November 11th, 2009
Wednesday’s headlines
By Katia Snukal // 13 Comments
ISLAND AIRPORT
• Airport named for top ace [ Toronto Sun ]
• Like it or not, Billy Bishop Airport a go [ Toronto Star ]
ROAD TOLLS
• Can province fix 407 billing fiascos? [ Toronto Star ]
• It may be end of the road for road toll opposition [ Toronto Star ]
• Making a case for toll roads [ Toronto Star ]
CITY FINANCES
• Hand sanitizer costs Toronto $645,000 [ Toronto Star ]
• City ordered to release details of light-pole sale [ Globe & Mail ]
OTHER NEWS
• Toronto moves to slow expansion on Ossington [ Globe & Mail ]
• Let election games begin [ Toronto Sun ]
• Toronto ceremonies to honour fallen soldiers [ CBC News ]
• Bed bugs so bad in Toronto they'll soon spread on transit, in theatres, experts warn [ National Post ]
• Coyote fears grow in GTA [ Toronto Star ]
• Coyle: George Smitherman a selfless servant? Not necessarily [ Toronto Star ]
• Taxes driving business out, city told [ Toronto Star ]
• Transit riders planning TTC boycott to protest January fare hike [ National Post ]
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Why does everyone outside T.O. hate us?
Arrogance and disrespect, like naming Billy Bishop Airport for Toronto Island airport. Billy came from Owen Sound, NOT Toronto ! (We deserve to be hated)
Sorry Ken, but I fail to see your logic here. Say, is JFK a New Yorker? (But of course, the Big Apple is also widely hated, exactly because they are so arrogant that they name their airport JFK, aren't they).
Ken, I think it would be opposite, no? Toronto, the city that only thinks of itself (a falsehood, but for sake of argument), names its airport after somebody from the Ontario Hinterland. etc.
JFK was a President, Billy Bishop was a son of Owen Sound. In any case, trying to be like USA is not very Canadian, eh? (I have no problem with Pearson airport - he was our PM)
Arrogance is not Toronto's only fault, refusal to consider other's points of view is as well.
Well, ken, now one could argue you're being arrogant by not acknowledging that Bishop was a Canadian Hero, not just for Owen Sound.
This is getting a bit ridiculous.
Re: Taxes driving business out
Job growth is happening in the region surrounding Toronto, not in the city itself. This means that while more and more people live in Toronto, increasingly, they must travel, usually by car, to jobs outside the city.
In one story we hear about a social engineering plan to thwart business development on a successful strip of Ossington. In another story we lament how businesses are being driven out of the city. Perhaps there's a "goose that lays the golden egg" lesson to be learned here.
You are right Shawn, I should just stop arguing right here. Not that you cannot accuse Toronto (or Torontonians) of being arrogant, and a lot of people outside of TO certainly think so, but at least bring arguments that make some sense.
Much to the annoyance of Owen Sound, Toronto's Port Authority has gone ahead with a plan to rename the island airport after World War I flying ace Billy Bishop.
Perhaps Canada's most revered military hero, Bishop was born and raised in Owen Sound. The city of 21,000 feels it already has dibs on his name. Its small airport, for example, is called the Owen Sound Billy Bishop Regional Airport.
RE 407 tolls.
Anyone think that the billing and collection practices might infringe on the contract they have, and thus might void the contract?
McGuinty tried to argue that by raising tolls, 407 International had made "material changes" to the highway and thus the contract was void (which of course he lost).
Aren't we missing the real point? The only reason the TPA renamed the airport was to associate this unpopular airport with a popular Canadian hero. It's like naming a Walmart power centre after Tommy Douglas, and it is typical TPA douchebag behaviour.
The fact that Owen Sound folks are slamming Torontonians is just adding insult to injury. I mean, Owen Sound voted Conservative, not us, and it is the largely Conservative-appointed TPA that renamed the airport. How did Toronto wind up with the blame?
Why doesn't Owen Sound go yell at their Conservative MP, Larry Miller?
If congestion pricing and tolls are to work, there needs to be an alternative in place. Otherwise it becomes nothing more than a cash grab. Look at the 5 cent plastic bag charge: People used to get the plastic bag for the hell of it, but now that they charge people either bring their own bags or carry their items out on their own. People have choices.
If you were to toll to get into Downtown Toronto, I don't see too much of a problem with that since there are several commuting options: urban services (TTC subway, bus, and streetcar), regional services (GO trains, bus), and intercity services (VIA train, AMTRAK train, Ontario Northland train, bus, Greyhound bus, etc). However if you put up a toll between Markham and Pickering, that ends up being nothing more than a cash grab.
I have always thought that pole sale was odd and am happy we will finally get details on it.
Comment by scottd
November 11, 2009 | 10:14 am