Karen Stintz says she will run for mayor in 2014

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Karen Stintz, TTC chair and member for Ward 16, has told Don Peat of the Toronto  Sun that she will run for mayor in 2014. The online version of the story sets its posting at 11 p.m. Saturday evening. “I’m running,” Ms Stintz is quoted as saying on Friday. “I’m assembling a campaign team because I believe that elections are about choice and I want to be able to offer a choice to the people of Toronto.”  The announcement seems to open the door for more — many more — candidates now that a main event of sorts has been set up between Ms Stintz and Mayor Rob Ford. The conventional view of this type of contest is that it may very well have the effect of electing left-wing candidate Olivia Chow. In this strategic view, the presumption is that Ms Stintz and Mr Ford could split the centre-right vote sufficiently to let Ms Chow come up the middle. Ms Chow has not yet declared, but she is widely thought to be readying a run. Other serious candidates might include John Tory, now a radio talk show host, who has said recently on the air that he is still thinking about running. Support for Ms Stintz on council will be substantial. It is clear that in 2010 Mr Ford had the backing of councillors like Ms Stintz, Jaye Robinson and John Parker. The same does not seem to be true today. Mr. Parker has stayed publicly neutral but some suspect that his appearance with Ms Stintz at events in his own ward suggests a sympathy for her ambitions. The TTC chair will have a stronghold in her residential locale of Lawrence Park, an area where ratepayers share the values of those in much of east central Toronto and South Bayview. Mr. Peat recalls that Stintz was Ford’s hand-picked TTC chair in 2010. She quickly found herself at odds with the mayor and his brother, Councillor Doug Ford.  Don Peat

Washington wanted to kill off Buick and GMC too

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Former General Motors Vice Chairman Robert Lutz is saying that the big car firm was forced to kill its Pontiac brand by the U.S. federal government. Not only that, the government was not so hot on keeping Buick and GMC. Buick was saved because it was the best-selling car in China. If it were forced to eliminate Buick at home. GM argued, the Chinese consumer would quickly lose interest in it. That warning worked. The GMC brand survived when GM insisted it was the heart and soul of its truck business. The crisis is still less than five years old and many will recall how Barack Obama essentially fired GM President Rick Waggoner in 2009 because he would not declare bankruptcy. “I badly wanted to keep Pontiac,” Lutz is quoted as saying recently by Jalopnik.com.  Pontiac, Lutz argued, was on its way back after years of mismanagement. The  Solstice sports car and Pontiac G6 were new and had a great future, Lutz said. Washington  wanted to get GM down to Cadillac and Chevrolet. They said “you don’t need all these brands. You need one prestige brand, and one mass-market brand.” 

“Why lady?” crash checks out Lincoln SUV

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Halton Regional Police are going over a black Lincoln Navigator SUV this weekend as a part of their attempt to learn why it crashed into some 17 cars near the intersection of Huronontario and Dundas Streets Friday night.  The vehicle was driven by a 62-year-old woman about about whom the police have said exactly nothing so far. We know of course they are speaking to her. She suffered what are being called “very minor injuries” in the crash. In fact, all the drivers were pretty much able to walk away. What good luck that was. Police have ruled out alcohol as a factor in the collision but the results of the mechanical inspection on the Lincoln are not expected to be known for a few days days.

Eglinton Public School celebrates 100 years today

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Memories of the 70s and 80s

Eglinton Public School at the corner of Eglinton Ave. W. and Mount Pleasant Rd. is celebrating 100 years at this location today (Saturday, October 26, 2013). In addition to an afternoon of speeches and festivities at the school, the Friends of Eglinton (retired teachers, principals and former students) are hosting a soiree at the Granite Brewery across the street beginning at 4.30 p.m. 

Saudi women drivers push the rules by driving

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The complex morality of Saudi Arabia is being tested again by women who insist on driving. The hussies. But really, what a strange place it is. Allied with the libertine United Sates, and dependent on it really, but full of fundamental jihadist crusades that threaten the future of the earth. Now it is said that more than 60 Saudi activists have clambered behind the wheel of a car and driven it around when they know it is strictly forbidden for women to do this. Saudi professor and campaigner Aziza Youssef said her group has received 13 videos and another 50 phone messages from women showing or claiming they had driven. She said they have no way to verify the messages. If the numbers are accurate, this year’s campaign is the most successful effort yet by Saudi women demanding the right to drive. Youssef said they have not received any reports of arrests or women being ticketed by police. A security official said that authorities did not arrest or fine any female drivers on Saturday. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Anyway, see you later honey. Don’t forget to buy gas. 

Why lady? Woman smashes up store, 17 cars

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CBC

Saturday October 26 mighty busy around here

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This is a reminder of the events of this day. The Northlea United Church Fair goes off this Saturday as does the Manor Road United Church Fair and the Pumpkin Giveway sponsored by Patrick Rocca at Trmeblett’s ValuMart on Bayview Ave. Previous posts

Governor’s Bridge Estates ten years later

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Here is a link to an interesting article from BlogTO about a rental property ($16,000/mo)  in Governor’s Bridge Estates. That’s the development that is accessed off Nesbitt Drive  just off the Bayview extension. The viewpoint is that the place is for rent because it’s hard to sell a home in GBE. The east side of development sits over the extension and has always lacked appeal for that reason. Being relatively new, it is without trees.  They might have tried harder to fix that but trees aren’t cheap. The fact is, people in all parts of South Bayview expect trees. They are an essential part of the mystique of the neighborhoods and certain stands, like the oaks of Moore Park, are nothing short of a national treasure. This article and the links in it take the tack that GBE was an attempt at re-inventing the wheel. Maybe. If developers had followed the blueprints for the wheel carefully it could have worked out.  BlogTO

Aussie seniors duped into becoming drug mules

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An astonsihing tale of how Canadian drug smugglers lured unsuspecting Australian seniors with a “free trip to Canada””. Once they were in Vancouver, their “new luggage”  prize for the trip home seemed a bit heavy. The couple took their concerns to Australian customs when they got home. Read it and wonder.  CTV

If this doesn’t scare the kids, nothing will

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The final touches have been put on the “horrifying” depiction of the death of Mary Cartwright as rendered by the artist of 384 Belsize Drive. The (fictional) resident of Belsize died a terrible Halloween death (as reported in a previous post) when a blackbird flew into her mouth and, oh dear, we can’t say it. Now the physical telling of this cautionary tale is right there on Belsize in full view Complete with specks of, well, you know. Avert your eyes.  If you are of strong stomach and firm nerves, the picture will expand if you click on it. 

Premier Wynne “makes nice” in oily Alberta

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It seems a sensible aproach to assure Westerners that we respectg their ownership of the oil and gas under their turf.  Castanet

Japan sustains tsunami described as “small”

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Japan has sustained another earthquake on its east coast where the Fukushima nuclear plant is located. The 7.1 magnitude quake is said to have caused a small tsunami which caused no serious damaged. BBC