Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday, one of Rob Ford's closest allies, will run in a provincial by-election against fellow city councillor Peter Milczyn for the riding of Etobicoke-Lakeshore. If successful, either Holyday, who's running for the PCs, or Milczyn, representing the Liberal party, will be forced to quit their seat at council. Ford said earlier this week he would be out "banging on doors" for Holyday.

Speaking of the mayor, singer Jenny James has written a song about him for this weekend's Ford Fest. Called Mayor Ford (The World Will Remember), it starts "Mayor Ford the tax payer's Lord..."

Toronto Zoo's three aging elephants won't be getting a ride on a military airplane as planned. Instead, the zoo board plans to send the giant pachyderms on transport trucks to a sanctuary in California around 11 Oct. The ideal moving temperature is 20 C and special mist jets will be used to keep Toka, Thika and Iringa cool on their 4,100 km road trip.

A public meeting to discuss a looming police crackdown on public drinking in Trinity-Bellwoods Park brought out people on both sides of the debate. Some neighbours reported people urinating in the park and on their property while others said the $125 fine should be scrapped and the rules about enjoying a drink relaxed. In the last two months police have made five arrests and handed 105 tickets. Where do you stand?

For sale: One Yorkville condo previously occupied by one careful rapper. Drake, he of the four Juno awards, is selling his $4.2 million Toronto pad after successfully flipping his homes in Miami. The three-bedroom, 3,600 square-foot apartment is on the 22nd floor of a building on St. Thomas St. and includes three bathrooms and two heated balconies. Worth it?

Toronto Police will issue a report on "doorings" at its next board meeting. It's not clear what it will say, the cops don't count unions of cyclist and car door as collisions, but perhaps it things will change going forward. Should Toronto police track more bike accidents?

A permanent memorial to the victims of Air Canada flight 621, a deadly 1970 air crash near Pearson airport, will be officially dedicated on Sunday. The peace garden marks the site of a farmer's field in Brampton where the jet crashed, killing all 109 passengers and crew on board moments after a failed landing attempt. More on the crash and the airport here.

Finally, Toronto developer Sam Crignano wants the crumbling hulk of Captain John's Restaurant moved as soon as possible. Crignano's Pier 27 condos are approaching completion next to the disused ship, and he says work on a new promenade could be held up. Meanwhile, "Captain" John Letnik is still sleeping on board. Should authorities act soon?

IN BRIEF:

• 2-year-old girl dead after being left alone in bathtub [Toronto Star]
• Motorcyclist killed after crash in Scarborough [Toronto Star]
• Bob Rae moves to U of T [Toronto Star]
• Detroit Tiger Justin Verlander sings barbershop in Toronto [Toronto Star]
• Justin Verlander, Tigers mow down Blue Jays for series win [CBC]
• Andrew Harris, Lions hold off Argonauts in home opener [CBC]

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: Davoud D./blogTO Flickr pool.