News Alert!

The Fate Of Toronto

2010-10-26T16:48:00.002-04:00

It was an easy decision for Toronto voters. With so many undecideds many made their choice at the ballot box. What was the lasting impression of the Toronto mayoral candidates that came to mind?The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Joe Pantalone is David Miller. The gist of his campaign (at least what I got from it) was to continue Mayor Miller's legacy and ideals. Other than that,

BPA Toxic

2010-10-13T15:12:00.002-04:00

A common chemical contained in plastic containers has been declared as toxic. The Canadian government put BPA on the grand list of toxic chemicals today. For longest time BPA has been used to make plastic bottles very common in many products.Trace amounts were found in the urine of test subjects above the acceptable level. the Canadian health organization found that there was enough evidence to

The Better Way?

2010-10-08T12:22:00.002-04:00

There's no doubt the TTC needs to improve their service. The daily commute seems to be getting longer and longer everyday. The current race for Toronto mayor public transit is a key talking point. Not only is investment needed but improvements to the existing lines. Half the day can be spent riding the TTC, crucial productivity time wasted. Simply adding more subways or buses is not a long term

What Middle Class?

2010-10-06T10:14:00.002-04:00

Toronto's population has always been changing. The mass flux of immigrants and others seeking a bright future in the big city leading the changing landscape. But a major concern should the disparity in the distribution of wealth. Toronto is quickly becoming a city of rich and poor as the middle class disappear. Unaffordable housing, scarce jobs, and declining consumer confidence all adds up to a

Hoax leads to arrest

2010-10-06T09:00:00.002-04:00

Claims of bombs going off on a Facebook page led to the arrest of a Quebec man on terrorist charges. Martin Levesque was arrested after an FLQ manifesto was found on his Facebook page. The 41 year old was charged with 2 crimes and was released on bail. The Quebec police have investigated 3 hoaxes earlier in the year resulting in charges in all cases. (link)

Will anyone de-rail the Rob Ford train?

2010-09-27T11:30:00.002-04:00

Unlikely given the recent activity by mayoral hopefuls. My guess is that Rob Ford will de-rail his own campaign. His latest suggestion is to move Toronto marathons to parks. What? I understand what he's trying to do. He's trying to build momentum from the car driving voter base which support his "driver first, bikers second" movement as well as those supporting an elimination of streetcars but I

Let's Get It On!

2010-09-24T12:18:00.002-04:00

Finally proof that Toronto women are frostier than other cities. In a sex poll 40% of Toronto women are having sex on a regular basis. Compared to Vancouver (47%) and Montreal (55%). Make up your own conclusions but as a single dude in the city you can judge for yourself which city you've had success in picking up women. Toronto is definitely one of the "coldest" you will ever encounter. Come one

Good luck with those games

2010-09-22T11:12:00.003-04:00

Thus far the Commonwealth games have been a farce. The host country India has been plagued by corruption, scandal, and numerous problems. Several countries are threatening to pull out of the games due to unsatisfactory conditions. Inspectors reported filthy living conditions at the athletes village, sub par building safety, and other security concerns. There was a roof collapse at the

Car free Montreal

2010-09-22T11:08:00.002-04:00

Today Montreal is going car free. The downtown core was off limits to vehicles between 9am to 3:30pm. This all a push for commuters to give up their cars and take public transit. Quebec city is also considering a similar plan. This is a great idea. Let's hope other cities adopt the idea. (link)

Think of Blinky!

2010-09-21T09:47:00.003-04:00

Genetically altered salmon may not be ready for prime time, just yet. A group of experts have urged authorities to delay the approval of the salmon for public consumption. Further studies are needed before an informed decision can be made. The Atlantic salmon are given a growth hormone to accelerate their maturation. This cuts fish production time to 16 months instead of the natural 30 months.

And you're how old?

2010-09-15T16:22:00.002-04:00

Apparently not old enough to spot a scam. Would you believe I'm a 12th level warlock? A Brampton man was arrested for scamming people out of money while pretending to practice witchcraft. He's been operating for about a year under the guise of witchcraft for hire. For a small fee the man claimed to be able to solve problems using magic. The man is charges with fraud under $5,000Digital

Cell Phones in Classrooms

2010-09-15T15:13:00.002-04:00

Back in my day ... um yeah anyways. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty is rethinking the classroom ban on cellphones. While phones continue to be banned during classes the Toronto District Schoolboard is looking at ways to make it more acceptable. Not sure what they are thinking here. Cell phones are a huge distraction. The constant flow of information being piped to one's cellphone via updates is

Can We Do That?

