MetaFilter posts tagged with Toronto

For Sale: A Video of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford Smoking Crack Cocaine

(Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:39:46 -0800

"Rob Ford, Toronto's conservative mayor, is a wild lunatic given to making bizarre racist pronouncements and randomly slapping refrigerator magnets on cars. One reason for this is that he smokes crack cocaine. I know this because I watched him do it, on a videotape. He was fucking hiiiiigh. It's for sale if you've got six figures." [single link Gawker]

It's Just Toronto

frimble — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:38:03 -0800

Between 1986 and 1993, rather than showing a test pattern, Global Television would, in the dead hours of the night, broadcast long videos of walking and driving through Toronto. Three shows, of one "episode" each, were produced, the aforementioned Night Walk and Night Drive, as well as a walking/driving/nightlife video, called Night Moves (1, 2, 3) which ran on a loop between the end of one broadcasting day and the start of the next. Best of all for Global, they counted as Canadian Content, allowing the channel to broadcast American shows in more desirable time slots. The shows, well-known to insomniacs, certainly contain a sense of nostalgia for those who were up early or late enough to see them. Beyond that, they offer up a time capsule of Toronto in the early 80s. (Previously)

And not like in Batman Forever.

ricochet biscuit — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 06:38:02 -0800

To celebrate the end of the NHL lockout, Toronto recently hosted a game of shinny: superheroes vs. supervillains, with Commissioner Gordon as referee. Toronto Batman is a common sight downtown often locked in combat with Toronto Spiderman. They put aside their differences last week to front a team against Chicago Bane. The lineups: Heroes: Toronto Batman, Spider-Man, Rogue, Gambit, and Toronto Maple Leafs Iron Man. Villains: Chicago Bane with Toronto's Joker, Mystique, Catwoman, and Deadpool. Referee: Commissioner Gordon

The gravy won

mightygodking — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 07:49:12 -0800

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford (previously, also previously) has been kicked out of office for violating the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act after being found to have deliberately voted at city council on a measure related to his own pecuniary interests (previously). Full decision here. Ford may run for Mayor again in 2014. (Ford is widely expected to appeal the decision and request that the order be stayed in the meantime.)

100th Grey Cup / 100e Coupe Grey

Homeboy Trouble — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 07:24:51 -0800

