A cycling group is seeking improvements to the Kay Gardner Beltline trail. Where the trail crosses busy intersections they’re asking for “fully signalized intersection crossings”. Town Crier
Who really won Toronto Ward 27 in 2010?
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It’s a cheeky question perhaps because Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam (left) finished a clear 462 votes ahead of second place candidate Ken Chan (centre) on election night. Of course, it probably needs to be said that Ms Wong-Tam’s plurality of 7,527 was just a sliver of the 26,619 ballots cast in the populous City district. Ward 27 has the boundaries of the federal constituency of Toronto Centre. There were a stunning 15 candidates in this field and some of them, like Simon Wookey (right) with 2,128 ballots were probably more like-minded with Mr. Chan. There was also Chris Tindall with 3,447 votes, Joe Dick with 1,667 votes and Robert Maynell with 1,223. Ward 27 is the best example anyone might put forward for why Toronto should adopt the Ranked Ballot (or instant runoff) mechanism in municipal general elections. Ranked Balloting provides electors with a chance to pick a second and third choice from among the candidates. If there are 15 candidates, the voter can theoretically make 15 ranked choices. It then requires the local electoral officer and scrutineers (or election machines) to examine all the ballots for the voter’s run off choices In the end, it establishes a winner who can claim a clear majority. Ranked Ballots is a reform being discussed at City Hall for the 2018 election. It is in the mix with other reforms to the electoral process proposed by Mayor Ford. It should be adopted. Previous post.
Advanced sailboat sets record in San Francisco
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Advanced multihull sailboat DCNS Hydroptere set the fastest certified one nautical mile speed record on Friday afternoon in San Francisco Bay.The Yacht Racing Association of San Francisco Bay and the San Francisco Bay Area Multihull Association were in attendance to certify that the Hydroptere set a record by sailing for one nautical mile (one mile 265 yds) at a speed of 37.5 knots (43.2 mph) using a precise GPS (Global Positioning System) timing system. The DCNS Hydroptere, which rises up out of the water on hydrofoils as it gains speed, is crewed by an entirely French team captained by Alain Thebault. The one nautical mile record was attempted in preparation for an upcoming chance at setting a new sailing speed record between Los Angeles, California and Honolulu, Hawaii. The Telegraph
Fans wait hours for film festival (TIFF) tickets
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Read the rude comments to see how some think of waiting for TIFF tickets. Toronto Sun
Loblaws fights Longo’s with decadent cookies
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In supermarket war, anything goes. With the new Longo’s store all the rage in the media, the Loblaws at 321 Moore Ave has been giving away free bags of the President’s Choice Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookies on transactions over $50. Just to be clear, this promotion was going on a couple of days ago and may be over now. Longo’s has done a laudable and smart thing getting placed in the Leaside Village Centre at 85 Laird Drive (at Esandar Drive). Nonetheless, Loblaws continues to be sitting pretty for location at the Moore and Bayview store. Time will tell how competition changes things. No doubt Sobey’s in the SmartCentre is cooking up something. The largest question mark, in some peoples minds, hangs over the Loblaws Super Centre store on Redway Drive.
Primitive practices imperil 14-year-old girl
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An Imam is suspected of framing a Christian girl accused of blasphemy in Pakistan but some of her neighbors insist that she should be punished. National Post
New ridings would add to Tory majority in HOC
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Sun Myung Moon dead at 92 in South Korea
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Thanks to readers for correction on Rockport
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Many thanks to a number of readers who corrected us with regard to the location of Rockport Group’s Wicksteed Business Park. Among others, Realtor Patrick Rocca has pointed out that the development is in the industrial park east of Home Depot. Faithful correspondent Rudy L notes this site is at Wicksteed Ave and Leslie Street at the location of the 2007 fire at a cold storage plant. To everyone our thanks for getting the Bulldog oriented. Sorry about the mistake. The information about the Rockport Group which is contained in the Daily Commercial News is accurate.
Do you recognize this cyclist leaving the Summerhill scene?
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Video obtained from an office building CCTV on Yonge near Summerhill provides a look at two suspects in the theft of a black Marin Inverness bicycle belonging to Simon Bradley. Left, the man (head apparently shaved) pulls up on a red bicycle and leans it against a column. He disappears to the left but re-appears moments later (picture second left) taking a good look at the bicycles locked up in the stands. He vanishes to the right and a few moments later returns with a female associate. Right, he rides off on a black Marin Inverness bike and his associate rides off on his bike.
Vietnam airline fined for sarong beauty pageant
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HO CHI MINH CITY — State-owned newspaper Tuoi Tre reported that VietJetAir was fined just over 20 million dong (£611) following the incident, which was captured by passengers using mobile phones and subsequently uploaded to YouTube. Five women, each of whom were contestants in a recent Vietnamese beauty contest, performed a three-minute dance in the aisle, according to the report. The stunt, which took place last week, was organised by the airline to celebrate its maiden flight between Ho Chi Minh City and the popular beach town of Nha Trang. Nguyen Trong Thang, chief inspector of the country’s civil aviation body, said the airline “had violated the local aviation regulations by organising unapproved show on a plane”. He added that mobile phones used during the show were in flight mode, so did not present a threat to safety — Telegraph, London
Brentcliffe shop has blue and white togs
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Leanne Delap writes in the Toronto Star about ways to buy those back to school dress code pieces for kids attending schools where such codes apply. One place is the InSchoolwear store at 10 Brentcliffe Road. Toronto Star Previous post.