Toronto is destined to become a true cycling city now: first platforms, now lanes. Mayor Rob Ford's team has voiced "no opposition" to a comprehensive plan put forward by councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong that would see a connected network of curbed cycling routes along busy routes such as Sherbourne, Wellesley and Richmond streets.

Another heritage building bites the dust -- well, not if heritage advocates can do anything about it. The building in question sits atop a hill near Casa Loma at 7 Austin Terrace. First constructed by John Bane Maclean, publisher and founder of Maclean's magazine, and designed by John Lyle, the renowned architect behind such landmarks as Union Station and The Royal Alex Theatre, the large estate awaits a decision from city to determine its fate. According to Heritage Toronto, the owner of the property, 1626829 Ontario Ltd., hopes to use the site to build townhouses.The property is just one of the more than 8,000 heritage buildings scattered around Toronto and the GTA.

So much for penny-pinching. Two of Toronto's boards have already asked for more money. Toronto's public library voted to seek a 2.6 per cent budget increase rather than the 2 per cent it had recently been asked for and the 5 per cent cut the city had originally wanted. The Board of Health, meanwhile, approved a 1.49-per-cent net budget increase Thursday, a hike made larger by a last-minute request for $500,000 in city cash to tackle bedbugs. Toronto Public Health originally asked for an increase of 0.4-per-cent over 2010, bringing the net budget to just over $44.3-million. Mr. Ford's press secretary said the mayor was not available to comment on the proposal. But he couldn't possibly refuse a city with more books and less bedbugs. Could he?

Not only does headgear save your wonky teeth, but now it can save your life. A 31-year-old construction worker felled by a large metal support beam at an Oakville condominium work site Thursday was saved by his headgear, police said. A 30-kg aluminum support beam hit the victim, injuring his head, face and upper torso after it fell from the seventh storey of the unfinished condominium building. "The protective headgear worn by the victim is credited for saving his life," said Staff Segreant Anthony Odoardi.

IN BRIEF:

• Leafs just avert disaster
• Beer run: Beer tank convoy to travel Hamilton-Toronto this weekend
• Bjork vows to karaoke until Canada surrenders foreign ownership of Iceland's resources

Photo by Neil Ta | I am Bidong in the blogTO Flickr pool.