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Wednesday’s HeadlinesYesterday

CITY COUNCIL
• $1.5-billion earmarked to rejuvenate city’s social housing… [Globe & Mail]
• Toronto approves 5-cent fee on bags [Toronto Star]

FEDERAL COALITION
• ‘This is a coup d’etat’ [Toronto Sun]
• ‘Rally for Canada’ in works [Toronto Sun]
• Jack seen as architect of Ottawa power play [Toronto Sun]
• A Q&A on a coalition government [Toronto Star]
• Tories at breaking point [Toronto Sun]
• Public service unions divided on coalition support [Toronto Sun]
• GG Jean returns to tackle turmoil [Toronto Sun]
• May gives Green light to coalition [Toronto Sun]
•

City Hall’s new committee membersDecember 2

Members to Toronto’s standing committees and agencies were confirmed today by City Council. Usually at the mid-point of a term, the committees are re-arranged. For a run-down on how council appoints councillors to committees, check our the post by Spacing’s Adam Chaleff-Freudenthaler two weeks ago here on this blog. If you want to know the committee membersfrom the first-half of this term check out the City’s committee page before it gets updated.

Here are the appointments to committees, city agencies, boards, and commissions for the next two years:

Executive Committee:
Mayor David Miller (Chair); Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone (Vice Chair); Janet Davis; Glenn De Baeremaeker; Paula Fletcher; Norm Kelly; Gloria Lindsay Luby; Howard Moscoe; Kyle Rae; Shelley Carroll; Giorgio Mammoliti; Pam McConnell; Joe Mihevc

Community Development and Recreation Committee:
Janet Davis (Chair); Paul Ainslie; Maria Augimeri; Cliff Jenkins; Joe Mihevc; John Parker

Economic Development Committee:
Kyle Rae (Chair); Brian Ashton; Sandra Bussin; Mark Grimes; Suzan Hall; Case Ootes

Government Management Committee:   

Heavier U.S. population uses billions of dollars more worth of fuelDecember 2

For the most recent issue of Spacing (coming out next week) I reviewed a book by Mary Soderstrom called The Walkable City. It’s full of interesting nuggets of information, and here is one of them: American scientists have worked out that it takes almost a billion gallons of fuel a year to drive around the extra weight Americans have gained on average since 1960. At present gas prices (the study was done in 2006 when they were comparable to today’s recession-cut prices), that’s billions of dollars worth of fuel.

Between 1960 and 2002, the average weight of Americans increased an astonishing 24 pounds. The scientists only looked at passenger vehicle travel, and used 2003 statistics to determine how many people travelled and for what distances. They calculated that it took no less than 938 million gallons of gasoline to carry around the extra weight, compared to what it would have taken if people weighed what they did in 1960.

It’s yet another hidden cost of building car-dependent communities that both reduce physical fitness and increase driving.

Canadians have not experienced quite as much average weight gain, but it has still increased significantly since 1960, so the study would apply to s

Tuesday’s headlinesDecember 2

CITY COUNCIL
• Council set to vote on rules to curb packaging waste [ Globe & Mail ]
• Bottler and activists in water fight [ Toronto Sun ]
• Mayor not sorry for memo [ Toronto Sun ]
• City digests street meat plan [ Toronto Sun ]
• Council in Operation Slowdown [ Toronto Sun ]
• Critics accuse Miller of creating de facto party system [ National Post ]
• In praise of a messy city hall [ National Post ]

FEDERAL COALITION
lead stories…
• One prime minister too many [ Globe & Mail ]
• Liberals and NDP sign unprec

Gift Guide: Phoenix Print Shop Holiday CardsDecember 2

If you’re planning on sending holiday cards this year, consider getting them from Foundations of Print, a program run by Phoenix Print Shop that gives homeless and at-risk youth training in the graphic arts. Here’s some information about the program:

Homeless and at-risk youth from four cities across Canada participated in the 2008 Design Competition to design holiday cards. Entries were judged by professionals from institutions such as the Ontario College of Art & Design. Six youth artists received prizes based on our sustainable transit theme, including a one-year public transit pass and a commuter bicycle. Every card sold directly supports the youth artist, as well as the award-winning Foundations of Print training program.

Image: Santa Dog, by Matthew Santos