From the breaking news desk: July 29 – 31

The remains of a Dodge Caliber involved in a two-car collision in a quiet North York residential neighbourhood Saturday, July 31, 2010. The crash claimed the life of one man and left several others injured. CREDIT TORONTO STAR/STEVE RUSSELL

One dead, one arrested after ‘spectacular’ residential crash

Man not wearing seatbelt was ejected and killed; car looks like “it went through a war,” investigator says.

Toronto man charged with online luring

A Toronto man has been arrested in connection with internet luring charges involving a child in New Mexico.

Zero alcohol level for young drivers kicks in Sunday

Sunday at 12:01 a.m., it will become an offence for any driver 21 or under, regardless of licence class, to have a blood alcohol level above zero.

What’s open and closed this weekend

Here’s what to expect on the roads and shopping over the civic holiday.

Court officer charged with armed robbery

A civilian member of the Toronto Police Service has been charged with armed robbery following a home invasion in south Etobicoke.

Man shot dead in northwest Toronto

A man in his 20s is dead after being shot in the head on Friday at around 3 p.m.

Raw milk activist marks trial with operetta

Dairy farmer Michael Schmidt is milking his court victory by creating a comic operetta about access to raw milk.

Fifth arrest in Mississauga teen’s murder

Police have arrested a fifth suspect in connection with the shooting death of a Mississauga teen earlier this month.

Daylight shooting victim identified

Police are still looking for the person responsible for shooting a 26-year-old man on Friday afternoon near Sheppard and Jane.

Bystander acts quickly to aid a police officer

A passerby came to the aid of the police officer after a man became aggressive on Saturday at around 2:05 p.m.

Second weekend stabbing is the city’s 34th homicide

One man dead and two others arrested after separate stabbings this weekend.

Remember that time I was on CBC radio?

Every news junkie needs an oversized coffee mug

Not that I like how I sound on the radio or anything (real talk: I don’t) but I do need to highlight my first interview on the Ceeb anyway…especially because  I have an overt appreciation for our national broadcaster and because CBC journalist Valérie Morand found me right here in the blogosphere.

Inspired by a recent Washington Post article, I’d previously weighed in and reached out on Ottawa’s evolution here at the Fab Files as well as in the Toronto Star’s intern blog.

Earlier this month, Morand interviewed me about the feedback I’d gathered and allowed me to drop in my own two cents. If you’re interested in the end result, here’s The Link (pun unapologetically intended, as this is the name of the show in which this interview was broadcast.)

Friday, July 16, 2010

“On The Link today..
…A recent article in the Washington Post raving about Canada’s capital, Ottawa, being the unselfconscious cool capital with an easy cosmopolitan nature, has stirred quite a bit of reaction in Canada. The Link’s Valérie Morand brings us the reactions from people living in Ottawa.”

A big THANK YOU to everyone who originally weighed in on both blogs, Facebook and Twitter!

G20 reports of media repression keep pouring in

Photo by Anderson Mancini

The Canadian Journalism Foundation
From the J-Source newsletter:

THE BIG ISSUE
G20 reports of media repression keep pouring in

After the G20 folded its tent, first-hand accounts of media repression have continued being posted on J-Source.  In ‘Access Denied,’ reporter Jesse Freeston describes being beaten by police. In the Student’s Lounge, there’s an account of a student journalist having to hand over his notes and camera, and in J-News, a story of cameras being returned with images gone. As calls for public scrutiny mount, this backgrounder on covering public inquiries is a helpful read. If you were there, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression is conducting a survey of journalists’ experiences. And if you got roughed-up, take heart that although the rest of the worldwasn’t very interested, at least Canadians tuned in. As calls for public scrutiny mount, this backgrounder on covering public
inquiries is a helpful read. So is the Riot Survival Guide.

From the breaking news desk: July 17 – 19

Photo by έŁέ¢τяøиί¢ έγέ on Flickr

Keeping cool in the world’s hottest spots

Think it’s sweaty in Toronto? Try taking a vacation to El Azizia, Libya. The small desert town has the distinction of dealing with the highest temperature ever on record.

Man in serious condition after being hit by a car

A portion of Lawrence Ave. E. is closed as police from traffic services investigate.

