guavadelic
Active Member
I really hope the mayoral race doesn't become a referendum on Isreal-Gaza like the NYC campagin has become. That debate sucks out all the oxygen from the major issues the city faces.
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Mayor Olivia Chow's Toronto
- Thread starter DSCToronto
- Start date
zang
Senior Member
Have you met some of the drivers in this city?
The city re-wrote a bylaw to stop this motor home from parking on a downtown Toronto street for weeks at a time. Then it showed up again
Police parking enforcement failed to ticket the motor home for nearly two weeks, until its hand was forced by inquiries from the Star.
www.thestar.com
DSCToronto
Superstar
Member Bio
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2008
- Messages
- 22,042
- Reaction score
- 36,032
- Location
- St Lawrence Market Area
We shall see, or not!
News Release
June 21, 2025
City of Toronto launches cleaning blitz to protect public spaces, streets, and parks
Today, Mayor Olivia Chow launched a new citywide initiative called Keep Toronto Beautiful aimed at keeping public spaces clean, safe and well-maintained. A clean city impacts public health, the environment, the economy and overall quality of life.
From now through fall, 300 to 400-person cleaning blitz crews will harness their energy to clean and refresh specific high cleaning-need areas. This work will include:
• Removal of graffiti, weeds and litter from streets, sidewalks, parks and other spaces
• Tree maintenance on streets and in parks
• Installing more than 600 new garbage and recycling bins in high-usage parks
• Intensified enforcement and clean-up of illegal dumping hotspots
• Street sweeping and clean-up of boulevards and laneways
• Repairs to potholes, bike lanes and bike rings
• Repainting pavement markings, including crosswalks, to improve road safety
These blitzes, planned for several Saturdays over a three-month period, are in addition to proactive daily patrols by City crews to identify and maintain areas in need of attention.
The City is also putting extra care into public parks and pools this summer with daily clean-up efforts that include repairing benches, picnic tables and other equipment, graffiti removal and litter pickup, as well as hiring up to 30 students to join summer park cleaning teams and adding more custodial staff to maintain 21 outdoor pools.
Data will drive the approach to identify neighbourhoods where cleaning blitzes are most needed. Crews will resolve 311 Service Requests as well as applying an equity lens to prioritize cleaning and repairs in historically underserved, low-income and vulnerable communities where the City typically receives fewer 311 Service Requests.
News Release
June 21, 2025
City of Toronto launches cleaning blitz to protect public spaces, streets, and parks
Today, Mayor Olivia Chow launched a new citywide initiative called Keep Toronto Beautiful aimed at keeping public spaces clean, safe and well-maintained. A clean city impacts public health, the environment, the economy and overall quality of life.
From now through fall, 300 to 400-person cleaning blitz crews will harness their energy to clean and refresh specific high cleaning-need areas. This work will include:
• Removal of graffiti, weeds and litter from streets, sidewalks, parks and other spaces
• Tree maintenance on streets and in parks
• Installing more than 600 new garbage and recycling bins in high-usage parks
• Intensified enforcement and clean-up of illegal dumping hotspots
• Street sweeping and clean-up of boulevards and laneways
• Repairs to potholes, bike lanes and bike rings
• Repainting pavement markings, including crosswalks, to improve road safety
These blitzes, planned for several Saturdays over a three-month period, are in addition to proactive daily patrols by City crews to identify and maintain areas in need of attention.
The City is also putting extra care into public parks and pools this summer with daily clean-up efforts that include repairing benches, picnic tables and other equipment, graffiti removal and litter pickup, as well as hiring up to 30 students to join summer park cleaning teams and adding more custodial staff to maintain 21 outdoor pools.
Data will drive the approach to identify neighbourhoods where cleaning blitzes are most needed. Crews will resolve 311 Service Requests as well as applying an equity lens to prioritize cleaning and repairs in historically underserved, low-income and vulnerable communities where the City typically receives fewer 311 Service Requests.
Admiral Beez
Superstar
In Tokyo, AIUI, in order to register a vehicle you must have an off-street place to park it. As this law does not effect me, and would benefit my neighbourhood I'd support it. I just asked ChatGPT:
In Tokyo (and across most of Japan), there is a national law called the:
"Garage Certificate" Requirement
(車庫証明書 / Shako Shomeisho)
Summary:
Under the Road Vehicle Act (道路運送車両法), anyone who wants to register a passenger car (except motorcycles and very small kei cars in some rural areas) must prove they have access to a permanent parking space near their residence—usually within 2 kilometers.
Key Requirements:
- You must submit a Shako Shomeisho (garage certificate) issued by the local police station.
