cyclists beware, biofuels, park takeover, terror trials, psych survivor movement
angela bischoff
greenspi at web.ca
Wed Jun 18 11:11:42 EDT 2008
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Cyclists Beware -- Cops are out to get you!
The annual police enforcement campaign for Toronto cyclists begins
officially on Monday, June 16 and will run for a full week.
Police will be enforcing Highway Traffic Act violations such as No bell
($110), Failure to Stop/Stop Sign ($110), red light ($180), No front
light/rear light beginning a half hour before sunset, Sidewalk riding,
Unsafe lane change, failure to signal, and others, and encouraging proper
safety equipment for all wheeled road users. Conviction can result in
points on a driver's licence in addition to the fines.
Phone Toronto's Chief of Police, and your City Councillor, and tell them
targetting cyclists is a misappropriation of resources. Give cyclists
awards of merit instead!
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Toronto Police: War on Cyclists
Tuesday July 17th, 5pm
Toronto's finest, Metro Police, on bicycles (bravo)
Location: Huron one block south of College St.
Juncture: Intersection, northbound block meets southbound block
Measure introduced to control local residential street car traffic.
Police mission: Apply car traffic control measures to bicycles.
On Huron street bicycle policepersons were enforcing the one-way street
regulations on Huron Street.
Bicycle riders were irate. Huron street is the only north-south street
suitable for bicycle traffic, with busy streets on both sides.
The City of Toronto is far short of its targets for creation of bicycle
lanes.
I am certain that the police have very many other law enforcement
priorities, rather than enforcing laws that were never designed with
bicycles in mind.
What are our options:
1. Go to court! Let's find out the court dates for those unfortunate
cyclists who have been issued tickets. Let our judges hear from us.
2. Lobby the Police Services Board - Toronto has other priorities for law
enforcement than to enforce laws that cannot see that a bicycle is not a
car.
3. Lobby city hall - change our law enforcement priorities!
4. Demand that the Province enact laws that recognize that a bicycle is
not a car.
5. Critical mass ride: demand that if cyclists are to be deprived of safe
passage on back streets, that we will demand our legal right to occupy ONE
FULL LANE of traffic as "vehicles" on our streets and highways.
BICYCLES ARE NOT CARS!
The cycling community must take action to respond to this law enforcement
initiative by Toronto Police.
....Dan King, Toronto, 416-595-1782 <danking at sympatico.ca>
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Lots of great bike events happening in the next week as part of Bike
Month. http://wx.toronto.ca/inter/uds/cyclingcal.nsf/AllEvents?OpenView
Check out the Bicycle Film Festival screenings and other events Wed.
through Sat.
http://www.bicyclefilmfestival.com/
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The Coalition for a Green Economy presents:
A Free Public Discussion and Ideas Forum
Thursday June 19, 2008
Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen Street West at Bay
Committee Room 1
7:30pm-9:30pm
Free
HELP FUEL THE SOLSTICE DEBATE:
IS THERE SUCH A THING AS" ENVIRO-FRIENDLY BIO-FUELS? DO WE HAVE ANY
EXAMPLES IN ONTARIO?
Of all the hot debates on global warming, this is one of the hottest,
thanks to the attention given to corn ethanol. But before you throw out
the green fuel baby with the dirty bathwater of ethanol fuels, listen to
Wally Seccombe and Greg Herriott talk about their experiences.
A presentation of The Coalition for a Green Economy
<http://launchbox-emailservices.ca/mail/t.aspx?S=9&ID=955&NL=17&N=1152&SI=10687&ENC=!2!GS!%3fy!6!4!JQ!A!1!0O!%2f'G'4%25%3b(!F!I4%2cD!%2c!-I.>
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Hands Off Poor People: Park Takeover
Saturday, June 21 @ 4pm
Allan Gardens (Jarvis and Carleton)
INFO: Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, 416.925.6939; email: ocap at tao.ca;
web: ocap.ca
<http://www.bettermail.ca/ct/319/50189/2584850/369334077d598096d12f228313257def>
Free Meals.
