Round One - To The Neighbourhood

A couple of weeks ago when we returned from our sojourn in the wilds, we were greeted with a letter from the City of Toronto Planning Department informing us that someone had applied to demolish a house around the corner from us and build two detached houses its place.

So what's the big deal one would wonder? This is a very established neighbourhood of detached homes, some bungalows and some two storey. Every now and again a little bungalow will be sold and a new two storey monster house erected on the site. No one generally complains about it thinking that it would increase the property value of the neighbourhood and generally that is so. The only problem with that is it generally raises taxes for everyone else since we have market value assessment, but hey what the heck, unlike some other countries we actually don't mind paying taxes if we get services for them.

So what has mobilized this neighbourhood in this instance? It is the fact that this sleazy builder (we know him) is trying to reduce lot sizes and build two skinny houses. This is also a builder who has been known to not build exactly to his approved plans sometimes increasing window sizes or building height and then run to the city again for a minor variance. The neighbours of his last project are so angry with him but were not at today's meeting because they are out of the immediate area.

The normal lots sizes run somewhere between 39 feet to 45 feet with the occasional lot around 58 feet frontage. It is one of these that this builder/speculator is trying to divide into two lots around 28.5 feet each. It doesn't suit the neighbourhood. From what we know the official plan shows that you need a minimum lot size of 39 feet to build a house and he was looking for over 10 feet less frontage! He was calling this a "minor variance" on his application.

Generally when these types of notices arrive I toss them but something made me read more carefully. I saw a couple of the neighbours the next day and we knew we had to mobilize. I emailed my councillor (with whom I have had issues in the past) and was pleasantly surprised to discover she would be on our side, but hey...it's an election year. Do you think that had anything to do with it or am I being too cynical again?

My immediate neighbour got a petition going and managed to get a fair number of signatures and letters of opposition and today there was a meeting at what's called the Committee of Adjustment where you can apply for minor variances. Because of my hip pain I was unable to go but I got the good news as soon as it happened.

He lost, we won round one. Considering that this man paid almost half a million dollars for this property we know he will go the next step and appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board where he may or may not win. At least we tried...

Toronto Garbage Strike - Day 38

Yes, it's still on. For just a little while yesterday it seems that the strike was over, a settlement reached and ratification vote to happen today. Now that's all on hold for some unknown reason.

We the citizens of this fair city are being kept in the dark about how much of the farm our mayor has given away. My councilors response to that question came via email and just says "I can assure you, however, that the agreement was within the parameters set by the Employee and Labour Relations Committee. "

A couple of things bother me about what I'm hearing. First, they did get a wage increase even though the non union city workers did not and they did get to keep the most obscene part of the whole deal. Something called "bankable sick days". Now this is something I had never heard of prior to this strike an doesn't that just show you how open and transparent our government is.

So very simply, if you work for the city you get 18 sick days a year. If you use 10 for example, you put 8 in a "bank". Same for all the following years of your career. When it's time to retire you can cash out 6 months of banked days at the then current wages. So days banked 25 years ago for example get paid out at current wage rate. Now some city workers have way more than 6 months of sick days left in the bank so it's no uncommon for them to be "sick" a lot during the last year prior to retirement. Nice little retirement handshake dontcha think...

Now as for the strike being/not being over today, I offer a simple explanation. There is a major cleanup needed and we have a long weekend starting on Saturday. The union wants their members to do the cleanup instead of private contractors. If they can drag this out into the weekend and start the cleanup then they get to work at double time and triple time for working on Monday. Nice little paycheck to make up some of the lost wages.

As soon as a tentative deal was announced on Monday, the pickets should have come down and the city should have made arrangements to start the cleanup. The mayor and his council did not instead called for a council meeting for Friday to vote on this agreement. Were they hoping to sneak something through on Friday night when most of us aren't paying attention? After all there is a long weekend coming and most people aren't paying attention.

I just hope they pay attention in November 2010 when these people are up for re election...

Toronto Garbage Strike - Meet Our Mayor

The cover of this weeks Maclean's magazine couldn't be more appropriate. Day 30 of the strike and the city really does stink.

Who would have thought that this strike would last so long. Certainly not me...actually I thought the Premier of Ontario would have legislated them back to work long ago. In spite of the fact that my freezer has more garbage than food in it right now I am kind of pleased that he hasn't done so. Whenever there is an arbitrated settlement the union guys seem to always get what they want.

In this instance what they want is inconsistent with the times we are living in. It would have been easier to convince them of this I suspect, if our entire city council and mayor hadn't given themselves a nice raise not long ago. That is the crux of the matter.

What would I do? Well since the strike is legal you can't fire them but I certainly would have brought in replacement workers to clean up this city instead of the volunteers that are now doing it. Speaking of volunteers, it is amazing to see who is at the head of the class so to speak. A provincial politician on his summer break is cleaning streets. A little electioneering prior to the November 2010 election? George Smitherman used to be the Minister of Health and I have absolutely no love for that man and would be hard pressed to vote for him. It is rumoured that he is looking for the job. I suppose if push comes to shove and no one else steps forward for the next municipal election I may have to . Anybody but the current group gets my vote and that would include my current councilor. Anybody who takes union money as campaign donations is suspect. It always makes me wonder whose side they are really on, the taxpayer or the unions.

Once this strike is over the city must consider privatizing trash pickup and fire the lot that has ruined the summer for most residents of this fair city. Come November 2010 the residents of Toronto have to fire just about the entire crop of councilors and the mayor and start fresh with people who put the residents needs before their own. I think they have forgotten that they are supposed to perform public service and work for us.