- The parking space must be:
- Owned or leased (you’ll need documentation)
- Accessible 24/7
- Within a specified distance of your home
- Without it, you cannot register the vehicle, and thus cannot legally own or drive it.
Purpose:
- Reduce illegal street parking
- Prevent congestion
- Encourage efficient land use in dense urban areas like Tokyo
christiesplits
Senior Member
Nominations are open for the Ward 25 Scarborough-Rouge Park council byelection.
Election Day is on Monday, September 29.
www.toronto.ca
Election Day is on Monday, September 29.
Ward 25, Scarborough-Rouge Park By-Election: List of Certified Candidates & Third Party Advertisers
The following list contains website and/or social media links provided by candidates and third party advertisers to the City Clerk. The City Clerk provides these links to the public strictly as a convenience to promote citizen involvement in the municipal election. The City Clerk does not...
www.toronto.ca
Monarch Butterfly
Superstar
Northern Light
Superstar
Mayor Olivia Chow vows to end pool closures during extreme heat
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says she will be bringing forward a motion to make sure the city's pools stay open during blistering hot days.
toronto.citynews.ca
One arm of the City telling people to stay safe in the heat by cooling off in a local pool; meanwhile Parks is closing the pools for staff safety.....
OMG, SMH and some other NSFW things on top of those....
@DSCToronto is there anything this department can't mishandle?
txlseries4
Active Member
In a story about this from Toronto Today,Mayor Olivia Chow vows to end pool closures during extreme heat
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says she will be bringing forward a motion to make sure the city's pools stay open during blistering hot days.
One arm of the City telling people to stay safe in the heat by cooling off in a local pool; meanwhile Parks is closing the pools for staff safety.....
OMG, SMH and some other NSFW things on top of those....
@DSCToronto is there anything this department can't mishandle?
"In response to a question about why lifeguards didn't jump into the pools to cool off, Chow said that they are allowed to do so, but many are young and inexperienced at the job."
You're a lifeguard, you're hot, there's a pool right in front of you, and you just swelter without jumping in?? COME ON people. Chow getting no help from such a lack of critical thinking.
But in fairness, maybe some did and it wasn't a big help. I played soccer yesterday at 6 and it was brutal. I was in a daze for hours after.
Richard White
Senior Member
Honestly, if you're so young and inexperienced that you can't think for yourself, you shouldn't be responsible for saving lives.
It's not an excuse.
christiesplits
Senior Member
I believe lifeguards must be on the pool deck at all times (unless rescuing someone) to have a full view of the pool.
DSCToronto
Superstar
Member Bio
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2008
- Messages
- 22,042
- Reaction score
- 36,032
- Location
- St Lawrence Market Area
This, sent to me by a neighbour who wrote to Councillor Mallik's office. PFR 'at work'
Thank you for your email about the Copeland Transformer Station parkette and the condition of the Salmon Run fountain at the base of CN Tower and Rogers Centre. We share your concerns and agree these are important public spaces.
On your behalf, I had reached out to senior City staff within Toronto Hydro as well as the Economic Development & Culture division regarding a status update on this iconic fountain. Please find the responses I received below:
On the Copeland Transformer Station parkette:
“The parkette on the roof of the Copeland Transformer Station hasn’t been opened to the public yet.
Our Facilities Team is still working on the site and with City Staff to resolve an assortment of outstanding issues, primarily related to physical safety and security around an actively in-use Station with high voltage equipment and heavy-duty vehicle access. Arson and trespassing incidents around the station and parkette have raised particular concerns.
These issues have required us to take another look at preventative measures to have in place before the parkette can be safely opened. This includes safety and access related signage; pedestrian risk mitigations for unassumed road with semi-trailer truck access, security camera coverage and alarms for monitoring, etc.
We are hopeful that this work will be completed over the coming months with the parkette ready to open by the Fall of 2025.”
On the Salmon Run fountain:
“City Council approved funding for the restoration of Salmon Run beginning in 2025, as part of the Budget process. In 2025, City staff will be investigating the feasibility of restoration options, including repair and replacement of the fountain infrastructure, and a potential reimagining of the space. Staff will work with the local Councillor’s office and community partners to review these options and select a preferred path forward by the start of 2026. Construction is expected to take place over 2026-27.
The need for the restoration of the fountain has previously been discussed with community partners, but had been on hold with the intention of aligning work with the construction of a new building adjacent to the fountain area. With the timelines for this other building now delayed, the City will proceed with the fountain restoration.
