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Poignant PFLAG Ceremony Ends with Mayor Ford Fleeing Media
Goodwill generated by rainbow flag-raising in stark contrast to latest controversy surrounding the mayor. Today, as they do every May 17, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) held ceremonies internationally to mark International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. Show More Summary
Toronto’s Casino Debate is Back On
By petition a majority of councillors overturn the mayor and reinstate city council's casino meeting. It was only yesterday that Mayor Rob Ford proclaimed proposals for a Toronto casino “dead.” In the wake of the province’s foot-dragging...Show More Summary
The Toronto Zoo’s Pandas Will Debut Tomorrow
Er Shun and Da Mao, the Toronto Zoo's new pandas, are ready to meet the public. Over 5,000 Toronto Zoo members, as well as members of the press, got a special sneak peak at giant pandas Er Shun and Da Mao earlier today. The pair is expected to be at the zoo, on loan from the Chinese government, for the next five years. Zoo director of publc relations Katie Gray said [...]
Reaction Roundup: Drug Allegations Against Mayor Rob Ford
Responses to Mayor Rob Ford's latest scandal. We don’t know whether he did it or not, but we do know this much: three reporters say they have seen a cell-phone video that appears to show Mayor Rob Ford smoking crack. After the news broke on Gawker Thursday evening, the Twitter reaction was immediate and explosive. The silence in local media, meanwhile, was [...]
Rob Ford Calls Crack Allegations “Ridiculous”
Mayor says video purportedly showing him smoking crack is just another instance of the Toronto Star going after him. Toronto mayor Rob Ford is denying allegations that a video seen by reporters at two outlets—Gawker and the Toronto Star—shows him smoking crack cocaine. Show More Summary
And On Top of Everything Else, An Earthquake
As if we didn’t have our hands full already, Earthquakes Canada reports that there was a 4.8 magnitude earthquake at 9:43 this morning. It was detected in Braeside, Ontario, which is quite a long distance from Toronto, but many on Twitter say they felt tremors here. UPDATE: May 17, 2013, 10:50 AM Earthquakes Canada is [...]
Vandalist: Stumped
Graffiti branches out to unexpected parts of the city. BY: Unknown LOCATION: Snake Island PHOTO BY: L. Payne FIELD NOTES: It looks like an arts-and-crafts session exploded onto this frenetic stump. One of the nice things about creating unsolicited art in secluded places is the freedom to spend more time on a creation. Show More Summary
Newsstand: May 17, 2013
Soooo...read anything interesting last night? In the news: serious allegations against the mayor, you can still buy booze this weekend, the OLG fires its chair, Catholic school trustees are looking to ban GSAs, and home sales are down in the GTA. Show More Summary
Urban Planner: May 17, 2013
In today's Urban Planner: a sound-art symposium, a comedy fundraiser, and a TV-themed party. Offbeat: New Adventures in Sound Art is co-presenting the Trans X Transmission Art Symposium, a four-day meeting of artists who use sound as their medium. Show More Summary
Photoist: May 17, 2013
Moved by Money
What We Do and Do Not Know about Rob Ford and Drug Use
Two publications—the New York-based site Gawker, and the Toronto Star—report that they have seen a video that allegedly shows Toronto mayor Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine. Both say they were approached with the video by a man who was seeking a six-figure sum in exchange for the footage; both report that they did not pay [...]
Can Rob Ford Sue for Libel Over Being Accused of Smoking Crack?
Some legal context: given the accusations published in two media outlets, could Rob Ford response by suing them for libel? Given that Gawker has claimed that they have seen a video of Rob Ford smoking crack, and further that TorontoShow More Summary
Rob Ford Proclaims Toronto Casino “Dead”
Mayor cancels special meeting on a potential casino, saying the province is "wasting our time." Breaking with just about every precedent of his mayoralty thus far, Rob Ford has decided to call it quits on an issue he’s championed rather...Show More Summary
Extra, Extra: Hadfield, Really Tall Buildings, and Korean Pop Stars
Every weekday’s end, we collect just about everything you ought to care about or ought not miss. Someone is making YouTube videos that (affectionately) parody Chris Hadfield’s famous dispatches from the International Space Station. One of them is embedded above. Meanwhile, the real Hadfield readjusts to life on Earth after landing in Kazakhstan on Monday [...]
Scene: Free Pinball at First Canadian Place
There will be free pinball in the First Canadian Place lobby until 6 p.m. today. WHERE: First Canadian Place WHEN: Earlier today WHAT: The main lobby of Canada’s tallest skyscraper looks like an arcade in a 1980s shopping mall today,...Show More Summary
Duly Quoted: Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa on a Toronto Casino
Council might need to decide on a casino without knowing how much money it would be bring in. “The hosting fee, whatever number it is, is probably not the question that council has before them…It doesn’t seem to me, that whatever the...Show More Summary
Public Works: A Casino That Works?
How one of the world's most conservative cities learned to love its mega-casinos. The trick: put government in charge, not developers. Public Works looks at public space, urban design, and city-building innovations from around the world, and considers what Toronto might learn from them. Show More Summary
A “Lost Cat” Campaign Goes Way Beyond Posters
When Lucius the cat went missing, his owners didn't just make some flyers and call it a day. A blurry, Xeroxed “Lost Cat” poster isn’t always a particularly effective means of bringing little Kittykins home. But what else can a worried...Show More Summary
Newsstand: May 16, 2013
Next stop, Thursday! Here's some news to keep you chugging along: TCHC starts naming names to police, a new complaint surfaces against the mayor, the City looks at making intersections better, and the anti-casino set gets a new ally....Show More Summary
Urban Planner: May 16, 2013
In today's Urban Planner: a talk about censorship with Lawrence Hill, a lecture on the art of the horror-film poster, and a bevy of theatrical options. Talks: Putting an award-winning author and a university professor on stage to open up a frank dialogue on racism and censorship may sound like a volatile proposition. Show More Summary
