NarrativeBear

Local residents are speaking out about the installation of RapidTO transit priority lanes on Dufferin Street last week, an already-controversial project adding priority red-coloured lanes along a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the artery since Nov. 16.

A concerned local reached out to blogTO and other media outlets last week regarding a "chemical stench" emanating from the work area between Dundas St. W. and Queen St. W.

RapidTO confirmed in a follow-up email that the substance being used for the red lane surfaces is indeed MMA, which a representative of the project describes as "a durable road marking material widely used in Toronto and other cities for crosswalks, lane markings, bike lanes, and bus lanes. MMA is chosen for its long lifespan, skid resistance, and visibility."

The representative explains that the City uses MMA "because of its durability, fast curing time, and improved anti-slip properties compared to conventional traffic paints," and stresses that the material is non-toxic.

As for the smell, RapidTO maintains that "Open-air application is the recommended method to ensure proper ventilation."

"As with any pavement marking installation, there is an expected level of odour while the material is being placed and curing. MMA in particular has a strong, acrylic-like odour during application."

According to RapidTO, "The smell can be noticeable in the immediate area, but it is temporary and expected to dissipate as the material cures, typically within a couple of days after installation."

"While the odour can be unpleasant, the levels experienced outdoors do not pose a health risk to nearby residents or passersby."

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/39262177

Shouts and chants rained down upon politicians at the Ontario legislature Monday as the government passed a housing bill that critics say makes it easier for landlords to evict tenants.

"People over profits," members of ACORN Canada, a tenant advocacy group, chanted from the public gallery at Queen's Park at the time of the vote.

At one point, Premier Doug Ford told the yelling crowd to "go find a job."

It is one of several bills the government has fast-tracked this fall legislative session. It skipped the committee stage altogether.

"This government has ignored public opinion and denied us a voice," said Alejandra Ruiz-Vargas, president of ACORN Canada.

"Bill 60 will worsen homelessness, the mental-health crisis and despair across the province."

They said the bill would accelerate evictions and strip tenants of their ability to defend themselves.

Shouts and chants rained down upon politicians at the Ontario legislature Monday as the government passed a housing bill that critics say makes it easier for landlords to evict tenants.

"People over profits," members of ACORN Canada, a tenant advocacy group, chanted from the public gallery at Queen's Park at the time of the vote.

At one point, Premier Doug Ford told the yelling crowd to "go find a job."

It is one of several bills the government has fast-tracked this fall legislative session. It skipped the committee stage altogether.

"This government has ignored public opinion and denied us a voice," said Alejandra Ruiz-Vargas, president of ACORN Canada.

"Bill 60 will worsen homelessness, the mental-health crisis and despair across the province."

They said the bill would accelerate evictions and strip tenants of their ability to defend themselves.

Levoit Air Purifier Integration for ESPHome with link to github page below. Now I patiently wait for the Levoit 6000s Humidifier.

https://github.com/acvigue/esphome-levoit-air-purifier

Supported models:

• Levoit Core 200s
• Levoit Core 300s
• Levoit Core 400s

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/37966032

The Doug Ford government wants to give itself the power to dictate more of the rules around how Ontario protects its drinking water.

The Ministry of Red Tape Reduction said the process in place to change the rules around drinking water is “overly complex and slow.” It said reforming that process will support housing construction and development, while keeping water safeguards in place.

But one expert said the move will take away power from local committees tasked with protecting their region’s water supply, centralizing it in the hands of the government.

The Doug Ford government wants to give itself the power to dictate more of the rules around how Ontario protects its drinking water.

The Ministry of Red Tape Reduction said the process in place to change the rules around drinking water is “overly complex and slow.” It said reforming that process will support housing construction and development, while keeping water safeguards in place.

But one expert said the move will take away power from local committees tasked with protecting their region’s water supply, centralizing it in the hands of the government.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/37000109

Hundreds of thousands of Highway Traffic Act (HTA) charges that were dropped last year are a sign Ontario’s justice system is failing to live up to its basic functions and puts Ontario on the road to “lawlessness,” said the province’s opposition justice critic.

NDP MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam urged that the provincial government provide more funding of the court system at a news conference outside the Toronto courthouses on Monday, to avoid further impacting road safety.

“Ontario’s justice system is failing its basic promises of fairness, timeliness, and public safety,” Wong-Tam said. “If there are no consequences to offenses, if there are no consequences to crimes committed, we become a land of lawlessness.”

Wong-Tam was responding to numbers uncovered in a CTV News and W5 investigation where more than one in ten HTA charges were dropped before trial.

That number rose from about 57,000 charges withdrawn in 2019 to about 253,000 charges withdrawn in 2024 – around 10 per cent of all charges.

In her news conference, Wong-Tam also added in charges that were dropped at trial for a grand total of 338,000, amounting to 13 per cent of all charges laid under the Act.

Some serious charges were withdrawn at greater rates, including: about 8,924 careless driving charges withdrawn, around 31 per cent of the total; 9,302 driving while suspended charges, or about 32 per cent of the total; and 5,464 stunt driving, nearly 42 per cent of the total.

