Those who watch these things, like Connie Woodcock of the Toronto Sun, say the appeal of a casino in Toronto will be just too great for the cash-strapped Ontario government to resist. In a column today Woodcock says that “two perfect casino sites” are Woodbine Racetrack and Ontario Place.” As we know there is already slot machine gambling at Woodbine and Ontario Place has just been shut down for five years to figure what to do with it. Woodcock asks with some anguish, it seems, whether we’re ready for an adults-only entertainment centre at Ontario Place. But many will say the worst effect of all-out gambling is the incentive that it will give the government to spend even more crazily. It’s a frequent theme here that a stable economy and prosperity lie in better management of our money. Or, we could be like Greece. Connie Woodcock’s column linked off the headline above.
Tim Hudak re-elected as PC leader
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Tim Hudak has won a 78.7 per cent mandate from the PC Party of Ontario to keep his job as leader. Hudak was re-affirmed in his home riding of Niagara West-Glanbrook tonight. Some 1600 members voted. Hudak had faced criticism for the party’s sputtering campaign in last Fall’s election. It was an election that the PCs had seemed set to win.. Now Mr. Hudak has been given a chance to do better in the next general election.
Some people call this a “dusting of snow”
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Winter is making a comeback in parts of Ontario this weekend, courtesy of a low pressure system. A drastic drop in temperatures is forecast as a cold front swings through. In some cases, lows into the minus teens are forecast, feeling even colder with the wind chill. The city of Toronto has issued an extreme cold weather alert to help get homeless people into shelters. In northern sections of the province, snow began falling Friday morning. Parts of southern Ontario are expected to get a dusting as well.”We’ll see snow in southern Ontario start to accumulate through the overnight hours,” says Rob Davis, a meteorologist at The Weather Network. “The centre of the low will be over southwestern Ontario, so we could see higher amounts in places like Windsor, London, Kitchener-Waterloo and Hamilton.”Up to 15 cm of snow could fall in those areas through Saturday. Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area are expected to receive 3-5 cm of snow, while the Hamilton and Niagara regions will see 5-10 cm. Still, snow isn’t the only concern.”As the cold front passes, we’re anticipating a flash freeze overnight,” explains Davis. “That could make for some icy driving conditions.” Weather Channel
Harper’s speech on energy and trade
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Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered a speech before a business audience in Guangzhou, China Friday. He told his listeners that Canada wishes “to sell our energy to those who wish to buy our energy.” He warned that Canada will not be deterred by “foreign money” from “unstable places” from pursuing this program. It was a clear warning to middle east oil producers, most notably Saudi Arabia, to stop meddling in Canada’s energy marketing. Harper touted trade and cultural ties between the China and Canada and the importance of “Canadian values” such as human rights within the growing relationship between the two countries. See the full speech at our sister blog, Mostly Media, embedded courtesy of the CBC.
Tell us again why this place is called smart?
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Tell us again why this place is smart? The architecture of the SmartCentres outdoor commercial site at Laird Drive and and Wicksteed Ave. has been much criticized. Now SmartCentres is applying to develop the land it owns north of Wicksteed and is promising to do a much better job of making the new development attractive and livable. Many will be skeptical. The feeling is widespread that Toronto bought a turkey when it approved the present centre. The architecture is neo-Soviet. Altogether it has as much charm as a prison yard. The city should tell SmartCentres to start over .
Ford sets out McGuinty’s dilemma on transit
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Mayor Ford says Premier McGuinty will have to listen to the voice of the people, not the rebels on City Council. Speaking on CP24 last night Ford pointed out the 78% of the votes cast in Scarboro in the 2010 election favoured subways over LRTs for that part of Toronto. He said: “Be it an LRT or a subway. I listen to the taxpayers and I’m sure the premier will do the same.” It will be an interesting exercise in democracy, whichever course the Premier takes.
Candidates nominated for Danforth by-election
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The major parties have now nominated their candidates for the by election in Toronto-Danforth set for March 19, 2012. The election will pick a successor to the late Jack Layton. The Liberals tonight picked advertising executive Grant Gordon (left) as their candidate. He has been seen as a lacklustre choice as has been the Conservative nominee Andrew Keyes (right). The conventional view, which may be wrong, is that local affection for the late Mr. Layton will work to get NDP candidate Craig Scott (centre) elected. In winning the Liberal nomination, Mr Gordon trounced Trifon Haitas, a Greek-Canadian journalist who describes himself as pro-life. There were concerns that the Liberals might be seen in this riding as a one issue party if Mr. Haitas has, by some chance, been nominated.
Diamond ring stolen at Don Mills spa
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It pays to be careful with your valuables. Of course when you’re at a spa it’s necessary to remove such things as a ring. At about 4.30 p.m. on January 26, 2012 a woman discovered that her diamond ring had been removed (stolen) while she was relaxing. This happened at a spa on Don Mills Road.
“Crazy” billboard a cartoon of itself
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Over at Bayview Ave and Moore Ave that prime billboard owned by CBS has exploded with a comic book ad for yogurt. It’s eye catching. Our limited knowledge of this graphic form suggests that the two red blips to the right of the young lady’s head are fairly standard comic book code for emotion or love. The things we write about.
Profile of Asli Ersozoglu in Town Crier
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There’s a profile online at the Town Crier of Asli Ersozoglu, a Turkish girl who is playing outstanding volleyball for the York Mills Collegiate Institute Titans. At this link you will also find a clever picture of Ms. Ersozoglu taken by Francis Crecia
Tassimo coffee makers recalled in Canada
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The popular Tassimo one cup at a time coffee maker is being recalled in Canada after complaints that it spayed hot liquid and coffee grounds onto users. Some 900,000 Tassimo coffee makers are being recalled here and another 835,000 are being recalled in the U.S.The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says there have been 140 reports of problems with the Tassimo single-cup brewers dousing people, including 37 cases involving second-degree burns.In one incident, a 10-year-old girl from Minnesota was hospitalized with second-degree burns to her face and neck.The commission also says the coffee maker’s “T-disc” — the plastic disc that holds the coffee or tea — can burst while brewing and spray hot liquid.
No pay, no blogging, writers tell Le HuffPo
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In an over-the-top self-congratulatory message online, the HuffPost launched its French-language version in Quebec Wednesday. There is no mention of the several high profile Francophone journalists who declined to work for no pay Read all about it Those who pulled out of the no-pay job at Le Huffington Post Québec according to The Gazette: They are high-profile – intellectuals, leftist activists and politicians – who had agreed to blog, but pulled out when they found out they’d be writing for free. The list: Amir Khadir, Steven Guilbeault, Normand Baillargeon, Françoise David, Évelyne de la Chenelière, Jean Barbe, Philippe Couillard, Bernard Drainville and Pierre Curzi won’t blog for the new online news site. Two others – Vision Montréal leader Louise Harel and feminist activist Djemila Benhabib, author of Ma vie à contre-Coran – also appear to be absent. “There’s nothing we can do about it,” Patrick White, HuffPost Quebec’s managing editor said of the defections, adding that some bloggers pulled out for “personal reasons” like lack of time. Courtesy Rehak/Stuebing, Mostly Media.