Morning Brew: OLG Shake-up, Clinton Event Screw-ups, Anti-violence Rally Disgust, Toronto Police Drug Squad Revisited

Photo: "We all saw so much, saw all and everything in a new light" by fightoffyourdemons--, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

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

The government-run and scandal-plagued Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation (OLG) is rumoured to be headed for a shake-up very soon, as a new scandal is apparently brewing. Fraud by retailers, glitches in their computer systems, and now another problem coming to light (will it be spending within the corporation?) have resulted in the need for sweeping changes.

Bill Clinton spoke to an estimated 12,000 people at the CNE this weekend, at an event that some are calling an organizational flop. Empty seats were plenty, and many attendees had reason to be upset given that they paid full price well in advance only to have others gain entry for a measly $5 when tickets sales slumped. What's worse is that some people who waited at the doors for an hour and wanted to gain entry couldn't because they cut off sales despite seats being available.

Attendance was also disappointing at an anti-violence rally in the city this weekend, prompting some to express disgust in the lack of disgust over the problem of crime and our failure to show solidarity on the issue. I think most people are disgusted by violent crime, but don't want to spend their weekends chanting about it.

A scathing editorial (that only touches on the tip of the iceberg, really) in the Globe and Mail this weekend says it's "Time to say no to the LCBO." Unfortunately saying no to the LCBO means your only option is to drink beer, cloudy homemade stuff, or take trunk-filling trips out of the province often.

And we're learning now that the alarm was sounded a long time ago. Montreal police had suspicions about the conduct of potentially corrupt Toronto police officers in the drug squad, who never ended up seeing the end of their trial in court (proceedings were stayed in early 2008 due to the sluggish pace).

And the last weekend of August was a busy and fun one. In case you missed it, here's what blogTO was up to:

• Tim, toting camera, took a hard hat sneak peek tour inside the forthcoming Bell Lightbox film complex.
• Rick tried out some of the new e-book readers that are now out there.
• Emily and Alyssa tried out Coffee Culture and wondered how the chain will fare in an area known for its charming, independent coffee shops.
• Gary chatted with local folksters The Wilderness of Manitoba in advance of their Wavelength gig.
• Roger reviewed the country-heavy Elvis Costello show at Massey Hall.
• Chandra gave us a great roundup of TIFF reviews (what to see and what not to see), and got us thinking about the film festival boycott controversy one filmmaker is stirring up.
• Lauren filled us in on what's fresh in local produce - swiss chard.
• Beverly tried a few of 267 (salty) dishes offered at Pho Ai My in Chinatown.
• Briony reported on the Label fashion show at Cheval Nightclub.
• Corina and Roger gave us the lowdown on and photos of Virgin Festival Day 1.