Why should anyone have the right to tell you when you can or cannot work? If we want to earn more money by staying open longer or on holidays, why should the city have the right to tell us that we have to stay closed? Isn’t this a basic right in capitalist society? They don’t tell doctors or lawyers or computer programmers or painters or plumbers when to work. So, why should the retail industry be under their proverbial thumb?

This foolishness is not be perpetrated upon us by the feds or the provincial government. The province amended the Retail Business Holidays Act (RBHA) in 2006, exempting the City of Toronto, so that the city can decide without provincial or federal interference whether or not businesses can open on statutory holidays. You would imagine that the city would have taken the opportunity to allow shopping on statutory holidays, thereby leaving it up to the individual retailers to decide whether or not to open. In March 2008 Toronto’s City Council voted to leave things as they are and to only allow shopping on statutory holidays in designated tourist areas. A change in policy would have benefited many retailers and the tourists who take in the entire city and not only the designated areas.

Some adventurous retailers along Queen Street East decided to open on Easter this year and take advantage of the foot traffic being generated by the Beaches Easter Parade. These retailers were very courageous or had a good plan in case they were caught because they could have faced fines of up to $50,000. Interesting enough, not one ticket was issued largely due to the fact that most of the bylaw enforcement officers were taking a holiday as well.

When are we going to end this foolishness and let hardworking people work instead of forcing them to take holidays that they don’t want?

Given today’s economic climate, the earlier that financial education begins the better. Debt is crippling the world right now and many cities, particularly in the U.S. are considering the addition of financial literacy to their curriculums. Toronto District School Board (TDSB) trustee Josh Matlow has proposed that students should be taught about financial matters like credit cards, personal finances, debt and the stock market and Education Minister Kathleen Wynne says that she’s willing to consider adding economic literacy to the provincial curriculum.

I think that it’s a great idea to educate our children with valuable skills for living. We need to do more to prepare children for life in the real world. Although I can still remember that the definition of osmosis is diffusion through a membrane from biology class, financial literacy classes would have benefited me much more. The TDSB currently offers optional economics courses in Grades 11 and 12, but nothing prior to that. Mr. Matlow believes that understanding economic literacy should be part of an Ontario diploma and suggests that economic literacy classes should start as early as Grade 4.

Financial education should not rest solely on the shoulders of our school boards. Families must play their part and start talking about money with their children. Teaching children the value of a dollar begins at home. This can be done with allowances, payment for chores, and saving for a special purchase. Children learn spending habits and attitudes towards money from their parents. You can’t take them to the mall and buy them everything that they want and then argue in front of them about money problems. Be honest about money and include your children in the discussion.

Why on earth would the City of Toronto pay people to pretend to be homeless when we have enough legitimately homeless people who could really use $100? Some bureaucratic genius decided that it makes sense to pay 100 people $100 each in the form of a prepaid Visa card, so that they can sit around pretending to be homeless on April 15 when the city tries to count how many street people there are. Now this defies all logic. If they are paying 100 people so that they can be counted as homeless people, why not just add 100 to the count and do something really useful for the homeless? Homeless advocate Michael Shapcott of the Wellesley Institute suggests that the money would be better spent going directly to shelters.

To add true comedy to this pathetic situation, these pretend street people will have to attend a 30 minute training seminar in how to act the part. I wonder if the city has hired trained actors to give the seminar. Talk about stereotyping, but what exactly does a homeless person look like and act like? It’s not one size fits all. These are human beings. If you’ve ever had direct contact with homeless people or volunteered at a program like Out of the Cold, then you would know that there is no “street people look”.

Obviously the City of Toronto has no malevolent intentions, but once again they spend money on projects that are not of any benefit to anyone. All that the city has to do to estimate the amount of homeless in our midst is to communicate with the social service agencies and volunteer organizations who serve them. They would surely be able to produce a reliable estimate at no cost.

