By Tom Stoukas

Most drivers in Toronto still aren't willing to cough up some change at toll booths.

Professor Eric Miller, a transportation engineer at the University of Toronto, uses the Gardiner Expressway like thousands of other drivers in the GTA. Unlike some drivers, he can’t understand the big fuss over tolls. He says drivers who bristle when they hear the four-letter word should instead look at how potential revenue from tolls could improve their lives.

“If you think you have trouble on the Don Valley Parkway today just imagine if the Yonge Street subway didn’t exist. Just imagine if GO Transit didn’t exist,” Miller said. “You need a balanced transportation plan. You need to invest in transit… We need to fund the transportation system.”

In its report released in September, Metrolinx, the transit agency  formulating a regional transit plan for the GTA, deferred discussion over toll roads until 2013.

Instead, it will concentrate on immediate improvements to GO Transit and construction of new light rail transit (LRT) lines throughout Toronto.

The 25-year plan put forward by Metrolinx calls for $50 billion in new transit infrastructure spending. Less than half of that funding, however, has been guaranteed under the province’s Move 2020 plan, leaving a shortfall of $30 billion.

Transit enthusiasts decried the Metrolinx decision to put tolls on the backburner, especially with the population of the GTA estimated to soar by 40 per cent by 2030, but Edward Levy, a transportation consultant who sat on the Metrolinx advisory committee, said  waiting on tolls was the right choice for now.

“It’s probably a reasonable way to go because we have this $12 billion worth of provincial money,” he said. “If projects like the Sheppard, Finch and Eglinton LRT can be done and shown to be workable and attractive then you might have some civic engagement.”

While the GTA was introduced to toll roads in the form of Highway 407, drivers have the opportunity to avoid it in favor of other routes. Introducing tolls on the Gardiner Expressway or Highway 401, however, is a proposition political leaders are desperate to avoid.

Levy pointed to cities such as London and Tokyo that have extensive transit networks which makes the introduction of tolls more acceptable politically.

Experts promote tolls as a great way to fund public transit and get some cars off Toronto's expressways.

“The only reason it continues to work (in London) is that they have an incredible public transport system,” Levy said.  “You can’t just impose that on a place like Toronto, which has a skeletal subway system and streetcars stuck on narrow streets with other traffic.”

The Canadian Automobile Association, an organization that represents nearly five million drivers, also sat on the Metrolinx advisory committee. The CAA was pleased with the decision to put the issue of tolls on the back burner. Kris Barnier works as a CAA communications officer.

“It’s more expensive for the motorist and frankly it’s bad for the environment because you’re not getting as good fuel efficiency,”  Barnier said, arguing that cars forced to stop at toll booths would burn more gas.

“It’s also a bad safety idea,” he added.  “More than likely what’s going to happen is you’re going to steer people from the expressway onto (residential) roads.”

While CAA criticized tolls as counterproductive, it also said drivers pay more than $5 billion annually in gas taxes and registration fees and shouldn’t be punished further.
Miller pointed out that motorists aren’t aware of the full impact of driving, including greenhouse gas emissions, lost productivity and injuries due to car accidents.

University of Toronto Professor Eric Miller specializes in transportation engineering solutions. He says drivers should try looking at the bright side of tolls.

“Despite what CAA and other auto enthusiasts might say, cars don’t pay the full social costs in terms of pollution,” Miller said. “Tolling or congestion pricing is inevitably going to come in order to make motorists aware of the full cost, particularly social and environmental, of their actions.”

Still, CAA insists that the responsibility of funding transit infrastructure through tolls should not be a concern to drivers who choose to live outside the city core, where transit options are limited.

“Transit is a public good and, of course, government should be largely subsidizing it, but to suggest that motorists should be punished for trying to get to work, we have a problem with that,” Barnier said.

While the issue of toll roads is seen as political suicide for politicians at all levels of government, both Levy and Miller say standing idle is not an option. They say that politicians need to craft their message so the public understands the connection between road pricing and the improvement it will bring.

“Road pricing in general has to be part of the solution. The future just doesn’t work with the status quo,” Miller said. “It’s not going to get better unless we do something about it.”

