Ford pushing hard to keep police car business

by  • 

Ford Motor Company is pushing hard to keep the police cruiser business it has dominated for decades with the Crown Victoria. As reported a few days ago, the Crown Victoria is now discontinued, the last one rolling off the line at St. Thomas in September. The 2013 Ford Police Interceptors have begun a tough round of testing at the hands of police, and the early results say they are “pursuit-rated.” Ford says the Interceptor sedan (based on the Taurus) and utility vehicles (the Explorer) passed stringent Michigan State Police tests last week.The Interceptor sedan is equipped with a 280-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine, a major shift away from the 4.6-liter V8 in the outgoing Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. But it comes with a booster package that ups horsepower to over 350. The utility is equipped with a 300-hp 3.7-liter V6. And while Chevrolet is trying to grab off some business with a Caprice cruiser, Ford says it has extras not available elsewhere like standard four wheel drive and optional bullet proof doors for those nasty gun fights.

Will “Occupy Toronto” re-play G-20 violence?

by  • 

It’s not an alarmist question as so-called “veterans of the G-20” are said to be joining up with others who will launch something called Occupy Toronto at the corner of Bay and King on Saturday October 15, 2011. The linked story from CTV raises the same concerns the public had with the G-20 bunch. In New York the “against Wall Street” protesters are leaderless and have no coherent explanation of what they want. So far, Occupy Toronto seems to be heading down the same vague road. This is the kind the kind of flypaper that attracts self-involved people looking for an opportunity to feel important. Frequently, if the question “what do you want?” were answered honestly it would be “to mix it up with the cops” or maybe “break some windows.” There will be a newly elected provincial government barely sworn into office when this happens. Will it be ready?

GEARS bike rodeo braved the weather

by  • 

Those who wondered if today’s bicycle rodeo would be cancelled because of rain were rewarded if they went anyway. GEARS on Vanderhoof and Toronto Police collaborated in the event and organizers carried on despite the rain.

Toronto Sun refuses to endorse any party

by  • 

Many will be surprised that the Toronto Sun has failed to endorse anyone. The most likely favorite of the Sun would have been Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak. The Sun however finds all three party leaders lacking, with platforms which fail to deliver a balanced budget for Ontario. Editorial here.

Obama Fried Chicken a new Beijing dish

by  • 

Just to prove that National Day in China (see below) isn’t the reflection of a sombre people, here is the Obama Fried Chicken restaurant in Beijing. And, of course, things like this remind us again of how the world changed when the Chinese re-discovered capitalism some 30 years ago. It’s said the president is amused. Fun.

China’s National Day a largely civilian event

by  • 

China has marked it’s 62nd National Day (October 1) a date which celebrates the founding of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949. Events included flower basket tributes to the millions who died in China during the struggles of the 30s and 40s. There was also a display of new weapons but on the whole the occasion was a largely civilian event. Some 3600 “representatives of all walks of life” paraded to honour the dead (picture inset). The Chinese have much reason to be proud. But their view of their country frequently astonishes outsiders who recognize that it is only the free-market reforms of the past 30 years that have led to prosperity and a much better life. Those who went before lived in a different land. They laboured heroically no doubt but all their efforts were rewarded with only misery until China turned Communism on its head in 1979.

Demolitions on dynamic Divadale Drive

by  • 

The value of the mud under the house is revealed as homes that appear quite nice looking are knocked down to build new ones. Top, very sweet and well cared for 30s home at No 64 is just a facade now. Below, only the Gothic doorway arch remains at No 16. The neighborhood sets the price as the old real estate law of location prevails.

Balancing the budget in 150 words or less

by  • 

This is an imaginative approach to the chronic avoidance of responsibility for solving the City of Toronto’s cash shortfall. Each Councillor is asked to provide an answer in 125 words or less. Interesting. Can they stay on topic? We shall see.

Moore Park power goes out — again

by  • 

The Moore Park area has experienced three separate power outages in the past few days when power went out intermittently overnight. The most recent occurred today. One of the blackout periods extended well into the daylight hours. Toronto Hydro indicates that today’s outage occurred between Yonge and Bayview. It includes Moore Park as far north as Merton. The recurring nature of these outages would seem to require some explanation beyond a simple description. of the area affected. Are the causes related? May we expect more?

Local ridings and the candidates

by  • 

Toronto Centre (above)

St Paul’s (above)

Don Valley West (above)
Election particulars are located on pages of Wikipedia in this election. This link will take you there. Look under Toronto North Region for Don Valley West and under Toronto South Region for Toronto Centre and St. Paul’s.

Liberals and PCs still very close

by  • 

A poll by Nanos Research suggests the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives are in a close contest to win next Thursday’s General Election. Somewhat unusually, no clear winner emerged from the leaders debate seen on TV last Tuesday but the poll shows voters trending toward the present government. . The numbers above are said to place either party in a position to gain a small plurality. The Globe and Mail, one of the sponsors of the poll, says the campaign remains “a three-horse race”. The NDP, led by Andrea Horwath, is enjoying its highest level of support — some 25 percent — since the party ruled the province in the early 1990s. The results would seem to put the province on the road to a minority government. Other sponsors of the poll were CTV and CP24.

Remnant of corner’s tawdry past is gone

by  • 

The last remnant of the tawdry past at the corner of Manor Road and Yonge Street is about to disappear. The Love Shop is gone and the premises are for lease. For decades the Cheaters joint just next door plagued neighborhood residents until it finally failed and was replaced by an LCBO store. Across the street, the Timothy’s Coffees of the World shop is being reneovated, so the corner is about to take on a new lustre.