Morning Brew: Toronto committee votes to privatize garbage collection, Jarivs ain't gridlocked at all, love on the GO, OPG wants to store nuclear waste underground, and Jays win again
After a 12-hour long meeting, the committee in charge of Toronto's solid waste voted to contract out 300 garbage collection jobs in the city. But the other side didn't go down without a fight. Union president Mark Ferguson, as well as 70 people, spoke out against the plan. The evening wasn't without theatrics, including the usage of props. At one point councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong heaved three bankers' boxes atop a table to discredit a point made by Ferguson. Later, one garbage worker said that privatization made him feel like "a piece of garbage" and to prove his point, he stepped into a clear plastic bag. The recommendation to privatize much of the city's garbage service will now go before a full council meeting next month--hopefully without all the melodrama.
Despite the removal of a car lane last summer to create two cycling lanes on Jarvis Street, there haven't been major traffic delays for motorists as some had earlier predicted. Most car trips still take six to nine minutes, even during the morning grind, which was the average length prior to the bike lane installation between Charles Street and Queen Street. However, the afternoon rush northbound is taking longer than the city predicted. Bicycle traffic increased about 30 per cent between May and October 2010, and with 8 BIXI stations scheduled on or near Jarvis, that number is expected to increase.
Did you do your taxes yet? Chances are, you haven't. A list compiled by TurboTax Online shows Toronto comes up on top as the biggest procrastinator when it comes to filing taxes. Some excuses made by people to 680 News included: Easter, the NHL playoffs, the Royal Wedding, they had to wash their hair...Anyway, it's a good idea to file them soon because you might to get to benefit from those GST and HST credits.
If you're a romantic at heart, you might like the National Post's part two of their series about the GO Train way of life. Today's edition reveals the fascination--maybe infatuation--with Shout Outs found in t.o.night's back pages. There, fellow GO Train commuters like "Gucci Man" try to get catch each other's attention, like "Girl with a Great View," with whispers of sweet nothings or, at least, something.
IN BRIEF:
Photo by Martin Reis in the blogTO Flickr pool.
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