Mayor Olivia Chow's Toronto

[T3G]

What exactly is the moral difference between subway station bathrooms, and bathrooms in other privately owned but quasi public spaces, such as malls? You don't have people going around checking your receipt there, either, and in most malls they are, in so far as a public bathroom could be, fine.

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

Washrooms are a "modern" invention (excluding the Roman Empire).

The Palace of Versailles did not have washrooms when used by royalty. People used the floral gardens or a chamber pot (cleaned out by chambermaids). They added toilets for today's tourists.

When Queen Victoria moved in Buckingham Palace in 1837, there were no flush toilets. They got their first flush toilets in 1870, their first full bathroom in the late 1880's. They now have 78 toilets.

At the turn of the 1900's, toilets were a "modern and luxury" items. Most houses then used outhouses.

The TTC is only now catching up to be "modern", though some politicians still consider toilets to be a "luxury" item that is not needed.

 

[christiesplits]

City council will vote on giving themselves a raise.

Being a city councillor is a tough job, especially for downtown councillors who I've heard regularly rack up 70+ hour work weeks, but I'm not sure a 25% pay increase is palatable for Toronto voters.

Councillor Pasternak notes that councillor's jobs are difficult now that they serve in larger wards, post-Ford council cuts. However, councillors also have double the staff budget they had before. From what I hear, there were growing pains in the first few years, but councillors have mostly acclimated themselves to the new reality, being more selective in what community events and meetings they attend, and increasingly delegating work to their staff.

Toronto councillors deserve a big raise, one report says. Here’s how much it will cost if they vote for an increase

Mayor Olivia Chow called the recommended increase too steep and urged council members to consider the city’s precarious financial situation when the issue goes to a vote.

www.thestar.com

 

[DSCToronto]

City council will vote on giving themselves a raise.

Being a city councillor is a tough job, especially for downtown councillors who I've heard regularly rack up 70+ hour work weeks, but I'm not sure a 25% pay increase is palatable for Toronto voters.

Councillor Pasternak notes that councillor's jobs are difficult now that they serve in larger wards, post-Ford council cuts. However, councillors also have double the staff budget they had before. From what I hear, there were growing pains in the first few years, but councillors have mostly acclimated themselves to the new reality, being more selective in what community events and meetings they attend, and increasingly delegating work to their staff.

Toronto councillors deserve a big raise, one report says. Here’s how much it will cost if they vote for an increase

Mayor Olivia Chow called the recommended increase too steep and urged council members to consider the city’s precarious financial situation when the issue goes to a vote.

www.thestar.com

Though I agree that Council needs and deserve a rise in pay, it might make it more palatable if 50% of the proposed increase were paid now and the other 50% only after the next Municipal election. Then start the regular reviews that are recommended with an annual increase.

 

[evandyk]

Fair.

I'd still rather see the money used for fare enforcement.

Maybe I'm a bit jaded but I saw the issues each winter with Warden Station. I saw the homeless and mentally ill using it as a shelter.

Warden got to the point where people were using drugs in the washrooms.

At Yonge/Bloor I've witnessed people sleeping in the mens washroom.

More washrooms are a great idea but without proper fare enforcement and supervision it will go about as well at St Clair West's third exit.

I take my son to school on the subway every day, and that means once in a while we have to rush out to use the washoom at Yonge/Bloor. There are homeless people using the facilities every time, but they're not sleeping or doing drugs, they're mostly just washing up.

Last time, one guy muttered to the other "watch your mouth, there's a kid in here", but forgot about it himself and proceeded to curse loudly. He then apologized very profusely as we left.

 

[evandyk]

BTW, the fact that getting to a washroom in the TTC is often a 45 minute or more ride away is a major problem e.g. for people with IBS or other medical conditions.

 

[evandyk]

Up to four coyotes in the area have learned to associate humans with food because of direct and indirect feeding. The aggressive behaviour towards dogs was also found to be typical and timed with the reproductive season.

Panel recommendations

Due to these observations, the panel recommends that hazing (such as employing loud voices or noises) continues and that the City take measures to add resources to successfully recondition the animals in line with proven, long-term intervention strategies. These suggestions will enable the City to step up its efforts to address the coyotes in an efficient way.

The wildlife expert panel recommended the City immediately:

Procure a specialized team to assess these coyotes, apply adapted aversion techniques, monitor results and report back to City staff;

Continue aversion techniques that utilize bodies, voices and handheld objects (rather than projectiles, bullets or dogs, all of which could increase the defensive reactivity of the coyotes);

Remove human food sources by continuing to enforce no dumping and no wildlife feeding bylaws;

Repair fences and improve lighting and sightlines;

Increase community education for the public about how dumping, wildlife feeding and dogs off leash impact coyote activity.