Today, in Toronto, the Grey Cup will be awarded for the 100th time, to the CFL champion. What is it? What is the history? Who is playing? Why was someone riding a horse in the best hotel in town? The History In 1909, Albert Henry George Grey, the 4th Earl Grey and grandson of the second Earl (and UK Prime Minister) Charles Grey, bought a silver cup for $48. Grey, who was the Governor General of Canada at the time, intended to give it for the amateur senior hockey championship. Beaten to the punch by Sir Montagu Allan, he decided to give the trophy to the Canadian football champion instead. In the intervening years, the Grey Cup has been won in the mud, in thrilling last-second victories, unbelievable comebacks, and in -17ºC (1ºF) temperatures. Along the way, the trophy has been broken, burned in a fire and attacked by the Taliban in Kandahar (twice). The Game Canadian football originated in the mid 1860s, out of an early versions of rugby; this "Rugby-football" spread to the US in 1874 and became American football. The two sports are very similar; perhaps the most noticeable of the differences is that Canadian football has 3 downs rather than 4; along with the wider (and longer field) and unlimited backfield motion, this leads to a more open, faster game with more passing. The 100th team to be engraved on the Grey Cup will be either the Toronto Argonauts or the Calgary Stampeders. Toronto had previously been selected as the host city, with the game being played in the Rogers Centre (formerly called the SkyDome). The Toronto Argonauts hosted the Edmonton Eskimos in the Eastern semifinal before heading to Montreal for a win against Anthony Calvillo (the all-time passing leader - CFL or NFL) and the Montreal Alouettes. The Argos went 9-9 in the regular season, with newly acquired quarterback Ricky Ray. One player to look out for is receiver/kick returner Chad Owens, who set the league record for single season yardage (3,863) and was awarded the Most Outstanding Player award, the CFL's highest. (Historical note; the Argonauts name comes from the rowing club that founded the team in 1873 -- they are the oldest professional team in North America still playing under the same name.) The Calgary Stampeders made it to the big game by beating the rival Saskatchewan Roughriders, before upsetting the defending champion BC Lions in Vancouver last weekend. The team finished the regular season 12-6 with some uncertainty at quarterback; that has been settled with young Drew Tate breaking his arm in the semi-final against Saskatchewan, clearing the way for recently acquired 12-year veteran Kevin Glenn. The Stamps also have a strong running game, led by 2012 Most Outstanding Canadian Jon Cornish, who thanked his two moms from the podium. This year's game could be a close-fought match; the Stampeders have the momentum, but the Argos have beaten them in the last five meetings. The two best-known mayors in the country, Toronto's conservative, football-loving, streetcar-hating Rob Ford and Calgary's liberal, policy wonk, former professor Naheed Nenshi agreed to a bet over Twitter -- the losing mayor will donate their weight in food to the other city's food bank. The provincial premiers have followed, with even the zookeepers in the respective cities getting in on the action. People betting actual money give Calgary a slight advantage, a spread of about 1.5 points. The Festival The Grey Cup can be compared to the Superbowl, but it is in many ways a more inclusive event. A festival is held in the host city before the game. Every team in the league -- as well as the Atlantic Schooners, a hypothetical team at best -- has a party night (or two) hosted by a contingent of their fans. Many dedicated followers attend every year, regardless of their team's performance. (Or even their existence.) In addition to the parties, concerts and street festival, the Canadian university football championship (the Vanier Cup) was played on Friday night. The Laval Rouge et Or pounded the defending champion McMaster Marauders, 37-14, in front of a record crowd in the Rogers Centre. The festival as a national phenomenon first began in 1948, when host city Toronto was hit with an invasion of rowdy Calgary fans; the Stampeders finished the only perfect season in CFL history, but two other traditions were born. The Calgary Grey Cup committee provided a free pancake breakfast on the steps of City Hall to all comers, which has become an annual tradition. A reveller also rode into legend by riding a horse through the lobby of the prestigious Royal York Hotel. This has also become a Stampeder fan tradition, with horses being ridden in hotel lobbies around the country. A return to the Royal York ride wasattempted again this year -- the hotel refused at first, but the horse rode again this year. Of course, there's also a halftime show during the game itself. The good news is that instead of the usual over-the-hill rock act, they've managed to hire the two Canadian music stars who have had the most global popularity in 2012. The bad(?) news is that they happen to be Justin Bieber and Carly Rae Jepsen. (Not that it couldn't be worse.) Gordon Lightfoot will also be on hand. The 100th Grey Cup will kick off at 6PM Argonaut (EST) / 4PM Stampeder (MST) on TSN. Over 50 Cineplex Theatres nationwide are showing the game on the movie screen. In the United States, the NBC Sports Network will show the game live. Previously on Metafilter: The 89th Grey Cup. The 1963 Grey Cup (and the hard feelings that linger.)

No rights are absolute and there is no hierarchy of rights.

saucysault — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 06:53:47 -0800

A woman wanting a mans-style hair-cut was denied one by a Toronto barber because his religion forbids him from touching a woman he is not related to. The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario is expected to hear the issue if mediation fails, as a competing rights issue where there is a conflict between two individuals exercising their rights. The OBA (warning, cheesy music autoplay) defends some Barbershops as a men's-only space tradition dating back to Ancient Greece, while others point to womens-only spaces like spas that are allowed to continue to operate while discriminating against men.

Planet Toronto

modernnomad — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 12:28:05 -0800

Planet Toronto - a timelapse video. After catching the attention of Toronto's tourist board through selfmade "video love letters to Toronto" uploaded to Vimeo, Ryan Emond was given a budget and access to more locations to create a longer version.

A Victory for the Caretaker of Dreams

modernnomad — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 08:20:41 -0800

The Caretaker of Dreams Wins The first time the rainbow mysteriously appeared on a tunnel visible from the Don Valley Parkway, the North York parks department painted over it. But the guerrilla mural artist — known as “the Caretaker of Dreams” — persevered, eventually winning them over. Now, 40 years later, the city has officially restored the psychedelic mural that has brought smiles to countless grim commutes — just as the artist intended.

