Back at the start of the Pandemic something called “ExploreAurora” was initiated by the Aurora Business Continuity Task Force and managed by the Aurora Chamber of Commerce. It is a ghost town, yet if you can make it through the tumbleweeds to the About section it claims that this online guide will include “real time […]
Read more "Deplore Aurora"There seems to be some confusion by some members of the public as to why the Town of Aurora is still operating in a state of emergency during the second wave of this Covid-19 pandemic. One member of council was even questioning during a council meeting if there is a specific date as to when […]
Read more "state of emergency or state of denial"During Covid19 the Town of Aurora’s social media accounts have been used to direct residents to crosswords and virtual tours of Disneyland. But in one of their more recent posts this week they claim the pandemic is a “Great opportunity to explore our town”: Perhaps whoever created this post never got the memo from York […]
Read more "When opportunity knocks… you off"The Good thing about shutting down all dine-in restaurants in Aurora due to Covid19 is that Aurorans are no longer at risk of getting sick from the establishments that refuse to comply with York Public Health’s rules. Back on March 4th the Era Banner reported violations between the period of February 24th and March 1st. […]
Read more "You are also what you don’t eat"Today is International Open Data Day. Anyone can organize an Open Data Day event. The City of Hamilton does. As of March 2019 there are 66 municipalities that have open data portals in Canada. Toronto adopted their Open Data Master plan, have an Open Data team that does active AMA on reddit and solicits feedback […]
Read more "open and shut data"Another accident occurred at Yonge and Wellington Saturday, February 29th. This February 24th Era Banner piece pitches the idea as one to “enhance safety for all road users and create a pedestrian-oriented environment”. It goes on to suggest the creation of a “dedicated turn lane at the congested Yonge and Wellington Street intersection”. Congested? No […]
Read more "already cheating on your road diet"Apparently Mayor Mrakas is playing the Representation by Population card at the Regional council table. He is advocating for a reduction of 11 members of Regional council as a correction that could result in a $600,000 savings. The question I have is if a correction is necessary, and cost efficiencies are being used to justify […]
Read more "Getting Things Undone"While one person has been arrested for duping buckets of feces on people in Toronto, in Hamilton an entire city council and staff have been caught. Instead of a couple buckets, Hamilton is undeniably guilty of spilling 24 billion litres of raw sewage into the Chedoke Creek. City councillors had known since January that enough […]
Read more "Shitters full"The Toronto Star recently reported that Gridlock on GTA highways cost $500 million to $650 million per year in higher prices for goods nationally, according to the Toronto Region Board of Trade. The increased costs affect retail, housing, and even food services and represent an average cost of $125 per household per year. But the […]
Read more "Roads? Where you’re going you don’t need roads!"In this Sept. 27th piece from the Banner we learn that the Region has come out to announce how amazing it is at managing development in a fiscally responsible way. It’s $1.5-billion short on its forecasted 10-year roads construction budget. Over the next 10 years it will collect $300 million less than it had anticipated in […]
Read more "the road more travelled"Gordon Prentice, a former British MP writes a blog in Newmarket for over 5 years. His February 15th post on Development Charges and their impact concludes with the question: does growth pay for growth? As this coincides with my recent post on Mayor Dawe demanding the waiving of DCs as the only way for Aurora […]
Read more "DC Superheroes"Public Health inspectors charged Aurora eatery Aw Shucks last Tuesday. You will likely see a green poster in their door welcoming you in. However if you were to visit YorkSafe website you’ll notice that over the past 1.5 years they have been charged with 7 incidents of non-compliance: Back in 2014 there were similar failings […]
Read more "This establishment “passed” the inspection"Jamie Lill’s Nov 4th letter to the Banner is a fitting response to Aurora Mayor La De Dawe’s motion concerning the banning of train whistles If Dawe seriously wanted to get a handle on costs for implementing all those crossing controls he could have spared staff time by simply looked at Markham, whose price tag is […]
