urban compass by john sewell
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Toronto needs its own source of tax revenue
June 11, 2010
David Miller’s biggest mistake as mayor was not securing the city a large and steady source of new income within the city’s control. City Hall does not have the money it needs to make Toronto a place we can be proud to call home.
Toronto's homeless face a long uphill climb
May 28, 2010
Trying to get someone off the street and settled into housing is like trying to stuff an elephant into a thimble. It’s almost impossible.
Black youth are painted into a corner
May 14, 2010
What will happen next isn’t clear. There might be an explosion of anger, or maybe just a continuing slow simmer.
Taxes aren't always something to be scorned
April 30, 2010
Thank goodness there’s a strong group looking at new sources of tax revenue for Toronto.
When in Rome, learn from Romans
April 16, 2010
After a week in Rome, I wonder what Toronto can learn from the eternal city.
Property tax hike could fund transit
April 01, 2010
It’s easy to be a crybaby. Last week, the McGuinty government said it was delaying $4 billion funding for new light rail transit lines.
The joy of spring arrives on sidewalk cafés
March 19, 2010
The glorious weather has forced the city to reveal its most impressive asset — the sidewalk café.
Council needs to take away the 'blue elephant's' toys
March 05, 2010
There was a gigantic blue elephant in the room that councillors didn’t notice the other night.
We're no world class city as long as discrimination persists
February 19, 2010
You ask the city building department for a permit for a new front porch on the old house you’ve owned for 10 years.
City hall – Broken and needs fixing
February 05, 2010
If you’re planning on making a small addition to your home, or maybe enlarging the back deck, the work you do will probably offend the welter of zoning bylaws on the property, and you’ll need a minor variance to the zoning bylaw.
Time to ask mayoral hopefuls some basic questions
January 22, 2010
One disadvantage of being a former mayor is the number of times one is asked on the street to comment on those running to be the next mayor of Toronto.
Toronto's handling of Don Jail is a disgrace
January 08, 2010
It’s disgusting that the provincial government runs the Don Jail in downtown Toronto so badly that two people have been murdered there in the last few months. The reason given is severe overcrowding – most cells for two are occupied by three inmates – but that’s pretty disgusting too.
Monster home horrors
December 11, 2009
The march of the monster homes, like a bad horror movie, seems to be on city council’s agenda.
Council should learn from the past on Seaton Hall redevelopment
November 27, 2009
City Hall can learn, can’t it? Forty years ago, a developer wanted to tear down two dozen 19th-century houses on Sherbourne Street south of Gerrard Street, and replace them with two 30-storey towers.
Toronto's dogs, and residents, deserve better
November 13, 2009
Walking our dog last weekend, we came upon a stray. He was a young, friendly and well-groomed dog, but with no collar, and we had never seen him in our neighbourhood before.
Police have seen the other side of the rainbow
October 23, 2009
Ten years ago, Toronto police, under chief Julian Fantino, saw the gay and lesbian community as something of an enemy, a hostile force. Clubs feared police raids, and gays and lesbians often felt police officers were not there to serve and protect them.
Gun blitz not addressing real problem
September 25, 2009
It’s pretty difficult to argue against the police going on a blitz to inspect homes, as they are now, where people have guns that might not be registered. Of course we want unregistered guns taken off the streets.
Maple Leaf Gardens deserves second
September 11, 2009
When the Air Canada Centre was opened in early 1999, the Maple Leafs were moved there and the Gardens was locked down. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment didn’t want competition with the ACC, so purchasers for the Gardens were told the place couldn’t continue as an ice rink.
City life offers many invigorating choices
August 28, 2009
Cottage life and camping out has it charms, but the magic of returning to the city is that city life is varied and complicated.
Concentration of power needs addressing
August 14, 2009
Learning lessons from the Toronto civic workers’ strike is not nearly as easy as it seems.
Politicians’ heads buried underground
July 31, 2009
The city workers’ strike certainly was a distraction in regard to city business.
Understanding social network needed
July 17, 2009
Thinking about Aboriginals as living mostly on reservations gets it wrong — three-quarters of all Aboriginals in Canada live off the reserve, and most of them live in cities.
Toronto needs to keep cool over strike
June 26, 2009
My advice to Toronto residents about the civic strike: relax. Why waste energy on something you can’t change?
Social workers, not cops, should be in schools
June 12, 2009
I was at the Toronto District School Board this week trying to convince some trustees to abandon the experiment of putting police officers in schools and was impressed once again about how dysfunctional the school board is.
New balance between cars and bikes
May 29, 2009
One commonly used tactic in political discourse is to become more shrill if you think your argument is weak.
Toronto has changed a lot in 30 years
May 01, 2009
It’s Toronto’s 175th birthday and I have been asked numerous times about the difference between the city today and when I was mayor 30 years ago.
Toronto needs its own Barack Obama
April 17, 2009
Sometimes you feel really hooked into Toronto as a friendly and empowering city, a place where as an individual you have some status,where your existence is important and where what you do actually matters.
Expanding Metrolinx may threaten TTC
April 03, 2009
The TTC will be seriously challenged by the provincial plans to strengthen Metrolinx as the regional transportation authority.
Toronto can’t be flexible on raising property tax
March 20, 2009
It’s not hard to get angry at the Toronto city council’s budget proposal to raise property taxes four per cent this year.
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