All eyes on The Word On The Street at Queen’s Park North, Sunday, September 22. See more pics.
Wild City
WHAT Acer saccharinum, aka silver maple, in Queen’s Park.
WHEN Based on the DBH (diameter at breast height), this one looks to be at least a century old.
WHY Part of LEAF’s Heritage Tree Tour on Sunday (September 29) from 11 am to 1 pm. Meet at Philosopher’s Walk and Queen’s Park (100 Queen’s Park Crescent).
Photo by Vincenzo Pietropaolo
Hydro Shock
$950 million
Amount Ontario could save on hydro bills per year by importing more electricity from Quebec, according to the Ontario Clean Air Alliance.
30% to 50%
Amount by which Ontario’s energy bills are inflated by relying on nukes rather than electricity from Quebec.
45%
How much lower Montreal’s electricity rates are than Toronto’s.
1.7%
How much of Ontario’s total energy was imported from Quebec in 2012.
Photo by Brian Keaveney
Photo by Brian Quan
Spotted
Another piece of Canadian aeronautic history shelved? A replica of the iconic Avro Arrow, perhaps this country’s single greatest contribution to modern aviation, was moved from the now closed Canadian Air & Space Museum at Parc Downsview Park to the International Centre on Airport Road, where it’s the main attraction of Doors Open Mississauga on Sunday (September 28). From there it’ll go into storage at a hangar offered by a private donor. Just in time. Museum CEO Rob Cohen says the crumbling Downsview building was becoming a hazard to the Avro and other artifacts.
Heritage watch
The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty has set its sights on a piece of Toronto history: the Queen Anne Revival William Dineen House at 230 Sherbourne. The group, which held an occupation of the property on Sunday, September 22, wants the city to expropriate the long-vacant building and convert it to housing. It’s been done before on Queen West. The building’s owner’s plans are unclear. An application was submitted to tear the place down in July 2011. The city moved to designate the property as historically significant a few months later, shortly after a similar manse next door was demolished. In 1985, a homeless woman, Drina Joubert, was found dead at the back of the house.
Photo by Enzo DiMatteo
Pipeline paddle
Environmental Defence and Friends of the Rouge Watershed’s Paddle To Protect The Rouge on Sunday, September 22, involved a dozen canoes. The event was part of the growing campaign by enviro groups against oil and gas giant Enbridge’s plan to pump tar sands crude through its Line 9 pipeline. That conduit runs through the Rouge watershed, which is about to be designated Canada’s first urban national park. Hearings on Enbridge’s proposal begin next month.
Photo by Environmental Defence
