Canada's Debate

Almost exactly one year ago I wrote the following:
As much as I love this city and think that it is truly one of the greatest places in the world to live, Toronto’s real character isn’t it’s diversity, or its food, or anything else along cultural lines; it’s the legacy of bad city planning.
Well, the only [...]

When it comes to cities Canada has some real gems, each with its own character. Montreal has it’s European charm and Bohemian Sensibility; Calgary has the Stampede and a “look what I made” sense of Pride; Vancouver has it’s scenic vistas and an attitude to match… Toronto?
As much as I love this city and think [...]

I’ve been getting increasingly disgruntled recently, so it’s time for a good rant. For quite some time I’ve been a staunch defender of governments, and public services in general among my family and friends. The number of times I’ve stood up for city hall, the TTC, and certain specific politicians and programs defies enumeration.
Recently however, [...]

I’ve talked about the infrastructure deficit a couple of times in the past; and have even mentioned it on AD Radio on a couple of ocassions when I’ve called in. Well, the subject is in the news once again, as is Harper (and primarily) Flahertys’ appallingly weak response.
Here are the basic facts: Canada’s municipal and [...]

Mark it down folks; August 14th, 2007. Today is the day that I find myself agreeing with Mel Lastman. Even though the increasing decrepitude of the city is partially his fault, he is correct in stating that the first place that the city should have cut costs was in Councillor expenses and the Nathan Phillips [...]

So I’ve set up a new poll, inspired by the discussion of how the city should respond to its ongoing budget crisis. Granted, there are no easy answers (as much as some people would like to believe there are) to this question, but I’m asking which you feel is the first thing Toronto should do. [...]

I can’t help but derive a certain degree of satisfaction from watching city council here in Toronto wiggle and squirm as it tries to figure an easy way out of it’s financial mess. The whole scenario reminds me of this:

The “citizens” of Toronto knew they were getting a raw deal with downloading (not to [...]

It isn’t often that a politician has a chance to kill two birds with one stone. Right now, the Federal government has just such a chance.
Canadian cities want $2 billion a year in permanent funding from the federal government for public transit, an investment that’s essential to the long-term future of communities and the nation’s [...]

I am many things; writer, frisbee enthousiast, unemployed slacker, Jewish, balding… and none of those traits (or my assorted chronic joint injuries) causes me as much grief as my seemingly unlimited loyalty for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Today the team has once again reminded me that unwaivering loyalty comes with a heavy price: inevitable betrayal. This [...]

David Miller is spearheading a new initiative to convince the Federal government to cough up… I mean transfer… one cent of the GST to municipalities. The campaign, called ONE CENT NOW, is being promoted by a handful of mayors from across the country and is designed to continue pressure on provincial and federal leadership during [...]

I’m not the sort of person who attributes every single weather anomaly to global warming, and today is no different; but there is definitely something funky going on in the cloud-o-sphere today. This is the nominal time of year, which I like to call Slushtober, when the cold-grey days start to turn into damp-grey days [...]

While the fate of Loblaws Inc. may not be the sexiest of topics, it is one that I have watched closely for several years now. As you may or may not be aware, Loblaws owns the Maple Leaf Gardens property, a building that has played host to everything from boxing to dog-shows, the Queen and [...]

I know that despite my claims of environmental concern I tend to sound critical of environmentalists more often than not. To be honest, I’m more impressed by alternatives than criticism, and most of the alternatives I see are pretty underwhelming… all of which screams why don’t you provide an actual idea!
That’s a fair comment, so [...]

The Gardiner is snoring? Despite the fact that the blogosphere is awash with “Anti-Dion campaign” this and “Warren Kinsella” that… again, I find my attention drawn to a story that I’ve private discussion several times before; that of the aging Gardiner Expressway.
Every Canadian city is dealing with infrastructure problems. The fact is that the Federal [...]

I caught something interesting while I was flipping through the Toronto Star this morning.
No doubt to the surprise of some, Prime Minister Stephen Harper says one of the influences in his approach to the environment is the famous urban theorist Jane Jacobs.
“I’ve always been a big admirer of the late Jane Jacobs,” Harper said in [...]