Shawn Micallef 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
@shawnmicallef
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Columnist @TorontoStar / Cofounder @spacing / Teach @UofT / Books: Stroll, Full FrontalTO & The Trouble w Brunch / NEW: Frontier City - TO on Verge of Greatness
Toronto Mean Ass City
Joined July 2008
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Just in case. But not sure I’ve it in me for another one. This place was, at its best, like opening the window & listening to the city. Still. Voices if not have heard otherwise, issues I didn’t know of. Will go down w the ship here then decide.
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The Airbnb bailout is simple: put your unit back on the long term rental market. End of bail out.
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Anti-masker marches, who invaded neighbourhoods all over the city, blocked city hall vax clinic, were *escorted* by police with kid gloves. Here the jacked up riot squad to remove homeless.
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My sweetest friend is gone. Sebastian (aka The Young Citizen) arrived in Nov of 2005 & was the best dog there ever was. He walked 1000s of kilometres in his 15.5 years, on sidewalk & trail. He had many friends & kind admirers. He was an enormous presence & I will always miss him.
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Did you know that Ontarians can vote in every municipality where they own property? So a landlord can vote more than once, but a permanent resident can’t vote at all.
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Police have given anti vax protesters the keys to the city and now hospitals are building their own barricades. How fucked up does this situation have to get before the mayor and councillors demand to know what’s going on with the cops?
Heads up if you plan to use the University bike lanes tomorrow (Monday the 13th): vaccine objectors will be protesting outside of hospitals tomorrow. Hospitals are building barricades in an attempt to protect patients & staff. Consider alternate routes.
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Toronto is run by people with back yards and cottages, and policed by the same. You got one of those you can have a drink outdoors. No? Face $300 and arbitrary policing. Shame on city councillors and agents of this crap.
Leave the beer, wine and spirits at home if you’re planning a trip to a beach or park this weekend. You can receive a $300 ticket for consuming alcohol in public spaces. More info:
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I can’t sing opera but tomorrow eve I’m going to stand on my balcony and narrate a PowerPoint for all the neighbourhood to enjoy.
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I walked 10 kilometres of the Greenbelt that Ford wants to destroy. Beautiful, bucolic & so close to the city. We should fight for it & the rest of the Greenbelt with all we’ve got. My
@TorontoStar
column this week.
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I don’t know how the civic trust in ottawa recovers from this. Heartbreaking thing. A great Canadian city left to fend for itself for 3 weeks.
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If this space becomes parking again we are the stupidest city on earth.
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25 yrs today Princess Diana visited Toronto's Casey House & shook hands w AIDS patient w no gloves. Was big statement, helped dispel myths.
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Ford is making public space a police state - fuck all about the workplace transmission
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A friend txts this photo - sunset tonight in riverdale park. “500 people, washrooms locked tight”. All these people just doing the right safe thing. This entire council needs to be voted out. So many words about open washrooms, and this. It’s an insult. Vote them all out.
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FFS. You can walk through Jane and Finch. It's next to York University. It has two malls. A community centre. Backyard gardens. Ravines. 1000s of people live there every day and night.
Ontario minister faces criticism for wearing bullet proof vest to visit Toronto’s Jane-Finch neighbourhood
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The Ontario NDP are really behaving like a proper opposition party should. Tight, sharp, relentless on a multiple front scandal-ridden government. Good work there.
@chrisgloverndp
@jennkfrench
GTA issues critic
@BhutilaKarpoche
notes “Enough is enough!” Ontarians are demanding answers around this 95 year contract and giveaway of our waterfront public space. Calls for the release of the Science Centre business justification for the demolishing and diminishing of the OSC
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After 13 years of the same ideology running toronto, today it actually changes.
New Toronto mayor Olivia Chow arrives to be sworn in, leading hundreds of cyclists on her first day.
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Toronto is governed by people with back yards.
Deputy city manager says now is not an "appropriate" time to allow legal drinking in parks. "I think council would want a full analysis of what this would mean," Giuliana Carbone says. Says it's not critical to do this for this summer.
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It’s the 3rd anniversary of Ford calling back legislature to use the Notwithstanding Clause to chop Toronto council in half (and only Toronto council) in the middle of a “democratic” election. Never forget.
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Horse cops came out for homeless/encampment press conference at Mayor's condo today - never for anti vax at hospitals, etc.
