🌡️ It’s ugly and going to get uglier. Expect some serious rain starting this afternoon and continuing into tomorrow.
🚌 Ottawa might swoop in to save Line 2/the Bloor-Danforth Line/the Green Line. Whatever you call it. The city needs about $750 million to buy 55 new trains as those currently on the tracks are getting too old. The feds said the city is eligible to apply for a new $30 billion transit funding program.
✈️ Billy Bishop’s future is up in the air. The Toronto Sun’s Brian Lilley thinks Mayor Olivia Chow wants it dead. She said that’s not the case.
🚦 Toronto unveiled a plan to fight congestion. It didn’t include a congestion charge (charging drivers to enter downtown during business hours), something a ton of major cities do. Matt Elliott argues such a measure should be on the table if the city is serious about reducing traffic.
🚴♂️ Premier Doug Ford isn't backing down on his plan to stop cities from building new bike lanes.
🛣️ Scott Stinson argues the Ford government’s plan to restrict bike lanes because they increase congestion flies in the face of evidence from cities around the world. It might make intuitive sense, but people should expect better evidentiary standards from our leaders.
🏢 Lots of Toronto office buildings are vacant thanks to post-pandemic remote work policies. The province wants to buy up some of that real estate, though it won’t say why.
🏘️ Plans are officially in motion to build a 42-unit, city-led rent-geared-to-income housing building in Parkdale. It’s one of four sites the city hopes to develop to help address homelessness.
⚖️ Yesterday was the first day in the highly-anticipated trial of Calvin Au, an off-duty Toronto police officer charged with assault causing bodily harm. Chadd Facey died over three years ago allegedly following an “altercation” with Au over an Apple Watch.
🎤 Toronto rapper Top5 got off on murder charges after the judge ruled out key evidence. He then thanked Drake for paying his legal bills.
😂 Laura Ramoso, a former Toronto Second City sketch comedy artist who made it big on the internet over the pandemic, has parlayed her success into a cross-country tour.
💵 Minimum wage rises to $17.20 from $16.55 an hour on October 1. Student minimum wage goes up to $16.20.
🏗️ The home renovation market is huge. Like $300 billion spent on renos between 2019 and 2023 level huge. A new report said it's one of the most underappreciated reasons for escalating home prices in cities like Toronto.
🏛️ It’s back to the drawing board for the city’s vacant home tax after a few thousand people mistakenly got a bill in the mail.
🏀 The Raptors will retire Vince Carter’s jersey on November 2. It’ll hang from the rafters of Scotiabank Centre just as he hung from the rim during his iconic dunk contest performance nearly 25 years ago.
📉 A Guelph University business professor argues Rogers’ takeover of MLSE is bad news for Toronto sports fans. Essentially, the telco now has a near-monopoly, which usually leads to higher prices.
Commuter corner
At the time of writing, there are “minor delays” southbound from York Mills to St. Clair Station. There’s also no service between Vaughan and Finch thanks to a fire. We hope these get cleared up by the time you read this.
Track work means service from Victoria Park to Kennedy stations ends at 11 p.m. until Thursday.
Starting at 11 p.m. this week, southbound trains between Finch and Sheppard will use the northbound platform at Downsview Park and Sheppard West stations. Northbound trains will turn back towards Vaughan Metropolitan Centre from Sheppard West Station and use the northbound platform.
Events, dear boy, events
Oktoberfest starts on Friday after work and runs all day Saturday.
The largest vintage clothing sale in the country takes over the Queen Elizabeth Building this weekend.
Sabrina Carpenter plays Scotiabank Arena this Wednesday. The Espresso singer is bringing the song of the summer to the city right as fall officially starts.
Grammy-winning Canadian DJ Kaytranada is at Budweiser Stage on Friday.
Enjoy an open house and free concert from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at Roy Thompson Hall this Saturday starting at 10 a.m.
The AGO hosts the annual Art Bash on Thursday.
Carlton Cinema hosts the Toronto Hungarian Film Festival from Friday through Sunday.
Aidan Chamandy, TorontoToday reporter