The City of Toronto wants to qualify for the Blue Flag program , an international standard that declares whether or not water is safe enough for swimming. Achieving the Blue Flag designations means that the beach meets high standards with respect to water quality, environmental management, environmental education, and safety and services. And in order to do this, they have declared war against dogs and their owners. Last fall the city declared Woodbine, Ward’s Island, Hanlan’s Point, Gibraltar Point, Centre Island and Cherry Beach areas restricted to dogs and have been handing out $300 fines if our 4-legged friends have been seen in these areas, even if they are leashed. The next areas on the City of Toronto’s hit list are Kew and Balmy beaches, both of which the city is hoping to have certified with the Blue Flag designation before the summer season.

Dogs have been targeted because apparently dog poop gets mixed with the sand and causes contamination. However, it appears that dogs are not really the problem; it is geese. However, the City of Toronto needs someone or something to blame that can be controlled and fined and since no one it seems can control the geese or fine them, dogs have become number 1 on the hit list. Lou Di Gironimo, general manager of Toronto Water, stated that it is not dogs causing the majority of E. coli problems in the city’s waters but the waterfowl - geese and gulls. They have determined this scientifically with genetic fingerprinting that pinpointed Canada goose and seagull poop as major source of E. coli in the lake’s waters.

The new Beaches Plan was endorsed by Toronto city council by a 33 -3 margin and dog owners are supposed to be satisfied that two off-leash dog areas near Kew and Balmy beaches will still be available. As off late April dogs will no longer be frolicking on Kew and Balmy Beaches. And, all of this will be for not because dogs are not the problem. The City of Toronto as usual has its head in the sand and refuses to deal with the real problem – geese and gulls.

I’m sure that we all remember how the gas prices in Toronto just sky rocketed last July. At one point they reached $1.38 per litre. Toronto’s taxi industry lobbied for a fare increase stating that they couldn’t make a living with gas prices so high. In response, the drop fare was increased from $3.00 to $4.00 and the kilometer rate went from 25 cents for every 170 metres to 25 cents for every 155 metres.

Gas prices in Toronto are now at their lowest in years. Are the taxi prices being rolled back to the prices pre the fuel surcharge increase? NO! The Toronto Taxicab Industry Association says that the fares will not be lowered because of rising insurance rates and increased operating costs. The economic downturn is being blamed as the reason that less people take taxis.

Perhaps it’s time that the Toronto Taxicab Industry Association took a closer look at the drivers. Regardless of the prices, people don’t want to take taxis. It’s not the price. It’s the service, or lack thereof. The investigation into the taxi drivers at Union Station is indicative of the situation all over the city.

Did the taxi industry conveniently use the high gas prices as a means to get a fare hike quickly approved? If in truth it was a fuel surcharge increase, then it should be rolled back immediately. That is exactly what WestJet did. In September it eliminated its fuel surcharge. That is the correct and ethical thing to do. However, according to Howard Moscoe, chair of the city’s licensing committee, there are no plans to revisit the taxi surcharge.

Image courtesy Flickr.com

The Hyatt Regency Hotel chain clearly has confidence in Toronto and feels that Toronto needs more luxury accommodation. The Holiday Inn on King, located at 370 King Street West in the heart of the entertainment district, will be undergoing a massive renovation and emerging as the Hyatt Regency Toronto in January 2009. Hyatt Hotels & Resorts will operate and manage the new 394-room Hyatt Regency Toronto in downtown Toronto on behalf of King Street Enterprises. It will become the second Hyatt property in the city, joining the Park Hyatt Toronto, located at Avenue Road and Bloor Street in the heart of Yorkville.

The multi-million dollar renovation includes:
•    entirely new guestrooms and suites outfitted with signature Hyatt Grand Beds, state-of-the-art 42-inch LG flat screen televisions, modern furniture and fixtures, iHome clock radios, multi-media A/V connection access ports, and fully updated bathrooms.
•    guest check-in kiosks in the lobby.
•    dramatic new wine bar in the lobby.
•    a new contemporary restaurant concept.
•    more than 30,000 square feet of newly renovated meeting space which can be configured to accommodate both large and small meetings and events.
•    wireless high-speed Internet access throughout the hotel.
•    a StayFit@Hyatt gym
•    a large Regency Club including an updated and refurnished outdoor patio.

