Hog-town Blog

Plus ça change - in the Beach(es)

2011-08-23T22:57:00.002-04:00

Having now lived in the Beach(es) for over a decade, I've begun to take an informal inventory of what has changed - and what has not. I begin by considering the retailers and restaurants on Queen St.

The turnover is remarkably high. To some extent, this has been a good thing. Some retailers didn't deserve to stay in business. I remember 'Metro Kitchen' - in a location now used by The Source. Metro was full of little signs and reminders that the customer was a barely welcome guest - and devoid of customer service. The only staff was a surly, uninterested teenager 'manning' the cash. I'd surmised that he was the son of the absent proprietor - who had obviously lost interest in running the place.

On the other hand, there have been businesses that have closed despite excellent customer service. Studio 786 offered good quality men's and women's clothing at reasonable prices . Service was excellent. In the final analysis, the owner told me that there was too much competition, too little traffic and too high rent. There are other men's clothiers on Queen - but more at the high end. Well - now we have a Mark Work Warehouse down as Leslie and Lakeshore; no way on par with 786 on fashion - but at least we can buy underwear.

Then there are establishments that have been constants on the retail strip. If I had to list five businesses that have anchored the Queen St retail and dining experience, I'd include the following:

- The Beacher Cafe,

- Licks,

- The Running Room,

- Ends,

- Book City

Newcomers to which I accord honourable mentions include:

- Binz

- Sauvignon

Two down - one to go

2011-05-05T19:10:00.003-04:00

Some time back, after living in The Beach for a number years, I came to the conclusion that there were four elements to Beach life whose riddance would really improve the area.

One of these is the raccoon population. There is no way rid us of these gargantuan, clever, cheeky beasts. We can at best control them by trying to limit the supply of food.

We have now successfully dispensed with two local politicians. We sent long-self-serving city councillor Sandra Bussin packing last November. Bussin will be remembered for her sycophantic praise for David Miller, spending our money on bunny suits and self-promotion through the funding of sports teams, and phoning in in cognito to a local radio talk show to take potshots at John Tory.

This Monday, we parted ways with Liberal MP Maria Minna. Parting was no sweet sorrow - ir was no sorrow whatsoever. Minna will be remembered for forgetting where she lived and voting in the wrong ward. We now have an NDP MP. However, based on her mailings over the years, Minna was at the left end of the NDP on the socialist scale. Someone once wrote that Minna was as dumb as a flower pot. I didn't think that was fair to flowerpots.

Bussin and Minna were our Tweedledum and Tweedledee - as good an evidence as you can have that many people vote as automatons. Their dismissals prove the people sometimes wake up and pay attention.

The next thing we need to rid our wonderful neighbourhood of is in the photograph.

Bye Bye Joe Mihevc

2010-12-04T21:41:00.001-05:00

It seems that Joe Mihevc will not be on the TTC; that is he will not be appointed as a commissioner by Mayor Rob Ford.

TheStar Ford ‘loyalists’ on new TTC commission

This is hardly a surprise. After all, the following was included in an email he sent out during the election campaign:

"From my point of view, it is absolutely imperative that I/we do everything possible to stop Rob Ford from becoming mayor."

I've had some experience communicating with Mr. Mihevc. In the final analysis, he was more interested in streetcar projects - pushing for the wretched St. Clair project. Even Joe Pantalone ended up concluding St. Clair was a mistake. Mihevc seemed to see transit as just streetcars.

Time for new thinking. I don't think Mihevc could contribute constructively if the agenda wasn't slavishly transfixed on streetcars.

Christopher Hume - The Oracle of Ignorance

2010-12-01T22:33:00.001-05:00

Someone get the rabies vaccine out - Christopher Hume is on the loose.

I don't think I've ever read such ignorant trip in a newspaper - at least since Michele Landsberg stopped writing in The Star.

TheStar Hume: Ford to Transit City: Drop dead

Hume decides that Toronto will become like Buffalo if it doesn't get LRT. Guess what Chris - Buffalo has LRT. LRT hasn't helped Buffalo - and it would not help Toronto.

Hume doesn't eben bother to check basic facts. He asserts that the boring machines for the Eglinton tunnels aren't big enough for subway. On the contrary, LRT tunnels are larger than needed for subway. This is even documented in .. The Toronto Star:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/transportation/article/841424--metrolinx-orders-tunneling-machines

Transit City: It’s too late to switch tracks - thestar.com

2010-11-20T08:38:00.001-05:00

The usual shallow, thoughtlessness from The Star this morning. Here is the link to its editorial. My letter in response is below.

Transit City: It’s too late to switch tracks - thestar.com

Your editorial is off the rails on many points. There would certainly be some sunk costs absorbed in switching away from the "Transit City" plan. However, there is ample opportunity to recover most of the money.

The cost of the Sheppard LRT study would be sunk. However, there is already a completely approved environmental assessment and plan to complete the Sheppard Subway.

The tunnel boring machines could just as well tunnel for a subway as for an 'LRT'. In fact, the original vision for the Eglinton LRT was to convert to full subway at a later time.

As Bombardier is the supplier for subway and LRT vehicles, it would be in its interest to agree to switch the order over. Enforcing penalties could well lose the supplier its long-term cosy relationship with the TTC and Ontario.

The Transit City plan came to light only after the 2006 election. In the 2010 election, neither of its main proponents (David Miller and Adam Giambrone) deigned to run and defend the plan.

In 2012, the Spadina LRT - put in service in 1998 - will be out of commission as large sections and major intersections need rebuilding. If LRT were the right idea for Toronto, would lines need to be rebuilt in less than 15 years? Toronto voters have said no.

The new me

2010-03-08T22:01:00.003-05:00

No this is not a spoof on the a Who song.

Since the start of February, I've been following a conditioning program. Through my employer - for a modest fee - I am enrolled in structured fitness program. While I've been a gym goer - off and on - in the back of my head I've known that my haphazard, informal approach wasn't particularly effective.

My structured program consists of a combination of exercises for improving my cardiovascular, strength and flexibility.

For cardio, I have a choice of four programs. I am to complete there of these in a week. While I have the choice of outdoor activities - e.g. cross country skiing and skating - the indoor exercises at the gym have worked better with my schedule. I have been alternating between the stationary bicycle and the stair machine. Either of these seem to provide a more strenuous workout than the elliptical machines that I generally favoured before starting the program.

The step machine reports the most use of calories. I'm not certain how accurate the numbers are - as I feel that the stationary bike is as intense, or even slightly more.

The strength exercises lean to simple, low-tech. For example, the first few weeks required a number of sets of sit-ups. Sit-ups have always been a weak point for me. Before starting this conditioning program, I would use the "ab-roller" bench and some leg lifts. In retrospect, these provided little benefit. Forcing myself to get through the sit-ups was the toughest task.

Of course, now that I'm comfortable with them, the program has switched me to the bicycle crunches. I'm just getting the hang of these. I'll be keeping the sit-ups in the program as well.

Last but not least is the stretching. I am dutifully performing a set of stretching at the end of the workout. I don't expect that I'll become particularly flexible as a result. However, if I can improve at all I'll be happy.

The structured program is one step short of hiring a personal trainer. For now, I'm happy with it. It helps to have been involved in sports back in school - as much from a confidence perspective as anything.

In six weeks, I'll be back for the follow-up metrics. In the meantime, I email the kinesiologist my workout log each week. Having someone 'watching' is certainly helpful in sticking with the program.

Pan Am games needs volunteers to succeed, summit told - thestar.com

2010-03-06T21:48:00.000-05:00

Most Canadians have enjoyed the Olympics. I enjoyed them a great deal more than I expected.

I'm sincerely proud of our athletes - and the support we gave them. Whether we 'owned the podium' or not, we set a goal to stretch ourselves. Perhaps this event is the 21st century's Vimy Ridge. Obviously, there is a big difference between a massive battle where tens of thousands perished, and a sporting event. We don't need or want to be involved in large scale slaughters. Hence, thankfully, in this century, a sporting event can serve as a national reawakening.

The Olympics have helped wash away the memory of the idiocy at Copenhagen. I hesitate to bring it up. There we had Canada self-haters - David Miller among them - needlessly and unfairly trying to drag our name down.

Now we begin to look ahead to the Pan American games:

Pan Am games needs volunteers to succeed, summit told - thestar.com

What will it take to make them a success? As the article points out, we will need volunteers. However, the games are more a regional event than just a Toronto event. We will need cooperation between the towns, cities and municipalities.

Well, it's a good thing Miller is going. We need, and not just for the sake of the games, a mayor who will work will leaders from around the region. Miller couldn't have done it.

Adam Giambrone's exit

2010-02-10T21:03:00.004-05:00

The speed of Adam Giambrone's fall from grace is surprising. In retrospect, it is not a shock. Many have commented on the councillor's arrogance and ego. Arrogant politicians often think they can get away with cheating and lying. In some cases, they can.

Giambrone's undoing may well have been the comments about his 'partner' being window dressing for his political career. Such a comment reveals a young man whose external polish belies his complete lack of class. Shakespeare's line "All that glisters is not gold" is particularly fitting.

Even before the events that have unfolded over the last 36 hours, there have been calls for Giambrone to step down as TTC Chairman. Today, Steve Munro - one of Giambrone's biggest cheerleaders - is calling for him to step down as chair.

There are many reasons for Giambrone to step down.

First, his record at the TTC is terrible. It's perhaps no worse that his predecessor - but it's still awful.

- Costs are exploding. We hear that the TTC is planning for a 7% increase in operating costs each year for the foreseeable future - just to maintain the current level of service!

- the St. Clair West streetcar ROW project has been a mess

- the increasingly evident service and moral problems

- 'Transit City' has been foisted on us by the light rail lobby. Giambrone's plan has now doubled in cost since its original announcement - approaching $13 billion for marginal increases in speed and capacity on the planned network.

The Bombardier affair from the last election - where the transit equipment maker promoted a Giambrone fundraiser - should have sounded as a louder alarm. The media should have pushed on that one harder.

The pedestrian carnage

2010-01-25T21:40:00.002-05:00

This year has started off taking an awful toll on pedestrians in the GTA. As of this evening, 14 pedestrian have died as a result of being struck by motor vehicles. The vehicles include cars, streetcars, buses and trucks.

Last week, The Toronto Star included a guest column:

Car-friendly suburban streets can be deadly for pedestrians

which focused on the perils to pedestrians in crossing broader arterials in the suburbs.

As ill-luck would have it, the rash of fatalities has continued apace since the column appeared - and the deaths have all been on the non-suburban streets of Toronto.

The very morning the column appeared (Jan 20th) , a woman was struck and killed on Dufferin - just south of Eglinton. The woman was in the roadway south of the intersection - and obscured from oncoming traffic by the rise in the roadway.

On Friday, a man was killed at Broadview and Danforth by a turning dump truck.

Yesterday, a Woodbridge man was struck and killed by a TTC streetcar on Queen Street East.

Most recently, a woman was killed by a turning vehicle while crossing Davenport Road at Symington.

There is plenty of fault to around - and this blog is not going to ascribe any. However, let's look at why Toronto's urban - and supposedly pedestrian friendly streets - are the scene of so many deaths.

Darkness: One of the first things I noticed after moving to Toronto - now over a decade ago - is that the street-lighting is poor. On a residential street - such as where I live - even a single burned out bulb can make walking tricky. It's little better on main streets - where there is nothing to illuminate crosswalks anymore than other parts of the roadway.

Obstructions: Toronto seems to love to obscure the views of motorists and pedestrians at intersections. Garbage cans, transit shelters, and newspaper boxes often impede lines of sight.

Blase attitude: Yes, traffic is generally moving more slowly on the narrower streets. However, even at the slower speeds, a collision with a vehicle is often going to be deadly - especially if it's with a larger vehicle. It's harder to be blasé when crossing a busy arterial than say, Queen St.

The weather: It's been milder and less snowy than normal this time of year. This means more pedestrians. However, it's a dark time of year. Today, I left home in darkness, and returned in darkness.

My own pedestrian experience is mainly in the urban area. Here's what I do to stay safe:

1. When waiting to cross, I remain a few yards back from the street.

2. I'm very careful about turning traffic. If there is any doubt about a car's velocity or intentions, I stop and wait.

3. I'm careful to establish eye contact with drivers.

The Dreamliner at last

2009-12-15T17:46:00.002-05:00

The delays that Boeing has suffered in getting its Dreamliner program up and running have been a disappointment. However, today I'm happy to congratulate Boeing and especially its engineers for the successful first test flight of the 787.

I deliver computer software systems for a living. These are complex. Our project suffer delays and must deal with risk. However, these pale in comparison to a project to design, build, test and sell a new airliner. Moreover, in the case of the Dreamliner, the company took significant risks in going with new materials.

It was fantastic to see the plane take flight, to see dreams in the process of being realised, and to see progress that will actually help people. This is pleasantly refreshing considering the idiocy unfolding in Copenhagen. The bane of humanity - scientific charlatans, Greenpeace, Mugabe, David Miller, and the Yes Men are gathered to destroy dreams.

The TTC - disaster management 101

2009-11-23T19:41:00.003-05:00

I haven't written about the TTC for a while. With the Commission's recent approval of a large fare increase for next year - the airwaves, blogwaves etc are pulsing with outrage.

However, the fare increase should have caught no-one by surprise. The TTC - as with many city operations - has suffered from a long term history of mismanagement on all levels.

Some would say it's just the way it is - but there is real life proof from Montreal that it's possible to manage a transit system properly over the long term. Montreal proves further that the recipe for successful transit is not mindless operational spending, or streetcars - but sinply a focus on making good decisions to systematically manage costs for the general benefit.

This is all-too-clear from a simple analysis of the cost trends for the TTC and STM (Montreal's transit system) over the lasst 15 years:

This is 100% the TTC and unions fault - the costs are bloated.

In 1994, the TTC average cost per rider was $1.73
In 1994, Montreal's average cost per rider was $1.63

In 2009 (budget, the numbers are:
TTC: $2.68
Montreal $2.14

So in 15 years:
TTC costs have grow 55%
Montreal costs have grown only 31.5%

Had the TTC been properly mananged, it's cost this year would be $194 million lower.

The reason we have a system that is stalled on service and has higher fares is 100% mismanagement and unions.

$194 million A YEAR would keep fares down and finance the needed subway extensions and DRL.

The trouble is - it's only going to get worse. The costs will be going up 7% a year without service improvements.

Things are so bad that even the likes of Steve Munro - who generally dismisses anyone who talks about "value for money" without a fleeting thought - is bemoaning the prospects.

As I wrote the The Star back in 2002:

"We can have a better system - but only if the TTC management is forced to change its approach. However, if the subsidy spigots are reopened, this won't happen."

Instead, the subsidy spigots did re-open. Every last $ of extra subsidy has been flushed into higher than necessary operating costs - be they in the form of excess wages, excess staff, poor equipment and mode decisions or what have you.

Montreal has proved that this in not the inevitable co-product of running a large transit system.

