During a trip a little while back to downtown Toronto, I found myself in the market for a leisurely breakfast/brunch. Not feeling the local greasy spoons, which, to be honest, aren’t exactly cheap anyways, we decided to lean in to the bougie breakfast and try KŌST. Located inside the also bougie
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Views from the Beltline: Alberta is just so damn popular
So many people from the rest of the country are moving to Alberta that the province has cancelled its “Alberta is Calling” program. The program, which boasted of “bigger paycheques” and “smaller rent cheques,” had encouraged Canadians to consider the province as a new home. It turns out a lot
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Michael Marshall discusses the growing body of knowledge about the persistence of long COVID – with people still suffering symptoms after a year tending to suffer from it as a chronic condition thereafter, and no effective treatment available once long COVID sets in.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – The Canadian Press reports that the Ford PCs’ COVID negligence includes shutting down a rapid test program still distributing hundreds of thousands of tests each week. – Denise Balkissoon writes about the need for Toronto (like other cities) to elect representatives who
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Constitutional ramblings
Constitutions are in the news these days. More perhaps in Alberta than the rest of the country because of Premier Danielle Smith’s separatist manifesto the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act. The Act has met harsh criticism from a range of interests, from the business community to First Nations.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Hussein Kadhem Al-Hakeim et al. examine the relationship between oxygen deprivation and severe long COVID symptoms. Crawford Kilian makes the case for an inquiry to show where our pandemic response has gone wrong, while recognizing that the people responsible for those very decisions
Continue readingThings Are Good: Toronto: Go Vote Today
In fact, if you live in Ontario then you should get out and vote in your local municipal election. The municipal level is where people feel the impact of government the most since it literally impacts our day to day existence. Want more transportation choices than just a car? Vote
Continue readingThings Are Good: Artists Show the Real Toronto
Another impressive piece by the artist @JohnTory. #AusterityTO pic.twitter.com/9ZwvXUDIDz — Yash Keough (@conradsleight) October 5, 2022 Hopefully next week Toronto will have a new mayor (vote Gil Penalosa!) and oust the mediocre John Tory. Mayor Tory is infamous for not leading not making any real decisions except for helping car
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – David Axe reports on the spread of a new COVID-19 subvariant which pairs increased transmissibility with resistance to antibody therapies. And Andrew Gregory reports on the World Health Organization’s pleas for some recognition of the damage being done by long COVID, while Benjamin
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Bright Lights, Small Cities: Alberta may be calling but it’s doubtful Toronto is listening
Is it just me, or is it kind of embarrassing to see lame-duck Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and a couple of little-known United Conservative Party MLAs from rural Alberta hanging around the Toronto Transit Commission’s subway station at Young and Dundas trying to tout the bright lights of Wild Rose
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: What can municipalities do about homelessness?
I recently contributed an essay to a paper series published by the University of Toronto’s Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance. The focus of my own essay is the role Canadian municipalities can play in addressing homelessness. A ‘top 10’ overview of the essay can be found here (in English):
Continue readingNorthern Currents –: Sending Crisis Response Teams instead of Police will save lives
One of the responsibilities of the police that could be eliminated is the role of social work and responding to mental health crises. As we’ve seen far too often in Canada and across the world, the police are untrained and ill-equipped in social work. The success of these examples in
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: COVID and Homelessness: Ten things to know
I was recently invited by the The Economics Society of Northern Alberta to speak at their 2022 Outlook Conference about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on homelessness. Here’s an overview of my presentation: https://nickfalvo.ca/covid-and-homelessness-ten-things-to-know/
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: A 13-city scan of homelessness planning
I’ve just written a 13-city scan of homelessness planning across Canada. A summary of the report is available here: https://nickfalvo.ca/innovation-in-homelessness-system-planning-a-scan-of-13-canadian-cities/
Continue readingThings Are Good: Make Believe Ideas and the City
The mayor of Toronto, like other 20th century mayors, believes in mystical solutions to urban problems. In the 21st century smart mayors are shedding the myths and make-believe thinking around urban design. In forward looking places we see neighbourhoods made livable and large swaths of land made into the human
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: the federal Conservatives’ housing platform
With a federal election taking place in Canada on September 20, I’ve written an 800-word overview of the Conservatives’ housing platform. It’s available here: https://nickfalvo.ca/ten-things-to-know-about-the-federal-conservatives-housing-platform
Continue readingAndy Lehrer: Time to reclaim the Sunnyside Bus Terminal: Toronto’s forgotten bus station
The Toronto Coach Terminal’s closure earlier this month was a reminder that the TTC used to operate an intercity bus service called Gray Coach, until it was sold off in 1990. Much like the GO Bus system today, Gray Coach served much of southern Ontario (as far west as London)
Continue readingThings Are Good: Artists Want You to Better Know Your Land
A series of thought provoking art works commissioned by Toronto History Museums wants to shake up your understanding of local history. The collective project called Awakenings approaches tales from the past that have gone unheard, or highlight the efforts of people traditional ignored by historians. The project isn’t just about
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: A primer on supportive housing and Housing First
I’ve written a 900-word primer on supportive housing and Housing First. Here’s the link to the English-language version: https://nickfalvo.ca/a-primer-on-supportive-housing-and-housing-first/ Here’s the link to the French-language version: https://nickfalvo.ca/une-introduction-au-logement-supervise-et-le-logement-dabord/
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Homelessness planning during covid
The Calgary Homeless Foundation has just released a 12-city scan of homelessness planning during COVID. It’s a national study (which I authored). My ‘top 10’ overview of the study can be found here.
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