Our weekly recap of the week’s news nuggets in Toronto will bring you up to date and add some fuel to your small-talk tank heading into the weekend.
Ford Fest tonight
The mayor's annual family festival goes ahead tonight without the presence of alcohol, as they were not able to get the appropriate permit for the event. I'm going to pass up the chance to make the obvious joke here and head straight to the part where Ford's election opponents decry the event getting any permit whatsoever for the fact that it resembles a thinly-veiled campaign event. The Fords swear there isn't going to be any "electioneering" involved.
Ford bites it in Sharknado 2
All right, filling our mandated quota of two Rob Ford inclusions a week, it appears the mayor makes a cameo in Sharknado 2. Well, not actually Rob Ford himself, but a (not very good) look-alike who gets promptly killed off. The clip speaks for itself and the scene will apparently only be included in the version of the "film" airing on the Space channel here in Canada.
Baby Bison born
We have been a on a good run for interesting and adorable animals stories in this column, so we figured we would keep it up by mentioning that the Toronto Zoo has announced the arrival of two new wood bison calves. The wood bison has apparently been part of the Zoo's protection efforts since 1977.
Cyclists beware as 'dooring' rates rise
A dooring is the kind of thing that haunts a cyclist's dreams. You're pedalling away and wham—out of nowhere, you're hurtling through the air when that red Polaris driver-side door appears out of nowhere. Granted the experience probably isn't pleasant for the motorist, either, but it's an offence nonetheless and this article spotlights the steady rate of charges, even though there's a rise in reported incidents.
Bon Jovi group eyes Toronto for Bills
The Buffalo Bills ending up in Toronto seems like a story that will never go away, but here's the latest tidbit regarding the possibility of a Toronto NFL team. An ownership group possibly interested in the Bills, which includes Jon Bon Jovi, conducted a feasibility study about bringing the team to Hogtown. Potential stadium sites ended up being along the waterfront as well as one out in Mississauga.
Five Lost Toronto Neighbourhoods
The link above showcases a neat little bit of local history. It's a list of five neighbourhoods or villages that have more or less been lost to the city's development and growth over the last century. We intend to hit the archives and study up on the great Carlton and Davenport township merger that almost was, before they were both annexed by West Toronto. That will play well at cocktail parties…
The Rock's fanny pack
The Toronto Sun brought a photo out of the mothballs of The Rock as a Sunshine Boy in the 1990s last week when the actor was in town to promote Hercules. This week it became a bit on Jimmy Fallon's The Tonight Show as the people's champ had to answer for his turtleneck-wearing, fanny pack-sporting ways.
Jays on a little bit of a roll
It's been a tough stretch for the boys of summer recently but things are looking up after a series victory against the Red Sox. Not only did fans get to see the big league debut of top prospect Aaron Sanchez, they also got to see rookie sensation Marcus Stroman toss seven innings of dominant one-hit shutout baseball. Hope for the future fans, and maybe even the present.
Police officer dances at Beaches Jazz Fest
Just because you're on duty doesn't mean you can't shake it to the tune of some jazzy beats. This Toronto police officer, who was recorded boogying at the Beaches Jazz Festival, might want to take a couple pointers on form, though.
The Judge to open TIFF
There were a couple holes in TIFF's announced line-up earlier this week, including the festival opening gala screening. The eventual selection was announced today as The Judge starring Robert Downey Jr and Robert Duvall. The trailer for the film makes it out to be cloying and sentimental, but a bad trailer doesn't always mean a bad film.