The BICE Study

Blasdelb — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 03:44:58 -0800

Our study, “Bicyclists’ Injuries and the Cycling Environment” (the BICE Study), examined which route types are associated with higher and lower cycling injury risk. It examined the association between bicyclists’ injuries and the cycling environment (e.g., route types, intersection types). Taking place in Toronto and Vancouver between May 2008 and November 2009, the participants were adults who were injured while bicycling and who attended hospital emergency departments for treatment. Five hospitals recruited participants, 690 in total. Summary of the results:

Of the 690 injured cyclists in the study, 59% were male. The injury trips were mainly on weekdays (77%), less than 5 km long (68%), and for utilitarian purposes (74%). Of the injury events, 72% were collisions (with motor vehicles, route features, people, or animals) and 28% were falls. We found that route infrastructure does affect the risk of cycling injuries. The most commonly observed route type was major streets with parked cars and no bike infrastructure. It had the highest risk. In comparison, the following route types had lower risks (starting with the safest route type):
cycle tracks (also known as “separated” or “protected” bike lanes) alongside major streets (about 1/10 the risk)
residential street bike routes (about 1/2 the risk)
major streets with bike lanes and no parked cars (about 1/2 the risk)
off-street bike paths (about 6/10 the risk)
The following infrastructure features had increased risk:
streetcar or train tracks (about 3 times higher than no tracks)
downhill grades (about 2 times higher than flat routes)
construction (about 2 times higher than no construction)

The Results have also been published in thwo peer reviewed articles:

Personal and trip characteristics associated with safety equipment use by injured adult bicyclists: a cross-sectional study: The aim of this study was to estimate use of helmets, lights, and visible clothing among cyclists and to examine trip and personal characteristics associated with their use. Using data from a study of transportation infrastructure and injuries to 690 adult cyclists in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada, we examined the proportion who used bike lights, conspicuous clothing on the torso, and helmets on their injury trip. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine associations between personal and trip characteristics and each type of safety equipment. Bike lights were the least frequently used (20% of all trips) although they were used on 77% of trips at night. Conspicuous clothing (white, yellow, orange, red) was worn on 33% of trips. Helmets were used on 69% of trips, 76% in Vancouver where adult helmet use is required by law and 59% in Toronto where it is not. Factors positively associated with bike light use included night, dawn and dusk trips, poor weather conditions, weekday trips, male sex, and helmet use. Factors positively associated with conspicuous clothing use included good weather conditions, older age, and more frequent cycling. Factors positively associated with helmet use included bike light use, longer trip distances, hybrid bike type, not using alcohol in the 6 hours prior to the trip, female sex, older age, higher income, and higher education. In two of Canada's largest cities, helmets were the most widely used safety equipment. Measures to increase use of visibility aids on both daytime and night-time cycling trips may help prevent crashes. Route Infrastructure and the Risk of Injuries to Bicyclists: A Case-Crossover Study We compared cycling injury risks of 14 route types and other route infrastructure features. We recruited 690 city residents injured while cycling in Toronto or Vancouver, Canada. A case-crossover design compared route infrastructure at each injury site to that of a randomly selected control site from the same trip. Of 14 route types, cycle tracks had the lowest risk (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.11; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.02, 0.54), about one ninth the risk of the reference: major streets with parked cars and no bike infrastructure. Risks on major streets were lower without parked cars (adjusted OR = 0.63; 95% CI = 0.41, 0.96) and with bike lanes (adjusted OR = 0.54; 95% CI = 0.29, 1.01). Local streets also had lower risks (adjusted OR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.31, 0.84). Other infrastructure characteristics were associated with increased risks: streetcar or train tracks (adjusted OR = 3.0; 95% CI = 1.8, 5.1), downhill grades (adjusted OR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.7, 3.1), and construction (adjusted OR = 1.9; 95% CI = 1.3, 2.9). The lower risks on quiet streets and with bike-specific infrastructure along busy streets support the route-design approach used in many northern European countries. Transportation infrastructure with lower bicycling injury risks merits public health support to reduce injuries and promote cycling.

