and keeping garbage at home until the resolution of the strike.
If you think we need residential dump sites, then where is the Rosedale dump? The Forest Hill dump? Oh right. There isn't one. They just drive their garbage over to Christie Pits.
The CityNews piece says "The chain [Tim Hortons] has struggled to boost sales in the United States despite thriving in Canada."
You're mistaken if you think I'd be against Rosedale or Forest Hill dumps. Suggest a location and I'll forward it to my local rep and whoever is coordinating this thing.
Well I can appreciate that some of the non-drivers are reducing now but if I were planning this I would plan long term. Pending strike length they'll have to move it eventually. It sucks C.Pits is an appropriate location, but it is.
Remove commentary? Like, censoring?
The twitter feed isn't very constructive but it is a facet of the undeniable anger that is exists in this city.
And honestly it sounds like the truth, that is the nature of the strike isn't it?
The lack of success some American companies have in expanding into Canada also has a lot to do with the existing business environment. My personal suspicion is that many of these companies wouldn't do all that well if they were starting fresh in the states. For instance, I don't think Olive Garden would be doing as well as they (apparently) are if they were a new chain.
Timmy's problems in the states may also have other causes. Starbucks was closing stores last year because they had overexpanded, which may indicate that the market is oversaturated (even if Timmy's isn't exactly going after the same customers).
I think American companies assume it will be easy to set up shop here - after all, we are the same as them, no? However, once they experience our horrendous taxes, insurance rates, rents and then factor in the fluctuating dollar (how do you pay royalties to your American franchise parent when we've seen the dollar go from .65 to above par and then to .87 in less than 2 years?)the business model looks far less attractive.
And don't forget the additional costs of servicing a market the size of California's with winters like Siberia. In fact, those who would sacrifice everything on the alter of choice, should consider it lucky that we are in such close cultural and distance proximity to the States; otherwise, many international companies may not even bother with our tiny, spread out market.
Rosedale Park. They have several appropriate paved surfaces, including 8 tennis courts, an ice rink (similar to the one at Christie Pits), and wading pool (currently unused and could be contained by fencing).
This is a central location that would serve downtown residents, the majority of whom are driving their waste to dump sites.
As for the Forest Hill area, does anyone know what goes on at Incinerator Park (near Bathurst and Eglinton, off Chaplin Cres.)? On Google Map, I see a big parking lot, some sort of commercial/industrial building, and no residences within spitting distance. Why isn't this a site?
So you are suggesting that the main reason many US enterprises fail in Canada is due to our horribly restricive business environment? And we are oh so lucky to be close to the States otherwise we be a complete wasteland and no one would ever invest in Canada? Just wanted to clarify before I mock you.
The ownership of Tim's is not changing - it will have the exact same shareholders immediately after the move as it did immediately before (and those may be US, Canadian, Chinese or whatever). The governing jurisdiction of the parent company is changing.
That would be an ideal location due to the similarity with C.Pits, however the wiki article doesn't indicate it's a public park, and suggests parts of the field (not necessarily all) are privately owned by the Rosedale Golf Club and Mooredale House. Do we know the ownership status of that park?
Nor is it on the city's list of public parks.
http://www.toronto.ca/parks/parks_gardens/index.htm#R
It's funny how out of the 10s of thousand of inside/outside City workers currently on strike it's all about the "sanitary engineers". Everyone living in the downtown core is most affected by no garbage pick-up. We suburbanites have more sq. footage of property (and garages) to store our crap. I think some people are taking advantage of the allocated parks to dump sh*t they've had lying around their basements, and are too cheap to take it to a Transfer Station where you have to PAY to dump. Doubling-up garbage bags makes it real easy doesn't it...
I don't know about the entire park, but the rink in Rosedale Park is definitely city operated.
http://www.toronto.ca/parks/recreation_facilities/skating/outdoor_ice_rinks.htm
http://www.cityrinks.ca/wiki/wiki.php?n=RosedaleRink.FrontPage
Happy Canada Day (tomorrow), lets drop our swords for one day, get together and not talk about garbage
Happy Canada Day (tomorrow) to you too! We're not all full of spite and passive aggressiveness.
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