Image Problem

TTC staff are not doing much to improve their image. It started with this last year. Last week this happened. And now this story has surfaced. Is it getting worse, or was it always just this bad, but it just never became public? To me, these are just warning signs of deeper problems in city.

Lost Train Stations

This BlogTO post reminds us that there was a time when train travel was the norm in Toronto. But, as the photo of Moore Park Station shows, even in 1909 some of the rail lines had already falled into disuse. What's with the turrets? Don Station has one too; maybe it was the same architect.

Of the stations from the early 1900s, Don Station is one of only two that were saved. It has been restored at the Toronto Railway Heritage Centre (the web site could use an update). The other station is the North Toronto CPR Station which is now an LCBO outlet and is the largest liquor store in Canada.

Toronto's Past

If you are intested in Toronto's past, this is interesting to play with on a rainy day. If the weather is nice, this iPhone app might be more useful for people on the go.

Lions And Lambs

Spring is barely four days old and we got our first spring snow storm already. I doubt it will be our last snowfall; the odds are against us with another three months of spring to go.

There's a saying about March coming in like a lamb (or lion) and going out like a lion (or lamb). It means that when March starts out mild or stormy, it ends with the opposite condition.

As with most sayings, it is a bit vague. Does the phrase "comes in" apply to 1 March exactly or is there a range? This March started mild but cold. Then there was a snow storm on 5-6 March. So did March come in like a lamb or a lion?

Inquiring minds want to know. ^_^

The Ugliest Season

Is the surprising warm weather a teaser for an early spring or is mother nature rubbing our noses in the fact it is still the middle of winter? I wish I could have enjoyed the mild conditions but as usual I had to work. The good news is the snow banks have shrunk significantly. Yay! The bad news is we get to see what was buried under them. Eeew! This is one of the reasons I don't like spring: it's the ugliest season of all, in my opinion.

Want More Snow?

OK, so Toronto didn't get the 20-30cm of snow that was forecast but the 10cm was enough, thanks. I really hate it when someone accuses others of being wimps because it was only a little snow. "We're Canadians, this is nothing!" Every time someone says that, we should arrange to have all the snow in his neighbourhood dumped on his property. You want more snow? Here, have ours.

When I was in my 20s (perhaps even into my 30s), I didn't feel this way about snow. As I got older with many more problems to worry about, snow has become just another problem. So I guess the moral of this post is: don't get old. ^_^

Fun Times

If Rob Ford's first day on the job is any indication, we are in for some fun times. The packets of gravy from the out going mayor's staff, were a nice touch. Um, Ford locked himself in his office on his first day? Fun times indeed. ^_^

One thing is already clear. Ford actually thinks that the Mayor has power, judging by his announcement that we are going to build a subway instead of a surface LRT, which he incorrectly called street cars. In the highly unlikely event that Ford somehow convinces the provincial and federal governments to support his projects, that support can be withdrawn at any time, effectively killing the project.

Of course, this may be Ford's plan so he can simply blame the other levels of government when a project fails to get off the ground.

I Fear For Toronto

I fear for Toronto after the next municipal election. We have a bunch of clowns running for mayor. There isn't single one that is worthwhile voting for. What is the informed voter to do? Not voting is just shirking one's civic duty.

Jumping Off The CN Tower

Here's a little bit of Toronto history from the torontoist blog about stuntman Dar Robinson's jump off the CN tower in 1980. Actually, he had already performed the stunt once before for a movie, but he used a parachute that time.

The second time was far more dangerous with only a single wire attached to an experimental braking system to break his fall. Bad weather and the wind vortexes around the Tower were other factors that he had to contend with. Both these risks are graphically demonstrated in the video using a test dummy. Dar had good reason to be nervous when he finally took the plunge on August 12, 1980.

It's Here!

Ah well, I guess there's no avoiding it. The snow, I mean. The torontoist blog made a time lapse video of our first snow storm last night. I hope they plan to do this for all the storms. This one wasn't very bad, but the snow turned to rain and made it really hard to shovel. Wet snow is heavy!

This is only the beginning... A sign of things to come... ominous silence.

Snow Record

Toronto set a record! We made it into December without any snow for the first time in over 160 years. Then they tell you Toronto only gets 8% of its snow in October and November. Kind of puts the record in perspective, doesn't it?

The Walk Across Toronto

I accidentally found an old series of articles by reporter Peter Kuitenbrouwer of the National Post as he walks through Toronto's suburbs. It offers a different perspective on Toronto that you won't find in the travel brochures. The series also reaffirms that the only way to explore a city is on foot.

It is a long read so allow yourself about 20 minutes for the whole series. Oh, and the link points to the end of the series. The first article is at the end of the second page of the list.

Strike Review

With the city worker strike over and normal services resuming tomorrow, just how messy did Toronto get? Torontoist.com ran a strikewatch feature for the 39 days of the strike and also made a time lapse video of two garbage cans. The good, the bad, and the ugly side of Toronto.