The Last Exile

The Mayor of Toronto warned the citizens of the Centre of the Universe not to venture into the downtown today which is all very well and good except what do you do if you live in the downtown?  As soon as sunset fell tonight my youngest and I decided to go on a tour of the neighborhood and check out what a day of mayhem caused our city for the dubious honour of hosting the G20 Summit. I think it is important to point out neither the mayor or city council lobbied to hold any of the summits in our city. It was imposed on us by the federal government.  As you can see the Filmores Strip join tried to be welcome and accommodating.

Most of the stores around the Dundas & Yonge area were bordered up days ago but American Apparel wasn’t and unlike a great many other stores, it was open for business today.  Not only did the ‘activists’ break the windows but buckets of excrement were thrown into the store.  The activists alleged to be ‘caring individuals’ except their rage was expressed while the employees and customers were in the store at the time. It’s a miracle no one was hurt.  The store probably had insurance which will cover the property and inventory damage but what about the wages of sales clerks? Sure, they will get a few unscheduled days off but that means no wages, and when you work for the minimum this hurts.

Moving north along Yonge Street along the west side Foot Locker, Urban Brick all fared better than American Apparel.

The ‘activists’ didn’t even spare the Zanzibar Strip joint.  I am still trying to get my head around how ‘fighting the power’ requires the trashing of a strip joint.

The Bell outlet store was completely trashed.

Finally we arrived at College Park (College & Yonge). For those unfamiliar with downtown Toronto College Park is not just the site of a mall with a Tim Horton’s on the main floor but the upper floor is home to the second busiest court house in the city.  Immediately across the street and approximately four small buildings west is the Toronto Police Headquarters.  The real winners were the glass installation people.  I walked by at least 12 trucks parked and working along the street.

We had a great many more pictures but for the first time in my memory Yonge Street was mostly dark so most of the pictures taken on my cellphone camera didn’t come out. 

My final thoughts on the matter.  This is what a billion dollar’s work of ’security’ buys and the present incarnation of the Conservative party will never carry a vote in Toronto. Thank you Stephen Harper

In Canada and my conservative friends wonder why I won’t vote CPC in the next election.

Say what you want about Ab-scam but no Liberal scammed the Canadian taxpayers a billion dollars for a mere 72 hour investment. By the way, did I mention I live (or whatever you call it) and work in downtown Toronto?

Yesterday the City of Toronto issued their first heat alert warning for the season – and the second today.

In fact, the hot weather is predicted to last for the next few days and my brains are officially fried. Why? Because I have a landlord who is a complete asshole who insists on following the letter of the law so my heat will not be shut off until June 1st. Apparently, he once got sued for turning the heat off to early and now he refuses to see reason or budge. It is not only that my heat is on but the furnace is at a temperature which heats my apartment as if its -20C outside rather +30C. When I got up this morning the temperature in the kitchen read 44C.

I can’t cook, fix my hair or apply eyeliner. This weekend the only time my hair wasn’t soaking wet was when we were holed up in my bedroom (the only place with air conditioning) or outside. We have been living on bread, fruit and raw vegetables which is okay and all – but there is a limit to how much raw broccoli and salad I want to eat. The tribe hates pasta so forget the more interesting salads. Besides, anything which takes more than 5 minutes to prepare – well, let’s just say I am so unmotivated to make anything which requires extended visits in my kitchen inferno.

Of course, all my computers are located in the heart of the inferno. I have argued, I have begged and pleaded. I have tried appeals to common sense, reason, and logic – all to no avail. He won’t budge and oddly enough, his particular form of assholery is also shared by such publicly funded institutions like Toronto Community Housing for refusing to turn off the heat in all the units under their control and the Toronto District School Board for refusing to turn on the air-conditioning in schools which have no windows that open in their classrooms – it’s the law – the municipal code etc.,

This has made me think about the whole concept of ‘reasonableness’ on both a practical and legal level. So much of any given law weighs or turns on a course of action based on what a ‘reasonable’ individual would do under any said circumstances. All of which brings me to the Crown’s dismissal of Michael Bryant’s charges.

