Streetcar folly in sharp focus as mayor ponders failure rate

by  • 

Mayor Tory and TTC officials appeared to be doing their best to downplay the concern among staff engineers about the breakdown failure rate of the new Bombardier-built streetcars. They are complex machines, said the mayor, and probably some failures can expected. It remains statistically true however the new vehicles are failing after rolling merely 5,530 kilometres. That’s down from an average of 7,372 kilometres travelled before needing repairs in March and 16,431 kilometres in February.  according to the TTC’s own numbers, that distance is well short of the 35,000 kilometre threshold for defect-free travel that the TTC’s contract with Bombardier says must be reached, beginning with the delivery of the 60th streetcar. There are just  35 cars in service now.

FOLLY

The news raises again however the bewilderment of many citizens about why the City continues to inflict the cost and complicated operation of streetcars on itself and on taxpayers. Today there were wise discussions about whether the TTC had built tracks correctly. It seems like insanity. Why is anyone discussing tracks at all?

Owners say apartment tower swept by fire met safety codes

by  • 

 

 

See also post below   Twitter

Twitter closes creepy account showing women on street

by  • 

Twitter has suspended an account called CanadaCreep which apparently was a repository for photos and video of Calgary area women taken in public places but typically with the focus on closeups of breast, buttocks etc. Some of the videos are said to have been of the so-called upskirt kind. The story, released Wednesday by CBC, does not have the name of the owner of the account, if is publicly known. It is possible to set up a Twitter account more or less anonymously. Local police are said to be looking into CanadaCreep. CBC says the CanadaCreep account was active for almost a year and had posted hundreds of photos and videos before Twitter shut it down on Tuesday morning, following complaints. Alexandra Constantinidis, 22, learned on Monday evening she was among the women whose images were posted to the site. She said numerous friends alerted her to a nearly minute-long video that appeared to be of her walking in downtown Calgary, filmed from behind and focused on her backside. When she watched it for herself, she recognized it as being recorded on Friday, as she was going to get lunch. Canada Creep is said to have amassed 17,000 followers.

Six dead in terrible fire at apartment building in UK capital

by  • 

See later post

Street fight stabbers caught on camera sought by DRPS

by  • 

Here are three men sought by Durham Regional Police Service from a Sunday stabbing incident after a street fight at Brock and Dunlop Streets in Whitby. There is a $2,000 reward offered for their apprehension. The stabbing happened at approximately 2 a.m. when a man, 29, became involved in some sort of confrontation with the men. The first suspect is described as a white male, who is bald and five-foot-nine with a skinny build and tattoos. He was reportedly wearing no shirt that night. The second suspect is described a male in his mid-20’s with black short facial hair. He was captured wearing a red sweat suit and was reportedly armed with a knife. The third suspect is described as a male in his mid-20’s with a red-hooded sweater and dark pants.

Three men on night rampage of ATM holdups in Etobicoke

by  • 

Three men are on a rampage of nighttime attacks against people withdrawing money from ATMs in north Etobicoke. The knife-weilding trio has struck seven times near Rexdale Boulevard to Steeles Avenue West. The suspects are described as male wearing masks to disguise their faces. All three were armed with knives. Police ask the public, particularly residents in the north Etobicoke area, are asked to remain vigilant when attending any bank in the early-morning hours.

Lily’s lemonade stand lacks authorization says township

by  • 

Will the Reeve of Tay Township please get the heck over to Lily Smith’s lemonade stand and give it “authorization” so the bozos in the licensing department don’t knock it down? Lily, 5, has been minding her business selling lemonade for a week to neighbors in the Georgian Bay community north of Barrie. They like it. But now here comes someone with a notice that it must all be taken down or her dad, Jonathon, will pay $125 for its removal. Hey, they wouldn’t let Burger King  just throw up a stand in the country. Next thing you know Lily will be taking over Dunlop Street. Rules are rules.

Motorcyclist critically hurt in crash with car in Etobicoke

by  • 

A motorcyclist is in critical Tuesday night following a mid-afternoon collision with a car at Martingrove and Burnhamthorpe Roads  The corner was through rush hour a careful accident reconstruction.

 

Phosphine danger is contained in wrecked tanker say OPP

by  • 

Niagara OPP have sent out a situational video within the hour (above) saying that the hazardous material known as phosphine is contained within the transport truck that tangled with a median fence and rolled on the Queen Elizabeth Way Tuesday afternoon. Hazmat personnel on assessing the removal of the poisonous, flammable material and part of St.Catharines has been evacuated. The crash happened around 3 p.m. along the Fort Erie bound QEW at Martindale Road when a tractor-trailer flipped onto the centre median guard rail. There was a fire at the time of  the rollover but it was quickly extinguished. A fire broke out as a result of the rollover, Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Kerry Schmidt told CP24. It was feared the phosphine had leaked. Phosphine is a flammable fumigant and forms a clear colourless gas in its natural state. It is classified as “very toxic” and when inhaled, causes cell damage in lungs and affects the nervous system.

 

23 eating places fail to get green pass by health inspectors

by  • 

They are listed by Inside Toronto here.

Sears Canada future as going concern in doubt says firm

by  • 

Sears Canada has raised doubts about its ability to continue as a going concern, saying Tuesday that cash and estimated cash flows from operations were not expected to be enough to meet obligations over the next 12 months. The retailer also reported a 15.2 percent decline in first-quarter sales, continuing a trend of declining sales since it was spun off from parent Sears Holdings Corp in 2012. — Reuters 

LIVE: Toronto and EY Community Council – June 13, 2017

by  • 

Some items of local interest:

TE25.11 (10:00 AM)  1955-1985 Yonge Street, 3 Belsize Drive, and 18-22 Millwood Road – Site Plan Control Application – Final Report  (Ward 22)
TE25.13 (10:00 AM)  703-713 Soudan Avenue and 1674-1684 Bayview Avenue – Rental Housing Demolition Application Under Municipal Code Chapter 667 – Final Report  (Ward 22 – Statutory: Planning Act, RSO 1990)
TE25.15 (10:00 AM)  124 Belsize Drive – Draft Plan of Common Elements Condominium Application and Part Lot Control Exemption Application – Final Report  (Ward 22)
TE25.19 (10:30 AM)  55 and 65 Broadway Avenue – Zoning Amendment Application – Request for Direction Report  (Ward 22)
TE25.20 (10:30 AM)  492 – 498 Eglinton Avenue East and 3-7 Cardiff Road – Official Plan and Zoning Amendment Applications – Request for Direction  (Ward 22)
TE25.58 39 and 41 Roehampton Avenue and 50 Eglinton Avenue East – Zoning Amendment Application – Preliminary Report  (Ward 22) Amended
TE25.59 1982-1984 Yonge Street – Zoning Amendment Application – Preliminary Report  (Ward 22) Adopted
TE25.108 Bringing Laneway Suites to the Toronto and East York District  (Ward 18, 32) Held By
Ana Bailão