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Weekend Planner: May 25-26, 2013
This weekend: a music festival at Echo Beach, a riveting play about the Holocaust featuring thousands of puppets, Doors Open across Toronto, and a whole lot more. Music: According to CBC’s Chris Boyce, the goal of this weekend’s CBCMusic.ca Festival is twofold. Show More Summary
Historicist: The Rise and Fall of Daniel Webster Clendenan
The Junction's first mayor, and the slander trial that ended his political career. In 1882 an ambitious young lawyer named Daniel Webster Clendenan purchased 240 acres of land in a community which would soon come to be known as the Junction. Show More Summary
Globe Investigates Ford Family History With Drugs, Toronto Makes Jokes
A roundup of reaction to the Globe and Mail's article exploring Doug and Randy Fords' alleged history of dealing hash. It’s been an open secret at City Hall for well over a year that the Globe and Mail had researched, written, and then...Show More Summary
Weekend Newsstand: May 25, 2013
Juice! Juice, please, Saturday. And then some news: the Ford family history with illegal drugs, Rob Ford denies allegations and ends no confusion, the elephants denied boarding, Metrolinx revenue tools unveiled, and a warning for Fast and Furious fans. Show More Summary
Consensus: Rob Ford’s Remarks Don’t Bring This to a Close
Councillors' initial reaction is that the mayor's remarks today don't put recent crack-smoking allegations to rest. Earlier today Rob Ford broke eight days of silence regarding allegations that he’d been captured on video smoking what appears to be crack cocaine, convening a press conference to address the matter. Show More Summary
Rob Ford: “I Do Not Use Crack Cocaine”
Mayor breaks eight days of silence following allegations he was captured on video smoking crack. Eight days after two outlets, Gawker and the Toronto Star, published reports that they’d viewed a video that shows Toronto’s mayor smoking what appears to be crack cocaine, Rob Ford has finally broken his silence about the allegations. Show More Summary
Mayor Ford’s Executive Committee Demands a Full Explanation on Drug and Profanity Allegations
In a letter released moments ago, mayor Rob Ford’s hand-picked executive committee is demanding he break his silence on allegations he was filmed smoking crack cocaine and making homophobic and racist slurs. Ford has refused to directly address these allegations despite requests from the public, the media, and even his own advisors. Here’s a transcript [...]
Seven Days at City Hall
A timeline of this past week, as allegations that Rob Ford has been captured on video smoking crack continue to go unanswered. On Thursday, May 16, first Gawker and the Toronto Star published reports describing a video that allegedly...Show More Summary
Vandalist: Place Where Trees Stand In The Water
Transformations, large and small. BY: Unknown LOCATION: Queen and Dovercourt and Queen and Abell PHOTOS BY: Mrs. Captain Monkeypants FIELD NOTES: We get the feeling these lovely wheat-pastes are a criticism of how disconnected we are from nature and our roots. The land we call Toronto would be unrecognizable to those who were here hundreds of years ago, before [...]
KAMP: Horrors at the Hands of Humans
Three puppet masters portray a day in the life of Auschwitz through a detailed miniature construction of the grounds and thousands of tiny handmade puppets. When telling the story of the Holocaust, one effective way to overcome our sheer...Show More Summary
Walking Through the Open Doors
New at Doors Open this year: an expanded set of walking tours meant to bring the city's buildings to life. Doors Open May 25-26 FREE While it’s fun to create your own a la carte menu of buildings to visit during Doors Open Toronto, sometimes you crave more guidance or want some context to connect your stops. Show More Summary
Ontario Bike Summit Aims to Change the Conversation on Cycling
Bike Summit organizers say that drivers and cyclists are often the same people. Eleanor McMahon thinks it’s time to change the conversation around cycling in Ontario. McMahon is the founder of the Share the Road Cycling Coalition, who will be hosting the fifth annual Ontario Bike Summit this week in Toronto. Show More Summary
Doug Holyday: “The Business of the City Will Continue as Usual”
Toronto's deputy mayor sends contradictory message, simultaneously saying that Rob Ford needs to address crack allegations for the city to move on, but also that business at City Hall is proceeding normally. For the second time thisShow More Summary
Shining a Light on Precarious Urban Workers
Half of us now work as freelancers, contracters, and via other non-traditional arrangements. One Toronto MP wants us to start talking seriously about the implications. If your job situation is less than secure, or consists of several...Show More Summary
Public Works: LA Leans Green
Los Angeles' new mayor says he'll deliver green jobs. Public Works looks at public space, urban design, and city-building innovations from around the world, and considers what Toronto might learn from them. As the Ford administration...Show More Summary
Newsstand: May 24, 2013
Well, that was some week in city politics, huh? In the news: Towhey fired for urging Rob Ford to go to rehab; Gawker's Crackstarter campaign hits a significant snag; the mayor's executive committee apparently has a plan; gay-straight alliances are still allowed at Catholic schools; and another councillor cops to impaired driving. Show More Summary
Urban Planner: May 24, 2013
In today's Urban Planner: a food-and-beer festival at the Brick Works, Steam Whistle Unsigned has its 25th edition, and a retelling of the story of Marie Antoinette. Food: Nearly two dozen food trucks and craft brewing companies will...Show More Summary
Photoist: May 24, 2013
Portlands Morning
Extra, Extra: Strombo on CNN, Ford on the Ropes, and Ties on the Floor
Every weekday’s end, we collect just about everything you ought to care about or ought not miss. George Stroumboulopoulos is starting a summer gig with CNN on June 9th. He’ll be doing ten weeks of a show called, simply, Stroumboulopoulos. The network says his guests will include noted fellow-Canadian Ellen Page, and also Robert Kirkman, [...]
Parks44 Wants to Bring Parks Advocacy to Every Corner of Toronto
The leaders of a new initiative hope to start parks advocacy groups in each of Toronto's 44 wards. With the warmth of summer finally here, Torontonians are coming out of hibernation and making use of the many City parks at their disposal. Show More Summary
