Morning Brew: Rob Ford reportedly cuts off the CBC, Toronto Star tests Ford's callback promise, Kensington "garden car" up for adoption, Buttonville airport to close, flu clinics to open
It seems the Toronto Star now has some company. After that cringe inducing, yet hilarious interview with CBC's As it Happens, Rob Ford has reportedly cut off the network. Several reports on Twitter alleged yesterday that Ford's campaign manager Nick Kouvalis told Newstalk 1010 that CBC is now cut off from the mayor-elect, along with the Star. Reports also allege that Kouvalis was distracted when calling in, yelling something about going to get water and mumbling inaudibly to someone off-air.
Perhaps licking its rejected wounds, the Star also decided to test Ford's callback promise yesterday. Speaking with CBC Radio's Metro Morning on Tuesday, Ford said, "If people didn't vote for me, I have to convince them to vote for me next time. If they want to call me and talk to me they're more than welcome to, and I'll try to respond to all the calls." So the Star, stooping to the pitiable level of a scorned lover, asked three citizens to see if Ford would make good on his promise. One caller received a prompt callback, while two are still waiting hopelessly by the phones.
La Palette's Kensington Market location is confirmed to be closing within the month. That means that its "garden car" is going to need a new mommy. La Palette co-owner Shamez Amlani said, "It's up for adoption," adding that, "it'd be great to still serve its purpose, which is to reclaim a space that would normally have a parked car." The car, which is part garden, part play structure and part art piece, was previously covered by La Palette's insurance. It was deemed public art by council and allowed to remain on the road, but now that La Palette is closing in Kensington, the fate of "garden car" remains unknown.
The Toronto Buttonville Municipal Airport in Markham is set to close within the next five years. Cadillac Fairview Corp. signed a deal with the airport's current owners to create a "vibrant, 24-hour, mixed-use community," which means the airport will close by an unspecified date. The Buttonville airport is the 10th busiest in Canada and is home mainly to private planes. About 300 people currently work there and about 350 planes are kept on the 67-hectare site.
It's flu shot time again! Well, not exactly, but public health officials are opening flu clinics early this year after cases have begun popping up around Toronto. This year's flu shot will have the H1N1 vaccine mixed in, along with the inoculation against two strains of the regular flu. The shot will be available at 64 temporary clinics in total at 42 locations around the city within the next two and a half months. The first clinics open today. For a list of clinics and locations, check out the Toronto Public Health website.
Photo by [Schemering] in the blogTO Flickr pool.
Join the conversation Load comments