MB Toronto
Morning Brew: Adam Vaughan wants to ban bullets, Riverdale Farm secures funding, King Street condo controversy, and those days when the Junction was dry
Councillor Adam Vaughan will table a motion at the next council meeting that would ban the sale of bullets in Toronto. Speaking to the National Post, Vaughan said there is no realistic reason for gun or bullet ownership in urban areas. "Gophers aren't chewing up our fields, we have no black bears going through our garbage bins and the raccoons aren't dangerous enough." Elsewhere, two victims' families are fighting for a countrywide ban on handguns. In light of recent events, would you sign on for a ban on the sale of ammunition?
Over at Spacing, John Lorinc tries to dispel the notion that Toronto is a violent, dangerous place in the wake of recent high-profile murders. He also points to some of the underlying issues that lead to gang violence.
Riverdale Farm is safe for now after the city's executive committee voted in favor of paying the attraction's costs while it finds a way to repay the funding. The group of Ford allies voted 5-4 against the mayor who wanted to add a 2014 cut-off to the funding agreement. Budget Chief Mike Del Grande didn't like it either - he walked out before the vote when he realized it wasn't going to go the way he wanted.
What do you do if your new condo tower gets turned down by council? Add eight storeys and move it across the street, apparently. The city planners will love it. The National Post reports that a rejected 39-storey building at 323-333 King Street West was given the thumbs up with a few more stories almost directly opposite the original site. All this displeases Al Carbone of Kit Kat restaurant located nearby. Toronto and East York Community Council will look over the plans later this morning.
Parts of The Junction were dry for most of the 20th century thanks to the efforts of "Temperance Bill" Temple, a local resident and anti-drinking campaigner. The Grid has the interesting story of how Temple kept booze out for so long.
QUICK LINKS:
- Blue Jays fall 4-2 to Nationals, Bryce Harper launches mammoth home run [The Star]
- TDSB to table budget with 'deep cuts' [Globe and Mail]
- TTC: Woman, 82, gravely injured after being struck by bus on Ossington [The Star]
- Sunrise Propane must be penalized for massive Downsview explosion: gov. lawyer [National Post]
- Ford invites McGuinty to inspect city-owned housing [Globe and Mail]
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Photo: "Kensington Market" by Mags.D in the blogTO Flickr Pool.
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“Gun control? We need bullet control! I think every bullet should cost 5,000 dollars. Because if a bullet cost five thousand dollar, we wouldn't have any innocent bystanders .”
I'm not sure what the fuss is about for the King St. Condo. Is the streetcar too congested and their worried it won't be able to handle the new people? Or is it because tons of those restaurants have killer patios, and the condo will block the sun from them?
No, it's not. It's a common napkin idea from an unqualified politician attempting to score points as a populist in a community desperate for a solution to gun violence. Your straw man "left-wing" has nothing to do with it. Plenty of people with left leaning values would love to have a comprehensive, long term strategy put in place by expert professionals like, criminologists and social workers.
It's unfortunate that you feel the need to make up enemies without offering up any kind of solutions of your own. Cynicism is as easy and useless any politician's half baked prohibition proposal. All it does, is take focus away from the real problem that everyone, left or right, deserves sincere and honest attempt at a solution.
My point is why would you pursue a law that will have no effect on the issue that its trying to address? We already have a premier that's taken aim at such dangerous things as half breed dogs and raw fish. We need fewer laws with better enforcement not more laws that are just for show
It need not be absolute. Shooting ranges could get an exemption to provide ammunition that is only used at the range. It's hardly going to kill the economy. Handgun enthusiasts can still use at shooting ranges, because if you own a handgun (not cheap), you can probably afford to travel to a safe place to use it.
You still aren't asking my question of why guns and bullets are needed within a city. All your premier fish and dogs have zero to do with what we are talking about. What is the drawback of banning guns and bullets in the city?
Instead of spending money on creating and enforcing that ban, why don't they spend it on more youth support workers?
Why is the right always so quick to say it is ok to ban things that they don't like, but when the left try to ban things that are killing people (ie. guns, fatty foods, bullets etc) all of a sudden they are infringing freedom?
1., you can legally shoot in the City of Toronto. Please note there are a number of indoor ranges which are perfectly legal and which are located within the City. City by-laws specifically allow for this.
2. Since I most often leave my house to go duck hunting at 3:30am where I am in the blind by 6am, please let me know what stores are open to buy shells at that hour.
3., also Vaughan proposes to ban guns within Toronto but says he does not want to ban hunting. As per #2, where would Vaughan propose I keep my guns? Will there be a City of Toronto stand on the side of the 401 when I am heading to Darlington? And will there be a similar stand on the 400 when I head up to Tiny? Will the City be so kind as to make my gun available to me at either of these convenient locations - is the City going to offer a 24 hours gun valet for us gun owners where we can pick up our legally owned guns as we leave? And on our way back into Toronto, will the City Gun Valet clean my gun for me and store it for next time? Or am I supposed to clean it on the side of the road before checking it back into Mr. Vaughan's Extra-Toronto Gun Storage?
4. The City has no legal right to do this whatsoever and this discussion is a giant waste of time. Just ask Mayor Miller, who wanted to ban all handguns in Toronto and was informed by City lawyers that it was beyond the remit of the City and for that matter the province. Mr. Vaughan was on council then so I can only assume he is 1, Stupid 2, loooking for attention or 3., both.
Cheers,
GRAARG
Imagine what countries like Mexico would be like if we legalized all illegal drugs? What would gangs even do, if they didn't have drugs to sell?
I belive in a free society that the onus should not be on those wanting freedom but on those wanting to restrict it. One can not simply say "prove you need it or it will be banned." That is the antithesis of a free society.
The onus is on those wanting to impose a restriction that that 1., there is a genuine need to restrict freedoms and 2., the restriction being proposed will result in a benefit greater than the freedoms stipped away.
There is without doubt a need to address gun homicides in Toronto. But that does not put the onus on lawful gun owners to prove that they should not be stripped of their rights.
Cheers,
GRAARG
The same people decrying the recent gun deaths in the city are frightened that their part of paradise is under siege by elements from outside. Typical. Typical white bread histrionic bullshit. But I gots news fer ya. They all got guns. There's always someone protecting them. They expect you to do your Malthusian duty and die by police gunfire.
Oh, did you forget about your precious Canadian Charter of Rights being trampled on during the G20. Every politician from Harper down to Miller knew what was planned and none of them stood trial for violating your rights. Now they want to take away your right to protect yourself from them. Foolish, foolish people. You wanna ban bullets and guns? Go ahead. Then ban baseball bats, knives, tables, hands, brains, feet...shall I go on?