One of the charges dropped include a driver running a stop sign on Shaw Street in Toronto and colliding with a cyclist. That such incident was caught on video with clear evidence, said Biking Lawyer David Shellnutt.

“The simple slap on the wrist of the Highway Traffic Act ticket and penalty is not even administered. How crushing is that to somebody who remains off work after being injured by someone?,” he said at the news conference.

Another of Shellnutt’s clients, Anna Pratt, said she had been hit while on her bike in 2022.

“I was really badly hurt. I had multiple fractures to my pelvis, in my sacrum, (and) I had a concussion,” Pratt said.

Pratt said she followed the charges laid closely, representing a “sliver of justice that was really important.” But the charges were dropped, she said, without warning.

“I really was beyond disappointed. I was upset. I was angry. And I really felt that I had been completely, completely ignored by the system.”

Trish MacKenzie, the CUPE Local 79 representative for the city’s prosecutors, said part of the problem is a “staffing crisis” in the prosecutors’ offices.

“We’re very concerned about this,” MacKenzie said, adding that there are unnecessary barriers to hiring more people.

“It’s been devastating to the morale of the office. Of course, people feel extremely burdened and overworked and stressed out. There has been difficulty with being able to simply get all the work done.”

An Ontario court judge also pointed the finger at a lack of a file management system to keep track of the volume of cases, saying that was why the system is in “shambles.”

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/37000109

Hundreds of thousands of Highway Traffic Act (HTA) charges that were dropped last year are a sign Ontario’s justice system is failing to live up to its basic functions and puts Ontario on the road to “lawlessness,” said the province’s opposition justice critic.

NDP MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam urged that the provincial government provide more funding of the court system at a news conference outside the Toronto courthouses on Monday, to avoid further impacting road safety.

“Ontario’s justice system is failing its basic promises of fairness, timeliness, and public safety,” Wong-Tam said. “If there are no consequences to offenses, if there are no consequences to crimes committed, we become a land of lawlessness.”

Wong-Tam was responding to numbers uncovered in a CTV News and W5 investigation where more than one in ten HTA charges were dropped before trial.

That number rose from about 57,000 charges withdrawn in 2019 to about 253,000 charges withdrawn in 2024 – around 10 per cent of all charges.

In her news conference, Wong-Tam also added in charges that were dropped at trial for a grand total of 338,000, amounting to 13 per cent of all charges laid under the Act.

Some serious charges were withdrawn at greater rates, including: about 8,924 careless driving charges withdrawn, around 31 per cent of the total; 9,302 driving while suspended charges, or about 32 per cent of the total; and 5,464 stunt driving, nearly 42 per cent of the total.

One of the charges dropped include a driver running a stop sign on Shaw Street in Toronto and colliding with a cyclist. That such incident was caught on video with clear evidence, said Biking Lawyer David Shellnutt.

“The simple slap on the wrist of the Highway Traffic Act ticket and penalty is not even administered. How crushing is that to somebody who remains off work after being injured by someone?,” he said at the news conference.

Another of Shellnutt’s clients, Anna Pratt, said she had been hit while on her bike in 2022.

“I was really badly hurt. I had multiple fractures to my pelvis, in my sacrum, (and) I had a concussion,” Pratt said.

Pratt said she followed the charges laid closely, representing a “sliver of justice that was really important.” But the charges were dropped, she said, without warning.

“I really was beyond disappointed. I was upset. I was angry. And I really felt that I had been completely, completely ignored by the system.”

Trish MacKenzie, the CUPE Local 79 representative for the city’s prosecutors, said part of the problem is a “staffing crisis” in the prosecutors’ offices.

“We’re very concerned about this,” MacKenzie said, adding that there are unnecessary barriers to hiring more people.

“It’s been devastating to the morale of the office. Of course, people feel extremely burdened and overworked and stressed out. There has been difficulty with being able to simply get all the work done.”

An Ontario court judge also pointed the finger at a lack of a file management system to keep track of the volume of cases, saying that was why the system is in “shambles.”

Hundreds of thousands of Highway Traffic Act (HTA) charges that were dropped last year are a sign Ontario’s justice system is failing to live up to its basic functions and puts Ontario on the road to “lawlessness,” said the province’s opposition justice critic.

NDP MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam urged that the provincial government provide more funding of the court system at a news conference outside the Toronto courthouses on Monday, to avoid further impacting road safety.

“Ontario’s justice system is failing its basic promises of fairness, timeliness, and public safety,” Wong-Tam said. “If there are no consequences to offenses, if there are no consequences to crimes committed, we become a land of lawlessness.”

Wong-Tam was responding to numbers uncovered in a CTV News and W5 investigation where more than one in ten HTA charges were dropped before trial.

That number rose from about 57,000 charges withdrawn in 2019 to about 253,000 charges withdrawn in 2024 – around 10 per cent of all charges.