Sic transit gloria Zanta

ricochet biscuit — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 14:50:47 -0800

Zanta (previously, previously) was a fixture of the streets of Toronto for several years. Zanta (b. David Zancai) was a muscular, shirtless man in a Santa hat who entertained passersby for years and he was the subject of a 2007 graphic novel and a documentary film. His absence the last few years had been noticed and commented on. Zanta (or someone pretending to be him) launched a Twitter-based mayoral campaign in 2009 but he had been quiet since then. The Toronto Star reveals today that Zancai is alive, living with his mother and being medicated for his schizophrenia.

How to romance a Scott Pilgrim Fan

jb — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 13:28:37 -0800

A Scott Pilgrim themed trip to Toronto, followed by a surprise (single-link photo album).

Banjo Underground

mannequito — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 18:50:10 -0800

I Was Climbin The Stairs At Machu Picchu / Found My Cellphone And Tried To Reach You. Chester, Nova Scotia's Old Man Luedecke does what he does best: strums a banjo and tells some wandering stories, live at Toronto's Great Hall. Also in his backyard. On his davenport. In the bathtub. Sometimes he does covers. Sometimes he makes them more interesting by translating them into a language he doesn't speak.

When did David Lynch start directing nhl games?

mannequito — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 16:44:06 -0800

The NHL is facing the possibility of a lockout and Mexican fire hockey is still in the early stages of a comeback, so what's a hockey fan to do? Humor and/or Humour blog Down Goes Brown has your back with extensive archives and a new book. If you get desperate, you could even try their long-running series analyzing Obscure Moments in Toronto Maple Leaf History. Obscure Leaf Moments: That time Pat Quinn screwed up the lineup card during a playoff game Markov Salutes Jagr The final seconds of game seven against the Sharks Gary Leeman vs. Denis Savard That time Mike Foligno kicked Curtis Joseph in the face Everything that happened immediately after the Clark-McSorley fight Nikolai Borschevsky's post-game interview with Ron MacLean

Going off the rails on a Gravy Train

spoobnooble II: electric bugaboo — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 12:38:43 -0800

Don't look now, but Toronto mayor (and perennial Metafilter favourite) Rob Ford may be kicked out of office due to a conflict of interest charge. Not that it needed to come to this. Still, this could put an end to one of the strangest mayoralties in Canadian history (and this is coming from the city that elected Mel Lastman twice, no less). Ford's term as mayor has become of topic of conversation among many Torontonians, with even his brother Doug and his niece Krista getting in on the ongoing controversy. As for the man himself, Rob Ford believes the voters and not the courts should decide whether he stays or goes.

Hidden Canadiana

yellowbinder — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 12:42:06 -0800

Visual effects artist Avi Salem reveals The CN Tower's secret messages. (via)

We all like the shopper who travels before or after rush hours

jb — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 14:26:00 -0800

Transit etiquette of yesteryear (courtesy of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and blogto.com). We may no longer think that shoppers - inevitably depicted as women - have no place on the rush hour streetcar, but some things never change. Move to the back of the car, please!

Designated Protest Space

netbros — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 13:43:38 -0800

Guerrilla art group hacks dozens of Astral info pillars. The city's new, redesigned info pillars that have been rapidly popping up around Toronto have made plenty of enemies: road users claim the large, flat sides block sight lines, pedestrians say their positioning blocks sidewalks, and many others are concerned about the large amount of space given over to advertisers. A team of artists, cARTographyTO, hacked into roughly 35 of the signs' ad spaces over the weekend and installed maps, artwork and other visual displays.

Toronto transit

andrewesque — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 20:19:49 -0800

If you've ever wanted to know the history of each of Toronto's streetcar lines, how to identify different TTC subway trains, the chronology of Toronto's Christmas-painted buses, or really anything else you can think of (and more) about Toronto's transit system: Transit Toronto is an unofficial but fantastically detailed site about the TTC. The promised streetcar route histories; field guide to ID subway trains; and the chronology of Christmas buses. But do explore: if you're at all a transit/transportation/Toronto enthusiast, you'll find a wealth of reading material. (This Chicagoan is currently learning all he can about the TTC!)