Firefighter injured after lightning sparks fire on roof in Markham

A firefighter fell from a ladder and was injured while responding to the blaze

Two injured in separate overnight stabbings

Three suspects have been arrested in connection with a downtown stabbing; a second stabbing occurred in Scarborough.

1 dies in Hwy. 410 crash in Brampton

Two killed in highway collisions so far this weekend.

Pedestrians hospitalized after being hit by taxi

The victims, a man in his 50s and a woman in her 20s, are suffering serious injuries after being hit by a cab.

Dear world, how do you beat the heat?

Image by moyerphotos on Flickr

Dear international friends,

Are you somewhere in the world that experiences extreme heat?

Care to talk to a reporter  about how you manage? The Toronto Star is working on a story about how people in different global hot spots keep cool.

We’re especially interested in speaking with people from:

• Libya
• Death Valley, U.S.A
• Kuwait
• Oodnatta, South Australia
• Villa de Maria, Argentina
• Athens, Greece

Please email our team: fcarletti@thestar.ca, gerchua@thestar.ca and ahering@thestar.ca or leave your location and tips in the comments below.  Please be specific about how your region does things.

Stay cool,

-Fabiola
Toronto Star Reporter

Washington Post declares Ottawa “cool”

Previously published at the Toronto Star’s Intern Blog

Stop the presses! This just in…

Ottawa is making headlines in Washington, D.C.’s largest and oldest newspaper, even winning out over Toronto when it comes to subcultural kudos. (We’ll get to that.)

A freshly published article in the Washington Post celebrates the Canadian capital for evolving from a “city that never wakes” to a place characterized by an “unselfconscious cool.”

That’s right: A New-York based writer is calling Ottawa “cool.”

Michael Kaminer, the Montreal-raised journalist behind the piece, remembers 70s era Ottawa for its “somnolent streets, dull dining and nonexistent night life.”

But a recent visit to the city has changed his mind, even inspiring him to rank Ottawa above Toronto when it comes to its indie aesthetic.

Torontonians may be miffed to hear his derision of our “hipster posturing” and, as Kaminer clarifies, that little Ottawa isn’t trying to be like Toronto anyway.

(I guess he’s saying they’re not interested in giving us the highest form of flattery, but maybe some of this instead.)

Kaminer also praises Ottawa’s casual bilingualism, comparing it to Montreal’s more heavy-handed approach, as well as the capital’s underestimated food scene and local artisans.

(Food wise: I have to give Ottawa props for being the home of Dunn’s famous Deli. I know Shwartz-lovers in Montreal may come after me, but Dunn’s totally has the best smoked meat.)

The writer concludes with the possibility that Ottawa’s major attractions—like Parliament, Rideau Hall and the National Gallery—may not be the city’s most appealing features anymore.

So, I’m interested in what you all think.

Has Kaminer been bribed in beavertails or is he onto something?

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Feedback: Ottawa is…

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Toronto Star Blog Comments

Posted by: Sarah | 07/11/2010 at 02:40 PM

Isn’t the grass always greener?

Yes, Kaminer was born in Montreal, so it’s not like this piece was actually written by a “real” American, so it may not totally be a case of the grass is always greener.

However, it does show how much we Canucks want to be validated by our neighbours to the south — whether it be with our comedians, or musicians, or endorsements of our cities. That’s where the real discussion is here, I think. Why do we need American approval for something that’s ours? Why don’t we appreciate what we have?

Is Ottawa cool? Depends on your definition of cool, I guess. I think Ottawa’s a great city to visit, has great restaurants and, of course, our country’s history. And I’m a political geek, so yeah, Ottawa is cool to me.

But there are other cities in this great country of ours that are just as “cool” as Kaminer makes Ottawa out to be — perhaps we should spend more time visiting them instead of looking to the Americans for validation.

Posted by: ”Mary” 07/11/2010 at 10:04 PM

I lived in Ottawa for 3 years and died of boredom as the city shuts down at 5 p.m. He’s just comparing Ottawa to Washington, which also suts down at 5 p.m.

Ottawa has no good night clubs, no good shopping malls, a poor transit system, cold weather. The only thing people do there is go drinking. Lame.

I’ve lived in Toronto for 24 years of my life otherwise, and it beats Ottawa every single time.