In her news conference, Wong-Tam also added in charges that were dropped at trial for a grand total of 338,000, amounting to 13 per cent of all charges laid under the Act.

Some serious charges were withdrawn at greater rates, including: about 8,924 careless driving charges withdrawn, around 31 per cent of the total; 9,302 driving while suspended charges, or about 32 per cent of the total; and 5,464 stunt driving, nearly 42 per cent of the total.

One of the charges dropped include a driver running a stop sign on Shaw Street in Toronto and colliding with a cyclist. That such incident was caught on video with clear evidence, said Biking Lawyer David Shellnutt.

“The simple slap on the wrist of the Highway Traffic Act ticket and penalty is not even administered. How crushing is that to somebody who remains off work after being injured by someone?,” he said at the news conference.

Another of Shellnutt’s clients, Anna Pratt, said she had been hit while on her bike in 2022.

“I was really badly hurt. I had multiple fractures to my pelvis, in my sacrum, (and) I had a concussion,” Pratt said.

Pratt said she followed the charges laid closely, representing a “sliver of justice that was really important.” But the charges were dropped, she said, without warning.

“I really was beyond disappointed. I was upset. I was angry. And I really felt that I had been completely, completely ignored by the system.”

Trish MacKenzie, the CUPE Local 79 representative for the city’s prosecutors, said part of the problem is a “staffing crisis” in the prosecutors’ offices.

“We’re very concerned about this,” MacKenzie said, adding that there are unnecessary barriers to hiring more people.

“It’s been devastating to the morale of the office. Of course, people feel extremely burdened and overworked and stressed out. There has been difficulty with being able to simply get all the work done.”

An Ontario court judge also pointed the finger at a lack of a file management system to keep track of the volume of cases, saying that was why the system is in “shambles.”

A California police department's drone program helped officers track down and arrest a suspected repeat shoplifter who attempted to flee on a stolen bicycle Tuesday morning and might otherwise have gotten away, officials said.

The incident happed at a Walmart in Clovis, California, where police were called just after 8 a.m. for a known shoplifting suspect. The department's "Drone First Responder" (DFR) program proved crucial in the arrest, officials said.

"The suspect at Walmart stole a bicycle from inside the store, which the staff thought he would, and he took off on that bike," Clovis Police Public Information Officer Ty Wood told ABC News Fresno station.

The suspect, identified by police as 19-year-old Sean Baker, was tracked by the drone as he crossed a nearby street. He now faces charges including shoplifting, possession of burglary tools and obstructing an officer, according to police.

The police spokesperson told ABC News that the department's DFR program currently operates two drones, which can cover more than 90% of community. The department has already ordered a third drone for next year, the spokesperson said.

"We realize that drones are not going to be taking the place of a law enforcement helicopter, but with a city our size, we can't afford a helicopter. These drone first responders are definitely a game changer," the spokesperson told ABC News.

The drones, which typically fly at 200 feet, are equipped with advanced camera systems.

"These cameras are fantastic," Wood told ABC30. "We have the ability to see license plates and get physical descriptions of suspects."

A key advantage of the program is the drones' ability to arrive at scenes before officers. The spokesperson said responding officers can view live drone footage from their patrol car computers while en route to calls.

The suspect "went behind other retail businesses and he would have been lost if it weren't for the drone," Wood told ABC30.

The department, which serves a community of over 129,000 residents, launched its drone program in 2020, according to the spokesperson. The initiative has since become an important part of the department's Real Time Information Center (RTIC), which combines various surveillance systems used for public safety.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/36058915

The City of Vaughan has formally dropped its use of automated speed enforcement cameras as Ontario’s premier urges municipalities that have them to end the “tax grab.”

Vaughan paused its use of speed cameras in June after 32,000 speeding tickets were handed out in just three weeks earlier this year. Del Duca put forward that motion to pause their use until September because council was due to receive a report on ways the city could create more effective signage about the presence of cameras.

Del Duca said in a statement Monday Vaughan needs to “strike the right balance” between protecting citizens and ensuring there is no “unfair financial burden placed on residents at a time of financial uncertainty.”

He added it that with the speed cameras, it was “clear the balance tips too heavily” toward financial penalties.

Ford said Tuesday he was “proud” of Vaughan’s decision.

“It’s nothing but a tax grab. I’m proud of Mayor Del Duca and I’ll be making an announcement with Mayor Del Duca,” he said, without providing specifics on the announcement.

“There’s so many ways to reduce and slow down traffic (other than) gouging people when they go three kilometres over the speed limit. It’s unfortunate some mayors decided to go down that avenue, but we’ll work with the mayors.”

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario has told Ford in a letter there is real evidence the cameras improve road safety, including a July study from SickKids and Toronto Metropolitan University that found they reduced speeding by 45 per cent in Toronto.

“The evidence shows that if (automated speed enforcement) cameras are removed, speeds will increase in community safety zones and more pedestrians will be at risk,” association president Robin Jones wrote in the letter.

“Instead, we strongly recommend that you work with municipalities to ensure we have the tools we need to ensure road safety.”