Stop tickets and harassment. End the Safe Streets Act. Food and shelter now.
The Mayor, the cops and the rich are pushing poor people out of the
downtown core. The shelters are full but people are ticketed for sleeping
in parks. In the past 2 years, we have lost over 300 beds and tens of
thousands of meals. As we fight for housing and adequate income, we must
have our basic needs met - we need food and shelter now.
As the oversupply of housing for the well off creeps into poor areas of
the City, as a ruthless drive to push out the homeless gathers force.
People are targeted by the cops who are dramatically changing the downtown
core. Our corners are monitored by video cameras that watch us go hungry
while the cops get budget increases. Panhandlers and other poor people are
ticketed on an almost daily basis and at a rate that has increased nearly
300% in the last 3 years. This isn't about catching 'criminals', it is
about social cleansing - driving poor people out of the neighbourhood.
OCAP has taken the lead in resisting this outrageous situation. We held a
mass panhandle in the underground 'Path' commercial network. We have taken
delegations to City Hall to expose and challenge the neglect. We set up a
special night of shelter to coincide with the end of the 'Out of the Cold'
program. This laid bare the fact that hundreds more have nowhere to turn
and must go back to the streets.
Nine years ago, in response to the homeless crisis, targeted policing and
gentrification, OCAP held a Safe Park in Allan Gardens. Tragically, now
nearly a decade later, things are even worse.
We will be taking Allan Gardens over and making it a safe place for people
to eat and to sleep. We will hold the park as a place of safety and
solidarity for people denied shelter from the wind, the rain and the cops.
Come out and show your support for the poor people on our streets and
demand food and shelter for all!
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FREE THE CUBAN FIVE RALLY
DATE: Saturday, June 21st, 1 p.m.
PLACE: 360 University Avenue (U.S. Consulate in Toronto)
INFO: torontoforumoncuba at rogers.com, www.torontoforumoncuba.tyo.ca
The Cuban Five are serving the 10th year of their unjust prison sentence,
which totals four life sentences plus 77 years. Their crime? Trying to
prevent terrorist attacks planned and carried out from US soil by ultra
right violent organizations, through monitoring their activities and
alerting Cuba about impending attacks.
We demand:
Freedom for the Cuban Five!
Extradite Posada Carriles to Venezuela!
Visitation rights for the families of the Cuban Five!
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On June 22nd we will be celebrating a Pedestrian Sunday on St. Joseph
Sreet (south of Bloor, west of Yonge)
- with salsa in the street, street scrabble, a poetry picnic, open-mike,
chocolate drinks, street foods, puppeteers, bicycle technologies and
eco-actionists. Join us!
If you want to join the co-motion and conviviality for this Sunday event,
please note that artists, poets, street painters, and creative souls are
welcome.
For more details, please contact Darlene @ 6 St. Joseph House - 416-923-8836
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Davenport Neighbours for Peace Presents
"Terror Trials" and the "Toronto 18" - Are we losing our civil liberties?
Join Saima Mohammad and Chantal Sundaram for a discussion about civil
liberties in the context of Canada's "War on Terror".
Monday, June 23 at 6:30 pm
College/Shaw Library
(766 College Street at Shaw)
For more information: davenport4peace at gmail.com
by donation
---
Saima Mohammad is a family member of one of 18 Muslim men and boys who
were arrested on charges of "terrorism" in June 2006.
Since that time, charges against seven have been stayed, and all
allegations against the remaining are still unproven.
Nevertheless three of the accused are still being held in solitary
confinement here in Toronto‚s Don Jail.
These three have been languishing in a 4‚ x 6‚ x 10‚ cell for 23 and 1/2
hours every day for more than two years. Studies show that more than 60
days in solitary confinement causes severe emotional and mental harm.
These men have been in solitary confinement for over 730 days.
Chantal Sundaram is part of the Presumption of Innocence Campaign and
coauthor of the book: Islamophobia: What it is and how to fight it.