A look as some Niagara wines

2009-10-05T22:13:00.003-04:00

I've been making a habit of stopping at Niagara wineries to taste wines for almost a decade now. When I relocated to Toronto in late 1998, becoming a wine aficionado was nowhere my list of expectations. However, I didn't expect to be writing a blog either.

I first became interested in Niagara wine after reading an article about Crown Bench Estates. Crown Bench sits near the rim of the Escarpment at the top of Aberdeen. It's worth a trip for the view and for the wine as well. I haven't been by there in a few years - perhaps I will when the 2007 reds start to arrive.

So what have I learned about Niagara wines in the past decade?

1. We have as good a variety of wines and styles to taste - and taste quality - as one will find anywhere.

I've tasted in the Napa, Sonoma and Andersen Valley AVAs in California, and a little in Australia. In Australia, there is more of a regional focus - Shiraz and Semillon in hotter regions as an example. If you go to a tasting in the Hunter Valley, only a few of the wines will be local. In California, even all the way from Carneros to Anderson Valley, you'd be hard-pressed to find the same variety of varietals. Obviously, you will not find ice wine in either Australia or California.

2. Year to year variation is more pronounced here

The trade-off for variety is that our climate is not always kind to all varietals. Not only that, frost can damage vines beyond recovery.

For example, 2003 was a poor year. More than a few wineries did not bottle their usual range of offerings. Some were allowed to bend VQA rules on a temporary basis.

It's good to be aware of the vintages. 2007 is looking very promising. The LCBO's vintage chart list 2007 and the first 9-rated vintage since 1995. I have already picked up some excellent 2007's from Fielding Estate and Malivoire. Keep in mind the relatively wet summers the this year (2009) and last (2008).

3. Niagara has variety - but it is better for some varietals than others

In my experience, the wines to pay attention to are (with my favourite producers in parentheses):

Reds:
- Gamay Noir (Malivoire, Feathersone, 13th Street Sandstone)
- Cabernet Franc (Laileys, Daniel Lenko, Featherstone)
- Pinor Noir (very year dependent)

White:
- Riesling (Fielding, Cave Springs, Flat Rock)
- Chardonnay (Lenko, Crown Bench, Malivoire)

That's not to say you will not find excellent examples of Cabernt Sauvignon, Gewrurztramer - and let's not forget the hybrids Baco Noir (Henry of Pelham, Hernder Estates) and Marechal Foch (De Souza).

No Coyotes in Hamilton

2009-10-05T20:12:00.003-04:00

I had given RIM billionaire Jim Balsillie a fighting chance to move the Phoenix Coyotes to Hamilton. In the end - right or wrong - the NHL deck was stacked against him.

Many people will blame NHL chief Gary Bettman. This is unfair. Bettman is just doing his job - which is working for the owners. The owners didn't want a Balsillie owner-team in Hamilton.

The Canadian press hates Bettman because he's an American lawyer. The dumb thing about this - Bettman is a Cornell grad. There are few fan-bases more enraptured about hockey that Cornellians.

The dumb thing about the owners is that Toronto could easily support three teams.

Consider English soccer. London - population of about 8 million - sports four of the traditional powers and contenders of English soccer. These are:

Arsenal
Chelsea
Tottenham
West Ham

The combined market Vallie of these clubs is around $2 billion - and they have carted home a good share of titles over the past forty years.

Now the Toronto Maple Leafs. They haven't one a title in over forty years - and are valued at a mere $312 million or so - despite a captive fan base of about 6 million.

We could easily have three teams. Following London's example, there would be more value - and some actual success on the ice.

Miller and Sunrise

2009-10-01T19:36:00.007-04:00

David Miller recently surprised most Torontonians, and many other observers, by announcing that he will not run for a third term as mayor in next years municipal elections.

Many people are thrilled. I'm happy to see Miller depart. However, there's a huge mess left behind.

Now speaking of messes, the explosion at the Sunrise Propane facility - now a little over a year ago - made a big one. You may remember that Miller was away on vacation at the time - and decided not to come back to support Torontonians at that time.

Now what's really interesting. Stung by the criticism, Miller seems to have pushed the city into taking over the clean-up of the site. If you believe Miller, this was because Sunrise wasn't doing the clean-up. However, the company stated that they had not been allowed on site. The fire marshall would not allow access during the investigation.

Regardless, it seems that the city's rules for emergency procurement were not followed. Certain city managers can authorise emergency expenditures - without going through the normal tendering process.

However, they must report the emergency procurement to council (or the appropriate committee) at the very next meeting.

This constituent can find no record of a city manager making such a report. If so, this expenditure was not authorized.

The rush to push Sunrise out of the cleanup - and make it look like Miller was riding to the rescue - may cost the taxpayers big time when this gets to court.

Miller gives up

2009-09-28T22:32:00.002-04:00

I must admit, I didn't see it coming. I though David Miller had a little more fight in him - and would have made a campaign out of things in the next municipal election.

However, in the end, a mayoralty that began with deception is coming to a close with one. Of course, there has been much lying in between.

The lie that started it all was the motivation behind stopping the bridge to the Toronto City Center Airport. Miller definitely had his eyes on getting the feds to cough up the land to the city for free - despite his claim that he wanted the airport to remain sleepy and little.

In reality, Miller tried to choke the airport from getting paying traffic, or funds from Ottawa. Recall Globe columnist John Barber's caterwauling over Ottawa subsidies to the airport. (We can all be grateful that Barber is off the city beat - and for the most seems to have disappeared altogether.) It's not as if Ottawa doesn't subsidize transportation agencies!

In the mean time, the city was trying to stiff the airport with a massive tax bill.

Why can't the Millerites be honest? Miller could have easily sat down with the feds and worked out a price for the airport land. His strategy was built on an obvious lie - and the feds figured out his game pretty quick. There aren't too many willing dupes around.

Now Miller begins a long mayoral swan song. I'd like to give Miller the benefit of the doubt and believe that his decision was family related. However, this strains credulity. If Miller were enjoying public adulation and the polls that would go along with it, he'd be running for re-election in a heartbeat.

Iggy visits RIM - and just doesnt get it

2009-09-10T19:09:00.005-04:00

Michael Ignatieff - now leader of the Liberal Party of Canada for three-quarters of a year or so - is beginning to show it.

Show what you might ask? Well the early onset dementia that has struck the likes of Ken Dryden and John McCallum.

Iggy toured Research in Motion (RIM) earlier this week.

RIM is the maker of the Blackberry line of smartphones. The company was initially funded by private venture capital - before offering shares to the public.

So what does Iggy have to offer after the visit - the old ideas of big government and intervention. As reported by Terence Corcoran in the Financial Post (see enclosure link)

"On Tuesday, after a visit to the Waterloo headquarters of Research In Motion (RIM), he explicitly revived the old slogans of Canadian economic nationalism, berating the Harper Tories for failing to rescue Nortel and allowing vital Nortel technology to be sold to foreigners."

How can an intelligent man tour what has been billed as the "world's fasted growing company" - one that has succeeded independent of government, and on the merits of it's people and products - and yet come up with nothing more than the worst of his party's failed old ideas.

Governments have never succeeded at information technology. Iggy should read George Gilder's account of the founding of Micron Technology. Trouble is, being in the LPC saps the old axons. I'm not sure Iggy could comprehend anymore.

Streetcar kills cyclist

2009-09-08T19:56:00.003-04:00

Will all the hullabaloo about Michael Bryant, the fact that another Toronto cyclist has died - at the 'hands' (er I guess - at the wheels) of a TTC streetcar - has not attracted much attention. The Star didn't bother to cover this - at least there is nothing showing on its website. However, it did make the reputable news sources - such as 680 News and The National Post.

The cyclist died on Spadina. He apparently turned into the path of the streetcar that was coming through on its own phase. The implementation of the 'LRT' on Spadina is a proven disaster. It has a further drawback of being confusing for other users of the road. No doubt, the 66 year old man just didn't understand the signal system.

So - guess what. The TTC is setting up the same thing on St. Clair West - and in the proposed 'Transit City' lines. There are going to be more deaths - needless deaths. The streetcars really aren't to blame. Let's hold the LRT dogmatists to account.

Innies and Outies

2009-09-07T20:16:00.002-04:00

If you watched the German film The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen) from 2006, you'll have an inkling of of the cruel way a socialist state divides society between the 'ins' and the 'outs'.

Now this is happening in own our socialist state: The City of Toronto. In the aftermath of the civic strike earlier summer, known communist John Cartwright and his so-called Toronto and York Region Labour Council, left mayor David Miller off the invitation list for reviewing this year's labour day parade. In addition, he dis-invited a number of councillors who voted against the negotiated agreement.

This is the way of the world under socialism. Being right or wrong, be talented or untalented, voting your conscience make no difference. Everything is driven by who you know and haven't pissed off.

Mayor Miller crashed the event. In some ways, he is due credit for standing up to these bullies. On the other hand, a better idea would be to revoke the parade permit next year and put on something that is more inclusive.

Bryant video sheds more info

2009-09-03T17:39:00.002-04:00

Looks like there was a straightforward reason that Michael Bryant was driving on the wrong side of the road - there was a construction crew blocking the road.

Now, the city does need to rebuild each roadway periodically - but there is no sane reason that Bloor has to be such a mess, and for that matter, for such an extended period.

Could this be just another Millerite schemes to purposely block traffic? If so, is it Harvard grad David Miller to blame for the death rather that Harvard-man Bryant?

The biggest scandal appears to be that the deceased was wanted on scores of charges in Alberta. Yet the police let him go on his not-so-merry drunken way? What do the Toronto police do these days anyway?

Tragedy on Bloor

2009-09-02T20:21:00.003-04:00

I'm not a big fan of Michael Bryant - he being a former cog in the 'What haven't we banned yet' McGuinty government. Just so he could be in the game, Bryant decided to ban pit bull dogs. Wow - I feel so much safer.

From all reports, it seems that Bryant just lost it. However, just put yourself in his shoes.

You're driving with your wife when an intoxicated cyclist decides to pick a fight with you - and grabs onto your headrest and wont let go. How would you react? I'm not sure.

Unfortunately, in Hogtown, this scenario is all too likely. For the most part, we no longer suffer the squeegee kid curse to the same degree. However, all the squeegee kids from years back seem to have graduated to being belligerent, angry, law-breaking bicycle couriers.

I'm quite an avid cyclist. I must say, only about 20% of the 'good' cyclists obey any type of traffic law. The average bicycle courier is far worse.

Now where is Howard Moscoe to help us out by regulating these vagabonds?

More on green bin muck

2009-09-02T19:52:00.002-04:00

Fresh off launching a libel suit against The Toronto Star, the city is "re-introducing" it's green bin program. OK - technically, it's a city official who is suing the paper. If you believe that, maybe you'd like to buy some investments from Bernie Madoff?

Our cash-strapped municipality has sprung for full-page ads in local papers. For example, see The Mirror dated August 28th.

So the city needs to reintroduce the bins? I don't think most people need that - there are plenty of odorous reminders. Strike or no strike, things can get pretty stinky in Hogtown towards garbage day - given a little heat and a paucity of breeze.

The ads remind people what items should not be placed in the green bins. Among these are:

- dead animals,
- carpets, and
- clothing

hmm - someone must have gone to a fair bit of effort to fit a carpet of any size in a green bin.

Now - dead animals - why not? They are completely organic.

The muck flies in Hogtown

2009-08-26T12:45:00.002-04:00

Fueled by taxpayer funds, city official Geoff Rathbone has filed a libel suit against The Toronto Star. The paper and the city are are odds over the actual percent of solid waster diversion the city has attained as a result of implementing the green bin organics program.

The Star's article and associated links show numerous instances where city documents state or strongly imply that the green bins are diverting 30% of solid waste - i.e. that would otherwise be landfilled.

It seems clear to me that the 30% claim is a sham - and the actual figure is much lower. However, I can't see that The Star has impugned Rathbone. (Not to say that the article aren't the typical Toronto Star smear job/collection of half truths.)

This lawsuit is nothing more than a political move my David Miller. I'd really like to know how much pressure Rathbone was placed under to file this suit.

Why do we need The Toronto Star?

2009-08-24T21:38:00.002-04:00

In the past week or so, I've concluded that The Toronto Star has outlived any residual use it might have had to society.

This 'newspaper' - which has always been left-leaning - has at least served to inform on local news and content. However, these days, not only do the so-called national papers often to beat The Star to the punch, they offer more in depth analysis.

For example, The National Post beat The Star in reporting on this:

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2009/08/20/toronto-economy-in-deep-slump-city-report-shows-really-scary.aspx

by a whole day - published on August 20th.

The Star's article:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/684386

came out the following day.

Not only that, the Post's article is better written. The Post opened the story up for reader comments, while The Star (as is all too often the case) did not.

The Best Burgers> - Biggie Burgers

2009-08-22T08:56:00.003-04:00

I know that cottage-bound escapees from Hogtown often stop by Weber's haburger stand on a few miles North of Orillia. These are excellent hamburgers.

However, if you happen to drive through Newmarket along Mullock Drive (first Newmarket exit when heading North on 404 - and a good alternative to the 401 and 407 if you need to stop / shop for anything on your way up), there is a small mall with a Tim Hortons and a supermarket.

Tucked in the far corner is Biggie Burgers. This is purely a one-off. As far as I can tell, it is part of no chain. Whenever I've eaten there, the owner (I presume) is dutifully hamburgers and other fare - fresh. There are but three or four tables - and a bench for seating.

For a small establishment, the menu is quite extensive - so the non-burger consumers are not left hungry. On my last visit, one of the staff explained that they take all of the pictures of the food themselves.

Anyway, it's more than worth a stop - great food made with care, and clean and friendly.

Canadian Tire $$$ - Is it worth it?

2009-08-20T20:46:00.002-04:00

I've been collecting Canadian Tire money since - well since I started shopping at Canadian Tire. This has never been a concerted effort. Now that I have a Canadian Tire store that's handy - yes one of those 'terrible' big box stores at Leslie and Lakeshore - I seem to have more of this 'currency' floating around.

Well, as of a few minutes ago, the bills are not longer floating around - they have been corralled in a big paper clip. I realise that I use a credit card for large purchases - which has reduced the amount of coupons I have collected. However, I still only have about $12 worth. This isn't worth the effort. I shall be using this paltry amount to replenish the bird feed supply. Henceforth, I'll use my credit card for all purchases.

The credit card keeps track of my loyalty on a computer somewhere - instead of requiring me to collect and sort pieces of paper. There is already plenty of paper in my abode.

Fire, Fire

2009-08-05T15:13:00.002-04:00

Yes - another big, suspicious fire in a Toronto business. I wish this were not surprising. The trouble is - given Toronto's massive tax rates on commercial and industrial property - when a business gets in trouble, burning it down is the only way out.

Now, insurance fraud is illegal - and I'm not making accusations or condoning it. However, it does happen. A few years ago, a prominent establishment in the Beach burned down to nothing. This happened during the reconstruction of the streetcar tracks on Queen - making access by fire trucks difficult. Now that's suspicious.

