MB Toronto
Morning Brew: Latest on College St. shooting, Cycle Toronto ups the ante, Toronto Zoo elephant move back on, a zoning map, and "Livestock" coming to the Islands
According to the National Post, the man killed in the Little Italy ice-cream shop shooting had substantial gambling debts. John Raposo, who was due to stand trial next month over an alleged fight over a card game, was murdered among a crowd of soccer fans watching the Euro 2012 championship. The Globe and Mail, however, says the motive for the killing is still unclear.
Cycle Toronto (formerly the Toronto Bike Union) wants the province to examine the City of Toronto's bike plans, which include the scheduled removal of lanes on Jarvis Street, with an eye toward overturning some of the decisions. The group say keeping or adding to existing cycling infrastructure will increase safety for pedal-powered road users. Yesterday, Ontario's chief coroner recommended a helmet law. Is going above city council the best way of protecting Toronto's bike lanes?
The three Toronto Zoo elephants involved in a will-they-won't-they move to a California sanctuary could be packing their trunks by the end of the summer, according to councillors Michelle Berardinetti and Glenn De Baeremaeker. The move was delayed over concerns for the health of other elephants that had already spent time at the PAWS sanctuary. "We cannot conceive of anything happening to stop the elephants," De Baeremaeker told the National Post. Famous last words?
Anyone who has experience with Toronto's zoning bylaws knows they can sometimes be confusing. But, fear not, a new online map to be launched today or tomorrow lays out the city's patchwork of zones in an easy to understand format for people planning construction or those who are just curious. (via OpenFile.) Elsewhere, Atlantic Cities has a history of zoning codes in the US.
Have Radiohead tickets? Missed the Flaming Lips? Like sheep? Then Toronto Island's "Livestock" festival in aid of Far Enough Farm might be for you. All proceeds from the gig will go to keeping the zoo open.
Finally, as if you didn't realize, it's murderously hot outside today. As a result, the City of Toronto has issued an extreme heat alert, opened cooling centers and extended pool hours. The weather is supposed to cool off tomorrow.
TWEET OF THE DAY:
Grid associate editor David Topping doesn't think much of a Wall Street Journal "insider's guide" to Toronto published last week that feins surprise that this city isn't just cool in a "pack a sweater" kind of way. In other news, it's going to be 35 degrees today.
QUICK HITS:
- Blue Jays outslug Brewers 10-9, launch six home runs [The Star]
- Man charged in death of toddler pulled from backyard pond [Globe and Mail]
- Schoolyard sale? Toronto board looks to sell parts of playgrounds to raise cash [The Star]
- Southern parts of Ontario, Quebec in grip of heat wave [CTV]
- Ford tried to help convicted former football player [CBC]
Photo: earth to ilyse in the blogTO Flickr Pool.
Discussion
17 Comments
Sort By Oldest First / Newest First
Subscribe
Might bike lanes now be poised for a similar jump? The King's Bikeways? A series of critical bike paths through each major city (greased with a little provincial money?) The scale and speed of biking makes this a tough argument -- no one is cycling to Kingston and even if they are they aren't towing a tractor trailer -- but it's an enticing thought.
I wonder if any other city in the world has bike lanes created by a jurisdiction higher than the municipal level?
Some of the earliest separated bike paths in the Netherlands, running between and also through towns and cities, were created by the bike union (which has since evolved into the national automobile association).
Seeing the reports of the consultation process would be interesting too.