Toronto local news from Metronews.ca

Contract vote divides workers

torstar news service — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 05:59:20 -0400

When city drama teacher Brenda Carr voted in favour of a strike mandate last week, she did so knowing it might well land her on the picket line with the rest of CUPE Local 79’s 18,000 employees.

For the 26-year veteran, the issues around seniority rights and fair pay “were worth going on strike for” and she agreed with her union that they needed to take a stand.

But on Wednesday, the vast majority of indoor workers voted to approve a concession-filled offer from the city. Like the outdoor workers, Local 79 gave up significant job security provisions. They also saw some minor reductions in benefits and about a 6 per cent wage increase over the term.

Part-time recreation workers such as Carr rejected it along with part-time long-term care staff, but without their full-time allies, the group of mostly recreation program instructors — swim, dance, yoga, drama, skating etc. —holds little clout.

Among the 10,000 who took the deal: Full-time and part-time public health nurses, daycare workers, by-law officers, long-term care workers, public health staff, planning applications and building permit workers, employment and social service employees, court officers, Toronto Water officials, and shelter and housing staff.

It ‘keeps us accountable for our performance’: TTC CEO

torstar news service — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 05:53:38 -0400

In his first progress report on the TTC, CEO Andy Byford is not holding anything back.

The new report that will go to the TTC commission and city council on Friday offers a “scorecard” on how the TTC has performed in key areas such as punctuality, reliability, employee absenteeism and safety during the last three months of 2011.

It is a marked difference from previous TTC reports in which performance results were “lost in the previously impenetrable management reports,” said Byford, who was appointed to the position of CEO earlier this month.

“Right off the bat, this report gives you information you can track, you can focus on, can incrementally stretch and improve our targets,” said Byford. “But the key thing is that it keeps us accountable for our performance,” he said.

According to the report, the TTC has been “on target” for indicators such as subway punctuality, reliability, safety and security of both passengers and staff, and station cleanliness.

Areas that are off-target include: availability of escalators, employee absences, and reliability of subway trains on the Yonge-University-Spadina Line.

“I have put all of my managers on notice … that people have to start to come to work more regularly. I’m pretty hard-line on that,” Byford saiTTC CEOion to improving these indicators, Byford says he has plans to sharpen the targets themselves.

“Some of the targets are not as tough as I would want them to be,” Byford said. “I expect to stretch them and make them tougher, but there is no point that every target should be 99 per cent if there is no chance in meeting them … so we want to start with what is achievable right now,” he said.

Laying out things so clearly makes it easier to “take remedial action or make sure we meet our targets, or see if we are getting worse,” Byford said.

“We are determined to be more transparent, accountable and modern as an organization, and this is a step along that road.”

Sonne possessed explosives to make a bomb: Prosecutor

torstar news service — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 05:50:17 -0400

Byron Sonne had an “obsession” with guns, explosives and the G20, and had amassed materials in his basement for the sole purpose of making a bomb, a Crown prosecutor says.

“The Crown doesn’t have to prove what, when or where he (Sonne) was going to use the bomb,’’ Elizabeth Nadeau told Justice Nancy Spies in her closing arguments Thursday.

Spies said though Sonne had explosive material in his possession, the Crown must establish he intended to combine them.

Nadeau admitted police didn’t find drawings or plans for a bomb plot. But she said Sonne couldn’t have had any other motive in mind for storing the trove of chemicals and devices police found in his basement.

Nadeau said if Sonne simply obtained the material in a bid to draw suspicion from authorities and deliberately raise “red flags,’’ his actions don’t support that claim.

“(That) makes no sense,’’ Nadeau said, arguing Sonne took potassium permanganate out of its package, left no warning tags nearby saying it was hazardous, and kept it in his laboratory where he had processes on the go.

Court has heard suggestions that Sonne, 39, a hobby chemist and computer hacker arrested before the G20 Summit in 2010, was trying to test the limits of G20 security and intelligence, and trying to expose vulnerabilities in advance of the gathering of world leaders in Toronto.

Sonne took pictures of security cameras set up before the summit and also photographed the downtown security fence.

He faces four counts of possessing explosive devices and a count of inciting others to commit an indictable offence. Sonne’s defence lawyers are to begin their closing statements Friday.

Employers ‘like’ new idea of job seekers using Facebook

Grant Surridge, For Metro Toronto — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 05:50:10 -0400

When Booster Juice franchisee John Shoust set out to hire summer employees, the Craigslist posting contained an unusual request. It asked applicants for a link to their public Facebook profile.

Mr. Shoust owns the Booster Juice outlet in Toronto’s Liberty Village. He said the employees he hires to fill summer staffing needs are usually in their late teens or early 20s and don’t have developed resumés.