Nothing has been done to build anew on the site either.

A little rain - a lot of garbage

2009-08-04T14:19:00.004-04:00

It was bright and sunny early this morning when I dragged a very full green bin out to the curb. Some of my neighbours had brought out their own bins the night before. This pleased the raccoon population - but did result in quite a mess.

It did occur to me that the system of bins - especially the green bin - did in a measure, help Torontonians endure the strike. If we hadn't been used to sorting garbage, the longer than usual storage of 'wet' waste would have been more of a problem. Storing paper and most other non-food waste garbage is not so much of an issue.

Now, I shan't in suggest that the 'brain' trust behind the monster bins intended these to help battle the unions. The Millers and Debaermakers of this world are so deep in the pockets of the unions that they have to use a lint brush instead of a shower to clean up each day. We'd all be better off if these dimwits took a walk in this afternoon's rain - and just kept going.

This wireless world

2009-07-29T20:04:00.002-04:00

I've been somewhat slow in adopting today's primary form of wireless telecommunications - the cellular phone. I don't actually like phones. I found it irksome when my phone rings.

Depsite that, I now have two cell phones: my own, and a phone provided by my employer. Thankfully, both work much better than my previous phone - which either thanks to Telus, or the cell phone maker, would invariably drops calls in any interior location. (Yes - even in my modest little house!.)

My personal phone is a Nokia slider (5200?) with GSM technology on the FIDO network. The work model is a Samsung - hooked up to Bell's CDMA network. Both work great indoors, and as of yesterday, both are paired with by Blueant Supertooth3 car phone set. I can voice dial on either. The only thing that's a bit of a drawback is that only one can be active at the same time.

So I'm thinking, is it time to ditch the landline?

Coping with trash

2009-07-28T17:48:00.002-04:00

I haven't contributed anything here in a while. Work has taken me out of town - away from Toronto. I have kept up-to-date with happenings - but have not had the time or inclination to write much.

Now, having been away for the better portion of the last three months, I've avoided created as much garbage at home. Coping with the CUPE strike has been fairly easy.

My neighbours were kind enough to take by garbage bin to the curb one week. It is only getting full a second time as of this week. I toyed with the idea of running some bags up to the Bermondsey Transfer Station. I drive past on the way to the office - and there has never been much of a line. However, I have better things to waste my time on. (No pun intended.)

My green bin - safely locked away from 'coon's - is pretty full. It isn't go to be a fun days for CUPE folks when they have to dump that one. Too bad.

My take on the strike and apparent settlement:

1. We should have let CUPE walks away from the table.

2. The collusion between the two locals violates competition rules. The two union leaders should be hauled up before the appropriate authorities.

3. David Miller has been an idiot. According to biographical information on Wikipedia (yes - a woeful source I know) - Miller spend formative years in pre-Thatcher England (as did your truly). It's hard to imagine anyone with an ounce of intelligence being left wing having endured the destruction of Britain under the Labourites.

The streetcar lovers - Les Aveugles

2009-03-02T19:00:00.008-05:00

"There are none so blind as those who will not see" is a saying that - in different variants - has multiple roots. In 21st century Toronto - were this saying to be invented - it would be traced to the streetcar pushers. I don't mean the vehicles that the TTC runs out many times a day to push the a disabled streetcars along, but rather those who continue to foist - in other words "push" - these noxious, useless contraptions upon the general populace.

A dearly held falsehood among the streetcar pushers is that we (as a society) must endure the presence of these machines and their visually polluting wires, because they are magically able to carry untold numbers of passengers. The huge costs and poor service is the price we must pay to squeeze more souls along out thoroughfare.

The trouble is, it's not true - as I've written here before. Last fall this subject arose in a thread on on a the Metronauts discussion group. An individual named Karl Junkin started a discussion on subway construction. As invariably occurs, the discussion under a given post strays from the original subject - as does normal conversation for that matter.

At some point - after much discussion - I introduced the published fact that the highest 2-way achieved capacity for the TTC streetcar network - i.e. on the King St 504 route - was 3,450 pphpd (peak person per hour per direction) was about 1,700. This is documented in plan B&W in the TTC analysis of the the service on King St:

Commission Report - March 21, 2007

which states (page 9 or so) that the highest 2-way volume is 3,450 - the overall table I give here:

7-8 am: 2170
8-9 am: 3450 <==This is the high 9-10 am: 2680 3-4 pm: 1570 4-5 pm: 2860 5-6 pm: 3060 6-7 pm: 2510 Upon posting these official figures, I was subjected to replies ranging from disbelief, denial and ultimately verbal abuse. I eventually went down to King and Spadina to record the morning peak hour passenger counts. My raw data is as follows (time, count)

7:50 - 80
7:51 - 25
7:51 - 52
7:52 - 20
7:53 - 50 (ALRV)
7:54 - 15
7:55 - 28
7:58 - 85 (ALRV)
8:01 - 45
8:03 - 65
8:05 - 40
8:05 - 10
8:10 - 75
8:12 - 75
8:13 - 75
8:14 - 10

Which gives in total:

750 passengers in 16 vehicles over 25 minutes

Average = 47 passengers per vehicle
pphpd = ( 750 * 60 / 25) = 1800 ++

easily attainable y fewer regular buses than actually the number of streetcars I counted!

(++ In the earlier discussion - in my haste - I had added the figures up incorrectly to be 785.)

After I published these 1st hand counts, all hell broke lose. Mr. Junkin basically called me a liar - upon which I launched heavy barrages of well-deserved invenctive against the boy. The really good stuff was purged from the board.

The point of the mater is that:

1. The argument that we need streetcars for capacity is an out and out lie
2. The streetcar pushers are intent on hiding and denying this.

Steve Munro - chief streetcar pusher - did contact the TTC for a clarication of the published figure. To this day, they have not refuted this - and figures published by the TTC about the Queen Streetcar refute Junkin's assertions.

But these are the willfully blind. Facts, figures and logic don't seem to sway.

Recent TSO concerts

2009-03-02T16:50:00.002-05:00

I have been lucky enough to attend two recent TSO performances.

The first was a Wednesday Masterworks with guest Midori. I saw Midori with the TSO about five years ago - and really enjoyed her playing. In the previous concert, she treated the audience to a good eight to ten minutes of Bach's Partitas as an encore.

Well - no encore in this year performance. This was quite understandable - as the Shostakovich Violin Concerto she rendered likely left little in reserve. This was a work I had never heard - live or on recording. The first movement was very slow. One of the reviewers thought it was played TOO softly. For me, that's hair splitting - long orchestral works should have different tempos in different movements. I enjoy the contrast.

The second and fourth movements were especially rousing. Midori plays masterfully. It was disappointing that there were so many empty seats (about 15% seats were not filled) - perhaps the Wednesday performances are like that.

On Saturday, it was Charles Duttoit conducting Berlioz' Damnation of Faust. This was a huge piece - with a full orchestra, multiple choirs and four solo singers. Despite it's length - and lack of a break - I enjoyed this immensely.

The only criticism is that Roy Thomson isn't set up to allow the subtitles to be projected. The audience were provided copies of the libretto. This resulted in a lot of distracting page turning. In addition, it's hard to read the page and focus on the orchestra, conductor and singers - you have to choose.

On the buses - in Sydney

2009-02-08T19:08:00.003-05:00

Why is there is picture of the sign at the entrance to Bondi Beach on a post about buses? Simple - because, the best way to get to Bondi Beach from the center of Sydney is by bus.

One of our mandatory outings during the stay is Sydney was to get to the famous Bondi Beach. On our first day in Sydney, we had taken the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly - and Manly Beach. Now it was time to try Bondi.

We inquired from the Sheraton-on-the-Park concierge as to how to get to Bondi. He indicated that the 381 bus - available with good frequency from the far side of Elizabeth St - would take us all the way to Bondi.

We also inquired as to the fare. To my astonishment, the concierge indicated that the bus driver would make change up to an A$20 note.

As usual, our concierge proved 100% correct. The bus came to the Elizabeth St stop along Hyde Park at the scheduled time. I passed the driver a $20 and got proof of purchase and change in return. About 40 people boarded at this and the next stop. Most were tourists headed for Bondi. The change issuance did slow the process down somewhat - but with a city full of tourists, the feature is a big plus.

The bus was clean. As with all Sydney buses that I saw, it was LNG-powered. Here in Toronto - for whatever reason - gas-powered buses proved problematic. (The TTC can make a problem out of anything.) In Sydney - obviously the transit system is happy with them.

The bus took a left to turn East. It stopped at a major bus terminal (Bondi Junction) and then headed north towards the beach. In Toronto, the TTC would insist on forcing customers to transfer three times - or worse yet, to include a streetcar ride along the way. It seems that Sydney get's it - provide a reasonable service that takes into account where people wish to travel. In Toronto, the high gods of transit insist that buses must follow the grid, and that routes (especially streetcar carrying ones) are sacrosanct.

On the way back, we boarded the 330 - and express bus. Sydney Transit had someone selling the tickets (pay before boarding) and encouraging people to get on the express.

Oh - yes. Bondi is a great beach. However, if you want a quiet day in the sun, go to Manly.

Darling Harbour - a park under an expressway

2009-02-06T12:57:00.005-05:00

Sydney Harbour is famous for the bridge and the opera house. Nowadays, tourists can also enjoy Darling Harbour - which has been transformed from being a disused port area to being host to shops, restaurants, museums and other recreation spots.

Sydney managed all this without worryng about the elevated expressway that runs around the harbour. In fact, the redevelopment has flanged right in. The world's largest IMAX theatre sits happily amongst the expressway piers - as does a river-like fountain (pictured), chinese gardens, palm trees and more.

Instead of (as is the case here in Toronto) misusing the concept of waterfront renewal as a battle in the 'war against the auto', Sydney built something practical and inviting for its citizens and the millions of tourists who find their way to Sydney Harbour every year.

Back from Australia and New Zealand

2009-02-06T12:22:00.004-05:00

I've just returned from a wonderful break in Australia and New Zealand. I've returned to winter, Czar-wannabe Ignatieff torpedoing the grand coalition, and not much in the way of change in Toronto. (Does Toronto have an allergy to change?)

There's still no word on the replacement streetcars. Councillors will still be getting there raises. David Miller is still flying all over the world instead of running the city properly.

I'm going to post (yeah promises) some material on Sydney - yes in Australia, not Nova Scotia - you just might be interested in knowing that one of the world's most tourist-friendly harbours has an elevated expressway directly in it's midst. (I guess David Miller hasn't go to visit Sydney yet.)

Anyway - I'm going share a wonderful image of the New Zealand coast - for no other purpose than to entertain you.

The York Strike - an opportunity

2008-12-02T18:54:00.003-05:00

I feel for the students at York University - the vast majority of whom have been kept out of classes by trough-grazing CUPE members intent on blackmailing the University and taxpayers. The strike is apparently a precursor to a larger 'action' (Orwell would be proud) on the part of CUPE planned for 2010, to shut down all of Ontario's universities.

Now a real university doesn't have so many non-tenure track teachers. At my university, all courses - expect for small freshman writing seminars - are taught by tenured, or tenure-track professors. Graduate students conduct study sessions outside of formal lectures.

However, the idea to shut down the university - unwittingly on the part of CUPE knuckle-draggers - may have some merit. Let's face it, York - and York is not alone - shouldn't be a university. It might be a university if 80-90% of its so-called university programs were dropped.

Look at YU's website. There are new programs listed as follows:

- BA in Race, Ethnicity, and Indigineity
- MS in Social Work (with no BSW required as a prerequisite! - you don't say)
- MA in Disaster and Emergency Management (not even a BS!)

Im scared to look much further.

Let's face it, York consists 90% of students who shouldn't be in university, in programs that have no business being taught anywhere, taught 90% by people who either are not or should not be professors.

Let's close 90% of this 'University' and get the students into some societally-useful course of study - like basket-weaving. We could use some of the buildings to train these CUPE members skills such as pipe-fitting and welding.

Sheppard LRT wrap-up - updated

2008-04-18T19:54:00.000-04:00

OK - as usual the TTC is giving us a project that will deliver less than promised and cost more. I've updated this post based on the fact that the proposed line has now been shortened. I didn't realize this until I went through the material a bit more carefully:

The original proposal calls for the Sheppard East line to be 13.6 km long. The maps now provided (at the EA consultation and online) have the line going from the Don Mills terminus to Morningside. This is only 12 km long.

I've adjusted the stop spacing listed in the text below - all three posts. Obviously, this will reduce the speed on this s-LRT (slow LRT) even further.

As we wait to find out if there will be a TTC strike tomorrow, I'd thought I'd wrap up some last thoughts on the Sheppard LRT.

Here are my conclusions:

COST

This line will end up with a cost of about $1.1 billion for the 12 km - from the Eastern end of teh Sheppard subway to Morningside. I expect the option to be recommended for the Don Mills interchange will be LRT under the 404. Additional cost items include:

- a service/storage depot for the streetcars - say $100 million
- grade crossing elimination at the GO line - say $150 million
- the 404 tunnel (as above) - say $150 million
- street-scaping (which is or isn't included in the $550 million - $40 million
- 10% for underestimation on the general line construction costs - $50 million

(I'd note that if there are indeed multiple rapid transit projects ongoing, particular engineering and skilled trades will be in short supply. This is going to add to the price.)

Add this up, we get: $1.045 billion

BENEFITS

- negigibly faster transit service (most of the benefit is washed by the longer stop spacing and service). [Note - if the Don Mills interchange forces people to trudge down to subway level - most people will actually have longer trips overall.]
- new street-scaping - which could be done without the streetcar line

DISRUPTIONS

- four year construction period (2009 - 2013).

UNKNOWN

- potential traffic impacts. If the TTC sticks with the 5-minute headway, there should be minimal disruption to the N-S arteries that cross the route
- any option for the Don Mills interchange will help with the 404/Sheppard congestion.
- trucks might have a problem with the U-turns

DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL

A chunk of the route is a city designated 'avenue'. In the 'avenue' concept, the city provides 'high order transit' - and this will turn the streets into a lush, tree-lined, walkable avenues.

I don't really buy this for Sheppard - and in general. The staff at last Tuesday's consultation were unable to tell me where this concept had worked. There are many cities with trams - but the trams go in and out of already built-up areas.

No doubt there are some lots on Sheppard E. that can be redeveloped. However, it's not true that there are vast sections.

My take is that the growth projections were picked to justify the LRT - i.e. "buses can't handle it and it's not enough to do a subway or RT". My A++!

WHAT COULD BE DONE

Sheppard could easily handle 3000 peak passengers (current is 1900) with a few adjustments:

1. Add 'scoot' transit priority - in Montreal, buses get a 10% speed improvement (and hence capacity) - $8 million
2. Add articulated buses for 50% of the schedule - gives a 25% capacity increase - $18 million

This pushes capacity to 2740 per hour - without any dedicated bus lanes. With a dedicated bus lane over the 404 (which would cost $$) , we'd be at 3000/hr peak direction easily - and speed would improve without taking away local services.

