Events in toronto: Morning Brew: Ford letter sparks questions, Sandro Lisi expected city job, get set for Gardiner repairs, subway work stalls, creepy landlord, and a neighbourhood feud

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Morning Brew: Ford letter sparks questions, Sandro Lisi expected city job, get set for Gardiner repairs, subway work stalls, creepy landlord, and a neighbourhood feud

toronto guinness The controversial character reference Rob Ford wrote for his friend Sandro Lisi was made public yesterday, prompting further questions about the his personal relationships. Ford wrote the "To Whom It May Concern" note on his official city letterhead, an apparent breach of city council guidelines, calling Lisi "courteous and polite." It was revealed yesterday that Ford wrote a similar letter for a tow truck driver with a criminal record.

It was also revealed that Sandro Lisi planned to receive a job at the city with the endorsement of his "close friend," Rob Ford. Leaving his office, the mayor said he "write[s] lots of letters" and supports "a lot of people."

Repairs to corroded rebar, crumbling concrete, and other signs of aging will slow traffic on the Gardiner for years, according to the city's head of transportation services. Eight different projects are planned between now and 2015, one of which involves replacing a portion of the road deck. Expect to see plenty of cones and lane closures.

Construction has ground to a halt on York University station, leaving a large hole partially filled with water. The building company that dug the hole for the Norman Foster design finished its work in July but so far EllisDon hasn't continued the project. The TTC has already delayed opening of the Spadina line extension until 2016.

In serious case of creepiness, a Toronto landlord allegedly used hidden cameras to spy on a tenant in the shower and uploaded the videos to the Internet. David Sealy, an associate director with the CBC, is charged with voyeurism, mischief, and defamatory libel over the incident at a Spadina and Richmond condominium building. Police would like to speak with anyone who rented from Sealy.

There's a battle raging two formerly friendly neighbours happening in Scarborough. John Corcoran and Vicky Downing used to be cordial, the Star reports, but things went sour about a year ago. In the latest broadside, Downing has erected a sign labelling her neighbours "The Fockers" with the crucial "U" practically an "O." Yikes.

TTC Chair Karen Stintz has pleaded guilty to a traffic ticket issued while she was riding her bike earlier this Summer. Stintz was hit with a fine for failing to stop at the intersection of Duplex and Berwick avenues, near Yonge and Eglinton. She was given a suspended sentence.

Finally, here's the latest video from Jim Bachalo. We last heard from Bachalo when blogTO wrote about his gorgeous mini documentary celebrating the Ontario Bread bakery on Ossington. This time the film maker has is celebrating the musical stylings of Toronto performers Kaori & Ryota. Enjoy.