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Morning Brew: Metrolinx to release transit tax options, Board of Trade starts toll ad campaign, Toronto's "Soup King" dies, and Nicholas Hoare closes his book store

Metrolinx is due to unveil the list of revenue tools it believes will fund the next phase of infrastructure projects in the GTA. In a report due later this year, Metrolinx will select a few of these options to pitch to the provincial government. Premier Kathleen Wynne says Toronto will adopt at least one of the fees in order to pay for the much-needed Downtown Relief Line, among others.

Speaking of the Big Move, the Toronto Region Board of Trade, which recently released its own list of recommended transit taxes and tolls, has also started a radio and print ad campaign to drum up support for its ideas. Do you think public opinion of transit taxes is shifting?

Michael Nguyen, the 23-year-old killed outside the Yorkdale Mall on the weekend, had a lengthy criminal past and alleged gang ties, according to the Toronto Star. Nguyen was convicted over an armed home invasion in Windsor in 2005. Police also think the Alexandra Park resident was involved with the Asian Assassinz gang, a group responsible for petty vandalism and robbery.

Riding the subway or driving on the Gardiner, it's easy to overlook nature in Toronto. Right now, rainbow trout are jumping up the Humber River at the Old Mill dam. Sadly, according to the Toronto Star, the fish that do make it up stream are threatened by pollution.

A sad day for Toronto's food scene yesterday. Ravi Kanagarajah, the "soup king" behind the three renowned RaviSoups locations in the city, died suddenly of a stroke on Wednesday, his family has announced. Kanagarajah arrived in Toronto after being forced to flee Sri Lanka in 1987. He was 42.

Finally, the Nicholas Hoare bookstore is no more. The Front St. institution closed its doors for the final time at the end of business yesterday, citing concerns about the publishing industry. Stores in Ottawa and Montreal have also closed in recent years. Hoare opened the store, which specialized in British books, in 1989. He's retiring to Halifax.

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IN BRIEF:

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: "On Top Of Things" by Acid_Punk/blogTO Flickr pool.


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