Mayor John Tory's Toronto

[zang]

From the videos it looks like the only people beaten were agitators and not the homeless.
Who do you think the bylaw officers need to call when their notices are repeatedly ignored?

That you call protestors “agitators” is telling. Charter of rights and freedoms be damned in the name of NIMBYism.

The difference between my neck and my ear are pretty apparent.

Sure, let’s be pedantic about it. But if you put pressure on the ear with a full knee, it’s also going to put pressure on your neck, “full stop”.

 

[picard102]

That you call protestors “agitators” is telling. Charter of rights and freedoms be damned in the name of NIMBYism.

It's not anywhere near my backyard. But sure, if that helps you sleep.

Sure, let’s be pedantic about it. But if you put pressure on the ear with a full knee, it’s also going to put pressure on your neck, “full stop”.

It's not pedantic, it's a basic fact. Pressure on the side of your skull isn't the same as pressure on your neck.
The only reason someone would make that comparison so forcefully is to, again, agitate.

 

[zang]

Turns out, there was additional footage of the knee-on-neck. While I'm the last person in the world to who'd give props to the Communist Party of Canada, I will on this one occasion, as they caught a better angle of it (even if the video quality feels like I'm watching a 2005 3gp):

see ~9:05

https://twitter.com/x/status/1417894335849324551

As to whether this was excessive force, or just "drama" from "agitators"...

Toronto resident shares painful experience after clearing of Lamport Stadium Park encampment | Watch News Videos Online

Watch Toronto resident shares painful experience after clearing of Lamport Stadium Park encampment Video Online, on GlobalNews.ca

globalnews.ca

https://twitter.com/x/status/1418049680148213760

 

[picard102]

Turns out, there was additional footage of the knee-on-neck. While I'm the last person in the world to who'd give props to the Communist Party of Canada, I will on this one occasion, as they caught a better angle of it (even if the video quality feels like I'm watching a 2005 3gp):

see ~9:05

That's a knee on their head.

As to whether this was excessive force, or just "drama" from "agitators"...

Nothing new is presented here.
"I was just trying to help someone in a wheelchair" isn't the reason you had a copy shove you away.
Thinking you can just obstruct the police and not be subject to removal is absurd.

 

[salsa]

Saw this interesting line in an article this morning...

Toronto Mayor John Tory throws weight behind Scarborough hospital renewal plan

Toronto Mayor John Tory is pledging to put $2-billion-plus hospital redevelopment plans for “at the top of the list” for his goals in Scarborough.

www.toronto.com

 

[Northern Light]

132 Million for affordable housing being announced by the Mayor (from the Feds) this morning.

It will fund at least 233 new units; tight timelines on delivery suggest most or all of this will be modular housing.

City of Toronto to receive $132 million from the Government of Canada’s Rapid Housing Initiative to build a minimum of 233 new affordable and supportive homes

News Release July 29, 2021 The City of Toronto will receive $132 million in additional funding in 2021 from the Government of Canada through the Major Cities Stream of the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI). The new funding will support quickly the creation of at least 233 new affordable and...

www.toronto.ca

I would like to take a step back here.........I find these numbers problematic.

That's $566,000 per unit, in cost, where presumably, if this follows pattern, the new housing will go on land the City already owns.

When land cost is factored out, I find that per unit number way high; and to be unacceptably poor performance.

In fairness, perhaps there is some money being expended on land here.......

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

The point of going the modular housing route was that it is supposed to result in cost savings in materials and design (when brought to scale), labour, and construction time, so I agree that I would like to see the breakdown of where the costs are going.

 

[Jonny5]

132 Million for affordable housing being announced by the Mayor (from the Feds) this morning.

It will fund at least 233 new units; tight timelines on delivery suggest most or all of this will be modular housing.

I looked at that press release you included and I saw this line:

The funding will be delivered by CMHC and will cover the cost of acquisition of land and construction of new housing; acquisition of land and existing non-residential buildings for the purpose of conversion to affordable housing; and acquisition of land and rehabilitation of housing.

I'm guessing it's really the final item on that list. They can buy some old, privately owned slab tower and then gift it to TCHC. They don't have to build anything, simply make renovations! Suddenly... affordable housing for everyone who alredy lives there.

Maybe I am too cynical.

 

[Northern Light]

I looked at that press release you included and I saw this line:

I'm guessing it's really the final item on that list. They can buy some old, privately owned slab tower and then gift it to TCHC. They don't have to build anything, simply make renovations! Suddenly... affordable housing for everyone who alredy lives there.

Maybe I am too cynical.

There are buildings in this city where that wouldn't be a terrible outcome.

Poor condition, in need of rehab, large number of low-income tenants, some on waiting lists for TCHC now.

If you can buy a 200-unit building like that; then you could probably knock 50 people off the waiting list, helping 50 more who would qualify to be on the list; and rehab the housing of all 200 households.