2010-09-14T11:43:00.003-04:00

Perhaps the tax payers uprising will start in British Columbia. Taxpayers raised such a fuss out west that Premier Campbell backed down from implementing the new tax. It has been a PR disaster for the Liberal party. The premier has now stated that the province will dump the tax if voters demand it following a referendum to be held next September. But that is not soon enough for many British

Japanese knotweed invades PEI

2010-09-08T09:37:00.002-04:00

Parks Canada officials in PEI are fending off an attack, from Japanese knotweed. The plant species is particularly destructive to local vegetation and can quickly get out of control. Typical methods are to cut the plants down, and cover them with tarp to deprive them of sunlight in hopes of killing them off. Park officials are focusing on 20 areas."Staff are also looking for four other species:

Dion hospitalized

2010-09-08T09:35:00.001-04:00

Former Liberal leader, Stephane Dion, was hospitalized yesterday. While attending a climate conference in Cancun he fell ill to food poisoning. (link)

Fire guts downtown apartments, store

2010-09-07T10:19:00.002-04:00

It looks like the school year is not off to a great start for some Toronto students. A fire destroyed several student apartments and a local computer store late Sunday. Starting in a basement apartment it quickly grew out of control forcing 40 people from the building. Tenants were mostly students who had just moved in for the coming year. The neighboring computer store was also destroyed, damage

CRTC forces Telecoms to issue rebate

2010-09-01T12:10:00.002-04:00

If you live in a metropolitan area you may be in store for a nice price reduction in the coming months. The CRTC has issued a controversial decision affecting companies like Bell Canada and Telus. Initially a fund was created by the CRTC and fees collected by your local phone company to ultimately expand or improve the network infrastructure. Well it turns out they didn't need all of it so the

Buyers market or sellers

2010-08-31T15:44:00.003-04:00

The housing market has cooled off in recent months but the industry is still undecided on whether it's a buyers or sellers market. Some major Canadian markets have been enjoying a brisk property trading environment while the rest of the country has been in a lull. The U.S. real estate market has been in the dumps for an extended period. The result is the reality that many homeowners have

India to decide fate of RIM

2010-08-24T13:04:00.003-04:00

While the government of India and the bigwigs over at Research in Motion continue to negotiate the deadline has been set. August 31 and the no more Blackberry phones, unless an agreement is struck. India will decide on the 30th what to do. In completely unrelated news, thousands of gently used Blackberry phones are showing up on Indian ebay auctions. Perhaps the decision has already been made.See

Headlines: June 15, 2010

2010-06-15T13:09:00.002-04:00

Yet another reason to shop at Walmart? Canadian shopper just might take the bait. A Walmart Mastercard rewards credit card aims to do just that. Shoppers will earn 1.25% for in store purchases and 1% everywhere else all going towards buying more stuff at Walmart. Similar programs exist at Loblaws and Canadian Tire.Yes, the iPhone 4 is coming to Canada but did you know we're getting unlocked

Quebec language police ease restrictions

2010-06-03T10:07:00.002-04:00

But only slightly. Looks like the Supreme court ruling that stated that the Quebec language laws violate the rights of Quebeccers has forced the government's hand. Bill 104 was nothing but a strong arm tactic to force immigrants to attend French language only schools limiting their aspirations to not only leave the province but also find employment. Let's face it. If you don't speak the language

Canadian Apple fans lucky

2010-05-31T11:22:00.002-04:00

Consider yourself lucky. Given that we share a border with the U.S. and travel to an Apple store is just a short drive away. Getting your hands on an iPad is/was quite an easy task compared to other countries. Many in Europe, Asia, Australia who couldn't wait to get their hands on the device had to resort to the grey market often paying much more than the retail price. However now that the iPad

Legally right, morally wrong

2010-05-27T10:46:00.002-04:00

Pets can quickly become integral parts of the suburban family. When tragedy strikes the results can be devastating. Often treating pets more like people rather than pets can lead to negligence. This example of a family who lost their dog in a car accident is tragic. While many pet owners go through this exact same routine of letting their dogs loose upon getting home, few consider the

King Square to be the biggest

2010-05-18T13:10:00.002-04:00

What does a slumping economy need? More asian malls and stores. Not just any mall. How about the biggest in North America? Currently the largest is Pacific Mall but only for now. King Square is set to begin construction next year on 4.8 hectares of land. It's set to house a banquet hall, commercial offices, convention centre, rooftop garden, and 1,000 stores.The aim is not only to cater to the

Ottawa gets new area code

2010-05-18T10:48:00.002-04:00

No longer just a 613 zone. Ottawa is getting a new area code 343. The new number will be available to Kingston, Belleville, Brockville, Cornwall, and Bancroft and the surrounding area as well. New numbers should be available in 2011. Get your number picks in now. (link)