Meanwhile, the rats are feasting and procreating, yummy...

Single Sock Syndrome

I have never had a single sock, ever... I always finish what I start, eventually. But not this time, I must admit that this little pair anklets that I started way back when did not get finished and will never get finished. I found the pattern tedious and badly written.

I've now found a use for that single sock.

Socks in July! Yes, absolutely... it is unnaturally cold here with temperatures under 20 Celsius most days.

There are ten days left before this beauty comes off and I have a feeling it's going to be a very hard ten days. The cast has started to loosen and with every step I take it moves rubbing the wound underneath and hitting the wires that are still there. There were many stitches in the foot and just a thin gauze was wrapped around my foot before the cast went on. There is a strip of foam going around my ankle but it has stretched as well. I've tried sewing it up a bit on the sides to tighten it but heck, it's foam and we all know what happens to foam.

I am getting a bit depressed altogether and missed a couple of important occasions. I forgot to call my two grandsons on their birthdays last week and my offspring was getting a bit concerned. Being stuck in the house is the pits and with the weather not cooperating, sitting out in the yard is not even an option.

We are entering week four of the garbage/civic worker strike here in T-dot and thus far a resolutions doesn't appear to be imminent. The big Caribana week is coming up and some of the events are up in the air. That would really be too bad as it's Toronto's premier summer festival.

My Toronto - The Dirty

This is what has become of our beautiful, clean city. Not a pretty sight. We are now in week three with no end in sight. The unions have dug in their heels and so has the mayor. It will be a long, hot, stinky summer.




During the last garbage strike in 2002, our then councilor rented a truck and picked up garbage from the elderly and disabled in this neighbourhood at his own expense and time. Our current councilor doesn't reply to email information on the strike. Telling...

Garbage Strike In Toronto - Day 16

This strike has started to impact this household in ways I hadn't considered initially. In terms of household garbage it's not bothering us all since I have devised my own method of dealing with it. I compost all vegetable stuff, freeze leftover food matter, recycle like mad and what's left just stays double bagged until the strike is over. There is no smell, no raccoons and no maggots and I don't have to use neighbourhood parks, which I think sucks anyway.

No, the bigger impact is on my husbands business. He has now turned down three jobs that require him to remove demolition material and take it to the local dump. This was always included in his service since there are very few homeowners who would want to take their own debris away.

There has been one fence job and two kitchen jobs which he has now turned away. We certainly can't store old cabinets and old fencing in our driveway. Steve's also not prepared to wait hours at the local transfer station while the strikers hold up all comers. I suspect we are not the only small business in this predicament.

Toronto is starting to look pretty ugly these days and by allowing parks to be used for garbage it's pitting neighbour against neighbour. Our city council had lots of time to settle these issues before it came to this. At the moment the Mayor and most councilors are missing in action as in not working and getting paid for it. All our local municipal offices are closed. No one can get a building permit. I think this is in support of the unions. Anybody considering a visit to our fair (stinky) city this summer should certainly reconsider. It's not a pretty place right now.

There has been talk of compensating homeowners for lost services but no one can compensate us for the lost income this strike is causing us.

It's All A Crock...

Sometimes when I send emails to my city councillor, Janet Davis I get a reply. Not always though mind you, sometimes her assistant send a general email filled with platitudes. So far it's been pretty quiet from her office. Guess they are all on holiday.

Here is why, in my view more tax money needs to be "extorted" from the poor residents of the City of Toronto. Seems that the Mayor and 16 of his most ardent supporters (my councillor included) are off on a little trip to Quebec City to celebrate a birthday. He's really into birthday celebrations...

A couple of weeks ago when Superior Propane facilities in the north west part of Toronto exploded in the middle of the night our Mayor was in Vancouver on holiday. Fair enough, we all deserve holidays but the sad part is this. He flew back to Toronto to make a quick appearance and then flew back to Vancouver to celebrate his daughter's 13th birthday. He missed the funeral of a firefighter who died in that explosion.



This was no small event here in T-Dot, 12,000 or so residents were out of their homes for days and it was the Mayors duty to be here. It was his duty to be at the funeral of a fallen firefighter. When you are in public office this must come before the birthday party of a child.

These are the things I will remember when the next municipal election rolls around but I wonder if anyone else will?

Life Sucks Sometimes...

I'm lying here on the sofa absolutely miserable and feeling sorry for myself. On Tuesday I drove the offspring and family to the airport for their return trip to Cowtown and then took myself and a friend on a bit of a shopping splurge. I needed some new summer clothes for my upcoming trip to Greece. That night I woke up with a totally stuffed head and sore throat and I'm now in the midst of the worst cold I've had in years. I can't breathe, I cant sleep and I can't get off the loo, all in all I'm pretty miserable and If I didn't know better I'd swear I have this weird bacterial infection going around called Listeriosis.

I know I don't have it though as I don't have a fever and never buy prepackaged cold cuts which seems to be the source of this outbreak. I have so many things that still need to be done in the next few days before we get on that plane and lying on the sofa was not on my plan. I still have to get back up to the cabin and fire all the pottery I made this summer. I still have a huge shopping list of things to buy to take with me and I have to organize all the bills and stuff for the two months we will be gone, grrr... I didn't need to get sick.

As my doc said yesterday, just drink lots of fluids, lots of Tylenol, rest and ride it out...guess that's all I can do.