That said, it wouldn't be a vast win overall, and except for downward adjustment of rents for those qualifying wouldn't really create 'net new' units.

 

[Jonny5]

There are buildings in this city where that wouldn't be a terrible outcome.

Poor condition, in need of rehab, large number of low-income tenants, some on waiting lists for TCHC now.

If you can buy a 200-unit building like that; then you could probably knock 50 people off the waiting list, helping 50 more who would qualify to be on the list; and rehab the housing of all 200 households.

That said, it wouldn't be a vast win overall, and except for downward adjustment of rents for those qualifying wouldn't really create 'net new' units.

Just heard Tory's press conference on CityNews and apparently the strategy is to convert dilapidated buildings with and/or without tenants into new units. There is no "new build" planned for this money, though he could have meant the purchase and permanent conversions of old hotels into TCHC housing.

 

[christiesplits]

This is deeply concerning.

But city data shows only nine per cent of former camp occupants who came into the system throughout the pandemic have so far moved into either temporary or permanent homes.

Toronto’s mayor urged homeless camp occupants to enter the shelter system, saying it’s a ‘pathway to permanent housing.’ For the majority, that has yet to happen

Only nine per cent of encampment residents who took the city up on its offer to leave public spaces and enter the shelter system over the course of the pandemic have moved into temporary or permanent housing, city data shows.

www.thestar.com

 

[DSC]

Just saw this on CP24. I wonder which councillor this could be.

Councillor says that it may be time to reconsider popular ActiveTO program​

Published Sunday, August 1, 2021 8:50AM EDT
Last Updated Sunday, August 1, 2021 12:43PM EDT
A city councillor says that it might be time to reconsider Toronto’s ActiveTO program amid data suggesting that the popular weekend road closures have significantly increased driving times.
The city began closing some major arteries to vehicles on weekends last spring as a way to create more room for pedestrians and cyclists during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program quickly resulted in thousands of pedestrians and cyclists flocking to major arteries like Lake Shore Boulevard East, Lake Shore Boulevard West and Bayview Avenue.

But it also resulted in longer driving times. In fact, city data has suggested that commute times along the Gardiner Expressway and Queensway are two to three times longer when the closure along Lake Shore Boulevard West is in place.

Yes, it's young Mike Ford. The love of driving runs in their blood!

 

[Northern Light]

Just saw this on CP24. I wonder which councillor this could be.

Councillor says that it may be time to reconsider popular ActiveTO program​

Published Sunday, August 1, 2021 8:50AM EDT
Last Updated Sunday, August 1, 2021 12:43PM EDT
A city councillor says that it might be time to reconsider Toronto’s ActiveTO program amid data suggesting that the popular weekend road closures have significantly increased driving times.
The city began closing some major arteries to vehicles on weekends last spring as a way to create more room for pedestrians and cyclists during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program quickly resulted in thousands of pedestrians and cyclists flocking to major arteries like Lake Shore Boulevard East, Lake Shore Boulevard West and Bayview Avenue.

But it also resulted in longer driving times. In fact, city data has suggested that commute times along the Gardiner Expressway and Queensway are two to three times longer when the closure along Lake Shore Boulevard West is in place.

Yes, it's young Mike Ford. The love of driving runs in their blood!

Ex-cop Steve Ryan did the reporting on this, in essence siding w/the Councillor......... of course he's showing how little cycle traffic there is, and it just finished raining 15 minutes prior to his going on the air.

He's then saying the real problem is that emergency vehicles can't get through on the Gardiner; which would seem to be a problem every rush hour, but apparently its only a problem that needs attention during the day on Sundays......

Cough.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Just saw this on CP24. I wonder which councillor this could be.

Councillor says that it may be time to reconsider popular ActiveTO program​

Published Sunday, August 1, 2021 8:50AM EDT
Last Updated Sunday, August 1, 2021 12:43PM EDT
A city councillor says that it might be time to reconsider Toronto’s ActiveTO program amid data suggesting that the popular weekend road closures have significantly increased driving times.
The city began closing some major arteries to vehicles on weekends last spring as a way to create more room for pedestrians and cyclists during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program quickly resulted in thousands of pedestrians and cyclists flocking to major arteries like Lake Shore Boulevard East, Lake Shore Boulevard West and Bayview Avenue.

But it also resulted in longer driving times. In fact, city data has suggested that commute times along the Gardiner Expressway and Queensway are two to three times longer when the closure along Lake Shore Boulevard West is in place.

Yes, it's young Mike Ford. The love of driving runs in their blood!

Won't someone think about the poor single-occupant motor vehicles...

From link.

 

[rbt]

He's then saying the real problem is that emergency vehicles can't get through on the Gardiner

The obvious answer is to close Gardiner to commuter traffic. Make it, or at least 2 lanes of it, emergency vehicles only.