Sheppard LRT (Transit City) Consultation - Part II

2008-04-16T20:58:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I penned some notes and observations on the TTC's initial public consultation on the Sheppard East LRT proposal. Here is more:

4. Connection to subway at Don Mills

The proposed LRT will connect to the Sheppard Subway. The TTC gives three options:

1. Surface connection at Don Mills - This would require expansion of the bridge over Hwy 404.

This is likely the least expensive option - but it stinks as a connection strategy because of the configuration of the Don Mills terminus.

2. Underground connection at Don Mills - This requires a tunnel under Hwy 404.

3. Extend Sheppard subway to Consumers Rd and build LRT connection there.

As the printed material provides suggests, this is likely the most expensive option - but the best for riders.

Note - in the original proposal, the connection at Don Mills would be underground:

Light rail service would operate from the underground transfer terminal at Don Mills Station, rising to the surface to operate the rest of the way in a dedicated right-of-way.

In option #1 above, the connection is not underground - but via stairs/elevators. This means that the TTC determined that it was not feasible to cross the 404 at surface AND have the streetcar line connect level with the subway.

As the TTC's printed material admits, going under Hwy 404 - with the subway or streetcars - is going to add even more to the project cost. (Transit City is already at $8.4 billion - on its way to $11 billion I'm going to guess.)

Sheppard LRT public consultation - updated

2008-04-15T21:38:00.006-04:00

I've updated this for the corrected stop spacing.

Yours truly attended the TTC's initial public consultation on the proposed Sheppard East LRT.

Here's a rundown of the details - good, the bad and the we're not sure yet - with my two cents worth:

(Information is from the display boards, Gary Carr of the TTC and Praveeen John from URS consulting.)

The details:

1. Stops and spacing

The TTC presented a board showing:

Red - existing stops
Green - agreed upon stops
Yellow - To be determined

Counting the Green + Yellow, it seems to work out 550 metres between stops. The TTC guy explained that the stops are closer together (i.e. proposed) in the retail intensive stretch between Victoria Park and McGowan - and thus spaced wider along the residential stretches.

The stop spacing issue is the Achilles' heel of this streetcar plan. The stop spacing the TTC is floating here is slightly longer than I've read in other spaces. This is comparable to the Strasbourg tram - which has average speeds of about 21 km/hr. This is negligibly faster than the Sheppard buses today.

The drawback is longer (roughly double) walking distance to and from stops - especially in the residential sections. With the walk to Sheppard plus walking along, many people will be looking at walks to and from getting up to 1 km each way.

If you live on Sheppard, and are at a stop you'd be in luck. If not - the extra walking means that you lose the time you've gained due to vehicle speed. The improvement in speed (20 km / hr ==> 21 km / hr) gains the average rider (based on 7 km) 0.9 minutes each direction each day. However, the rider loses 1.8 of those minutes by having to walk another 150 meters at 5 km / hr.

My two cents - the 21 km / hr is an insufficient improvement to attract riders. The increased spacing actually make using the service less attractive for quick trips - because of the added time walking (and distance carrying groceries.)

My guess is that public pressure will result in more stops and lower speed. I'd guess that speed will end up about only 1 km/hr faster than today's bus service.

2. Street layout

The streetcars would run in a semi-private right-of-way - similar to those on Spadina and under (interminable) construction on St. Clair W.

The cross section diagrams presented showed three of the typical proposed cross sections:

1. Mid block - no station

Here there is no sidewalk cut. There are two traffic lanes. The traffic lanes are reduced by 20 cm from the current standard (now 3.5 m - proposed 3.3 m). There is space for bike lanes (1.5 m) on each side - and some street-scaping (shown as little trees on the schematic.)

2. Mid block - with streetcar station

The station locations will require 2.5 m of sidewalk cut on each side.

The stations themselves will have platforms 3 meters wide and 60 meters in length.

3. Intersections

The signalized intersections will provide for a U-turn phase for vehicles to access locations on the far side. There will be two traffic lanes in each direction (widths as described above) and a left-turning lane of 3.0 meters in width.

The length of the turning lane is not specified.

There was no information on the turning radii support for commercial vehicles - the issue that the TTC and city swept under the rug on St. Clair.

My two cents - I didn't have a chance to explore the section of Sheppard under study. It's hard to tell how much the sidewalk cuts will reduce the attractiveness of the street for pedestrians. The intersections on Sheppard have a bit more space than on St. Clair W - so perhaps the stuck trucks problem wont be as bad at is in St. Clair.

3. Trains

The TTC is proposing to run two car trains at 5 minute or so intervals.

My 2 cents - I actually agree with this approach. The non-train-based Spadina service is impossible to keep 'on track'. A 5 minute service interval allows signal systems to give the LRVs priority without completely stopping traffic in the other directions.

I would note that extrapolates out to about 32o LRVs for the overall proposed Transit City Network with 20 % spare factor. Add some cars for the Eglinton line - which might be three LRVs per train - and we're close to the 386 I calculated back last year. (See: http://hogtown.blogspot.com/2007_03_01_archive.html)

Of course, riders will lose about 1 minute for each wait - since the headway on Sheppard E is currently about 3 minutes. (Average wait will increase from 1.5 minutes to 2.5 minutes.)

MORE TOMORROW

Hume on height

2008-04-08T17:43:00.002-04:00

Here's The Star's Christopher Hume ranting about retailers. hmm - make them build up and insult them at the same time.

Christopher Hume's idea to require retailers to build may have merit. However, he seems not to have noticed that retailers are already building up. All Ikea stores are two stories. The new Canadian Tire at Leslie and Lakeshore is two stories. In addition, warehouse stores such as Home Depot use the space above the retail floor to store goods - which eliminates the need for a separate footprint for warehouse space.

Hume closing rhetoric is uncalled for. Most cities grew out of market places. In Ancient Greek cities, the agora- the trading and meeting place - was foundational to what became cities and city states. The agorai were open air - in essence a zero-story buildings!

Urbanity is based on the trading of goods and services. Instead of ranting against retailers, Hume should head back to school for a refresher course on architectural history.

Can you tell who is running Ontario

2008-04-08T17:23:00.002-04:00

Today, Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman announced there would be no bailout of a number of hospitals in the East end of the GTA. The Rouge Valley Health System has announced it is cutting 72 nurses and 36 beds in order to balance its budget.

Smitherman is quoted in The Star:

"The hospitals have been poorly run and now must live within their budgets"

and

“It wouldn’t be fair to bail out Rouge Valley for activity that other hospitals are not involved in..”

Now, this is exactly what the Harris government said about the Toronto District School Board after it has seen the board squander $900 million in transitional funding. Of course, it did end up forking over more money to the cry babies - and McGuinty continues to treat this spoiled brat of an agency with kid gloves.

The teachers own McGuinty lock, stock and barrel. The sad thing is that we have no shortage of schools. The TDSB is practically drowning in surplus real estate. There is a glut of teachers on the market. In contrast, there is a severe shortage of hospital beds and nurses.

Movie review - The Lives of Others

2008-04-04T22:10:00.003-04:00

I saw this film in the theatre last year some time. This evening, I watched it again on DVD on my computer.

There are only a few pieces of film or TV that I've found engrossing enough to merit a repeat viewing. This is the only one one where I depend on the sub-titles to follow.

The Live of Others is a German film ("Das Leben der Anderen") set mainly before the fall of the Berlin Wall. The protagonist is a Stasi agent (the Stasi were East Germany's secret police) who is assigned to spy on a prominent playwright. I shall not recount the plot here. Sufficeth to say that this is gripping tale - more than deserving of the 2007 Academy Award for best foreign film. It's one of the best films I've ever seen.

Wynne flip-flops at light speed

2008-04-02T20:49:00.002-04:00

Ontario education minister Kathleen Wynne was quoted earlier in the day that Ontario teachers might have to work a little longer to earn their pensions. Per The Star:

“There are a lot of healthy, retired teachers, and it’s the baby boom issue, you know, there are pension plans all over the world dealing with these concerns,” Kathleen Wynne told reporters before a Liberal cabinet meeting. ..“It’s one of the things that the partners at the table have to talk about.”

Later in the day - but not much - Wynne clarified that:

“I just want to be clear: our government has no intention of putting forward a position that the 85-factor should be pulled.”

(The 85 factor is a formula that combines of age and years of service to qualify for full pension.)

Wynne was probably feeling the first few wisps of the gale-force wind of teacher union indignation that was headed her way.

What does this say? Given the very tight leash with which the teachers unions control McGuinty and Co with, it's likely that the taxpayers are going to be on the hook for mega$$$ to close the $12.5 billion or so gap in the Teachers' pension fund. (Yes the one that owns all the sports teams and soon Bell Canada too!)

Wynne's rapidity in clarifying her position is clear evidence of the taxpayer pain to come.

Did you catch that?

2008-03-06T18:39:00.002-05:00

Earlier this afternoon, The Toronto Star (online that is) posted the following article:

Ottawa flunks green audit

However, the article was initially posted as:

Tories flunk green audit

Check the Google search quick and you'll see what I mean.

For those you don't think The Star is full of hard-line partisans, this is your proof otherwise. The Star's editors just weren't quick enough this time to completely cover their tracks.

Of course, it is the Liberals who mismanaged the environment file - and helped block new environmental legislation last fall.

The Conservative government is putting together legislated fuel efficiency levels for car makers. Watch for the Liberals to try and block these.

Bob Rae loses it

2008-03-04T21:26:00.003-05:00

It seems that membership in the Liberal Party can turn seemingly polite people into raving rude ones. First we have my MP - Maria Minna - who stooped so far as to call the PM a "Neanderthal". Now we have a rant on Bob Rae's blog complaining that Stephen Harper is personally sabotaging Mr. Obama's campaign for the US WHite House.

Well Bob. I've really lost all respect for you. I'm not sure I'll be able to stomach going to the TSO anymore. I'll be looking at pulling my subscription.

Anyone in the Chicago consultate could have picked up an errant copy of the NAFTA-gate memo - and I'd venture that there are some interested American's working at the consulate. Likely someone pocketed this of the fax machine and the rest is history.

However, Obama has only himself to blame. First - for being two-faced. Second for having young, eager advisers giddy at the thought of power and all-so willing to run at the mouth. As much as Goolsbee protests, it's clear that the memo was based on a taped conversation - if you read the PDF on the web, you'll see at least one anotation that makes this apparent.

Rae and the lib-lefters are just upset because one of their own has been caught being a blatant demagogue. Then such is the nature of their cause. As H.L. Mencken once wrote:

"One who preaches a doctrine he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots."

The idiots are the Rae's, Minna's and the rest of the nasty lib-left cloud.

Has Jane left Transity City?

2008-02-29T17:31:00.004-05:00

hmm - the TTC may have chopped some routes from its Transit City plan. Reports the National Post's Peter Kuitenbrower:

From In a rush? Get off and walk - Feb 28 2008

Longer term, the TTC has its Transit City light-rail plan - outlined in some detail at yesterday's meeting. It plans longer streetcars in dedicated lanes on Eglinton, Sheppard East, Finch West, Don Mills and the Waterfront West.

Mr. Stambler went through a slideshow of sexy streetcars in Barcelona, Paris and San Francisco, "to remind us of what Toronto will look like at some point in the future."
But not only is that future at least five years and $7-billion away, it does nothing to solve the problems of streetcars that fight mixed traffic on east-west routes downtown.

There is now no mention of the Jane or Malvern lines - and the price has been 'chopped' from $8.3 billion to $7 billion. Maybe the TTC will get smart and use the money to build heavier lines with the needed cuts under intersections to make the scheme slightly more viable.

Climate scientist disgraced

2008-02-27T19:31:00.003-05:00

One of my business-school classmates stated in jest:

"Give me Lotus 1-2-3, and 2 hours and I can make any company look profitable."

I think this was at least partly in jest.

Now it seems that the same is true in climate science. It looks as if one of the "foremost" scientists behind the global warming (or is it climate change) parade has been found fudging the data.

Dr. Michael Mann - the academic behind the now infamous 'hockey-stick' of rising temperatures - has been caught playing with the data. Researchers looking to reconstruct Mann's calculation came across archived data that was labelled 'censored'. It seems that Mann had tried to cover his tracks - but wasn't smart enough to fully clean up the archive.

So why would a scientist - especially one involved in such a controversial field:

1. Delete the active data
2. Label data as 'censored'
3. Be so cagey about his methods.

The obvious answer is that Mann was the bagman for solving the IPCC's (the UN commission investigating climate change) big problem - the fact that the Earth's climate changes due to natural factors. A great deal of research money was at stake if they couldn't blame human activity for a few warm years.

Enter climate bagman Michael Mann. His assignment - to rig a model that would 'eliminate' the Little Ice Age (LIA) and the Medieval Warm Period (MWP). It looks like Mann did this by over weighting a few data points from tree ring measurements.

Mann is like my B-school classmate - give him a computer and a few hours and he can make any planet look warm!

Based on the 'hockey-stick' graph, the LIA and MWP have been deemed by the IPCC to be localized to Europe. Tell this to all the researchers looking at the climactic change in the North American Southwest during that period!

Here is a quote from one abstract:

Recent tree-ring reconstructions of summer drought over most of North America have
revealed unprecedented periods of elevated aridity and megadroughts, particularly in the western United States (the “West”) prior to A.D. 1600, with three particularly intense periods of drought occurring between A.D. 1021-1051, 1130-1170, and 1240-1265. These megadroughts fall within the time period variously described as the Medieval Warm Period or the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA). The MCA is also a period of overall increased aridity that lasted roughly 400 years (A.D. 900-1300) in the West.

(TREE-RING RECONSTRUCTIONS OF NORTH AMERICAN DROUGHT:
THE CURRENT STATE AND WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
EDWARD R. COOK Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Palisades, New York 10964 drdendro@ldeo.columbia.edu)

Aw shucks - what does an Ivy League professor know anyway? Let's all bow to Mann's fraud and the Kyoto sham. Science is passe.

(Will Dr. "Fruit Fly" David Suzuki want to put me in jail for writing this?)

More white stuff

2008-02-26T20:57:00.002-05:00

After a number of false starts, today's promised allotment of snow is finally arriving. I find watching a gentle snowfall grace my street in the evening to be the best part of winter.

Of course, we still have a great deal of snow from the earlier storms. The city was supposed to be biting-the-financial-bullet to remove the banks of snow encumbering traffic on our narrow side streets.

I was away for almost a week - and I expected to see the snow removed when I returned late last night. However, I saw no evidence of this. Neither my own street (which has parking on both sides), nor even the main thoroughfare, have seen snow removal. The East-side curb lane of Woodbine between Queen and Kingston Rd. is still a series of ice humps.

Dutoit gets an A - TTC streetcar a big fat F

2008-02-04T19:51:00.000-05:00

Saturday evening I attended the Toronto Symphony Orchestra will guest conductor Charles Dutoit deliver Brahms Double Concerto (for cello and violin) and Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique.