From the breaking news desk: July 9 – 12

Photo by dfinnecy on Flickr

It was a very grim series of shifts this time around. Many tragedies and close calls.
Here’s the latest list of breaking news stories that I authored.

Child choked by window blind cord
A 5-year-old Pickering boy is in critical but stable condition after getting tangled up in a cord attached to window blinds.

Dangerous sex offender may be hiding in Toronto
The 71-year-old fugitive is considered violent and at high risk to reoffend, according to police.

Toddler in hospital after being pulled from pond
The baby was pulled from a pond north of Ajax at around 10 a.m. Sunday.

School bus set ablaze in North York
The school bus was gutted by the flames, but nearby Zion Heights Junior High spared.

Human remains identified as Bracebridge woman
The remains of a 32-year-old woman were discovered at a cottage in Bracebridge on July 5.

2 Toronto men die in separate drownings
Police say a 31-year-old drowned in the Wasaga Beach area and an 84-year-old died in Gravenhurst.

Severe thunderstorm warning lifted for Toronto
Severe weather warning lifted for numerous regions in Southern Ontario, but warnings imposed again for London, Middlesex, Oxford and Brant.

Man drowns at Wasaga Beach
Natural bodies of water pose a greater risk to swimmers at all levels, according to the Lifesaving Society.

Police bust marijuana operation southeast of Peterborough
Officers from a tactics and rescue team found two men asleep and holding weapons as they entered the home.

Spot blackouts dim three Toronto neighbourhoods
A spokesperson for Toronto Hydro said more people than usual complained over the spot blackouts Friday.

Elderly woman arrested for tampering with sausages

Police believe that the woman is responsible for previous incidents of sewing needles being inserted into various brands of sausages.

Police release video of suspect wanted in car wash slaying
Images of a baseball-cap wearing suspect were captured by several cameras around the crime scene.

Marchers to protest G20 police actions; traffic delays expected
Activists plan to march along main streets from their meeting place at Queen’s Park to Simcoe Park at 2 p.m.

Markham man pleads guilty in collision that killed teen
The convicted 23-year-old faces two years in jail after rear-ending the 16-year-old driver of a minibike in 2009.

Making it to Algonquin, without the automobile

Originally published in the Toronto Star

Fabiola Carletti
Staff Reporter

Photo by Flickr user Яick Harris

Ontario’s top park just got a lot closer to the city.

Currently, car-less Torontonians must either rent a vehicle or take an indirect route by public transit to get to Canada’s oldest provincial park. But starting next Thursday, a new express service called Parkbus will roll out as a new option.

Outdoor enthusiasts will be able to board a non-stop bus from four Toronto locations to four popular drop-off points in the sprawling park. At $84 per round-trip the ride is less expensive than taking existing bus routes to Huntsville followed by a private shuttle. And if you factor in the cost of gas, parking and renting a car, it’s a lot cheaper than taking a personal vehicle. Even drivers may want to hang up their keys for an environmentally friendly and even educational alternative.

“Parkbus is a non-profit initiative that aims to eventually make other popular Ontario parks accessible by bus,” said Alex Berlyand, co-founder of the project. “We also intend to have a volunteer on each bus talking about the fragile and valuable elements of Algonquin Park.”

The founders find it ironic that in wanting to enjoy nature, most people are contributing to carbon emissions that damage the environment. The 56-seat coach buses are set to outdo even the most ambitious carpool and foster friendships between first-time and veteran visitors. (continue reading…)

“Why resist if you’ve got nothing to hide?”

Photo by James D. Schwartz on Flickr

All I could do was shake my head when I saw this headline in today’s Star:

City council commends “outstanding” police G20 work: Ford says no inquiry needed, police were “too nice”

Excerpt: “After an emotional morning-long debate, city council has voted 36-0 to laud police Chief Bill Blair, the Toronto police services and other forces for their work on the G20 weekend . . . Councillor Howard Moscoe warned his colleagues: “By wrapping yourself in the flag on this particular motion you are actually doing a disservice to the police force,” by showing a lack of confidence that the review will vindicate their actions.”

Moscoe’s point is an important one. I’m not upset because I can prove G20 abuses, but precisely because I can’t. When some civilians hesitated to show their ID on principle, they were often told: “why resist if you’ve got nothing to hide?”

Well, where is that logic now?

