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ROB FORD’S DANCE ON A VOLCANO

At council’s final meeting before the October 27 municipal election last week, Rob Ford thanked Norm Kelly for leading council when things got, well, a little rocky last November.

“I know I embarrassed council and I want to thank, sincerely, the deputy mayor for taking the reins,” Ford said.

Councillor Gloria Lindsay Luby surprised council by announcing she’s retiring from politics (and now we’ll never get to hear about the video Ford allegedly sent her the first time he ran for office against her back in the 90s and lost).

Rob’s brother Doug hinted that he’d take a run at provincial politics. And then, because this is Toronto, the mayor embarrassed council again with a set of joyless dance moves to a performance by local reggae artist Jay Douglas. ICYMI video and resulting memes at nowtoronto.com.

LINE 9 GETS MORE SLIPPERY

A solicitor for the city of Toronto presented council with a report last week on the status of Enbridge’s emergency response plans for its Line 9 pipeline project.

But that report couldn’t detail what plans Enbridge has in place to respond to a spill or emergency because they are still at the draft stage, emergency response exercises have not yet taken place, and Enbridge is still assessing locations in Mississauga for a promised emergency response crew.

Nearing the end of their epic four-day meeting, councillors approved the report with a three-part amendment moved by York West Councillor Anthony Perruzza.

Most significantly, however symbolically, the city manager was asked to write Enbridge “to request that diluted bitumen not be transported through the city of Toronto.”

CANADIAN NAZI BIDS FOR COMEBACK

Go figure. Washed-up former Canadian Nazi Party leader William John Beattie is once again making waves, running for deputy reeve in Minden, Ontario.

Nationalist Party of Canada leader and perennial Toronto mayoral candidate Don Andrews was of course all over the news, which was picked up internationally after the Star broke the story on the NPC website, he describes Beattie as the “Paul Revere of the dangers of diversity.”

Last month, Andrews decried the outpouring of grief over Robin Williams’s suicide, calling him “the epitome of the wimpy white man – his depiction of a cross-dresser in Mrs. Doubtfire proves that, in the destruction of the family in America.”

PORTER READY FOR TAKEOFF?

Porter Airlines maintains that its plan to sell its terminal at Billy Bishop for a cool half-billion dollars is not linked to cash flow problems. Then again, the Friday before the Labour Day long weekend, which is when the news came out in the Wall Street Journal, is the time to drop news you don’t want everybody to hear.

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CYCLE TORONTO RIDES INTO TIFF

Among the many good reasons to go to TIFF? Cycle Toronto is providing free bike valet service on Simcoe just north of King during opening weekend, September 4 to 7. Maybe we can do something about the lack of bike parking around the TIFF Lightbox. Details at cycleto.ca.

Compiled by NOW staff with files from Zach Ruiter and Bernie Farber.

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