Morning Brew: TTC shooting leads to automated fare talk, former mayor criticizes Ford, the Zoo's orangutans might get an iPad, and Ryerson's new residence
The shooting of a TTC collector on Sunday has raised the question of implementing an automated fare system (besides installing bullet-proof glass in the ticket booths). But the Post's Peter Kuitenbrouwer says that avenue isn't as simple as it seems. Like, who will watch out for people bringing bikes and dogs on the trains in rush hour? And who will watch out for women's safety at night?
Former Toronto mayor Art Eggleton has a few choice words for the city's current mayor. In an opinion piece for the Globe and Mail, he says Rob Ford's reaction to the transit vote and Gary Webster's subsequent firing is "no way to run a city." Eggleton is concerned for the city's residents because "the mayor has yet to show enough sense to function as a co-operative leader rather than a dictatorial, confrontational bully." His hope is that some "sanity returns to city hall." Here, here.
No fair! The Toronto Zoo's orangutans may be getting an iPad because they're bored. The zoo is at the top of the list for the high-tech gadget thanks to Orangutan Outreach, a conservation group that spearheads Apps for Apes. Yes, you read that correctly. The hope is that the apes will be Skypeing each other, besides finger painting and reading up on the local news (okay, that last one isn't true).
Ryerson is turning to the privator sector to help construct its newest students' residence. The university is partnering with MPI Group to develop a 20-storey, 500+-bed residence just south of Jarvis Street and Dundas Street East. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2014 and the new digs are expected to be open September 2016.
Many can attest that weight loss is a struggle, so it's not surprising that Rob Ford is having some trouble. At his weigh-in yesterday, Ford gained a pound over the week, while his brother, Doug, seems to be doing fine, losing 25 pounds since January 20. One strange, if unhealthy, word of advice for the mayor comes from councillor Frances Nunziata: "Start smoking."
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Photo by iainphotos in the blogTO Flickr pool
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