Mr. Dutoit was the long time music director for the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (MSO). He put his stamp on the MSO, and put the MSO on the world's musical map. A couple of years back, the MSO musicians union got stupid (ok more stupid than the usual union c++p) and Dutoit bid the morons adieu.

It was a pleasure watching Dutoit conduct the TSO. The Symphonie Fantastique is one of the most exciting pieces to see and hear delivered live - and Dutoit is obviously one of its masters.

I also enjoyed the Brahms concerto - which by remarkable coincidence is a key part of the score of the movie "There Will be Blood" that I attended Sunday night!

Anyway, Dutoit and the TSO get a grade of A from me - even if the tuba sounded a bit off. (I'll blame the acoustics on RTH - which must have been playing tricks.)

My GF was away, so I TTCed it to the RTH (she WILL NOT take the TTC period, full stop). The journey downtown was great - 37 minutes by bus and subway from my front door to being seated in the mezzanine - 29 of these minutes being from me getting to the stop to getting off the subway at St. Andrews.)

On the way home, I decided to give the TTC streetcar a try. Per reports I've been reading while lurking on http://www.stevemunro.ca/, the TTC has been taking measures to try and make the service work. "Why not give it a try?" I thought.

All went well for the 1st 15 minutes. Within three minutes, I was boarding the 504 King in front of RTH. There were no people getting on - i.e. other than me. Twenty people were waiting for taxis. As I walked towards the streetcar, someone said "that's mine". She thought I was taking her cab. It didn't occur to her that someone would get on the streetcar.

I got off the 504 when it got onto Queen and took my spot (alone) in the shelter to await the 501. 20 minutes passed - nothing.

After 25 minutes, a 501 came along. Wait though, it's not slowing down! It was a CLRV towing a disabled ALRV.

"Great" I thought. That explains it - there should be three or four 501s in 'hot pursuit'. (Ok the 501 and TTC streetcars in general are never in hot pursuit - but you know what I mean.)

Another 25 minutes later - after 50 minutes of waiting - a 3/4 full ALRV pulls up. I board, glaring at the conductor.

I can understand that a breakdown will cause service to be disrupted - and this happens very frequently. However, five or so Kings cars had gone by Eastbound and at least four Queen cars had gone by Westbound. Surely the TTC could have rerouted one of these to pick up the shivering people waiting on Queen for the Neville Park-bound service????

A big fat F for the TTC streetcars. It will be a cold day below before I try that again. Obviously all those waiting for taxis were the smart ones.

Big boxes and big boxes

2008-01-31T21:47:00.001-05:00

Big boxes are big issues these days.

Close to my neighbourhood, the local policticians are up in arms about the possible use of some now unused land along Eastern Avenue for a 'big box' retail area. My understanding is that the owners have already tried to have the land redeveloped as residential. This was turned down. Now the politicians - specifically Councillors Sandra Bussin and the Trotskyite Paula Fletcher - have come out in opposition. Community Council apparently has voted to restrict any retail to 200 square foot shops.

I think this is just nasty. There are 200 sq ft retail spaces along Queen St in the Beaches - but even these they are empty despite the good foot traffic.

There isn't much hope for new industrial uses along Eastern - especially if the car haters on Council push through a plan to narrow the road to 2-lanes. What kind of industry will locate where its deliveries and shipments would be caught in a traffic jams?

Fletchher proposes finding a different area that 'might be suitable for retail' - such as south of Lakeshore. OK - south of Lakeshore is zoned industrial. This would still deplete industrial space no different than the site on Eastern. Furthermore, S. of Lakeshore is not handy for walking. Aren't we supposed to be encouraging walking?

There are many people in the area that would benefit from having a Walmart - i.e. people with limited income. They need a good discount retailer so they don't have to slog up to the Danforth.

hmm - funny how Fletcher et al didn't complain about Canadian Tire and Shoppers setting up on the former site of the Beer Store's distribution center. This land wasn't zoned for retail. either. Could there be a different standard for Walmart than other retailers?

The other big boxes in the news - the big recycling boxes that the city is ramming up our a++s++s.

The 501 Blues

2008-01-22T19:54:00.001-05:00

No, this isn't about good old Levis bluejeans. It's about Toronto's 501 streetcar route.

This is the route that meanders all the way from Long Branch in the west (near Toronto's border with Mississauga) to Neville Park (at the very East end of the Beach.) This route has been in the news recently.

On the plus side, The National Geographic Magazine has named the 501 Queen one of the 10 'best' streetcar routes in the world:

Toronto Star - Toronto streetcar named among world's best

Now the bad news, the service stinks. Practically every local paper has had articles outlining the severe service problems. Here is one such article among a host:

Toronto Sun - Trolley follies Queen-sized - Rachel Sa - Jan 18 2008

Miss Sa, I notice, uses the same term that I do.

There is also a great deal of discussion about the 501 on this website:

Steve Munro's website

So, as usual, there are many fine words printed, and perhaps many a fine speech and deputation given, but where does that get us.

For now at least, the TTC has dispatched scores of supervisors onto the routes to help keep the streetcars properly spaced. How much is this helping? I'm not sure. My gym has a great view of the intersection of Queen & Kingston road. While I'm busy trying to keep the lbs off, I can still see streetcars being short turned. Is the short turning more of less frequent than before - who knows?

However what happens beyond this is more important. The TTC has an RFP out (I think it was actually tendered out officially) for even longer 'light rail vehicles'. 'Light rail vehicles' is the term for vehicles that run on the light rail systems that run in other cities - such as Calgary and St. Louis. The TTC plans to run similar vehicles as streetcars.

We'll have fewer vehicles than today - which inevitably means longer spacing between the cars - and longer waits.

After the current firestorm abates, and when the TTC gets tired of paying so many supervisors, and later still when the larger vehicles arrive and replace the current monstronsities, where will be then?

Going nowhere fast is a likely answer.

Interesting article on Led Zeppelin concert

2007-12-18T23:46:00.001-05:00

The National Post (at least the on-line version) has a thought-provoking column on Led Zeppelin's recent concert and the band in general:

Susan Fast on the success of Led Zeppelin's reunion concert - Dec 18 2007

Fast is a professor of English & Cultural Studies at McMaster University. I don't completely agree that a rock band should be the focus of study for a university professor - but I'm tempted to attempt to acquire her book on the subject of Led Zeppelin. (On the other hand, I know most everything about the band's history and music - so I might not.)

Fast poses a rhetorical question in the following paragraph:

Led Zeppelin always controlled their exposure in the 1970’s — very few interviews, a dearth of information about the band on album covers, long intervals between tours, and a tendency for them, the press and fans to mythologize what little information did emerge. But is this model for success based on absence the only one available for Zeppelin, or does it merely uphold some myth about rock authenticity — and perhaps the very concept of authenticity itself — that needs to be reexamined?

My take is that although Led Zeppelin did control their exposure in terms of interviews as an example, this was not the 'model for success'. The success built on the series of astounding albums and live performances. Zeppelin didn't need to hob-nob with the press to sell albums and concert tickets. Zeppelin fans appreciate that this sets the band apart - but is not salient to why we listen.

A snowstorm to love

2007-12-17T19:23:00.001-05:00

Yesterday's snowstorm was actually quite fun. It fell on a Sunday - and the weathermen were pretty well spot on in the forecast.

I planned to coccoon - and expect for a round of shovelling and a walk down to Queen St to do some Christmas shopping - coccoon I did. On Saturday, I had provisioned the house with more food than I can cook in a week. For Sunday dinner, I cooked a roast chicken and enjoyed the 2nd installment of a '97 Barbaresco I had opened on Saturday.

(The wine was still a robust, tannic brute of a Nebbiolo - but quite ready to drink.)

Beachers were taking the storm in stride. There were quite a few people shopping - despite the fact that this backward thinking city doesn't clear sidewalks. I walked, waddled, and vaulted depending on the footing and obstacles until I reached Mastermind.

The store has been expanded to include that used by Living Lighting (which has moved to the other side of Woodbine.) As usual, the Mastermind staff were delightfully helpful. I ended up with seven gifts. (I could have used a sleigh and some reindeer on the return trek.)

Moscoe gets his due

2007-12-17T19:13:00.001-05:00

Globe columnist John Barber has never been more right (quite a feat for a leftie!) than in his latest column:

City cabs: Get your meters running, head out on the highway

City councillor Howard Moscoe has been turing the licensing committe into his latest circus. As Barber points out, Moscoe was eased out of the TTC chair to 'because Mayor David Miller urgently needed to contain the damage his old friend was doing to the TTC'.

Well - if you remove the bull from one china shop only to set him free in another, there still going to be damage. And yes, Moscoe is one big load of a bull!

The ultimate losers again - regular Torontonians trying to get a limo to the airport.

Blackout gridlocks city - cops look on

2007-11-28T10:51:00.000-05:00

I had a fun day of driving yesterday.

The morning started with the normal - suffering from the awful drivers in Toronto. On the way to work - right now out near the airport - I'm waiting to turn left on an advanced green. The one driver in front decides to open his door to spit and misses the start of the advanced green. Seeing this, an oversize tractor trailer in the opposite direction decides to take advantage of the spitting to filter right. He blocks the entire road - no way to turn left.

The advanced green ends. Meanwhile - the spitter wont advance into the intersection to allow more vehicles to turn at the end of the normal green cycle.

In the afternoon, I head to my dentist in Yorkville. After the cleaning, I do some shopping - but at 6 pm, decide to go home for some dinner. I turn right onto Yonge heading south. Traffic is moving - but I'm soon stuck in complete gridlock - not the normal gridlock, but far worse.

The radio explains why: there is a power failure over most of the south est section of downtown. It's too late for me - I'm in the dreaded no turn section of Yonge. The first chance to turn will be Adelaide - and that turns out to be crawling.

I'm soon in the darkened section. Everyone is dutifully treating each intersection as a 4-way stop.

Now - there are police all over - on foot, car and on bike. Are they directing traffic though?? God forbid it. One officer is leaning against his bike watching a stopped up intersection at Queen & Chruch. You'd think - at a minimum - that the police would keep the transit routes moving. However, you'd be wrong.

As predicted here - Transit City cost nears $10 billion

2007-11-13T22:47:00.000-05:00

The TTC's capital budget is now available:

2008-2012 CAPITAL PROGRAM AND 10-YEAR CAPITAL FORECAST

As predicted in this space (i.e. by yours truly) back in March of this year, the 'expected' $6.1 billion cost was severely lowballed. (See Sunday, March 18, 2007
More on the Transit City - Cost approaching $10 billion.)

Per my earlier analysis:

Despite the staggering cost estimate, it appears that the scheme is being low-balled. The TTC does this consistently - so no surprise here. One obvious delusion is the plan to use only 240 vehicles. Although the vehicles would be larger than todays CLRVs, and even so than the ALRV versions, the 240 vehicle fleet size works out to an unrealistic load factor in terms of riders per service hour.

Applying the benchmark from Calgary C-train (122 riders per service hour) , using 240 vehicles for 175 million passengers a year would require vehicles to be in service an average of 16 hours/day. This doesn't seem realistic.

You can read the details, but basically, the vehicle requirements I see for the Transit City lines is for 386 LRVs - rather than the 240 in the proposal.

Now, in the TTC capital budget, I am proven right (I can't read the figures in the details because of the way the TTC publishes therir reports in tbe web. I will be requesting a hard copy tomorrow.)

It should be noted that the $6.1 billion figure included early estimates of vehicle requirements, however it did not include costs for the necessary maintenance and storage facility requirements to support this expanded LRT network.

Vehicle requirements have also been reassessed to determine more realistic assumptions for LRV loading standard capacity, average operating speeds and maintenance spares ratios. Total costs for Transit City are currently estimated to be in the order of $8.3 billion.

Estimate costs for the new LRVs to be (mis)used on the downtown streetcar network are now about $7 million/car. For 200 cars, we're at about $1.4 billion.

Are we at $10 billion yet? -No - but $9.7 billion is pretty close. Give this a few months and more costs will come out of the trackwork.

Bemoans one local LRT advocate (Steve Munro) who earlier asserted "I believe that the TTC’s estimate is in the ballpark." in response to my analysis.

Meanwhile, both the new streetcar procurement and Transit City are getting more expensive as cost estimates are refined. This is not making friends among Councillors who want so badly to be pro-transit, but who are sideswiped by the TTC’s inability to price their projects.

Well - I'll gladly help review the cost estimates!!!!

L'Affaire Airbus

2007-11-13T19:52:00.000-05:00

Is it just me who is wondering if it's wise for Canada to spend even more money investigating the Schreiber affair.

We're going to have another RCMP investigation. We're going to have a full inquiry. Didn't we have full investigations before.

Now we are going to spend more money on account of statements from someone is trying to avoid deportation to Germany - and likely jail time.

I think Karlheinz Schreiber would say anything not to get deported. Is this going to be another wild goose chase than the past incarnations - that cost millions to investigate and even more to pay for a libel settlment?

Jim Stanford - Wrong-At-Large

2007-11-03T14:12:00.000-04:00

Jim Stanford - the Globe's main representative from Canada's trade unions - is practically always dead wrong.

In his most recent column:

Flaherty's far-fetched pleas - Gbobe & Mail - October 24th 2007

he has surpassed even his usual standard in 'wrongness'.

Stanford lamely tries to poke fun af federal Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty for his meeting with representatives from Canada's retail industry. He pooh-poohs the idea that governments and business should actually talk.

Well, apparently, Mr Standford - are you listening or just re-reading those sections of Marx that you find so interesting - government jawboning can work.

Since the Flaherty meeting, Walmart Canada, Sear Canada and now Ford have decided to aggressively cut prices. It's a good thing that these companies heard Mr. Flaherty and didn't hear or listen to Mr. Stanford. It also proves they aren't stupid.

Richard Florida - the anti-Barber

2007-10-31T17:27:00.000-04:00

Richard Florida is a welcome addition to the Globe & Mail. His recent column:

Wake up, Toronto – you're bigger than you think

implores Torontonians to think of this city as the hub of a large regional economy - which Florida labels as “Tor-Buff-Chester”.

The concept of a megalopolis is not new - in fact I have a book from my childhood identifying 'Bos-Was' and 'Chi-Pitts'. Now we have the extra-extended Golden Horseshoe.

It is important to realize that we can leverage our place in a regional economy. Improvements to the transportation links are important - but so is mindset.

Of course, for the prototypical downtown Toronto socialist dinosaur, thinking of Toronto as part of a region is going to cause headaches - especially when that region extends into the United States.

A "prime" example of the non-regionally aware dinosaur is Florida's fellow Globe columnist John Barber. Barber writes as though Toronto consisted of the very center of the city - and even more restrictive view than simply the 'old' city of Toronto. Barber doesn't seem to recognize North Toronto as part of the region. (hmm - but the Muskokas probably are.)

Barber is not alone. I still see signs up in my neighbourhood opposing the Megacity.

