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Messages - romank

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31
General Discussion / Re: New jargon! ‘Multi-use’ paths vs. side *WALKS*
« on: September 04, 2023, 08:38:42 pm »
Recent... City-TV news coverage showed cyclists weaving all over the place in some sort of "greenbelt" signage? And to pedestrians or scooters/unicycles/other motorists in sight??? Weird.

https://25problems.com/images/greenbelt-sign.jpg

Breaking news Monday evening had housing minister Steve Clark packing it in.

32
General Discussion / New jargon! ‘Multi-use’ paths vs. side *WALKS*
« on: August 23, 2023, 05:48:39 pm »
At several purported ‘consultations’ in my neck of what's left of the tree canopy, I have noticed that developer's are starting to use the term ‘multi-use paths’. Seems kind of odd, eg. an implication that it's somehow a good idea to encourage more vehicular traffic on what used to be called the side *WALK*. Walk. The thing that you used to do with your legs, remember?

Yesterday I saw an adult male (mid-40's?) ride his racing bicycle at speed full on through the automatic doors of the supermarket. Excuse me, automatic doors were put in for the benefit of people who use canes and wheelchairs or who are carrying groceries. Not cycling!

I said something like "that looks safe" to which I think he replied "yes I know" or some similar inane "me first, I/Me/Mine" comment.

*Here's a recent picture* of the bus stop at the south-west corner of Mount Pleasant and Eglinton Avenue East.

In this new design the bus stopped approximately where the black car used to be; the green dotted line roughly represents my path to the door of the bus's on ramp. The black dotted line stretches across the "bike path" - and so woe to the errant pedestrian or wheelchair user who gets in the way of a busy Uber driver.  I suppose that an interesting discussion of the "air rights" over the bike path as you try to board the bus is pending.

I'm not sure what the bumpy yellow things are for as they sort of parallel the multipath before doing a left into the roadway!

En route to the bus I of course had to dodge zig-zagging Bird scooters which have taken over the multipath. (Careening red arrow)

It has only recently occurred to me that perhaps the reason we are replacing actual public meetings with fly-by-night ‘consultations’ is that the former might invoke some sort of adherence to the Rules Of Order.  >:(

Related CBC news item: pedestrian struck by e-scooter includes a viewer comments section.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/escooter-regulations-toronto-1.6942906

34
General Discussion / Rally for affordable housing
« on: July 26, 2023, 12:16:01 am »
I saw this flyer posted on the street the other day. I took a picture with my cell phone and cleaned it up a bit.

Tap or click the image to enlarge it to a printable version.


[size=25].[/size]

On the down side, I live near the rally site and I can say that although there were a couple of hundred people at a recent planning town hall “style”  event — lots of luck getting their notes on what was said or implied, and their general reactions — overall *very few* people take part in the development process.  :(

I don't understand why tall condos are so... popular. Is it because affluent investors like them? You don't have to look very far to see reports of problems... no-one can say that the list of regulatory tribunals isn't growing!

https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/house-documents/parliament-42/session-1/2021-04-12/hansard#P249_15129

36
General Discussion / Re: Climate action debate June 5
« on: July 14, 2023, 05:02:36 pm »
Bit of a follow-up... the debate of a handful of candidates at OCAD was recorded. Big file, 700 Mb, two hours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWGhjbzxLYU

37
Air Conditioners / Re: AC, humidifier, HEPA myths
« on: July 10, 2023, 03:25:48 pm »
A lawyer from CELA was on the CBC television news network on Sunday evening talking about the climate crisis and older renters who swelter in aging, badly maintained buildings. She mentioned a need for a shift in government policy. I was lucky to be able to capture a few seconds of her parting comments with my cell phone. (short video clip)

https://cela.ca

38
General Discussion / Toronto Mayor, Who to Vote For?
« on: June 26, 2023, 09:19:34 pm »
Heh heh... there is a bit of a logic bomb happening with the display of the message about Mark Saunders and imagined cuts to city services to fund the $1,000  tax break.

In the list under "Announcements" it says there are "zero replies" to the Saunders message. Um, that's because Jo Average user *can't* directly reply to it!!!

Just saying.

39
General Discussion / Re: Rent strike item Sat June 3
« on: June 04, 2023, 06:36:43 pm »
Apparently this action is for real. I spoke to someone who attended a protest or dialogue/action over the weekend, and this person (who lives in a nearby building that is likewise a bit run down) spoke to a lawyer who was advising one of the striking tenants.

40
General Discussion / Re: Climate action debate June 5
« on: June 03, 2023, 08:53:41 pm »
The June 5 event has been cancelled. I wasn't a fan of the Willcocks Street location. Some sort of 'faculty club' and they can only accomodate 140 people? Doesn't sound too hot.

41
General Discussion / Rent strike item Sat June 3
« on: June 03, 2023, 04:34:15 pm »
According to an Op/Ed item in the Toronto Star today (Saturday June 3) some people living at 71, 75 and 79 Thorncliffe Park Drive are on a rent strike

42
General Discussion / Mayoral by-election
« on: June 01, 2023, 06:38:26 pm »
I guess this has been eclipsed by coverage of the security threat and the cancellation of Thursday's "debate", but several dissenting mayoral candidates and their supporters took to the sidewalk outside the Ted Rogers school of business WEDNESDAY night.

https://25problems.com/images/20230531_2102h-1024x.jpg
 

43
General Discussion / Lily Cheng event May 30
« on: May 29, 2023, 09:06:35 pm »
Further to my mention of The Edge Becomes The Center: An Oral History Of Gentrification by "DW Gibson", this thing that Toronto city councillor Lily Cheng is doing tomorrow night sounds really on the ball.

If I'm not mistaken the... featured guest at a Jack Astor's bar location in the 5,000's on Yonge St. will be Teardown author
Dave Meslin. Woah! It's a very, very readable analysis for those of us who don't live at Queen's Park or on Parliament Hill, 24/7.

It's available on Google Books and I assume at major booksellers. Published by Penguin Random House.

Way to go, Councillor Cheng!

44
General Discussion / Venice Architecture Biennale
« on: May 21, 2023, 10:07:28 pm »
There was a rare mention on the radio, Sunday evening, of alternative housing and construction concepts - way different approaches to what you usually see and hear about in this neck of the woods. The item by CBC correspondent Megan Williams on the 6 p.m. news (“The World This Weekend”) was about an event in Italy - the Venice Architecture Biennale - and it actually mentioned calls for "intensification" and gentrification taxes!!!

Although I was able to grab the audio from the internet, I had a bit of difficulty tracking the rest of piece down... ok, here is the web page, and I'm still working on the transcript since the text and the audio report that was on the radio are not exactly the same thing.

I did post a short audio clip: https://25problems.com/audio/venice-outtake.mp3

The 6 p.m. radio program mentioned CBC's presence on Youtube, but (again) I wasn't able to locate the specific audio report. There was a related interview with Lesley Lokko though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KTNPh0EH4Q

45
General Discussion / Climate action debate June 5
« on: May 19, 2023, 08:00:34 pm »
Climate discussion for mayoral candidates at the University of Toronto, downtown campus.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/630417314157

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