blogTO Saturday Brew

Saturday Brew: Pools Open Late, The Trial Concludes, Coyote Victorious, Kaberle to Stay, Falling Concrete, Blackout Remembered

Photo by boukesalverda, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

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

It's set to be another muggy one, with smog advisories in place throughout the GTA. If, like me, you lack air conditioning, you might be pleased to hear that Toronto community pools will again remain open until 11:45pm so that residents can cool off as much as possible. Even if you have AC, a late night swim is always nice.

Bringing to a close a situation that is eerily similar to the one faced by Joseph K. in Franz Kafka's The Trial, Toronto resident Suaad Hagi Mohamud should finally return home today after being detained in Nairobi for almost a 100 days. I can't wait to hear how much her and her lawyer will sue both governments for. Whatever amount it is, she'll probably deserve every penny.

In another escape, albeit a far more lighthearted one, the city has ceased its capture mission on Neville, the coyote who's been continually spotted in Toronto's east end. The specialist trapper who was hired to carry out the mission feels that his hands were tied because he was not able to shoot the coyote. I know he's been a terror to people's pets in the area, but I have to say this puts a smile on my face. A truly wily coyote, indeed.

In other news that puts a smile on my face, the window to trade Toronto Maple Leafs' defenceman Tomas Kaberle has come to a close. As a longtime Leaf fan, I've always been impressed by Kaberle's skill and class. While he's not the toughest guy you'll see play, it'd been near impossible to replace him (especially considering his very reasonable salary).

If you happen to be walking in and around Duncan Mill Rd. in North York, it might be a good idea to bring a hard hat. Yesterday morning concrete slabs began falling from an office building in the area, and an architect investigating the situation says it's possible more could come down. Although I doubt that this particular investigation "is crucial to public safety across the GTA," the thought of being maimed by falling concrete is unsettling to say the least.

Yesterday was the six year anniversary of the blackout that caused more than 10 million people to lose power, and in honour of the surprisingly good time everyone in Toronto seemed to have that night, Ossington community organizers decided to re-live the events by having 28 venues along the strip go lightless yesterday night. As happened the first time, people ended up filling the streets and causing a bit of chaos for traffic, but it was all in good fun.


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