In light of the volatile markets and economic tensions, good news has been hard to come by lately. It’s great news for Toronto that luxury hotel properties are continuing to invest in our city.

There has been talk for years about tearing down the Gardiner. It seems like it’s an annual event and it’s that time again. However, this time there is more than talking going on and the prevailing winds are saying that a section of the Gardiner is going to come down. Full demolition would be too costly to even be a consideration. As a first step City Council has voted to spend $11 million on an environmental assessment, which will take up to 4 years to complete. They also voted to spend $30 million to redesign the York/Bay/Yonge exit loop from the eastbound Gardiner.

The costs for demolishing a section the Gardiner and replacing it with an 8-lane boulevard are estimated between $200 million and $400 million. The fear aside from the financial ramifications of taking down the 2.5 km stretch of the Gardiner between Jarvis and the Don Valley Parkway is traffic gridlock. There were estimates done that are not detailed and can not be taken as fact that replacing the Gardiner with an 8-lane boulevard would only add one to two minutes to a commute time. This doesn’t seem very likely. Still on the table is talk of the 1.5 km Front Street extension west of Bathurst which many feel would do a lot more than replacing the section of the Gardiner.

For now it seems like the only thing that is going to happen is that we are dishing out $11 million for a study. Are you in favour of spending between $200 million and $400 million to demolish a section of the Gardiner and replacing it with an 8-lane boulevard? If they are so concerned with traffic gridlock I think that they should invest that money into expanding our subway and GO train systems.

Road rage is becoming an epidemic in our society. When did this all happen? I don’t remember even hearing the phrase road rage 10 years ago. The worst that anyone did was honk, shout a few expletives, and give someone the finger. That seemed to be quite satisfying and we all moved on. But, that is not how it works anymore. Now the shouting of expletives and giving someone the finger all too often escalates into threats and dangerous and aggressive driving that result in tragedy.

The CBC’s Fifth Estate cited a Canadian study that found that 40% of men and 27% of women admitted that they acted aggressively while driving and have engaged in yelling, gesturing, threatening to hurt someone, attempting to damage another driver’s car, or hurt him or her. A Canadian survey found that up to 48% of people reported being at the receiving end of someone else’s anger on the road - up to 6% were threatened, up to 4% had someone try to damage their car, and up to 3% had someone attempt to hurt them.

Road Rage Research has determined that although anyone is capable of engaging in road rage, including stay-at-home moms who bake cookies, the profile of someone most prone to road rage is male, under the age of 39, urban, educated, employed full-time, and never married.

What has become of society that we have resorted to this type of behavior? Experts say that with the increase in traffic on our roads comes the increase in commute time which in turn creates frustration which can lead to anger and rage. While we wouldn’t dream of shouting, gesturing, or threatening someone in a face-to-face confrontation on the street, being in a car gives us a false feeling of safety and in essence the courage to be aggressive.

Recently a road rage incident in Milton left a man dead. This incident happened at approximately 5:00 AM. How much traffic could there have been and what on earth could make someone so angry at 5:00 AM that caused this tragedy? The driver who caused the death in this incident is now facing charges of criminal negligence causing death, dangerous driving causing death, and failing to remain at the scene of an accident causing death which could lead to a life sentence. I hope that he gets it. Until we start treating murderers like murderers, we haven’t got a hope to stop road rage.

Shopping at Toronto’s Farmers’ Markets means that you are shopping local and shopping fresh. You are supporting local businesses, supporting a sustainable food system, but best of all you are buying fresh food that didn’t have to travel thousands of miles to get to you. And that means fresher more flavourful food for you and your family.