Yet another irrational and aggressive response to a peaceful demonstration by unhoused people and their supporters today at
@ESN_TO
press conference. Outrageous.
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Has a police force ever so openly shown this much contempt for the city that employs them?
We are ensuring the safe movement of a convoy that originated in Quebec and are travelling through Ottawa en route to Vankleek Hill. Counter-protests are hindering the safe flow of traffic and putting public safety at risk.
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Regarding this week's antivax marches in Toronto. I got this note from a City of Toronto employee yesterday who wishes to remain anonymous because they say city workers have been warned for being critical of the police on Twitter.
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I bet the greenbelt developers also got Taylor Swift codes.
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Car drivers are never lectured like bad toddlers like this for stealing parking - and never at $425. And rarely for other behaviour that kills. Public transit is the mode w built in condescension. TTC historically, now Metrolinx is into it.
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The angry and jabbing Ford I detailed in my book Frontier City is alive and well. The avuncular "makeover" hoodwinked some, but if you've followed him for 13 years, you know who he is, and this is it. No accountability and vindictive. He was always this.
My colleague
@ColinDMello
asks about the incompetence, as per AG report, throughout the process from the Chief of Staff to the Premier. Asks when does Ford personal responsibility.
The Premier responds loudly and takes personal shots at Colin.
He didn’t answer the question.
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Me again: we have a problem with policing in Canada and barely a politician is talking about it. Frankly, they are scared shitless of taking on any kind of reform. They'll need a ton of public support.
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Lots of bad days in this city but this is about the most despicable day I can remember.
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This is really shameful from Metrolinx. Their shitty tech puts people in a position like this, where the onus on the individual to stop their commute and talk to some agent, while their own fare enforcement goons threaten *arrest*. Despicable & shameful.
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3 years ago today (day after Brexit vote) this remains one of the greatest letters to the editor ever.
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In all lifelong [redacted] years of living in Ontario, I've never felt or seen this kind of collective rage/despair/rage.
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Did the Ontario government take over Rogers?
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Huge crowd for the Trans March. Begins in a bit. If you feel like muting this thread, I’d prefer you unfollow.
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Sad fucking day in Toronto. But this is John Tory's Toronto. If you are upset, you will have to be vocal about it. Let him know. Let your councillor know.
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I don't think it needs to be said but: the last couple days, it isn't really about booze in parks itself, but the bananas absurdity, double standards, hypocrisy & pietism in this city, the paternalism, the wretched scolding toryism of our leaders, the mendacity of communications.
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Old stubby, the hardest working tree in TO, defiant despite the seemingly imminent demolition of Cumberland Terrace for years now, despite the 3rd & 4th waves, despite all the BS, is back & festive & demanding you feel the electric joy. 18/10
#EveryCorporateChristmasTreeInToronto
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Still hundreds of people out in their lake side park on a warm bright June evening, wasn’t yet 9pm or sunset when I took this & washroom locked & fountain cobwebbed & off.
Watching people try the door.
How long are we going to fucking do this?
Tory’s Toronto in steep decline.
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This man gaslit the gays, telling them there wasn't a serial killer in their midst, then blamed them for his force's deadly incompetence in catching him.
He can eat the rainbow.
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The hardest working tree in Toronto is back at Cumberland Terrace in a show of resilient festive defiance in the face of darkness. A sentinel of joy. Long live this 14/10 tree! 🎄
#EveryCorporateChristmasTreeInToronto
is back for 2020, but different this year. A few notes:
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THEY'RE PROPOSING A PEDAL PUB IN TORONTO AND YOU CAN'T EVEN DRINK ON IT. classic
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Beautiful. Massive crowd at Yonge Dundas right now.
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I’m not a flag person (not for or against just not a flag flying person) but after the anti-queer violence at Hamilton pride last weekend, & the hateful assholes who yell at Yonge & Church, & the establishment people who give all of it space, I bought this today & put it up.
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Very good of the Ford Nationals to slip in the green belt stuff while they've thrown the province into notwithstanding crisis on a friday.
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Endless sound of speeding racers - Gardiner/ lakeshore/ park lawn way. Nothing can be done but at least the cops got that cyclist doing 26 in high park
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If you know anybody looking to rent one of these units returning to the market, make sure they sign a proper, long-term lease that gives them the usual renter protections. Don’t let the weasels get em w something shorter.
