Morning Brew: November 11th, 2008

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Whether volunteers or conscripts, all soldiers bore the brunt of physical and mental hardship in trench warfare. This film tells the story of one of them.

(See more vignettes on the National Film Board's Front Lines page.)

What's happening in the GTA, on this Remembrance Day, 2008:

Areas not far north of Toronto got their first real dose of winter yesterday, and while we were spared the snow, we did feel some pretty nasty cold winds. Abnormally warm weather returns this week, though (with highs of 13oC expected on Friday). Is it time to switch to winter tires? Despite the warm spurts, my sense is that it'd be a good idea to get them on sooner rather than later.

GO Transit is taking a page out of the Westjet employee manual and promising to put jovial customer service ambassadors on trains this winter. These cheerful employees are expected to bring a ray of sunshine to packed commuter trains when they deal with service delays (which GO is also working towards remedying).

In what appears to be a vicious hate crime, two lesbian mothers were verbally and physically assaulted by a man in an Oshawa school parking lot as children watched in horror. Shameful, abhorrent behaviour like this demonstration of hate and intolerance has no place in our communities. I hope they throw the book at the accused.

Four Toronto court officers who were previously convicted for the beating a prisoner (who spilled juice and was then used as a mop) have had their sentences reevaluated. They'll all be doing short jail sentences rather than being let off without having to do time. I suspect they'll be really careful when sipping on their juice in their new cafeteria. Despite their disgusting crime, I do hope they're well protected.

The "bad landlord blitz" has been given the go-ahead, and will see city inspectors visit a number of notoriously mismanaged properties. It may appear to be just scratching the surface of a huge problem, but it's definitely a start and better than nothing.

And a public library in the Dufferin and St.Clair area has been given a major renovation, including the dramatic uncovering and restoration of giant wall murals that were painted by Torontonians in the mid-1920s and 1930s. Tim posted some lovely photos of the space after attending an advanced sneak peek, but I can't wait to get out there to see this with my own eyes!