Nathan Phillips Square Farmers’ Market:

• Open every Wednesday from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM June 4th to October 15th
• Delicious farm produce
• Address - 100 Queen Street West Nathan Phillips Square (Queen Street West and Bay Street)
• TTC accessible - Subway Station or Osgoode Station
• For more information call 416-338-0338

Withrow Park Farmers’ Market:

• Open every Saturday from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM May 24th to October 25th
• Fabulous fruits and vegetables fresh from the farm
• Address: Withrow Park 725 Logan Avenue
• TTC accessible – Pape Subway Station
• For more information: no phone or website

Trinity Bellwoods Farmers’ Market:

• Open every Tuesday from 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM May 13th to October 28th
• Healthy, local, organically grown produce, meats, and dairy products
• Address: North West end of Trinity Bellwoods Park, at Dundas Street West and Shaw Avenue
• TTC accessible - Dundas West Streetcar #504, one stop east of Ossington
• For more information call 416-435-8860 or visit the website http://www.trinitybellwoods.ca/

Sherway Gardens Farmers’ Market:
• Open every Friday from 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM rain or shine May 2nd to October 31st
• Fresh Ontario grown fresh fruit and vegetables available in large quantities for canning and preserving, farm fresh eggs, honey, cheese, fresh baked bread and pies
• Address: Across from Door 3 in the north parking lot of Sherway Gardens located at Highway 427 and The Queensway
• TTC and Mississauga Transit accessible – TTC 416-393-4636, Mississauga Transit 905-615-4636
• For more information call 416-621-1071 or visit the website www.sherwaygardens.ca

East York Farmers’ Market:

• Open every Tuesday from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM May 19th to November 4th
• Delicious fresh Ontario produce
• Address: 850 Coxwell Avenue, East York Civic Centre at Coxwell Avenue and Mortimer Avenue
• TTC accessible – Coxwell Subway Station
• For more information: no phone or website

Dufferin Grove Organic Farmers’ Market:

• Open every Thursday afternoon from 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM year round
• A great variety of organic foods and a wood-fired oven where breads are baked right in the park
• Address: South of Bloor on the east side of Dufferin in Dufferin Grove Park at Dufferin St. and Dufferin Park Avenue
• TTC accessible - one block south of Dufferin Subway stop
• For more information call 416-392-0913 or visit the website www.dufferingpark.ca

The level of spending abuse among Toronto Catholic School trustees is absolutely astonishing! The pay for trustees in Ontario is:

• Toronto Catholic School trustees - $100,000 per trustee
• Toronto Public School trustees - $67,000
• Dufferin-Peel Catholic Board trustees - $27,000

The $100,000 is not salary. The salary is actually only $18,671 per year. But, they get a whopping $80,000 in services and benefits that include:

• Discretionary fund - $18,000
• Car Allowance - $8,600
• Technology Expenses - $3,800 for cell phones, Internet connectivity, and printers

Provincial adviser Norbert Hartmann released a report last week called “Enhancing Public Trust and Confidence” that showed a level of abuse that boggles the mind:

• Since 2003, trustees have transferred $200,000 of taxpayer money from discretionary funds into school causes of their choice, creating the appearance of a “political slush fund.”
• They approved a policy allowing them to keep BlackBerrys, computers, shredders, digital cameras, and office furniture when they leave office.
• Annual hospitality expenses were $15,000 to $27,000 without appropriate documentation.
• One trustee got 10 duplicate payments in a year by submitting restaurant and credit card receipts separately.
• One trustee expensed $7,577 tuition for a masters of education degree.
• Trustees paid themselves rent for use of office space in their own homes.
• Ward 6 trustee Christine Nunziata, who resigned after missing three consecutive meetings, filed expense claims for clothing and a vacation to the Dominican Republic.
• Research and consulting contracts were given to relatives of trustees.

Based on his findings Norbert Hartmann recommends:

• Revoking the $8,600 car allowance
• Ending medical, dental, and life insurance coverage
• Forcing trustees to return all equipment at the end of their terms
• Prohibiting trustees from hiring relatives
• Removing the trustees’ ability to transfer discretionary funds to community, school, and charitable groups.

The board has until June 30 to submit amended policies to the education ministry. Starting this month all trustee will have to post their expenses online. I want to know if there will be any ramifications from these years of lavish spending. It can’t have been legal, can it?