They weren't attending a straight university

frimble — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 21:01:45 -0800

From 1968 to 1975, Rochdale College existed as co-op housing and as an experimental college, affiliated with the University of Toronto. Before it closed, it was the largest free university in North America. Rochdale was an 18-story building, near Yorkville, built in a combination of regular apartments and communal living spaces known as ashrams. The ashrams were groups of apartments with shared dining facilities and washrooms, collectively responsible for rent and upkeep. Decision-making was through consensus and multiple models were tried, in an attempt to maintain the project's ideals while cutting down on how many meetings went until the small hours of the morning. Education at Rochdale was built around a freeform model. The college ran its own radio station and had several studios, but anyone could start a discussion seminar and anyone could participate. It also served as a haven for American draft dodgers and as a major centre for anti-Vietnam War organisation. By the early 70s, though, Rochdale was well-known as a major hub of drug distribution in Toronto. While the stated intent of people like Rosie Rowbotham was to perform a public service, making sure that people could get drugs safely and easily, the college became increasingly tied to biker gangs, especially the Vagabonds, who offered security services while using several floors of the building to sell drugs. In 1975, the last of the residents were removed, and the doors welded shut. A University of Toronto media project, interviewing former residents: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 Pictures of Rochdale, from the York University archives

Live on Air Canada Flight AC 876

chococat — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:38:17 -0800

If you live in Toronto, you may have seen them busking in the street or in the parks. But if you were a stranded passenger on Air Canada flight AC 876, which was delayed for 20 minutes on the tarmac at Pearson Airport in Toronto en route to Romania, then you got to see the Lemon Bucket Orkestra play an impromptu 4 song performance. They reached Romania safely and are on their way to play the International Romani Art Festival in Bucuresti.

“Hey, you know what they say about the stone the builder refused.” No, what do they say? “Look it up.”

256 — Sun, 06 May 2012 07:05:07 -0800

Toronto FC has set a new record in Major League Soccer by opening the season with eight consecutive losses. This despite having earlier in the year gone all the way to the semifinals in the CONCACAF Champions League with the same lineup (the CONCACAF Champions League is the international championship for all North American, Central American, and Caribbean clubs).

The most recent loss came at the hands of a DC United side including Toronto native and former TFC captain Dwayne De Rosario. When asked to comment on TFC's dire predicament and the coaching of Aron Winter (who was responsible for trading De Rosario away from Toronto), the MLS MVP made an oblique reference to Psalm 118.

The Ethnic Aisle

chunking express — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 07:08:03 -0800

The Ethnic Aisle discusses race and multiculturalism in Toronto. Their current "issue" is about Hair. Their previous issue invited White writers to write about being White. Edgy! They've also discussed Christmas and interracial dating. There's lot of interesting stuff to read.

Being fired for being honest

mightygodking — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:20:04 -0800

Gary Webster is the general manager for the Toronto Transit Commission. Last year, Mayor Rob Ford (previously), after cancelling the Transit City light rail expansion in favour of a subway into Toronto's east end (also previously), asked Webster to prepare a report on the viability of such a subway line. Webster did so, and gave his honest opinion, which was that the Sheppard subway was not economically viable. Ford buried the report, and after the Toronto Star discovered its existence, Ford then requested that Webster speak to City Council about the pros and cons of subways and light rail. Webster advised against subways as City Council overruled Ford and reinstated a light rail-based transit plan. Ford's allies on the Toronto Transit Commission then petitioned for a special meeting to fire Webster (despite severance clauses that could cost the city more than a million dollars). They voted 5-4 to fire Gary Webster this afternoon. (Torontoist's liveblog of the meeting.)

Through a Glass, Smartly

modernnomad — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:03:40 -0800

Through a Glass, Smartly Larry Sherk is one of the world's foremost brewerianists, a collector of beer stuff who over 40 years has amassed the country's second-largest private collection of beer labels (about 3,000), many of which date to the late 1800s. Last year, in a desperate attempt to clear some space in his house, Sherk donated the labels to the Thomas Fisher Rare Books Library at the University of Toronto. You can see many of the labels on flickr, here, here, and here.

FML Listings

mcwetboy — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:29:29 -0800

FML Listings posts incredulous commentary about outrageously overpriced real estate listings in Toronto. Look at the run-down bungalows -- in North York! -- listed for a million dollars and despair. Canada's housing bubble, on full display. Via Maclean's.