I never thought there was a reasonable chance of conviction as long as the Bryant maintained one simple statement; I was afraid for my life. Nor was I surprised by the police laying the charges against Bryant for Sheppard’s death. Standard procedure, law and all that. What did surprise me was the Crown’s decision not even to bring the matter to trial suggesting there was no ‘reasonable’ measure of conviction. I have seen criminal matters proceed with the filmiest circumstantial evidence possible, and still, the Crown has still elected to roll the dice. I once asked a Crown why he elected to try a defendant under ‘questionable’ circumstances. He replied he believed a trial wasn’t only the defendant’s day in court but an opportunity for the victim of a crime to seek justice – and who was he to deny the victim his day?

Was Bryant’s actions reasonable? Or was there another course of action he could have chosen to take? What would a reasonable individual due under the circumstances? And what of the Darcy Sheppard and his rights?

It is like some people are born under such a dark cloud that reasonableness, much like justice, remains just as elusive in life as it is in death.

‘City Hall has left God’ declares one of Toronto’s mayoral candidates reports the Toronto Star but never fear – once Rossi can figure out which god left – he’ll fix that too if elected.

Four of Toronto’s mayoral candidates have vowed to give faith-based groups a bigger role in city affairs, with Rocco Rossi proclaiming: “God hasn’t left city hall — city hall has left God.”
At a Monday morning debate hosted by the Toronto Area Interfaith Council, Rossi, George Smitherman, Joe Pantalone and Rob Ford all said city hall should be more open to advice from, and partnerships with, religion-based groups.Smitherman said as mayor he would bring together the faith groups, arrive at common goals for social justice and social development, and have them work with the city to help the homeless, the addicted and others on society’s fringe.

Toronto should be a city sophisticated enough to acknowledge religious and cultural events as important in the broader community, “where we don’t have to call a Christmas tree a holiday tree,” he said. He would make Councillor Joe Mihevc, currently city hall’s unofficial link with the interfaith council, an official liasion.

Rossi noted he was confirmed a Roman Catholic, went to an evangelical Christian Sunday school, has studied with a rabbi and spent a year in a Zen monastery in southern California. “This is a pillar of service and outreach that needs to be celebrated,” he said of faith groups, adding that, as mayor, he would be their liaison.

Although, if your ‘god’ rides a bike; I suggest you are SOL – if Rossi is elected.

Christopher Hume is fast numbering among a tiny baby fist of favourite columnists writing for the Toronto Star. He actually makes urban municipal issues interesting to read. It’s lines like this one describing the mayoral candidacy of Rocco Rossi which is woeing me.

There’s nothing new about the politics of middle-class disgruntlement.

Read the rest here.

The most prominent fact about Liberal candidate Glen Murray is one which I consider the most boring and mundane. Policy, bright ideas, causes, not so much, but he’s gay and while this may have a certain cache in Winnipeg it really doesn’t count for much in downtown Toronto.

The Toronto Star has a puff piece on him in today’s edition. Murray talks a great but there is never appears to be any substance in what he says. For example, he tells us we have to be greener or he wants to put a key to a place to live for every person in the riding which is all well and good but he never tells to us how he actually proposes to do it. Its one thing to say we need to be ‘greener’ and another to explain how to go about it. Ditto on the key. And if Murray wants to get beyond being the political professional gay candidate – my advice would be to stop talking about being gay.

What you really need to know about Glen Murray the politician is what he won’t do. Steve Paikin, host of TVO’s the Agenda, blogged about it recently when The Agenda attempted to host a Toronto-Centre debate with the candidates running for the provincial seat in the current election. Then a funny thing happened. Liberal nominee Glen Murray baulked and dropped out. So in the hopes of filling out the show TVO producers decided to fill the seats with a couple of urban experts to fill out the panel. Conservative party nominee Pamela Taylor then decides a grilling is too much and declines – apparently quite rudely. End result, Cathy Crowe is the last of the big three standing but The Agenda shelves the debate.

Glen Murray is seen as the ‘front-runner’ given his predecessor was Liberal George Smitherman who resigned his seat to throw his hat into the ring in the upcoming mayor’s race for the city of Toronto. So what would make wannabe MPP Glen Murray give up an opportunity to promote himself? I suspect it has more to do with the Provincial Liberal record is a bit of baggage he finds too heavy to carry under the public eye in a debate. Or who knows, maybe he is finding his claim to fame as a former mayor of Winnipeg carries few brownie points to the voters of Toronto-Centre and decided the less seen and heard the better. I suspect he hopes the Liberal brand is all he needs to represent us – so why rock the entitlement vote, and who knows? He might even be right.