In the interim, the City has engaged local artist Karen Roberts tocreate artwork on aluminium panels surrounding the fountain.She drew inspiration from Salmon Run for the artwork, with imagery reflecting the native ecosystem. The panels will both protect the safety of the site while construction is underway while also creating a more welcoming public space.”
Thank you once again for your engagement, and your care in ensuring that our public spaces are fun and accessible for all. I hope this was helpful.
Thank you for your email about the Copeland Transformer Station parkette and the condition of the Salmon Run fountain at the base of CN Tower and Rogers Centre. We share your concerns and agree these are important public spaces.
On your behalf, I had reached out to senior City staff within Toronto Hydro as well as the Economic Development & Culture division regarding a status update on this iconic fountain. Please find the responses I received below:
On the Copeland Transformer Station parkette:
“The parkette on the roof of the Copeland Transformer Station hasn’t been opened to the public yet.
Our Facilities Team is still working on the site and with City Staff to resolve an assortment of outstanding issues, primarily related to physical safety and security around an actively in-use Station with high voltage equipment and heavy-duty vehicle access. Arson and trespassing incidents around the station and parkette have raised particular concerns.
These issues have required us to take another look at preventative measures to have in place before the parkette can be safely opened. This includes safety and access related signage; pedestrian risk mitigations for unassumed road with semi-trailer truck access, security camera coverage and alarms for monitoring, etc.
We are hopeful that this work will be completed over the coming months with the parkette ready to open by the Fall of 2025.”
On the Salmon Run fountain:
“City Council approved funding for the restoration of Salmon Run beginning in 2025, as part of the Budget process. In 2025, City staff will be investigating the feasibility of restoration options, including repair and replacement of the fountain infrastructure, and a potential reimagining of the space. Staff will work with the local Councillor’s office and community partners to review these options and select a preferred path forward by the start of 2026. Construction is expected to take place over 2026-27.
The need for the restoration of the fountain has previously been discussed with community partners, but had been on hold with the intention of aligning work with the construction of a new building adjacent to the fountain area. With the timelines for this other building now delayed, the City will proceed with the fountain restoration.
In the interim, the City has engaged local artist Karen Roberts tocreate artwork on aluminium panels surrounding the fountain.She drew inspiration from Salmon Run for the artwork, with imagery reflecting the native ecosystem. The panels will both protect the safety of the site while construction is underway while also creating a more welcoming public space.”
Thank you once again for your engagement, and your care in ensuring that our public spaces are fun and accessible for all. I hope this was helpful.
Northern Light
Superstar
The decision to close will not have been taken by on-site lifeguards. It will have been taken by a Manager or Director.
Northern Light
Superstar
This is correct, but......
I don't know what protocol is at the moment, but it used to be standard to have 1 or 2 more life guards on duty, than are required.
This is what facilitates washroom breaks and meal breaks w/o closing the pool down.
On a really hot day, it used to be the norm than the supervisor came out and told a guard who'd been in the chair too long on a hot day to take 20, and they would start by taking a dip, and then going and sitting in the office or the shade and having a cold beverage (no not beer! LOL) You rotated who was out in the sun.
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evandyk
Senior Member
What the city appears to have done is take this guideline, which is produced by a union advocacy organization, and apply it mindlessly to all tasks being done by city workers.
www.ohcow.on.ca
If you are doing strenuous outdoor activity, it makes sense that things can get dangerous as it gets hotter, and maybe a humidex of 45 is too hot to do that type of work at all. When you're a lifeguard at a pool, you don't need to stop working because of a specific humidex reading. Your ordinary breaks are probably plenty, as long as you are properly hydrating.
Humidex-based Heat Stress Calculator and Plan (Indoor Workers) - OHCOW
The following Humidex-Based Heat Stress Calculator from OHCOW uses temperature and humidity percentage (%) to calculate humidex and provides recommended actions.
www.ohcow.on.ca
If you are doing strenuous outdoor activity, it makes sense that things can get dangerous as it gets hotter, and maybe a humidex of 45 is too hot to do that type of work at all. When you're a lifeguard at a pool, you don't need to stop working because of a specific humidex reading. Your ordinary breaks are probably plenty, as long as you are properly hydrating.
Northern Light
Superstar
We have a candidate list for Scaborough South-West.....
Two names jump out:
Former Councillor and perennial NDP candidate Neethan Shan
And Anu Sriskandarajah who is the wife of Scarborough South West Councillor Parthi Kandeval
Two names jump out:
Former Councillor and perennial NDP candidate Neethan Shan
And Anu Sriskandarajah who is the wife of Scarborough South West Councillor Parthi Kandeval