Without a full public inquiry, it will continue to be official version versus the testimonies of citizens on the ground–and we know which version has more weight until real evidence of the contrary comes to light.

Although I’ve stressed in the past that no group has a monopoly on virtue or vice–there are good people on both sides–there’s also a real power differential to acknowledge here. We know that the police narrative holds more mainstream weight than do the voices of dissidents and people simply caught in the “wrong place, wrong time.”

When I hear that, I don’t think of a particular street corner on a particular weekend, I think of everywhere injustice occurs in our supposedly enlightened times. For instance, this man was nowhere near the red or yellow zone when he was confronted:

Do you believe him? What about the next man, who says that the police ate chocolate strawberries in front of starving and thirsty detainees?

Here are some of the testimonies that have convinced me that we need an independent reviewer to investigate the events that occurred in an unrecognizable city. If all these people are exaggerating, we need to know. Scarier yet, what if they’re not?

• Amy Miller (Montreal-based independent journalist for the Dominion):

“So you think you’re a journalist. You won’t be a journalist after we bring you to jail,” the 29-year-old recounted an officer saying to her in her complaint. “You’re going to be raped. We always like the pretty ones. We’re going to wipe the grin off your face when we gang bang you. We know how the Montreal girls roll.” (CBC)

• Matthew Beatty (Ajax high school teacher)

A volunteer legal observer with Movement Defence Committee (MDC) for the G20 weekend, Beatty was following a protest march down The Esplanade on Saturday evening when he was arrested. “I was on the sidewalks, never jeered or chanted with the crowd,” he said. He was handcuffed and put in a “cage” with 20 others at the Eastern Ave. detention centre. “There were 40 people in one cage — it was brutal, and it was cold.” People were asking for toilet paper to wrap their arms and legs because of the cold, he said. During 18 hours in custody, he was given three cheese sandwiches, three cups of water and a cup of flavoured juice. (Toronto Star)

• Tommy Taylor (Play director)

Detained for over 24 hours, found himself begging for water and passed out before he received some. Wrote a detailed and publically available Facebook account of his arrest, including assertions that a man with cerebral palsy, a man who had been leaving a restaurant with his partner, a 16-year-old boy, a TTC driver in full uniform and a homeless man (who asked “what’s a G2o?) were among those in the detention center with him. He says many were sent back onto the streets without charges, and without shoes. (Self-published testimony)

• Benjamin Elroy Yau (TTC driver)

“I told them I wasn’t resisting arrest, that I was on my way to work. I was in full uniform with TTC shirt, pants, full ID, my employee card, everything,” Yau said on Wednesday. “They said, ‘Really? Well, you’re a prisoner today.’” Yau was detained for 36 hours. The booking sergeant told him he was in the “wrong place at the wrong time,” said Yau, who’s worked for the TTC for three years and never been in trouble with the law. (Toronto Star)

The danger of a single story

Chimamanda Adichie makes several important points in this talk, but here are a few excerpts that really struck me:

• “So that is how to create a single story, show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become.”
• “Power is the ability not just to tell the story of another person, but to make it the definitive story of that person. The Palestinian poet Mourid Barghouti writes that if you want to dispossess a people, the simplest way to do it is to tell their story, and to start with, “secondly.” Start the story with the arrows of the Native Americans, and not with the arrival of the British, and you have and entirely different story. Start the story with the failure of the African state,and not with the colonial creation of the African state, and you have an entirely different story.”
• “All of these stories make me who I am. But to insist on only these negative stories is to flatten my experience, and to overlook the many other stories that formed me. The single story creates stereotypes. And the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.”

I think this is a conversation we need to have, as many times as it takes, until it becomes more than a thoughtful sentiment. As a journalist, I find it frustrating to know that people and places will always be more complex than my representations of them … but if I can someday become skilled enough to represent nuance itself, then at least I complicate the single story.

As for the speaker herself, it’s worth highlighting that Chimamanda is a well-spoken, humble and brilliant women who has the unique gift of capturing so much in so few words. In many ways, I consider her a kindred spirit (if I may be so bold) when it comes to her worldview. One of my favourite examples is her answer to the question, “how would you like to be remembered?”

She answered: “As a person who tried to be honest and who tried to be kind—and who often realized the difficulty of being both at the same time.”