I know the NDP did a very smart thing by nominating Cathy Crowe as their candidate. She’s a high profile figure in this riding for almost the last twenty years with impeccable street creds and a resume filled with accomplishments. She’s also been very visible in electioneering in this riding and the NDP made it very hard for me not to vote for her. This is a case of the candidate overcoming my distaste for the party platform. The one thing I know for sure about Cathy Crowe, win or lose, she will still be showing up in Toronto-Centre the day after the election to work to improve the lives of those who live in the riding. Can the same be said for Glen No-Show Murray.

Following up the recent pedestrian deaths the Toronto Star reports 2 more pedestrian injuries but its the sentiment of police which rubs the wrong way.

On Sunday morning, a 31-year-old woman was taken to hospital with minor injuries after she was struck by a Can-ar coach in the city’s west end. Police say she was knocked to the ground around 6 a.m. while crossing the intersection on a green light. The bus was turning left and the driver, a 57-year-old woman, told police she didn’t see the pedestrian. Although the woman was crossing the street legally, Const. William Wang said she should have been more aware of her surroundings. “It’s an unfortunate situation,” he said. “Even though the pedestrian had the right of way, she still has to pay attention.”

Let me guess, pedestrians now need to be psychics in order to ascertain which careless drivers will chose to defy the law. Great gig if you can get it.

And irony of ironies is that charges are apparently pending against the bus driver according to the article, but remember; its the victim who should have been more aware. I have to wonder what role police attitudes have played in creating the current sense of driver entitlement.

Finally, something sensible from a local municipal candidate.

Chris Tindal:

All of our best research shows that when people have a transit system that works and treats them with dignity and a cycling infrastructure that doesn’t make them fear for their safety, they take advantage of it and drive less. That means fewer cars on the road, which means less congestion for those who choose or need to continue to drive. Drivers (a group that, as an Autoshare member, I include myself in, along with being a cyclist, pedestrian, and transit user) who want less congested streets should favour “complete streets” that do a better job of balancing different transportation options.

Can I get an ‘amen’ to that? When I bought my bike last summer and started riding it to work everyone who was my age (45+) asked me one single question; aren’t you afraid to ride your bike on the streets? This was the single biggest reason why they wouldn’t even consider riding a bike to and from work – absolutely stark raving fear of car drivers on the road. If anything, my experience from last summer teaches me; they are right to be afraid.

There really are only a few differences between their attitude and mine. I refuse to let my fear control my choices for better health and personal convenience. And a belief in G-d and the faith that the universe will unfold for me as it is meant to – whether I like it or not.

So far, I like what your saying Chris, and your own the way to win my vote, but tell me more.

Time is short but I want to share at least one observation concerning the recent spate of pedestrian deaths in the city.

Every workday morning at the intersection where I catch either the bus or the streetcar to work I witness an accident waiting to happen. A quite elderly woman crosses Sherbourne Street in her walker. She waits for the green light and commences to cross. She looks about 80 years old and moves slower than a snail’s pace. It is obvious she’s none too steady even with her walker and in her rush to cross the less than 75 foot intersection often requires two pauses to catch her breath. It usually takes her three full traffic light signals to make it safely to the other side.

Every morning drivers grow cross and impatient with her pace. Traffic weaves dangerously fast around her with drivers impatiently honk their car horns at her. Some bring their cars to screeching halts just short of hitting her and make her stumble with fright. Some roll down their windows and curse and swear at her. What they expect her to do I am really ever sure. I have taken to shouting back at those in their cars who curse. Yes, I am now numbered among those crazy screaming middle aged harpies who rage on the city streets. I wish I could report the TTC bus drivers are better people than others but it just isn’t so.

Why does she do it every morning? She needs to get to her church for breakfast. For all I know the Meals-on-Wheels people could deliver one hot meal to her later on in the day but is she to forgo eating till the lunch or dinner run? And because she is old and frail; must she forgo the company the communal breakfast provides? And trust me on this, but the crowd at church is far more electric and entertaining than can usually be found on Breakfast Television. Sure, she would probably be better off in old-aged home where the walk to a communal breakfast wouldn’t be quite so hazardous to her health and life, but in case no one noticed – there are waiting, and then there are waiting lists. And maybe, just maybe, she doesn’t want to leave her home. She’s old. Learn to be patient and remember – karma is a bitch.

