ArchiveJanuary 2017

Toronto could lose a significant amount of tax money if the housing market cools off. If you’re a Toronto resident who wants to maintain or improve the state of city services, Toronto’s 2017 budget has a message for you: buy a house. “But Matt,” you might be saying, “houses are ludicrously expensive.” Which, yes, I know. That’s the point. Homes in Toronto cost a ludicrous amount of money, and...

Kathleen Wynne's decision not to allow Toronto to toll the DVP and Gardiner Expressway is for some an example of the reason cities need more power. Here’s the sad and ridiculous reality of municipal government today: cities have no power. As enshrined in the Canadian Constitution, cities are creatures of the province—subservient to provincial will. As a result, despite being a global centre...

Kathleen Wynne and John Tory have been politically aligned on many issues, but the province's stance on road tolls for the DVP and Gardiner show fissures in that relationship. Let’s call it what it is: betrayal. There’s no better word to describe Premier Kathleen Wynne’s announcement that she will deny Toronto the right to put road tolls on the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway...

Remember Anika Tabovaradan? The teen made a passionate case to keep her library open at a Toronto City Council meeting. We can all take lessons from her. A word of advice to our American pals who are worried and scared about what’s going to happen after their new president gets sworn in this week: fight. Advocate. Organize. Rabble-rouse. Raise hell. Speak directly to those in power and tell them...

Keep your tissue handy; this episode has a lot of feels. Get ready to feel all the feels, as the first Metropolis of the new year starts with a pair of major announcements. But dry your eyes, listeners. There’s still a show to get through. In the first segment, Luke raises our spirits by talking about urban wildlife, and our connection with animals in the big city, and also how animals are cute...