Photo: "burkie's poutine dog" by StudioGabe, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):

Make the Better Way better says Toronto's mayoral candidates. Hard to argue with calls to improve the TTC, but it's also hard to ignore that George Smitherman, Rocco Rossi and Joe Pantalone have a reason to gang up on the TTC: that might be the way to knock Adam Giambrone (the only candidate not available for comment) out of the race first.

Could bike lanes be coming to University Avenue? City planners are considering it and drivers are already opposing it. Nothing like a bike lane discussion to bring out the friendliest of Torontonians.

Making plans for a special Valentine's weekend dinner and want more than dinner? Head to Mildred's Temple Kitchen. The Liberty Village hotspot is actively encouraging couples to have sex in the champagne bathroom. The unisex bathrooms offer considerably more space - and creature comforts - than those on an airplane, and the effort is condoned by Toronto Public Health ("As far as bodily fluids, it's pretty much similar to the other human functions going on in there.").

Waterfront Toronto is in a bit of hot water and mired in a years-long process of fiberoptically connecting homes and businesses in the West Don Lands. Now they'll have to massage the system to obtain Canadian controlling interest in the communications company poised to create "i-Waterfront". Still, I seem to be missing the point. Why is this worth the hundreds of thousands it has cost thus far?

A condo tower at 1 Bloor East appears poised to rise again, this time to a "modest" 60 some stories instead of the original 80. Bazis International was forced to sell to Great Gulf when Lehman Brothers' bankruptcy crippled Bazis. Barring another global financial meltdown it seems Great Gulf has their Phoenix.

Last night Toronto teams did a role reversal. Featuring a roster of new players was enough to propel the Leafs to a 3-0 win while the Raptors were (temporarily?) knocked off their growing pedestal by the Pacers (130-115). Despite strong performances by the new Leafs - and perhaps some fans beginning work on the next bandwagon - expect the roles to switch back shortly.