Morning Brew: April 2nd, 2009

Photo: "final touches" by jonathancastellino, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):

Finally! In what Mayor Miller called the "Most important announcement for Toronto and Torontonians in a generation," the province has finally come around with $9billion in much needed funding for transit infrastructure [G&M]. The forthcoming Transit City projects will change the way people get around in this city [CityNews].

Four more restaurants in Kensington Chinatown have been closed by Toronto Public Health due to rodent and cockroach infestations. Ba Le Sandwiches, Kim Vietnamese, Chieng Mai Thai, and Liu Liu Hot Pot are all shuttered pending corrective action. Could it be that the only way to solve this ongoing infestation problem [CP24] would be to essentially close off the whole neighbourhood for a weekend and carpet bomb every building with chemicals to kill off everything unwanted?

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Yesterday, in a massive, coordinated, early morning sweep involving some 1000 police officers, 125 arrests were made in "Project Fusion" [NP]. The effort focused on two major gangs of alleged organized criminals. Gang members believed to be involved in the trafficking of guns and drugs have been taken down, and police chief Bill Blair is talking tough and talking proud. He also spoke out on his desire to see the national gun registry program kept in place [Sun], something that donkeyface Harper is aiming to bury after he gets out of the bathroom [CBC].

Guilty is the verdict in a despicable case of child abuse. A 26-year old Toronto mother was convicted after repeatedly giving her baby copious amount of cocaine [Star]... to the point of inflicting brain damage. She's out on bail and faces sentencing in May. I'm at a loss for words.

Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier is cutting 3000 jobs globally, including 420 in Toronto [680news], citing weak sales. Perhaps these cuts can be mitigated some, with the forthcoming need for light rapid transit vehicles for Toronto's new train lines (unless Siemens gets that scoop).