I do disagree with Florida on his assertion that regions are economic engines. Companies, institutions and people are the engines - not the region itself.

Time to test the water in the Beach

2007-10-22T20:06:00.000-04:00

Admitted Arch-Liberal and National Post Columnist Warren Kinsella's recent column had me leafing through the Yellow Pages looking for someone to test the local H20 for hallucinogens. Kinsella reportedly lives nearby - and perhaps the water has corrupted his mind.

Writes Mr. Kinsella in a recent article:

How Dion can get his groove back

'He [Dion]can do that by saying, to all who will listen: "We are the party that will ratify Kyoto, not kill it. We are the party that will bring back our young men and women from Afghanistan within a year of our election, and not at some distant date inthe future. And we are the party that opposes dismantling federalism by stealth, as Stephen Harper promised to do in his Throne Speech. Under a Liberal government, Ottawa will not become the headwaiter to the provinces.

Warren - iIt's more like the following:

The Liberal Party of Canada is the Party that:

- Signed Kyoto and did nothing to implement it. The rise if GHG emmissions during the Chretien/Martin regime is well-documented.
- Sent our armed forces to Afghanistan without a plan. Cretin-man recently admitted that he wanted to keep our troops in a safe area around Kabul - but he apparently forgot to tell his successor.
- The Febfibs started the head-waiter act with Ken Dryden 'national day care' handout. (Can you believe Dryden is a Cornell grad - this is a complete embarrassment.)

So Mr. Kinsella, start filtering and boiling your water.

PS - exactly when did Dion have a groove anyway?

Maria Minna - the epitome of lack of class

2007-09-27T19:38:00.000-04:00

Enough of my fellow constituents are mindless Liberal voting automatons when it comes to voting in federal elections that they've continued to re-elect Maria Minna.

This is the Maria Minna who managed to vote illegally in a municipal by-election. After she got caught, she looked around to blame someone:

""I made the mistake of listening to the PMO and not speaking out on my own behalf. I won't make that mistake again." (CBC News - March 1 2002)

Well - now Minna has taken her own advice and has said something. Unfortunately, not only has this served to re-inforce that she is not only particularly bright - but it has demonstrated that God handed her a full helping of shrillness while passing over her plate when the class was being passed around.

Minna called Prime Minister Harper a Neanderthal because the government will no longer be funding feminist lobby groups.

"I didn't get into politics, I didn't spend 30 years in volunteer work because Harper, a Neanderthal, would come and take that away from us," said Liberal MP Maria Minna. (Toronto Star/CP - Sept 20 2007)

Well Maria - there's nothing stopping you from volunteering. You can volunteer to work for these lobby groups. It would please us greatly if you would resign from being our MP to make time for this pursuit. Beaches/East York will be much better off without your shrillness and lack of class which is such an enbarrassment.

Back to transit - the TTC cost spiral

2007-09-26T21:24:00.000-04:00

It's been a few months since I wrote much about transit. What is there really to write - nothing much changes at the TTC. However, since we're about to get socked with a mammoth property tax increase in one form or another - you all might be interested in a big reason behind the increase.

(The proposed Land Transfer Tax is a property tax - you just pay it all at once when you are selling/buying.)

A while back I analysed the comparative performance of the Montreal transit system (MTC or STM depending on the language) and the TTC. I've put together some updated figures:

Montreal - MTC/STM

Operating cost per rider
1994 actual: $1.63
2007 budget: $1.88

That's a 15.4% increase overall - but a decline of 2.9% when inflation is taken into account. This means that the Montreal system lowered its unit operating costs - even when the increased cost of fuel and electricty are taken into account.

Toronto - TTC

Operating cost per rider
1994 actual: $1.73
2007 budget: $2.35

This is an overall increase of 35.8%!!!!! OR 20.4 percentage points higher than Montreal.

What does this mean in real $$$. Well, if the TTC had matched the STM's performance, it's 2007 operating cost per rider would be:

1.154 *$ 1.73 = $1.995 / rider

or $2.35 - $1.995 = $0.355 lower than the actual budget.

@ the 2007 projected ridership of 461 million

461 million * $0 .355 = $163.7 million

In other words, the TTC has missed and is missing opportunities to become more efficient while the STM hasn't and isn't.

The Montreal system's performance shows that you can have a succesful transit system without an ever upward spiral in costs.

The worst for the TTC is yet to come.

The 2008 TTC pro forma budget that is referenced here shows that the TTC costs will explode next year. Operating expenses are set to grow by $128 million ($1,083 million ==> $1,211 million) while ridership revenue will grow by only $24 million. (This was before the recent fare increase was voted in.) This would vault operating cost / rider to about $2.59 - a whopping 10% increase.

Well -the $163 million in lost opportunity into 1994 and the $104 million in growth in required subsidy this year would give us back $267 million - which would make the Land Transfer Tax largely unnecessary.

Bussin and Fletcher's mound of dirt

2007-09-05T20:15:00.000-04:00

As I've written on before - there's a mound of dirt on the NW corner of Coxwell and Lakeshore. This is where councillor's Paula Fletcher and Sandra Bussin had teh city spend how ever many hundreds or thousands of taxpayer $$$ to buy some rather expensive votes.

Bulldoxers were hard at work before the 2006 municipal election. The mound of earth is there - but no work has been done all summer. Local skateboarders won't likely see anything for at least another year - as it will take at least another year to build anything.

This is the city that needs to raise our taxes by about 20%!

The only thing that got built in this project is this d++d sign. No kidding.

Education funding

2007-09-03T08:52:00.000-04:00

The education funding issue may rear its head again in the upcoming provincal election. The Star recently republished its party line on the subject ranting that 'the school funding formula is flawed'.

Yours truly replied to the editorial - (not published)

Your editorial on school funding ("Urgent need to fix funding formula" - August 27th 2007) would receive a failing grade if submitted as school work. You offer no evidence that the school funding formula is broken.

You don't discuss how spending per pupil in Ontario is not widely different that the average for Canada. You mention that some boards have had difficulty balancing their budgets - but don't mention how many have managed.

That trustees on some boards have chosen to confront the province to the point of having their boards placed under supervision could evidence an issue with the formula, However it could equally be evidence of political grandstanding. You offer nothing to indicate that the former is more likely.

No formula for funding anything is perfect. However, an imperfect formula is not necessarily broken. Since the education reforms of the latter '90s, student performance in Ontario - as evidenced by standard testing - has steadily improved. Ontario students are no longer laggards when compared with those from other provinces. It's hard to see how the flaws in the formula merit the urgency you suggest.

Plaque build-up at the Canadian War Museum

2007-09-03T08:39:00.000-04:00

There has been a great deal of controversy over a plaque at the Canadian War Museum documenting the German civilian deaths as a result of Allied bombings. Yours truly weighed in on the subject in this past Saturday's National Post:

Passing judgment on Allied bombing

National PostPublished: Saturday, September 01, 2007

Prof. Hansen leads us to draw a distinction between the respective morality of U.S. bombing tactics and those of the RAF and RCAF on the basis of the America's focus on precision targets. However, he omits to say that the U.S. forces were only able to implement this tactic once sufficient P-51s fighter planes were on hand to cover daylight sorties deep into Germany.

Until fighters could supply the daytime air cover, the only weapon the Allies had to slow German munitions production was nighttime area bombing. This strategy did not stop production, however, Germany would have produced and deployed significantly more planes and tanks had the skies been left quiet. Prof. Hansen offers no alternative -- and hence implies that Germany should have been left to produce munitions without Allied resistance.

This was in response to Professor Hansen's column (THE WAR MUSEUM'S GREAT MISTAKE - Aug 31 2007) that decried the museum's changing a plaque as a result of pressure from WW II veterans.

Mel's lament

2007-08-19T17:53:00.000-04:00

The Toronto Sun features a column (Joe Warmington - Sun, August 19, 2007) covering commentary by former mayor Mel Lastman on the city's current budget mess. Now Mel has too much personality for many Torontonians - or is this just an excuse on the part of the downtown elite to dislike someone who is not one of there own. However, there's no doubt as to his leadership capabilities.

Lastman is quoted:

His advice to the socialist-majority council is to start listening to those who are not like-minded. "That's what I did," he said. "I made them part of the decision-making. That's how you get ideas."

Sage advice. The only problem is that the hard-left in council don't believe in finding solutions. They deem the concept of finding slolutions - be they via efficiencies, new ideas, and/or making trade-offs - as capitalist and bourgeois. It's no so much a that they lack understanding, but rather a hard-wired scrambling of their brains.

All things upside down

2007-08-17T20:08:00.000-04:00

OK - nothing like a good vacation to rejuvenate oneself. Aha - but things don't change much in Hogtown - not over a few weeks (months, years, decades..) We should have junked the streetcars decades ago - instead we still have people trying to prove they were right for forcing us to keep them.

In the latest news, a number of panhandlers have been involved in a murder (ok al-edge-ed-ly - lol) of a visitor to our fair city. The incident was witnessed by many from a stopped Queen streetcar (no news in the streetcar being stopped). One women has been charged and a number of American panhandlers are now under investigations.

Now why would American hobo's head up to Hogtown. The simple answer is that the left-wing wing-nuts who run this city WANT them here to keep up the pressure for oodles of money to be spent on socialist housing. The hobos actually aren't in line for public housing - they are just being used for PR purposes. Now an astounding 10% of domiciles in Toronto are public housing units. However, one needs to realise that the goal of people like Paula Fletcher and David Miller is to have 100% public housing. (Top party officials would still be allowed to 'own' there own dachas. )

Given this, it's not surprising that the City does nothing about panhandlers - other that to invite more. I'm surprised they are advertising.

Of course, if you are a home or business owner in Queen W - you're out of luck. This is the city where a councilor (Adam Vaughan) has actually proposed taxing people who are lawfully lining up to get into a club or restaurant - while inviting hobos from around the world to invade the city and suck up out tax $$$.

Same old, same old

2007-07-22T12:25:00.000-04:00

The grandstanding and fearmongering by Miller minion and now TTC chair Adam Giambrone was all too predictable: we'll have to cut key services - perhaps including the Shephard subway line - because council did not pass a whopping property tax increase.

And yes, the proposed Land Transfer Tax (LTT) is a property tax - it's paid on the value of your property. The only different is that it's paid in one shot - the buyer and seller end up splitting the cost. The seller pays in the form of a lower home price - while the buyer pays he tax at face value. Assuming you are in one home for a decade, the LTT proposal adds about 20% to your property taxes.

There are a few people who never move - or don't think they will - such as Globe & Mail columnists Rick Salutin and John Barber. They argue that it's unfair for people who own properties with growing values should not pay increasing property taxes. This is quite selfish - as it means people in less attractive housing must pay more.

Did Miller really go to Harvard?

2007-07-16T21:19:00.000-04:00

I just heard that council has deferred the whopping tax increase in the form of doubling the land transfer tax payable on sale of real estate. This is a big defeat for Mayor Miller - although perhaps only a temporary reprieve for Toronto's citizens. Miller and his minions are intent on spending and taxing this metropolis into oblivion.

If you read Miller's bio on Wikipidea:

you'll se that he has an interesting background. He was born in North America, grew up in England. He attended - according to the article - Harvard University. One can do worse in life than be a Canadian Ivy Leaque man with a good set of hair:-) The trouble is, he's putting us into disrepute.

How it is possible for someone who lived in Britain at the time the nation was the 'sick man of Europe' - with high taxes and all-controlling unions rapidly sucking the life out of the place - to be bent on implementing the 'sick man of Europe' policies here in out city?

I'd like to see Miller's Harvard sheepskin. Is it for real?

Beach transit woes

2007-07-16T15:01:00.000-04:00

An enterprising resident has created an on-line petition asking that the TTC stop mismanaging streetcar service to The Beach.

I'm not sure if I'm going to sign. First, the TTC don't listen and don't care. Second, most of the problems are inherent in having streetcars. If we really want a working transit service into the Beach, we need buses. People are paying double fare ("extra" fare is almost double) to use the Beach Express. Regular service could easily be handled by buses - and service would be better (more frequent, more reliable.)

Most people in the Beach don't care - as they don't take transit.

Transit stuff - "new" GM for the TTC

2007-06-27T21:13:00.000-04:00

I've been read the riot act - specifically that I should spend more time on my own writing and less posting on other people's web sites.

In recent transit news, the TTC have hired 'interim' Chief General Manager Gary Webster as 'permanent' CGM. What's it been - a year since Ric DuCharme had enough of being Howard Moscoe's lapdog. My alma mater was able to find a new president in roughly half that time.

My guess is that no-one with any talent from outside applied for the job. We can thank Moscoe for this state of affairs - i.e. overpoliticization scaring away top professionals. This is a Toronto problem in general. The TDSB had to promote the handiest warm body from within to replace Dave Reid as education director.

I'm not sure of Mr. Webster's qualifications. He's been at the TTC for a long time. I'd hate to think that he's agreed to the job as a nice quiet place (well paid of course) to wait until retirement. We don't need a another lap dog at the TTC.

Mind you Adam Giambrone is a noticeable improvement over Moscoe - then again Attila the Hun would have been an improvement.

Taxaronto

2007-06-27T21:02:00.000-04:00

The collective 'we' (i.e. the citizens of Toronto) are getting what we asked for - a government intent on taxing the city to death instead of making a modicum of effort to control expenses. We're being bled to death to fund endless varieties of sham schemes.

Actually, it's worse than most anyone can imagine. A municipal land transfer tax will take 1 - 2% of the value of homes and businesses. That's just for starters. Since city spending is growing 8% a year - what are these taxes going to be in a couple of years? Hold onto your horses (houses) - we could be in for a long term bear market in Toronto real-estate. One can be bullish on real estate in Peel and York.

On the transit front

2007-06-21T14:48:00.000-04:00

The Ontario liberals made a big splash with the election promise for $12 billion or so of transit capital spending over the next 12 years. This is smart packaging politically. The Conservative platform that calls for all gas tax $$$ to be used for transportation (instead of other pet causes) would deliver as much - but Mr. Tory didn't list the projects in as much detail.

It's also smart because although the legislature won't sit before the election, this accouncement is not within the official campaign limits. The election laws should be changed to prevent a party from using the front of being 'in power' and using as election PR.

Council flip flop

2007-06-21T14:19:00.001-04:00

I'm having to adjust to borrowing a computer for a few days. I haven't posted here much as recent - but I will once the techies fix my machine. (As I've learned - you need to be careful when borrowing a computer!!)

The news from yesterday was Council's unanimous vote for keeping the yellow ribbons on our city vehicles. Kudos to Council.

hmm - but the vote wasn't truly unanimous - some councillors were not present. The Sun has a great picture of ultra-left Councillor Pam McConnell trying trying to sneak out without being noticed - so she didn't have to vote. It's scary that this woman was once the head of the police oversight board!!! Who is the furthest left person on council - Paula Fletcher or McConnell? Either way, with such people in positions of power, no wonder the city is going down the tubes.

