Neighbourhood Watch
BLOOR WEST VILLAGE
Earlier this week, BlogTO reported the Humber Cinema at Bloor and Jane had closed. Well, turns out it’s not quite that simple. Though it was closed for a day, the theatre is under new management and back open for business — for now. A serious internal dispute between the building’s owner and its former manager is threatening to derail the movie house’s future.
YONGE & WELLESLEY
Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, Toronto Centre MPP Glen Murray and city staff want a vacant patch of provincial land at Yonge and Wellesley to become a new park, not another condo tower. The group hope that the province, which is selling the two-acre plot,
BlogTO.com rounds up the week’s headlines can see beyond “cold, hard cash” and accept an offer from the city over a developer. The area has already been dubbed “Wellesley Green” by muralists. To help make a more persuasive case, Wong-Tam has the Toronto Parking Authority interested in building a lot beneath the site.
THE LIBRARIES
Small advertisements will soon be appearing on the back of library reminder slips. The Toronto Public Library has agreed to the idea and is currently seeking a company to sell the space to companies. The move is part of a broader foray into advertising for the city, which famously includes the sale of naming rights to subway stations. Mississauga and Calgary are the only other cities in Canada to sell this type of ad space.
STREET MEAT
In gross news, the city has failed to shut down a fleet of hotdog carts cited for multiple health violations. One, at Queen West and Simcoe, was found to be infested with mice (seriously, mice in a “mobile” cart?). Despite the rodents, Toronto’s civilian licensing tribunal decided to give Elisaveta Moskova, the owner of the stands, another chance. At least she’ll be serving nuts and fresh salads now, right?
THE GARDINER
Concrete has fallen from the underside of the Gardiner Expressway, again. On July 18, Bathurst Street was closed between Lake Shore and Fort York boulevards due to the crumbling. There wasn’t any damage this time but the 511 streetcar was suspended between Queen Street and Exhibition Loop. According to a city engineer, the heat and use of salt in winter could be to blame.