“The only way they can communicate about who they are is to either show up, or give us a hint about who they are, and that’s some of what the Facebook page is doing,” he said.

Certain U.S. companies caused controversy recently by asking potential hires for the passwords to their social media accounts. This practice is illegal in Canada but there is no law against asking for information that is available by doing a Google search.

“If the person or applicant is showing the world, this is who I am, I don’t know why an employer couldn’t ask for access for that,” said Toronto-based labour lawyer Paul Cavalluzzo. He said privacy and labour laws haven’t kept pace with changing technology involved in recruitment.

Chris Hollister founded Toronto-based Hirebench, creator of the job postings used by Booster Juice.

He said his firm often doesn’t even check the Facebook profiles, and simply requests them to see if people are paying attention to the job they’ve applied for. Jobs posted on Craigslist often result in hundreds of applicants.

He cited applicants who emailed and said they didn’t have Facebook accounts, but still ended up getting interviewed.

“This is becoming more and more the trend,” Hollister said. “It’s not even necessarily about checking out Facebook profiles, but a better way of seeing if people are engaged and paying attention (to the job posting).”

TTC tweaks high-tech glitches on new subway

torstar news service — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 05:45:38 -0400

TTC riders, who love to see the bright, open new Toronto Rocket subways pull into their stations, will be pleased to hear that transit officials are working on the inevitable minor bugs appearing now that the trains are in service.

TTC spokesman Brad Ross calls the problems “teething issues” on brand new vehicles that employ state-of-the-art technology — minor issues inevitable with any technology as sophisticated as Toronto’s new subway trains, he stressed.

There are two issues with the doors, both the result of the Rockets’ high-tech safety features.

The first is a delay in opening when the train pulls into a station.

“We’re looking at that timing. That timing can be adjusted,” Ross said.

“The bigger issue is the door cycling time. If the doors are held up to three times they have to be reset.

To do that, we have to take the train out of service.”

Hazel’s lawyer to file for case dismissal

torstar news service — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 05:45:00 -0400

Hazel McCallion’s lawyer will try to have a conflict-of-interest allegation thrown out before the case goes to a full trial.

Freya Kristjanson said in a preliminary hearing in Superior Court on Thursday that she plans to file a motion arguing that the accusation against McCallion was made outside the time limit set under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act.

The Act states an elector must file an application for the issue to be dealt with within six weeks of learning about any alleged conflict.

The application by Mississauga resident Elias Hazineh alleges that McCallion contravened the Act when, in 2007, she voted on Peel Region development charge issues that could have saved her son’s company $11 million.

At Thursday’s hearing, Kristjanson said she will also file a motion, in case her first one fails, to have witnesses called. The Act outlines the usual process for such cases, in which a judge makes a decision after considering documentation provided by both sides, without calling witnesses.

Hazineh’s lawyers agreed to allow the motions, which will now be dealt with June 25, when the case resumes before the court.

If found guilty of conflict of interest, McCallion could be asked to step down as mayor.
She was found guilty of conflict of interest in a previous case in 1982.

Frenzied attack, not a blueprint for murder: Defence

torstar news service — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 05:40:52 -0400

Defence lawyer Gary Grill told a jury in a murder trial they had a right to feel intense anger as he held nude autopsy photos of slain Grade 8 student Aleksandra Firgan-Hewie in front of them in a Brampton court Thursday.

“Unfortunately, you make the worst decisions when you are guided by emotions, especially anger,” Grill said in his closing remarks in the trial of his client, Rafal LaSota.

LaSota, 28, and his former fiancée, Michelle Liard, 22, are each charged with first-degree murder in the Dec. 10, 2008, slaying of Firgan-Hewie, 13, of Mississauga.

The jury is expected to begin deliberations Friday.

Firgan-Hewie’s mother Milena cringed, hugged her son and dabbed tears from her eyes when the photos of her slashed and stabbed daughter were displayed. One of Firgan-Hewie’s friends rushed out of the courtroom, fighting back tears.

Grill urged the jury to consider a manslaughter verdict for his client, saying there was serious doubt he was capable of forming the intent to plan a murder. “It was a frenzied attack,” Grill said. “There was no forcible confinement.”

He also dismissed the possibility that a short story written by Liard about the sadistic murder of a young woman might have been a blueprint for murder. Firgan-Hewie was stabbed 37 times and struck another two dozen times.

“If this was a plan and a blueprint for murder, it would have to be the stupidest plan ever conceived,” Grill said.

As he spoke, Liard shifted and faced the jury with a sad expression on her face while LaSota looked dazed and concerned, staring straight ahead.

Grill said his client was probably guided by intense anxiety, fear, alcohol and marijuana.

