Toronto Police Sergeant Ryan Russell is being remembered today for his ultimate sacrifice. During an altercation involving a stolen snow plow, Russell was struck and later died from his injuries, becoming the first Toronto police officer to be killed in the line of duty since 2002. Sgt. Russell, whose father is a retired Toronto police officer, leaves behind his wife and a two-year-old son. Speaking at a news conference yesterday at City Hall, Mayor Rob Ford said in a statement: "Toronto has the best police service in the world. Sgt. Russell is a shining example of the men and women of our police service who put their lives on the line to protect us each day. They, along with our fire and emergency medical workers, do their jobs selflessly every day and earn the respect and appreciation of us all."

Toronto's animal services is considering scrapping its licensing program; a program that is intended to bring in cash and keep track of our beloved furry friends, but which currently isn't doing much of either. 90 per cent of the city's domestic feline residents and 70 per cent of canines are undocumented, and with the program bringing in $3 to $4 per licence, at about 100,000 total dog and cat licences citywide, that works out to less than $400,000. Councillor Cesar Palacio, who chairs the licensing and standards committee, said he'd like to see a "meaningful discussion" that evaluates whether the numbers merit the program's continuation. "Cesar," eh? Isn't that the most pet-friendly name ever?

You know those times when you think: "Man, I wish I could duct-tape my coworkers...to the wall?" No. Oh. Well, anyway, Toronto's Chris Hickey was recently acknowledged to have broken the world speed record for duct-taping a person to a wall--a dubious honour Hickey shares with several of his colleagues at Canadian Manda Group, a book supplier. The event happened in their office kitchen. What is the record? 57.35 seconds.

This week's EYE tells us thirty-somethings and almost-thirty-somethings to "get [our] shizz together" with a late-bloomers guide on how to be a better adult. Tips include: How to cure a hangover; how to get out of debt; how to thread a needle and how to dress age-appropriate.

IN BRIEF:

• Raptors lose to Hawks
• "Incendies" is Best Canadian film of 2010
• Ottawa says Loonie will stay at par with US dollar

Photo by mauriciojcalero in the blogTO Flickr pool.