Subscribe to my City Hall and Community Updates!
Toronto Star: Paid-duty policing’s ‘outrageous’ costs slammed by critics
May 11th, 2014
Betsy Powell
Toronto Star
While off-duty Toronto police officers who moonlight for the city and private organizations are getting a pay hike this year, critics scoff paid-duty policing is unnecessary and a waste of money.
“It’s also giving money to people who are already employed and well-paid,” said Councillor Pam McConnell, a former vice-chair of the Toronto Police Services Board.
“Nobody can tell me why we need police officers standing at the Blue Jays game when they’re looking up at the crowd doing seventh inning stretch and why you couldn’t have ordinary security guards doing that.”
Councillor Josh Matlow concurred, calling it “outrageous.”
“I don’t know any city in North America that allows itself to be hijacked by this,” he said. “When we see an officer standing next to a construction or public works site, it’s frustrating because we all know it’s not needed.”
680 News: City unveils Sharon, Lois & Bram Playground
May 10th, 2014
Toronto Staff
680 News
A playground named for beloved children’s performers Sharon, Lois & Bram officially opened Saturday.
The playground in June Rowlands Park is now known as the Sharon, Lois & Bram Playground, announced by the city’s only elephant-shaped sign.
The first elephant park sign! Brilliant! @JoshMatlow What a gift for the community… and for mothers everywhere! pic.twitter.com/YnSugtEob2
— Shelley Laskin (@shelleylaskin) May 10, 2014
“I decided it would be a fitting tribute to a music trio that many of us loved so much growing up to name the park in their honour,” said Coun. Josh Matlow, who introduced the renaming motion.
Toronto Star: Busy Yonge and Egs the scene of a sleeper
May 9th, 2014
Vicky Sanderson
Toronto Star
Street Numbers
- Between 2006-11, the population of Ward 22 —59.6 per cent of whom live in apartments of five storeys or more —) is up 8.8 per cent.
- There have been big jumps in the number of families identifying Tagalo, Serbian, Korean and Spanish as their home language.
- The ward is well educated: 79 per cent of residents have a post-secondary degree, compared with a city-side average of 58 per cent.
- Average monthly rent is $1,245.
- Three words that come to mind when Josh Matlow thinks about Yonge and Eglinton: neighbourhoods, growing, construction.
CP24: Matlow to honour Ford-Adams basketball bet
May 5th, 2014
Paul Johnston
CP24
The new Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams
A Toronto councillor says he will honour a bet made between the city’s top politico and the president of the borough of Brooklyn over a basketball series.
Last month, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford accepted a ‘friendly wager’ issued by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams on the outcome of the NBA playoff series between the Raptors and the Nets.
The wager followed a release issued by Adams in response to Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri’s comments ahead of Game 1 of the series when he yelled “F--- Brooklyn” to fans gathered at Maple Leaf Square.
New York Daily News: EXCLUSIVE: Toronto pol to cover Mayor Rob Ford’s wager with Brooklyn Borough President
May 5th, 2014
Doyle Murphy
New York Daily News
Add backing out on bets to his list of offenses.
A Toronto City Councilman has vowed to make good on a wager between Mayor Rob Ford and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams now that the partying pol has checked into rehab.
Toronto Councillor Josh Matlow, a one-term councilman who has repeatedly called for the embattled mayor to resign, stepped forward Monday to assure Brooklynites that Canada would honor Ford’s NBA wager — a CD by Canadian star Drake.
“With or without Mayor Ford, the business of government must go on,” Matlow told the News. “We’ve got to improve transit, fix gridlock and get a Drake CD over to President Adams.”
City News: Residents hopeful SPIDER program will help hoarders
April 29th, 2014 Christine Chubb City News Residents [...]