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The MAD Pride Toronto Committee Presents:
BUILDING LOCAL SOLIDARITY: Possibilities for the PSYCHIATRIC SURVIVOR
MOVEMENT IN TORONTO
JUNE 25, 2008
6 PM TO 9 PM
ROOM 560 OF THE SALLY HORSFALL EATON CENTRE
99 GERRARD STREET EAST
While those involved in the disability and psychiatric survivor movement
share similar experiences with the medical and social welfare systems,
historically, there has been a lack of cross-movement political work
achieved. The goal of this panel workshop will be to find ways in which
the two movements can find common ground and strategize ways in which to
improve our activism and advocacy. The panel will also focus on
recognizing the different experiences involved in doing activism and
advocacy based on race, gender, class, ability, and sexuality.
Panel Presenters
Jeremiah Bach
Sound Times Support Services
Rachel Gorman
Independent Choreographer and Performance Artist in the Disability and
Psychiatric Survivor Movement
Paula Grey, Capacity Advocacy Building Project - ERDCO
Griffin Epstein, DAMN 2025
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Big Pharma takes on Natural Health Care Products
Consumers Sound Alarm Over Bill C-51
Panel Presentation
Thur. June 26, 7 p.m.
OISE (Bloor and St. George)
by donation
Presenters include:
- Shawn Buckley, Natural Health Products Protection Association
- Dr. Shiv Chopra, Health Canada whistle-blower
- Mike McBane of the Canadian Health Coalition
There will be a pre-event rally at Queens Park (north side) sponsored by
the Canadian Natural Health Coalition starting at 6 p.m. Attendees will
walk to OISE together for the panel presentation.
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Planning for Inclusive Neighbourhoods
Lessons from U.S. municipalities;
Strategies for Canadian communities
Public Forum
Thursday, June 26, 2008
7:30 PM
Medical Sciences Auditorium
1 King's College Circle, University of Toronto
Panelists:
David Rusk, the leading U.S. authority on inclusionary zoning (and the
former mayor of Albuquerque)
Adam Gross, a lawyer with Business and Professional People for the Public
Interest in Chicago.
Moderator:
Christopher Hume, Toronto Star urban affairs columnist
Fact:
There have been a near-record number of new homes built in Toronto in
recent years.
Fact:
Only a tiny fraction of them are truly affordable to low and
moderate-income households.
Fact:
Municipalities across the United States are using inclusionary zoning to
create affordable homes.
This is a event is free and everyone is invited to attend
For more info: Michael Shapcott, 416-972-1010, x231
<http://www.wellesleyinstitute.com>www.wellesleyinstitute.com
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What: OPEN HOUSE The Spring Detox Lab
When: Thursday, June 26, 7 to 9pm
Where: Anarres Natural Health Clinic, 12 Ossington Crescent
Cost: Suggested donation of $10, plus $5 per product you come home with. RSVP
Move over spa – I'm learning a few tricks of my own! The Anarres Clinic
kitchen will be all set up for making stimulating sea salt and sugar
scrubs, magnificent massage oils, bodaceous bath salts, fantastic face
masks and intriguing infused oils. Over snacks and tea, I'll guide you
through the process of making your ideas take shape. You'll come away with
absolutely original, and useful, detoxifying goodies you've made for
yourself, or to give as a gift, and skills that can serve you for a
lifetime for a fraction of the cost of a spa habit. Bring your own
packaging, or buy glass bottles and vegetable cellulose bags here. You can
use your Workshopper Card to attend, or Pay What You Want for what you
take home (suggested prices available for the timid).
Anarres in-Clinic Workshops are also offered by request:
BOOK A PARTY (5 friends!), CLASS OR WORKSHOP Call for more info: 416 535
9620
Anarres' workshops are relaxing and fun and take place at Anarres Natural
Health Clinic, College & Ossington. Classes are limited to six
participants so that everyone gets a semi private lesson experience.
There's fruit, veggies and dip to snack on, and, as always, a choice of
cool crystal water or refreshing tea. There are always goodies to take
home, as well as new found knowledge and skills.
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