TTC - Downtime in downtown

2007-06-05T16:48:00.000-04:00

Well - the vaunted Spadina LRT is out of service again.

TTC Notice re: 509 510 service

This is barely a news event anymore. Riders will be taking buses from Union Station and then transferring for trips north. 'Transit City'? - no - 'Transfer City' more likely.

What is that pile of earth?

2007-06-04T21:09:00.000-04:00

Last year, bulldozers and other heavy equipment were busy pushing mounds of earth around a site on the NW corner of Lakeshore and Coxwell. The exact nature of the exercise was a mystery to most until the municipal election approached. At that point a sign appeared explaining that the City was building a skateboard park.

Well - half the sign was about the skateboard park - but the main purpose seems to have been to provide free campaign publicity for the local Trotskyite councillor Paula Fletcher, and the Beaches' own Sandra Bussin. (No one is sure what Ms. Bussin thinks - other than her writing ultra-sycophantic columns praising Mayor David Miller.)

Well, now that the election is over - and Fletcher and Bussin aren't in election mode - guess what! Construction has stopped. The piles of earth are still there. The status is even a mystery to the local group that had been fundraising to build the park - The Southeast Toronto Skateboard Association.

On one page of the STSA's website we read:

STSA fundraising for the permanent skatepark at Ashbridge's Bay has been put on hold.
Funding for the first phase of construction has been secured from the City, and as a result they have taken over the management of the construction of the park.

On another, the bad news:

Ashbridges Bay Skatepark

While we wait and wait and wait, the Stan Wadlow skatepark park has been completed and the Ellesmere park has been started. What's up with that?

The City has given us no indication of the construction schedule. Send Councillor Sandra Bussin an email and ask her what is going on - sbussin@toronto.ca

Poor naive STSA, you've been used as an election prop.

Death of a Student

2007-05-31T20:04:00.000-04:00

The Globe's Margaret Wente has beaten me to the punch on this.

A number of teachers with recent experience at C.W. Jeffreys Collegiate have now attested to servere discipline problems at the school. This was also covered in the Toronto Star on Wednesday.

The statements and letters to the newpapers have document not only that 'teachers were threatened and assaulted regularly by students' and that 'intruders had easy access the the school and were clogging halls during class time. Worse yet, TDSB trustee Stephnie Payne not only claims to have been unaware of the problems - she actually sided with a lawsuit against a vice-principal for daring to report some students to police.

The hidden agenda - of course there's a hidden agenda - was to downplay the need and utility of the Safe Schools Act. Now that the act has been emasculated in terms of the tools available to teachers and principles to bring order to the schools, we see the folly of backing away from it.

While people like Stephnie Payne may not have killed the student - liberal dogma seem to leaps out as a root cause.

Top Ten - Toronto Traffic Nighmares

2007-05-25T18:21:00.001-04:00

OK - I might not get to 10 - but I've had to drive way more than I like in the last year due to where work has taken me.

1. Keele & St. Clair

This intersection is always backed up for about 10 minutes as there is a severe bottleneck in the railway underpass just to the East. I've had to come this way from the far end of Mississauga when visiting my sister on the way home. There's quite a bit of commercial traffic + many contractors toing and froing between Home Depot and work sites in the St. Clair W neighbourhoods.

G+d only knows how much worse this will be when the streetcar right-of-way is complete.

2. Victoria Park and the 401

I come down here on the way home from one of my York Region clients if the DVP is reported in bad shape. Although this wasn't so bad earlier this week, I've seen the whole area gridlocked in the evening. This is probably true of number of intersections with the 401.

Teh highway is too big for the exit/entrance infrastructure. It would have been better to have two expressways instead of the monster that's grown up. This would have allowed for more manageable traffic flow.

3. Gardiner/427/QEW

Over the last year I made many trips out to Hamilton for work. The ride home always hit a big slow down (i.e. E-bound) just where the 427 merges in. Despite the extra ramp that was built a few years ago from the 427 collectors, this gets backed up by about 5:00 pm. This is one ramp that could benefit from metering.

4. Gardiner East curves

There are two curves on the E-bound gardiner where the maniacial speeding hot heads in the left lane always end up rear-ending slower moving traffic. Once is just around the Humber - and the other is at Dufferin. At least once a week some jackass would have got himself in a fender bender (or worse) and ruined the journey home for thousands of commuters.

OK - I've got up to four. If you think I'm going to write about my top ten shortcuts - keep dreamin'.

Top Tens

2007-05-22T21:49:00.000-04:00

And now for something completely different - to borrow a Pythonism.

I recently wrote about Tafelmusik's fantastic performance of Solomon. In terms of live music, most everything I experience these days is from the Classical or Baroque periods. It may surprise you that I enjoy other types of music. Some days I'll listen to Q107 as a break from Classical 96.3. In terms of seeing an actual live rock concert - my ears really rule it out. However, I do enjoy live rock recordings.

Here are some of the top live tracks - not in any particular order:

Cream - Crossroads
The Yardbirds - Train Kept a'rollin (Stroll-on)
Led Zeppelin - The Rain Song
Led Zeppelin - Since I've Been Loving You
The Who - Young Man Blues
The Allman Brothers - Whippin' Post
Santana - Soul Sacrifice

Concert Review - Tafelmusik - Handel's Solomon

2007-05-19T20:18:00.000-04:00

Tafelmusik's performance of Handel's opera Solomon was the last installment in my subscription to ten concerts this year. This one was well worth the wait!

Of course, being a long performance, the concert started at 7:30 pm. I arrived at 7:45 - and was lucky to get to see any of the first part. Thankfully, the staff allowed latecomers to sit in the foyer. The rear doors were open in order to mitigate the heat in the church. On this evening, I was glad for the extra money I shelled out to be on the floor. I can only imagine how warm it must have been in the balcony.

I found the performance energetic and brilliant. Other than The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (which I think everyone would recognize), I did not recognize any of the work. This is no way detracted from the evening. I was especially swept up by some of the choruses.

"Transit City" plan just streetcars - top official

2007-05-11T18:57:00.000-04:00

hmm - some uncharacteristically candid remarks from a top city official on the 'Transit City' plan being shopped around by the city:

Rod McPhail (I think he's a city official rather than a TTC wonk) is quoted in a local newspaper:

“Really, we’ll just be looking at buses and streetcars,” he said. “The only real difference between LRT and streetcar services is that the stations are a little further apart.”

This is much as I'm reading into the plan. Other than tunnelled sections such as would run under Eglinton, the proposals don't seem to offer much beyond streetcar type service. I'm estimated service speed at just above 20 km / hour - or practically the same as suburban bus services. The operations would generally not qualify under the emergent definition of rapid transit.

Don't forget, the TTC sold the St. Clair mess as LRT. Let's not forget the propaganda documents such as 'The Streetcar Renaissance' that were floated about during the process.

It's funny, I picked this up from reading Steve Munro's blog today. Mr. Munro defends streetcars at length. Writes Munro:

I will be charitable and assume that Rob McPhail has been quoted out of context, but there’s a clear problem with his statement. LRT is most definitely not just streetcars with the stops further apart.

hmm - it seems to me that Munro himself uses the terms interchangeably. For example, in this post, the St. Clair West project is called "LRT".

The usual hokum about "Jane"

2007-05-06T20:07:00.000-04:00

That's Jane Jacobs in case you were wondering.

This is the woman that the reactionary left in this city have virtually canonized - almost deified. Jacobs was very involved - some would say instrumental - in stopping the building of the Spadina Expressway. Her legacy in this is mixed.

Old neighbourhoods remain unscathed and undistrubed. However, rather that escaping polution and congestion, the neighbourhoods are home to some of the most severe traffic congestion in the central area of the city. Eglinton Ave West is often a parking lot. When I was in the process of moving to Toronto - now almost nine years ago - the real estate agent showing me around resorting to hopping through laneways. Streets such as Davenport, Dupont and Bathurst are also choked.

The ironic thing is that in a the tawny Forest Hill neighbourhood many of the side streets don't have sidewalks. If ever there were a sign of urbanity, it would be sidewalks.

In my mind, Jacobs was an enclavist rather than an urbanist. In latter years she clearly went off the deep-end. In one of her last battles she raged against a local school's plan to build an addition. She used apocalyptic terms. I guess cities are for people, not cars - but they aren't for sidewalks or schools either.

Toronto needs to move on from the ideas of this diletant. Surely we can look ahead and behind at the same time.

Toronto - You can't get there from here

2007-04-24T19:47:00.001-04:00

These past few days have all-too-well illustrated that the Indian meaning for 'Toronto' must have been 'You can't get there from here'.

On the weekend, the Gardiner was closed. Traffic crawled all the more slowly than usual along city streets. Instead of the City re-jigging traffic signals at the bottom of the DVP in light of closure, vehicles forced to exit on Lakeshore were allowed into our fair city about 3-4 for each traffic light sequence.

Toronto sure likes to give visitors the big middle finger on both hands. It's hardly surprising that no-one sypathizes with our city's financial problems. They can surely see that these are of own making.

[Streetcars did their short-turning and bunching tricks - not news but I thought I'd mention it.]

Concert review - Tafelmusik and Italy over the ages

2007-04-17T20:23:00.000-04:00

The recent Tafelmusik programme - "House of the Devil" - covering Italian Baroque from the early days until the transition to the Classical period was one of its best this year. I especially enjoyed the simple early pieces.

(and yes, there is more to Italian Baroque than Vivaldi, Monteverdi and Corelli.)

The programme did include a Vivaldi horn concerto - but was predominately focussed on less well-known composers. Highlights included:

Biagio Marini - Sonata in ecco for 3 violins and continuo

Giovanni Bertoli - Sonata for dulcian and continuo (The dulcian is an obscure wind instrument)

Tomaso Albinoni - Concerto for two oboes

Miller continues tradition of small-mindedness

2007-04-15T10:45:00.000-04:00

I've never been big on street festivals. However, I know that the Celebrate Toronto street party held in mid-summer was very popular.

Now Emporer - er rather Mayor David Miller is kiboshing the whole thing. The $$$ will instead go to one of his favourites - something with a French title called "Nuit Blanche". The imperial thumb has been pointed downward for Celebrate Toronto - and up for Nuit Blanche.

I guess Nuit Blanche brings in more of Miller's upper class friends and Harvard classmates (reason enough to shelve it:-) - whereas Celebrate Toronto brings in too many of the unwashed suburbanites.

This is just more evidence that Toronto isn't growing up despite the City of Toronto Act. If the mayor isn't big enough to accept that one of his predecessors cam up with a good idea, we have no business running our own show.

Movie Review - "300"

2007-04-13T19:38:00.000-04:00

I finally gave into curiousity and went to see "300". I enjoyed the movie - and I'll accord it the rate or 'worth seeing'.

Some have written - and correctly so - that "300" completely omits that the the Spartan's held sway by force over the Helots with whom they shared region of Lacedaemonia and thereabouts. Then again, everyone had slaves. The Athenians used slave labour to mine the silver mines that paid for its naval might. We should hence overlook this - as the film is about the awakening in man of the spirit of freedom, free will and independance from tyrants. It doesn't mean that it was immediately perfect. There's no reason to judge those Spartan's on the basis that they had what amounted to slaves.

The film does a good job in explaining the Spartan's hoplite phalanx-based method of conducting warfare. On the other hand, I remember reading that Spartan's fought barefoot - whereas other Greeks generally wore sandals in battle. It seemend that all the Greeks were shod in sandals in the battle scenes. Some of the Spartans wore a beardbut no moustache - but more had a full set of hair on the upper lip, or were clean shaven.

The film is purposely dark and somewhat grainy. It seems perpetually to be dusk. War is a dark subject - so perhaps the producers thought that even one ray of sun would break the mood.

The last days of a legion hall

2007-04-08T09:24:00.000-04:00

Since visuals increase reader interest, awareness - I've decided to add some pictures. Here is the partly demolished legion hall near my home - on a dreadfully drear long weekend day.

The building has long been an eyesore - boarded windows and a front that was blind to the street.

The tracks vanish

2007-04-08T09:21:00.000-04:00

There's a track in there somewhere. The TTC's Harbourfront line west of Bathurst is out of commission. Barely 15 year old, and the tracks are in such bad shape as to require suspension of service. This citizen took this photo yesterday. There was a bus running back and forth - easily handling the ridership. The riders I saw getting on were very happy to see the bus.

hmm - would have been nice if the TTC had put up signs or any type of notice.

This is the basic technology that the TTC plans to use in its proposed 'LRT' lines (See posts and Transit City).

To me, it's not LRT to encase all of the lines in concrete. More to the point, it's not smart. Let's run LRT where the rails can be ballasted in gravel - which allows for easier ongoing maintenance.

Perpetual Change - Townhomes replace the Legion

2007-04-07T19:42:00.001-04:00

This week 'they' finally started putting the wrecking ball to the Legion Hall at the major intersection near my house. Although I'm sure that the venue has meant a great deal to many over the years, it's time to see it go. In it's place will be the usual spacious townhouses - narrow and tall, with parking underneath - and perhaps a deck on the roof.

These can be attractive places for young professionals to live. This having been said, the first 'batch' - on the busy corner - have been slow to move. These residences aren't suitable for retired couples - too many stairs - or families with children.

The direction of perpetual change is that residential areas are becoming more residential - especially the attractive neighbourhoods. Marginal commercial properties are being moved to the residential column of the zoning ledger. The city's bizarre tax structure is an accellerant helping fuel this trend.

LRT - Eglinton and the 6 dwarves

2007-04-01T13:55:00.000-04:00

A reader has brought it to my attention that the LRT popularity poll on the Transit City propaganda site shows that over 80% of those replying would prefer the proposed Eglinton line:

Here are the results as of this afternoon:

Eglinton - 11049 votes - 83.6 %
Sheppard East - 670 - 5.1%
Scarborough Malvern - 377 - 2.9%
Waterfront West - 363 - 2.7%
Don Mills - 329 - 2.5%
Etobicoke Finch West - 245 - 1.9%
Jane - 186 - 1.4%

Transit pundit Steve Munro prognosticates that the underground part of the Eglinton line would be the last to be built. The line would be built starting at the extremities - hmm perhaps this proposal should be called Transfer City instead of Transit City. It seems that potential riders have other ideas.

Theatre Review - "Lucy" at Canstage

2007-03-31T19:14:00.000-04:00

This is a serious, emotion-filled production worth attending solely on the grounds that one will learn more about autism.

The title character Lucy is a thirteen-year old autistic child who is reunited with her mother after being raised in the care of her father. It's tempting to come away from the play thinking about what one has learned about the condition. However, while the playright clearly intends to educate the audience in that regard, this is not in any way the exclusive purpose.

The characters - especially Vivian, Lucy's mother - deal with very real human emotions and feelings in attempting to cope with the difficulties of raising an autistic child: denial, avoidance, guilt, exasperation and love.

I enjoyed the performances of the actors. This is worth a try.

Budgets, budgets, budgets...