In his closing remarks to the jury, Liard’s lawyer Daniel Brodsky said there was no eyewitness, confession or forensic evidence suggesting his client was guilty of murder or even in LaSota’s bedroom when the killing took place. He called his client “an ordinary person caught up in extraordinary circumstances” through her love of the “wanton Rafal LaSota.”

Assistant Crown Attorney Greg McGuire said the law books are full of cases of people who were convicted of first-degree murder and who had stupid plans. He noted that there had been an extensive cleanup of LaSota’s bedroom and clothing with bleach. He asked the jury to consider what might have happened if her mother hadn’t suspected something wrong and called police. “If Teresa LaSota hadn’t raised the alarm, would they have gotten caught that night?” McGuire asked.

NDP throne speech divides parties

Jennifer Taplin, Metro Halifax — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:31:51 -0400

The opposition called it a work of fiction, but the governing NDP called it The Future Starts Here.
Lt.-Gov. Mayann Francis delivered her last throne speech to open the fourth session of the 61st general assembly on Thursday.

Employment and economic growth is booming in Nova Scotia, she said.
“Nova Scotia is heading into an era of what promises to be great prosperity,” she said.

Most of the speech revolved around upcoming plans and strategies like the Welcome Home to Nova Scotia, the province’s new immigration strategy, and the Cape Breton Strategic Framework Advancement project.

The province will establish a special operating agency to involve tourism operators and experts to create a long-term tourism strategy. There will also be strategies on improving mental-health and addictions care, fisheries and a mineral incentive program providing financial assistance to prospectors.

In terms of legislation, Status of the Artist legislation will be introduced this spring session to “reflect the importance of art and culture to Nova Scotians.” There’s also a new cleaner-energy framework and a Fish Harvesters Registration and Certification Act on the way.

At best lacking and at worst “fiction,” Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil and Tory Leader Jamie Baillie were not at all impressed with this direction of government.

“Nova Scotians will be disappointed from what they heard today,” McNeil said. “There’s nothing in this throne speech that addresses rising power costs in the province of Nova Scotia. Nothing in this helps Nova Scotians with the rising cost of gasoline.”

Baillie said the promises within the speech are misleading.

“To tell all Nova Scotians they’re putting more money back in their pockets when they’ve taken out $743 from each of us in extra HST is a work of fiction.”

OrKidstra performers ‘take in their stride’

steve collins, Metro Ottawa — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:04:00 -0400

All the stars coming to town for the Juno Awards may get more attention, but the arrival of four musicians from Venezuela might be just as big an event for some local music students.

The Simon Bolivar String Quartet has toured all over the world, but they started out as students in a free music-education program for Venezuelan children known as El Sistema, which inspired similar programs globally, including Ottawa’s own OrKidstra.

“The program basically provides singing opportunities and free music lessons and free instruments and the opportunity to sing or play in an ensemble,” explained Craig MacDonald of the Leading Note Foundation, which runs OrKidstra with the help of charitable donations.

Many students, he added, can’t afford private lessons.

Kids from OrKidstra are scheduled to perform with the Simon Bolivar String Quartet at several of their appearances this weekend. They got their first chance to jam Thursday at Carleton University, where El Sistema’s founder, José Antonio Abreu, was granted an honorary degree.

“It’s amazing how they take in their stride, you know,” MacDonald said.

Tory axe set to fall on Ottawa

Steve collins, Metro Ottawa — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:01:04 -0400

When the Harper government revealed its budget Thursday, many observers in this government town wondered how many bureaucrats would be sacked.

The answer: 19,200.

“It’s not as many cuts as we expected, which is a good thing,” said Mayor Jim Watson, “but obviously thousands of jobs lost have an impact not only on the individuals and their families, but also a ripple effect on the local economy.”

Watson estimates 5,000 to 6,000 jobs will be lost here, but NDP MP Paul Dewar expects the capital will absorb the majority of the Conservatives’ cuts.

“They ran on strengthening the economy, creating jobs, and instead what they’re doing is they’re cutting jobs when it comes to this region,” he said. “So I’m calling on (John) Baird and the other (area) Conservative MPs to stand up for our region, stand up for our local economy.”

Nepean-Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre preferred to concentrate on the bigger picture.

“The only way for us to provide job security to public servants is to ensure that the cost of the bureaucracy is affordable,” he said.

Invest Ottawa CEO Bruce Lazenby believes the actual number of cuts may be smaller.
“My experience has been that those numbers often don’t play out, and so my suspicion is three years from now we won’t see that net decrease,” he said.

Larry Rousseau of the Public Service Alliance of Canada had the opposite suspicion, worrying more local job losses might be lurking in the budget’s fine print.

“I think that Mr. Flaherty’s putting a nice face on it. It’s like when they tell you they’re going to hit you with a baseball bat 10 times and then they only hit you five times,” he said.

“I’m going to just wait and see if the other five hits are not somewhere buried in the budget itself.”