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Doug Ford has been Premier for 6 hours and this is still $6.
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Sloly is done. City no longer has confidence. Unless: if there’s actually an insurrection within his force he needs to speak openly about it now - no more blue wall of silence. This is an opportunity to really air out police force rot (not just Ottawa). If not now, when?
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It’s time to fight. Time for a hearts & minds campaign. Time for political theatre, protest & tree hugging. It’s time for Mayor Chow to stay true to her campaign promise & lead a Toronto 💪🏼fight to save Ontario Place. Ford is weak. My
@TorontoStar
clmn.
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Roads are near bone dry but walking is hell. Two of us just had to help a senior cross Christie. You don’t own toronto city hall the benefit of any doubts re who matters here.
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This scandal isn’t going away. It’s connected to the science centre, ontario place. A snake of illtransparency and graft. Running makes it worse and they are running away.
Premier’s Office told reporters we had until 10am to question Ford. They just cut it off 15 minutes early when The Narwhal was next at the mic.
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As many have pointed out, the basic/big errors the NYT’s has made covering their closest neighbour (neighbor) is really worrying re their coverage of other world events. Not good in a shaky media/trust world.
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2.5 yrs later, finally holding the actual thing. A book about inequality, wealth, populism, people, geography & why it's worth fighting for.
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A few years ago today, one of the best pics I ever took.
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This is a functional phone booth on Dundas West x Sorauren. This is the greatest feral phone booth in the city.
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As I ride in this morning, a needle and other stuff on the streetcar. Another person sprawls out sleeping at the back. Supports & shelter in this city have been cut to the bone under Tory, but his comms tell us otherwise. It wasn’t like this before. Never in my 22 years here.
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Rob Ford is an option for a new street name in Etobicoke.
Rob Ford prided himself on voting no on most every civic initiative.
The greatest honour for him, then, would be to vote no on the Ford option.
Help make history in the new Etobicoke Centre!
#CityofTO
shortlisted 10 names submitted by you to name 3 new streets that will be created with the redesign of
#SixPoints
Interchange.
Let us know what you think & rate the names by Sept 2:
#Toronto
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It’s still so utterly incredulous that Tory takes $100k a year from the Rogers family & no one really cares.
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Today’s the last day to take the TTC before the April 1st fare increase. Be sure to take as many rides as you can today.
Today is the last day to fill up before the Federal Carbon Tax comes to Ontario.
Fill up today ... tomorrow the Federal government is charging you more with a Carbon Tax that will result in a ¢4.4/litre increase to the price of gas.
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Lionhearted in the face of pandemic, inflation, & recession, undeterred by imminent bulldozer & real estate frenzy, the hardest working Christmas tree in Toronto is BACK & more resolute than ever, this year with a new plinth & rug. ✊🏼🎄12/10
#EveryCorporateChristmasTreeInToronto
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Goodbye, NDP
@StevenDelDuca
Ontario NDP Leader
@AndreaHorwath
doesn't think vaccines should be mandatory. Instead, she says education workers who aren't vaccinated should be required to take rapid tests.
"Unlike
@StevenDelDuca
, I don't take lightly people's charter rights," says Horwath.
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In the
@TorontoStar
today I call for the chief of police to resign - as a start. The city has been gaslit by its own police force w a callous disregard for life. This is a scandal and, as people in the Church Wellesley village know, it is a pattern.
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TTC chair rides the TTC and doesn’t own a car.
This is actually radical in Toronto.
Hot off the presses: here’s the full slate of standing committees and key boards appointed and/or recommended for appointment by Mayor Olivia Chow. Some roles subject to approval by Striking Committee and Council today.
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1 in 5 Ontarians are now parliamentary assistants.
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It’s so muffled out. The sound. So soft. City at its most silent. Go out and listen. The city is like a recording studio - no bounce.
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Helps the individual owner just fine. Let the urban vampire company that oversaw it all crash & burn. Add no water.
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Free
#TOpoli
mayoral platform:
-public washrooms everywhere
-speed cameras
-housing
-do not befriend tycoon villains
-do not befriend tycoon villains who try to sabotage beloved local sports team
-all leaf blowers replaced by rakes & brooms
-do not befriend tycoon villains
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I can't remember being this angry. Willful fucking negligence.