Read more "Silence is Golden"It isn’t Aurora’s residents who need to be “activated” it’s Aurora’s business community. Last month after news broke that Magna is extending their stay by 5 years there was no doubt celebration and selfies from councilors who are content with resting their laurels on one business. But what is the town of Aurora doing with respect to […]
Read more "“If you play it safe in life you’ve decided that you don’t want to grow anymore.”"Back in April we learned that Aurora’s Regency Acres Public School has been working really hard for the past couple of years to get students up and active at school. That’s right the school is a participant in the existing York Region District School Board’s Healthy Schools and Workplaces program and modified the York Region’s […]
Read more "An active immagination"Yesterday the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs put out a news release that the province is providing more than $27,000 to an Aurora cookie business: http://news.ontario.ca/omafra/en/2015/11/ontario-supporting-cookie-it-up.html We read that supporting rural communities is part of the government’s economic plan for Ontario. Since 2003, the province has invested more than $187 million in almost […]
Read more "cookie cutter solutions"According to this April 17th news piece: http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/5563841-report-potholes-on-york-regional-roads/ York Region’s preferred methods for reporting road maintenance issue is either phoning dispatch at their extension or emailing this ridiculously long email address: TRN_roads_operations_dispatch@blahdeblah.blah One wonders why York Region would opt for such methods when by comparison Toronto has adopted an open standard (Open311) that allows approved mobile […]
Read more "how do you report potholes in 2015?"It’s hard for York Region residents to remain enthusiastic about sorting their waste output if the program that they pay for in their taxes continually fails to deliver. Earlier this year it was reported that a employee from GFL was allegedly assaulted on the job in Newmarket for not taking their trash: http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/5265044-garbage-man-calls-police-claims-he-was-assaulted-by-2-men-in-newmarket/ A method […]
Read more "Curb your Enthusiasm"If you like Aurora’s $26 Million Joint Ops Centre, you’re going to fall deeply in love York Region’s $212 Million Administrative Centre: http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/4402887-region-forges-ahead-with-expanded-headquarters/ Described as less iconic than York Region’s current building, I fail to see how its design that includes a gigantic atrium can be triumphed as energy or space efficient. I commented on […]
Read more "Debt Man Walking"Remember back in 2010 when Aurora’s former Mayor stood in a field wondering where all the trees had gone? That amounted to be little more than just another of her photo-ops which I commented here: https://wattstrending.wordpress.com/2010/07/09/for-thine-is-her-kingdom-the-power-and-the-glory/ Well it looks like when faced with a similar situation down in Toronto Mayoral candidate Karen Stintz was considerably […]
Read more "push up laws"The Town of Aurora’s Operating Budget is well underway but no one is saying it is nearly as sexy as Toronto’s 2014 Operating Budget: http://metronews.ca/voices/ford-for-toronto/866892/budget-101-how-torontos-staff-recommend-operating-budget-was-balanced/ . Are you paying attention anyways? After reading this Globe and Mail article you may want to: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/major-city-budgets-fail-to-reflect-actual-spending-report-says/article16361646/?cmpid=rss1&click=dlvr.it I’m not suggesting that Aurora is guilty of what is outlined in […]
Read more "noble experiment or fiscal chicanery?"The $270+ million incinerator in Clarington isn’t anywhere close to being built, but shortly after its ground breaking it is already failing the sniff test. And what more than a few are smelling is our tax dollars going up in smoke. The Toronto Star reported on the event held to celebrate the ground-breaking here: http://www.thestar.com/article/1080356–bills-in-for-trash-facility-s-pricey-private-party The […]
Read more "dig your own grave and save!"Like Aurora’s Strategic plan, York Region’s 40 year Strategic Plan is under way. It’s titled “Vision 2051” and you can learn more at this site: http://www.york.ca/Departments/Planning+and+Development/Long+Range+Planning/Vision+2051+Home.htm This new plan will supplant the current “Vision 2026” plan, which can be viewed here: http://www.york.ca/Departments/Planning+and+Development/Long+Range+Planning/Vision+2026/Default+Vision+.htm It was interesting to read in this Era Banner article that “more than” 1,600 […]
Read more "I see blind people"
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