Thanks to Elections Ontario I discovered what probably everyone but me in the province already knew – that a by-election date was set in Toronto-Centre – my home riding for February 4th. And full kudos for Elections Ontario for having an online process so you can check to make sure your name is on the voters list; otherwise I would never have been known my name was stricken from the voters list after 15 years of residency and regular voting.

This is rather a special election and not just because the Elections Ontario scrapped my name for the list of eligible voters but because its the first election my daughter the Last Amazon is eligible to vote. Registering to vote will now be a mother and daughter activity slated for Friday – just in time before the advance polling opens.

This started the search for who is running to replace Liberal MP George Smitherman who has stepped down to run for mayor of Toronto. Go figure. Of course, this is a by-election and the political fate of the provincial government doesn’t rise or fall on this seat. On February 5th, whoever wins the riding, means not much of anything will change at Queen’s Park.

For the first time, I am faced with a personal political moral quandary. Usually voting means I take a look at the candidates and their respective political parties position and pick the one which closest mirrors my own values. This time I know one of the candidates – not as a friend but as someone who has been deeply involved in my community for its betterment. She’s a woman of honour and integrity and dedicated her life to tirelessly fighting to improve all the lives of those who have lived in this community and the dilemma – she is running under a party banner I have never once in my entire life considered voting for – not even in my worst nightmares.

In searching for information about the other candidates and their respective positions on the provincial issues which directly effect the quality of life in this riding I discovered an all-candidates debate for tonight at the 519 Community Centre. Xtra, a free weekly magazine directly primarily to the Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual and Transgendered community was hosting a live video feed of the meeting.

And kudos for them for hosting this service. I have spent the better part of the debate watching the online feed. Its been a somewhat surreal experience listening to most of the candidates emphasizing their ‘GLBT’ creds which flies directly opposite in my experience on how all-candidates debates usually go. But I am nothing if not adaptable – after all, I am a resident of Toronto-Centre. Now Toronto-Centre is probably the most diverse riding in the country and I mean diverse in the fullest sense of the word. Its a riding of extremes and the most part is works after a fashion.

I suppose Glen Murray, former mayor of Winnipeg, and Liberal nominee wins the ‘gay’ cred given he’s the only gay candidate running and darts to Pamela Taylor, the Progressive Conservative nominee for giving an opening introductory speech by outing herself as straight. Lame. Of course, the lameness didn’t end with her outing herself as ’straight’ 5 seconds in her introductory speech. She also took pains to point out the provincial conservatives are a completely different party from the federal party and she is not her ‘leader’ Tim Hudak.

I have no idea who the woman was who is the moderator but some smart television exec needs to sign her to host a television show immediately – or at least let her moderate the next federal political debate. She’s polished, witty and urbane in addition to keeping the debate running relatively smoothly.

As Cathy Crowe rightly pointed out the Liberal government has a horrendous six year track record of mismanaging housing, health care, education, environmental and fiscal portfolios so Glen Murray was coming from behind right out of the gate but if there is anything which convinces me than anything about his general unfitness to represent me as MPP for Toronto-Centre it is simply this. He may be the the candidate the most able to represent the GLBT community and their needs but he gives the distinct impression he could not care less about the rest of the 80% of the community who live and vote in this riding.

Listening to Glen Murray I was struck by how all his answers and solutions all revolved more around municipal matters and municipal solutions rather than provincial ones. Perhaps it would have been a better fit for him to throw his name into the ring for the mayor’s office.

Biggest boos of the debate -when Glen Murray reminded the audience of Conservative leader Tim Hudak’s promise to disband the Human Rights Tribunal. I guess I am not only one who remembers the bad old days when discrimination against women, GLBT, and the disabled ran rampant and was the norm rather than the exception. Second biggest boo of the debate – when Glen Murray invoked a memory of rampant homophobia in the NDP. The adjective ’sanctimonous’ got flung which strikes me as incredulous coming out of the mouth of a Liberal.

I have a confession to make. I watched the debate to see if any of the candidates could present a viable alternative to having to embrace my secret darker nature and take a walk on the dark and scary side of the political spectrum. Did I find it? No. So there is nothing else for me to do but put on my big girl panties and say – damn the torpedoes and GO CATHY!

Of course, cognac will probably help; it helps most dark nights of the soul.