Outgoing Mayor of Toronto David Miller is expected to announce this morning his endorsement of his deputy mayor, Joe Pantalone, as the next mayor of Toronto. Apparently, Miller will make the announcement during an event at the Canadian Centre for Language and Cultural Studies. Pantalone's website hinted briefly at the endorsement in a statement issued yesterday. Pantalone, though a relatively distant third in the polls, has also earned endorsements from NDP Leader Jack Layton and from Stephen Lewis, the former Canadian ambassador to the UN.

Miller's endorsement, assuming all the speculation is correct, comes on the heels of councillor Joe Mihevc's call for his constituents to vote for George Smitherman in an "anybody-but-Ford" initiative reminiscent of the kind Sarah Thomson has called for since dropping out of the mayoral race. Mihevc has said he would have liked to endorse Pantalone, but that he doesn't believe ol' Joe can win. Ouch.

A provision to limit the number of vehicles Toronto residents can park in their driveways is a part of the city's new harmonized zoning bylaw, which replaced 43 bylaws from the pre-GTA municipalities. The new driveway rules took effect Oct. 1 and very specifically limit driveway parking, but chief planner Gary Wright says the city has no plans to chase down residents who break them. "I would like to reassure people that [they] will not be facing fines tomorrow for parking in their driveways," he said. The bylaw is intended to take aim at new construction and at rooming houses where a huge number of cars may be parked in a driveway; under the bylaw, neighbours can complain, and this is the most likely circumstance under which the city would lay charges. An appeal of the limits has already been filed.

A renewed call for a public inquiry into the events of the G20 summit in Toronto claims that of the six separate reviews of the G20 in progress, none has the jurisdiction or the mandate to seek or provide the kind of answers and information that they are demanding. The group says a full public inquiry is needed, and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, a supporter of the initiative, says she plans to introduce a bill in the provincial legislature to create an inquiry examining all government and police action during the summit. Prominent lawyers Howard Morton, defense attorney for the lone person charged under the "fence law", and Graeme Norton, with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, are asking for the public to lend their voices and support to the call.

The Star reports that Toronto Public Health inspectors warned property management at 200 Wellesley St. E to take action, over concerns about tenants' hoarding and mould. Apartment 2424, where the fire began last month, was one of the units indicated by inspectors as being packed with possessions. Stephen Vassilev, the resident, says his unit was full of papers and books related to a dispute over some Elliot Lake townhouses he owned and that the fire was "arson" meant to silence him. "Public health went there and told (the property manager) to take action," The Star's source says. Greenwin Property Management refused comment, referring all questions to Toronto Community Housing, who also said nothing. Greenwin's management contract for 200 Wellesley has been terminated by the housing agency, though it continues to run other buildings in the area for TCH.

In Brief:

Sarah Thomson cast her vote for George Smitherman yesterday on the first day of advance polls in the election.

A campaign to raise awareness of child abuse by attaching 200 teddy bears to benches and lamp posts in downtown Toronto is asking for the return of the bears, which have largely been stolen.

The man who built the pond with the purple and gold bridge on the edge of the Beach was trying to sell it, but is now just trying to give it away. Free water lilies!

Photo by Derek Flack in the blogTO Flickr pool.