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Here’s something to defund immediately. I say this as the product of 13 years of catholic school.
Emotions went past a tipping point last night at the York Catholic Regional District School Board meeting, where parents were ejected and had the police called over a debate if the school board should raise the Pride Flag in June.
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Defund Defund Defund
York Catholic District School Board votes against flying the Pride flag in June
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Remember when southwestern Ontario separated from Canada after the auto & manufacturing sector tanked? The GM factory mom worked at is still gone, & we have to show passports on the 401 at Kitchener now, but it really was for the best, eh.
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The real problem with cities are the trees. They take up space, water, don't pay taxes. This week I will argue we abolish trees. In fact, when privatized and divided into smaller pieces, trees can literally make hundreds of new houses.
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Sunday July 4. Two weeks less 2 days since the paramilitary operation in Trinity it’s still fenced off (nothing going on inside currently) & guarded by dozens of private security guards + some cops. This is a scandal - everyone involved in this decision should lose their jobs.
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The lcbo is an essential service right? They wouldn’t close it?
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When the Yorkville rock was put in, there was a characteristically toronto outcry over the cost. It’s just about one of the most beloved & joyful public space things in the city.
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Montreal has comfort poodles at vax centres for kids. 🐩
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The number one hardest working tree in Toronto begins, as ever, the 2019 edition of
#EveryCorporateChristmasTreeInToronto
. This tree returns each year, tho Cumberland Terrace's days are numbered. As long as this tree stands, Toronto will prevail. Long live this noble tree. 14/10
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A friend sends a photo from Bloor & Keele where the subway has stopped, putting everyone onto the street.
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I can’t believe how many parts of London are named after places in Toronto
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3) (and the worst) an elderly man asked an officer for directions without the college streetcar and the officer said he wouldn’t answer his question unless he took off his mask"
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This city hates its residents. The head of parks, Janie Romoff, should be fired. This is the 3rd year of the pandemic.
If a sunny, beautiful Saturday in mid May isn't considered, the "season" for accessing public park bathrooms, when is,
@bradrossTO
@JohnTory
@m_layton
? Hundreds of residents trying to enjoy a public tax-supported amenity are being denied a basic human right
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Had not seen this one. Watch till after the police rip up the tent (poorly). The police instigate the violence, full stop. This is state sanctioned violence. People were non-violent & assaulted. The mayor and council is either behind this or they must speak up now.
Police tearing down tents, leading some away in handcuffs
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Jordan Peterson read the Why I quit the CBC blog post and said, "Hold my meat"
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It is 31C in Toronto but all the outdoor pools have closed and are being drained. Time to rethink these schedules.
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The TTC & Metrolinx have downloaded their fare problems & bad tech to all riders. It’s a PR disaster but, more profoundly, is a deep erosion of trust in both agencies. They’ve communicated clearly they’re not on the rider’s side. My
@TorontoStar
column.
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Anyhoo yes, a real absolute honour to be on
@mattgallowaycbc
’s final
@metromorning
after 10 years. Some very good chats over that time about The City - a city that will miss him. It’s a lot of work & stress to be the steady voice of a place as complex as Tronna. We’re lucky. 👌🏼
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I’m nostalgic for the shit I was upset about at 830PM
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A photo from yesterday - pre-dawn essential worker commute on a TTC bus. See link for gentleman’s full post. Here’s where the provincial “lockdown” shows it’s true self.
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Bucks in Ontario sure have a hard time stopping.
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I am struck, suddenly, by the memory of Doug Ford’s pivot last week to the airport as a source of Ontario’s Covid problem.
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Fuck thank god twitter hadn’t been totally destroyed before tonight.
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Big cheers for Chow. She was at pride decades before most other politicians. In the bad AIDS 80s. Must be her 30 or 40th parade.
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I just turned the Xmas lights back on. Didn’t take them down, but had unplugged them. On again. Light in the darkness, covid can eat it. ✊🏼💡
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Tory’s dithering is causing incredible chaos right now. This is not leadership. He needs to make a clear statement about his departure to end this. This is deeply screwed up.
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Sitting in a streetcar window that has an ad plastered on the outside is such a degraded experience.
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Allergies have been particularly bad the last couple days in Toronto, yes? My allergy pill seems to be failing. Just like this tweet if experiencing the same to reduce the usual allergy-covid paranoia.
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