The City understands the urgency of this matter and is committed to completing all recommendations during this process. This work requires the participation of City staff and residents so the neighbourhood can be restored to co-existing safely with wildlife. The City thanks those who live, work and play in Fort York and Liberty Village for their patience and cooperation.

If animal behaviour changes in a way that affects public safety, the City will consider a range of further actions.

Coyote response action in Fort York and Liberty Village to date

For the last four months, City staff have responded to coyotes in the community to address resident concerns.

Patrols in the area occur daily and staff are conducting aversion to retrain the coyotes. The City has and will continue to improve outdoor lighting, repair fences, increase signage and enforce proper garbage disposal.

This is in addition to resident education sessions, flyer distribution and multiple community meetings to equip residents with coyote tips and listen to their feedback.

Staff will continue to assess additional techniques as needed.

If it's just four problematic coyotes, can they not just get rid of them? Why try to spend all this effort on "retraining" them?

 

[DSCToronto]

If it's just four problematic coyotes, can they not just get rid of them? Why try to spend all this effort on "retraining" them?

So, if it was dozens then it would be worth retraining?

 

[Northern Light]

I have no problem with culling a few Coyotes here.

I think most people get far too frantic about their presence. However, where we have some that are now negatively conditioned and feel comfortable biting/attacking humans, the safest and most effective choice is a cull. That would be true if there were two or twenty two.

Relocation is impractical, as the only places in Ontario where they would be unlikely to encounter humans are places Coyotes don't yet live, in Wolf territory.

Conditioning exercises have not been particularly successful with other species.....they tend, if moderately effective to just shift the problem over to a new area.

Lets not be cruel, but neither naive, do what needs to be done, quickly as a humanely as possible.

 

[Lisa1956]

City council will vote on giving themselves a raise.

Being a city councillor is a tough job, especially for downtown councillors who I've heard regularly rack up 70+ hour work weeks, but I'm not sure a 25% pay increase is palatable for Toronto voters.

Councillor Pasternak notes that councillor's jobs are difficult now that they serve in larger wards, post-Ford council cuts. However, councillors also have double the staff budget they had before. From what I hear, there were growing pains in the first few years, but councillors have mostly acclimated themselves to the new reality, being more selective in what community events and meetings they attend, and increasingly delegating work to their staff.

Toronto councillors deserve a big raise, one report says. Here’s how much it will cost if they vote for an increase

Mayor Olivia Chow called the recommended increase too steep and urged council members to consider the city’s precarious financial situation when the issue goes to a vote.

www.thestar.com

I don't mind the increase but with tongue firmly in cheek, if they like Ghana so much why not adopt their pay structure as well? Signed A St Mike's Baby of Scottish Heritage

 

[zang]

I don't mind the increase but with tongue firmly in cheek, if they like Ghana so much why not adopt their pay structure as well? Signed A St Mike's Baby of Scottish Heritage

Not sure what this has to do with anything. Why did you bring up Ghana, or your very obvious caucasian heritage?

 

[DSCToronto]

I have no problem with culling a few Coyotes here.

I think most people get far too frantic about their presence. However, where we have some that are now negatively conditioned and feel comfortable biting/attacking humans, the safest and most effective choice is a cull. That would be true if there were two or twenty two.

Relocation is impractical, as the only places in Ontario where they would be unlikely to encounter humans are places Coyotes don't yet live, in Wolf territory.

Conditioning exercises have not been particularly successful with other species.....they tend, if moderately effective to just shift the problem over to a new area.

Lets not be cruel, but neither naive, do what needs to be done, quickly as a humanely as possible.

I am not a coyote expert but did learn more about them and this particular situation in this submission made to Council https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2025/ec/comm/communicationfile-187956.pdf

 

[Northern Light]

I am not a coyote expert but did learn more about them and this particular situation in this submission made to Council https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2025/ec/comm/communicationfile-187956.pdf

Lots of their material is good.

Nothing new to me; but lots there for many.

However, their actual suggested response is considerably more expensive and time consuming, and I think unlikely to be particularly effective.

I understand and sympathize with their take.

The problem here is the fault of dumb humans.

Yes, it may recur if there is no behavior change or habitat adjustment.

That said, I'll stand by my recommendation as the most likely to deliver the desired outcome, in the shortest time, at the lowest cost.

 

[evandyk]

So, if it was dozens then it would be worth retraining?

I'm not sure what the breaking point is, but if they became as numerous as raccoons or squirrels, you're gonna have to learn to live with them. But if there's only four, just get rid of them.

 

[DSCToronto]

This Toronto ‘pirate’ finally earned a legit spot for his waterfront kayak business. Then the local councillor stepped in

An investigation by the Star uncovered a behind-the-scenes battle that derailed a competition to award kayak rental locations along the Toronto’s waterfront.

www.thestar.com