A sad day in Toronto

The votes have been cast, and the damage is done - Rob Ford is Toronto's mayor.

Bixi

I try never to miss an opportunity to tell people that "city living can be healthier and more environmentally friendly than it gets credit for" (nearly to the point of being annoying, as my friends are likely to lament). I'll get that "what are you smoking?" look, but I can't fathom any other conclusion. The Bixi bike system is a great example in support of such madness.

Health and the City

There is plenty of research documenting the fact that urban living can be more healthy than suburban living. In answering the question "Are the suburbs a health hazard?", cardiologist Dr. Kim Connelly finds:

"The suburbs are a nightmare — a total planning disaster. People move in because they're affordable, and then they can't do anything.

"They're in the car all the time. You get this big house, but studies show that the rate of heart attack increases with the length of time you are stuck in traffic." (emphasis supplied).

Christie Pits is the place to be this Sunday

Dominico Field at Christie Pits.

There are few better venues for a summer Sunday afternoon in the city than a Maple Leafs baseball game at Christie Pits.

IBL champions in 2007, the Maple Leafs are a scrappy bunch sure to entertain, especially since visiting opponents and their travelling fans love to come to the big city and drop a loss on the boys of summer.

Christie Pits is an easily accessible oasis, just outside Christie Stn. on the Bloor line, west of the Annex. It's a short walk to a large variety of dining choices on Bloor in both directions. If you must drive, parking in the surrounding residential areas is free if you can find a spot (which you can, within a 5-10 minute walk back to the park). You can also park on Bloor or on Christie and pay a fairly cheap Green meter.

I agree with Premier McGuinty, drivers should decide

It certainly doesn't happen often that I find myself saying "I agree with Premier McGuinty", but in this case, I do. All drivers - seniors included - must be responsible for deciding when it's time to stop driving, rather than tightening legislation, regulation and enforcement on the arbitrary basis of age.

Walk the Walk

I was spellbound as I read Christopher Hume's wonderful article, In praise of the lost art of strolling; at once I realized I was not alone, and that there was actually a name for my love of strolling or, more aptly, aimless wandering - I finally understood that I am a flaneur.

ROM's Crystal - I Love It

The previous head of design for BMW, Chris Bangle, made some bold moves with their lagging flagship 7-series. It was luxurious, it had the six-figure price tag required to be considered a luxury flagship - and it was bland.

Choking on Congestion Talk

Incredulous bemusement is the most generous manner by which I might describe my reaction to comments by Council members according to the Toronto Sun article Our highways to hell. 

According to the article, Councillor Gord Perks is quoted as saying "I don't view congestion as a problem." 

Hang on to your hat, because it is a problem. A big one.