2007-03-27T20:28:00.000-04:00

...well three budgets to be exact in recent weeks. First was the federal government's version - which has just passed in the Commons. Provincial finance minister Greg Sorbara followed quickly on the tail of Jim Flaherty with the Ontario budget. Lastly, we have Toronto's municipal budget - which thanks to the mayor and the new City of Toronto Act - has appeared out of nowhere.

City Council and the public in general will have scant opportunity to review, or in any fashion influence this latest spend-fest.

To some, the big news out of all this was how the senior levels of government ignored Miller's pleas for a New Deal for Cities - (or sone of the New Deal for Cities - aka the 'One Cent Now' begging bowl.)

Remarkly, even hard-core Millerites such as the Globe's John Barber have pointed out the folly of Miller's campaign. Let's be real, all mayors would like any freebies that can get from anywhere - what's not to like about getting $$$ that you're not accountable for. However, it's only Toronto - with its civic government bought lock-stock-and-barrel by the public sector unions - that needs the money.

Canada's cities are world leaders in municipal financial strength. This is due - in the main - to careful spending and conservative requirements for reserves such as sinking funds. While Toronto does maintain the minimum sinkning funds as required by law, other reserves have been repeatedely raided.

Anyway - back to the budgets. Not only was Toronto ignored, to add insult to injury, the 905 belts' payments into the GTA Social Services Polling arrangement will be phased out over a number of years. The provice will pick up the difference. This actually exacerbates the fiscal advantage that the 'burbs maintain over the city. Unless their politicians catch the Toronto disease, I'd be expecting for reduction in business taxes in these jurisdictions.

More on the Transit City - Cost approaching $10 billion

2007-03-18T15:13:00.000-04:00

The TTC has a habit of low-balling the estimated costs of capital projects. Given that this an engineer-run organization rather than a customer-oriented one, this is not surprising. LRT projects could keep TTC engineering and planning staff busy for a while. If working of EAs (Environmental Assessments) is part of your job description at the TTC, this is the ultimate gravy train. It doesn't matter if the scheme is good for riders or the city in general.

Despite the staggering cost estimate, it appears that the scheme is being low-balled. The TTC does this consistently - so no surprise here. One obvious delusion is the plan to use only 240 vehicles. Although the vehicles would be larger than todays CLRVs, and even so than the ALRV versions, the 240 vehicle fleet size works out to an unrealistic load factor in terms of riders per service hour.

Applying the benchmark from Calgary C-train (122 riders per service hour) , using 240 vehicles for 175 million passengers a year would require vehicles to be in service an average of 16 hours/day. This doesn't seem realistic.

I would expect LRT ridership/service hours on the proposed routes to be lower than the Calgary benchmark. Why ?

a. Other than the Eglinton line's central segment, one of the lines will be serving a dense employment district.
b. The speed of service will not match that in Calgary. The C-train lines are cut under most intersections of any size. There are at grade crossing - but most are in industrial/warhouse areas. (Check out Google Earth as a good way of investigating this.)
c. I'd expect station spacing (if there are actually stations) to end up being about 400 metres. (Longer than this and residents will demanding local bus service.) This will slow the service - reducing passengers/service hour.
d. Calgary's LRT runs in large part on completely segregated ROW (i.e. no vehicles and no pedestrians. This allows trains to run at high speed between stations. This won't be possible with the proposed lines here - other than sections in tunnels - due to pedestrian safety requirements.

More realistic would be 100 boardings / hour or necessitating about 386 vehciles (I'm using the Calgary benchmark of about 12.3 hours in service/day).

With extra yard/maintenance space, the difference adds about $1 billion to the price tag.

Information is now trickling out about some of the other truth-stretching. TTC Commissioner Milcyn Peter Milczyn has been quoted indicating that the price tag for the critical tunnel section of the proposed Eglinton line is twice the estimate put forward. The proposed line on Jane will need 1-2 km of tunnel at the South end - minimum. This is not included in the estimates - which assume at grade construction only.

In addition, the so-called 'Transit City' plan does not include other wish list lines. We're already under the gun for $1 b note for the streetcar replacements for existing streetcar routes.

Is the price tag close to $10 billion yet - yes it is.

LRT notes

2007-03-18T11:46:00.001-04:00

It's a step forward to be seeing a plan - of sorts. It seems that this wash rsuhed to the presses somewhat. Some odd and sundry comments.

1. LRT on Jane?

I can't see this being effective LT (at the south end) without a fairly long tunnel - with a big dig at the southern terminus. Without this, there is no room for stations. Was this thrown in to balance out the map politically?

2. 240 vehicles?

Applying the benchmark from Calgary C-train (122 riders per service hour) , using 240 vehicles for 175 million passengers a year would require vehicles to be in service an average of 16 hours/day. This doesn't seem realistic.

I would expect LRT ridership/service hours on the proposed routes to be lower than the Calgary benchmark. Whey

a. Other than the Eglinton line's central segment, one of the lines will be serving a dense employment district.
b. The speed of service will not match that in Calgary. The C-train lines are cut under most intersections of any size. There are at grade crossing - but most are in industrial/warhouse areas. (Check out Google Earth as a good way of investigating this.)
c. I'd expect station spacing (if there are actually stations) to end up being about 400 metres. (Longer than this and residents will demanding local bus service.) This will slow the service - reducing passengers/service hour.
d. Calgary's LRT runs in large part on completely segregated ROW (i.e. no vehicles and no pedestrians. This allows trains to run at high speed between stations. This won't be possible with the proposed lines here - other than sections in tunnels - due to pedestrian safety requirements.

More realistic would be 100 boardings / hour - necessitating about 386 vehicles (I'm using the Calgary benchmark of about 12.3 hours in service/day).

With extra yard/maintenance space, the difference adds about $1 billion to the price tag.

True LRT in Toronto? Perhaps not.

2007-03-18T09:16:00.000-04:00

The TTC has launched a PR campiagn to get $$$$$ for a significant implementation of 'light rail'.

The $6.4 billion dollar question is whether such a system would be true 'light rail' - or simply more mid-numbingly ineffective streetcars.

Already we're seeing that the plan is really more just streetcars. One of the lines would run down Jane - the plan being to have this on the surface. As the southern stretch (down from Eglinton to Bloor) is a standard Toronto 'arterial' - 2 lanes each way with no room for widening - there is no room for LRT.

So would Toronto's LRT be like Calgary's. I've included am image (from Google Earth) of just one of many cuts (tunnels) under intersections that make Calgary C-train successful - because of speed. This one is typical.

Those expecting Toronto to invest in such infrastructure are overly optimistic.

One-cent nonsense

2007-03-03T16:08:00.000-05:00

Mayor Miller has ramped up a "new" campaign aimed at getting 1 cent of federal GST for 'cities'. It makes me wonder what they really teach in economics program at Harvard (of which Miller is an alumnus.) This isn't really a new 'show' - but simply rehashed episodes of the old 'New Deal for Toronto' campaign.

OK - its was technically referred to as the 'New Deal for Cities' campaign. In reality, it was and is all about Toronto. No other city in Ontario or Canada has managed to get itself in the financial mess in which we find ourselves. Now the upper levels of government have increased transfers to the municipal layer in the form of allocations of the gasoline tax and exemptions on the GST.

Now has this helped Toronto? No - things are worse. Instead of using the increased transfers to improve the city's finances, the $$$ instead disappeared in an orgy of spending. Toronto's many city halls - yes we have all of them despite being consolidated - are bursting at the seems.

What would happen if the feds granted this latest wish. Well run municipalities would take the money and reduce business taxes. Toronto would just spent it on more bureaucrats.

Bruha over Queen West developments

2007-02-24T10:38:00.000-05:00

Mayor Miller is now aiming his jousting gear at the OMB and it's decision to allow developments in the Queen St. West near Gladstone. A local residents's group opposed the development - preferring their own plan.

It's funny, when merchants and resident on another Toronto St. - St. Clair West - put forth their own plan for changes to the transit service on that street, Miller and minions didn't listen. In that case, it was the TTC and City who were proposing the neighbourhood disrupting development - the infamous streetcar right-of-way.

On Queen West, the City is going to court to STOP a development that includes 190 affordable housing units. Cervantes would today be thinking of Mayor Miller as the basis for his character Don Quixote.

Fixing the TTC

2007-02-06T19:47:00.000-05:00

The Sun has published a summary of remarks by local transit "luminaries" on How can the TTC be Fixed?

I thought I'd rate the remarks:

1. Bob Kinnear

In no way surprising, union president Bob Kinnear wants 'funding, funding, funding...'. Well, seeing that the ATU has swallowed whole just about all of the funding increases over the last few years, this is hardly surprising. The trough of pay and perks for union members can never be full enough. Kinnear sheds some crocodile tears about riders - yeah right!

During the most recent contract negotations, Kinnear actually objected to the TTC using a small amount of money on a service study on linking some routes in the north center of the city down to Castle Frank Station! The message is clear from Mr. Kinnear - the money belongs to the unions. (And why not, they've paid lock, stock and barrel for the Mayor.)

Surprisingly, Kinnear comes up with an idea that the TTC brass are loathe to consider - express bus service to key stations on the subway. The TTC hate express buses: the reason, they can work. Montreal has about 20 specialized bus routes - compared to a measly 7 or 8 in the larger Toronto.

Funny how TTC studies always seem to say these are too expensive to run.

2. Richard Soberman

U of T professor Soberman always shows up somewhere. Soberman has discussed the Spadina 'LRT' - and his comments are bang on - the service is 'not effective transit'. It's no surprise that Soberman wasn't part of the St. Clair study. This was purposeful - to make it easier for the scheme to be slammed up the derrieres of residents and businesses.

I believe Soberman is right, the TTC/City should use enforcement and other measures to keep transit lanes clear - without resorting to neighbourhood death sentences like the St. Clair W debacle. They do it in Montreal!

3. Adam Giambrone

Giambrone is an inprovement of his predescessor as TTC Chair. Well, anyone would be. hmm - he wants the TTC to expand its network of LRTs.

ADAM - the TTC has no LRT - it only has streetcars. If you want to see LRT, go to Calgary or St. Louis. Look's like he's bought into TTC self-delusion/rabid LRT lobbying already. (The snakeoil salesman at Bombardier are good aren't they.)

4. Rob McIsaac:

The GTTA chief sees the St. Clair debacle as the better way.

HEY Rob, would your Oakville/Burlington friends be so excited about something that saved 1-minute on their average trip to work? Why do you think it's such a good deal for us?

5. David Gunn

I have a lot of respect for David Gunn. I believe things would be remarkly different has he stayed and Moscoe had been pushed out instead. After Gunn departed, TTC operating costs per rider exploded AND service relaiability has suffered. TTC professional management turned into Moscoe's lapdogs. Eventually, Gunn's successor Rick Ducharme got tired of the BS too.

6. Donna Cansfieild

Cansfield's candour is to be commended if the article is reflecting her thoughts"

The provincial transport head honcho knows the TTC isn't perfect, but she feels the commission took a big step in the right direction late last year when Giambrone took the chairman's post.

Well - remarkable lucidity from a transporation rookie.

7. Steve Munro

Munro a long time TTC advocate and critic. I agree with many of his criticisms of the TTC - however, in his blog he often misses the mark.

At least in his comments here, he's not suggesting streetcars as a solution to all the world's ills.

With the charlatan (Suzuki) go to Charlottetown?

2007-01-29T18:30:00.000-05:00

I thought this man was taking a hiatus! David Suzuki is headed out on a PR tour to promote the environment.

The Star - Online Jan 29 2007

I wonder if he'll throw his weight behind the Conservative Party - after all, it is the Harper governments that has actually introduced environmental legislation (something the FedFibs couldn't manage in 13 year so so in power.) Likely not. As wit all on the far left, it's all about politics.

Suzuki is shrill and easily upset in debate. I remember watching his dismal performance in the 'debate' with Dr. Philippe Rushton a number of years back. Suzuki couldn't even muster a solid argument when he was in all likelihood right.

Suzuki is a geneticist - and has no academic qualifications as a climatologist. The man's a complete loon.

The Star's Global Warming propaganda

2007-01-28T10:07:00.000-05:00

In today's Toronto Star - horrific enviro-porn/propaganda:

Article on Kyoto skeptics - Jan 28th 2007

It's disingenuous to question the motives of organizations and individuals who are skeptical about global warming (or is it climate change?), while giving a free pass to the proponents.

For example, the article mentions The Union of Concerned Scientists. A balanced article would have informed the reader that the UCS is highly partisan, agenda-driven lobby group. In 2004, during the lead up to the presidential election, the UCS published an amateurish attack on the Bush admininstration's scientific policies. Easily obtainable source documents disproved the key claims. I wrote to UCS member Professor Kurt Gottfried of Cornell with the documentation. Gottfried's promised to look into the matter for this alumnus. I still await his explanation.

Kyoto proponents are quick to question scientific credentials of opponents. Yet foremost Kyoto proponent Dr. David Suzuki is not questioned. As a geneticist, Suzuki has no academic credentials for speaking on earth science and climate. The geologists who are raising questions about the science do.

Book Review - The Fabric of The Cosmos

2007-01-27T16:35:00.000-05:00

The second book I've completed in the past month is Brian Greene's The Fabric of the Cosmos.

Brian Greene is a physicist whose specialty is "string theory" or "superstring theory". Greene's earlier work The Elegant Universe focuses on these new theories of the basic nature of matter. The Fabric of the Cosmos describes the evolution of scientific thinking about the nature of the universe itself - specifically whether space (or spacetime to be more precise) exists independently of matter and energy, or whether it is a simply a 'human abstraction' for the vacuum in which matter/energy exist.

As Greene recounts, this question - which skirts the boundary between science and philosophy - is not new. It concerned the greatest of scientists going back to Sir Isaac Newton. Of course, we don't have an absolute answer to the question. However, today's physics gives tantalizing clues. Greene's narrative stitches together the underlying accepted physics - quantum theory and general relativity - and superstring theory, a strong candidate for bridging the troubling gap between these.

I found this book excellent. Although it doesn't answer the question, it is an excellent summary of the state of the current science built around attempting to answer it. A good deal of the book discusses cosmology. I took away a better understanding of the cosmological expansion that from other works I've read.

Greene is more up-to-date in his coverage of the scientific thinking attempting to explain how the quantum mechanical wave 'collapses' when measured. An earlier work In Search of Schrodinger's Cat (John Gribbin - 1984) is an enjoyable read on this - but leaves us with the unpallatable choice between a mysteriously collapsing wave function, and the existence of a virtually infinite number of parallel universes. Greene describes a wider set of plausable theories - including decoherence.

The chapter 'Quanta in the Sky with Diamonds' is particularly compelling. In a nutshell:

- the cosmic background radiation emanating from the "Big Bang" (i.e. the beginning of the universe we observe today) is practically uniform - but with small but measurable variations.
- based on quantum theory, quantum fluctuations at the birth of the universe explain these variations almost exactly.

As Greene writes on p. 309:

"I hope you're blown away by this concordance of theory and observation,"

Yes Professor Greene, that I am.