By Tom Stoukas

NDP incumbent Peggy Nash and former Liberal leadership hopeful Gerard Kennedy face-off in a crucial debate at the Parkdale-High Park candidates meeting held on Sep. 29

New Democratic Party incumbent MP Peggy Nash and former Liberal leadership hopeful Gerard Kennedy are locked in a tight race in the left-leaning riding of Parkdale-High Park.

And the two faced off in an all-candidates debate held at the May Robinson Auditorium on Monday night (Sept. 29), each hoping to convince the capacity crowd that they would be the best candidate to take on the Conservatives.

Drawing on his past experience as the riding’s provincial MPP, Kennedy called Stephen Harper “every bit as problematic as Mike Harris” and promised to “fight the right-wing conservative agenda” once he’s elected.

At the local level, Kennedy vowed to work for a local Parkdale agency which would develop jobs and affordable housing. He defended the Liberal Green Shift plan saying revenue raised through carbon taxes would help seniors, families and working people throughout the riding.

Nash said she would continue to push for an increase in the minimum wage as well as more funds to combat drug abuse and drug-related crimes that have plagued the riding.

While Nash and Kennedy agreed on the need to block the Conservative agenda and improve local services they also took aim at each other.

Nash attacked the Liberal’s Green Shift plan, which would increase taxes on carbon products such as gasoline while lowering taxes on income.

“A consumption tax disproportionately impacts middle and lower-income people,” Nash said. “Our view is to put hard caps on the big polluters … and use the money to make green solutions available to the average person.”

Kennedy shot back, saying the NDP promise to reverse corporate tax cuts in order to fund social programs would hurt the economy.

On the question of leadership, an audience member accused Kennedy of “poor judgment” for supporting Stephane Dion for the Liberal leadership. Kennedy defended his support for the embattled Dion, calling him “a man of integrity and passion” who is willing to fight for policies such as the Clarity Act and the Green Shift that would help the country, even if they were not politically popular at the time.

Kennedy also had to defend Dion over his decision to support or abstain from confidence votes put forward by the Conservatives in order to avoid an early election. He conceded that the experience for the party was “humiliating” but necessary in order to prevent a Conservative majority.

In a riding that hasn’t elected a Tory in 20 years, both candidates were eager to show why they were the best choice to send to Ottawa.

“The NDP spends a lot of time criticizing Liberals and to be frank they didn’t get a lot of results for (the) people in this area,” Kennedy said. “People want to see improvement in their lives and I think that’s what I have a better chance of making the case for in this riding.”

Nash insisted that her record and the NDP platform make them the best choice for Parkdale-Highpark.

“People know me, I’ve worked with the community and they see me actually deliver. They see Mr. Dion stand with the Conservatives,” Nash said.

Other candidates present included Terry Parker of the Marijuana Party, Rob Rishchynski of the Green Party along with Conservative Jilian Saweczko and Andrew Borkowski of the Christian Heritage Party.

By Tom Stoukas

ACTOR AT REST: Derek Scott lounges in his Little India home, filled with treasures he’s picked up during acting gigs in places like North Korea, China and Turkey.

When asked why he wanted to be an actor specializing in live physical comedy, Derek Scott had a simple answer.

“I was funny,” he says with a grin as he sipped coffee in the backyard of his Riverdale home. “I always think people are in the profession that comes easiest to them.”

It seemed Scott’s teachers agreed. As a child growing up in Lethbridge, Alta., comment after comment on his report cards described how “Derek is a funny boy” but he should concentrate on class and stop clowning around.

“I only discovered them when my mother moved,” he explained. “I kind of skimmed through them and went, ‘Oh my goodness, this is hilarious, teacher after teacher saying the same thing.’ ”

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By Tom Stoukas

GOODBYE: Kishor Muthreja closes his convenience store for the final time.

Kishor Muthreja came to Canada from war-torn Afghanistan hoping to build a better life for his family.

Muthreja, 61, operated the Neighbourhood Mini Mart at Kingston Rd. and Elmer Ave. for three years but called it quits last month saying the violence was too much.

During that time, the store was robbed 10 times with thieves targeting cigarettes and cash. On a number of occasions Muthreja was beaten. He was also stabbed once.

For Muthreja, the decision to close the store didn’t come easy.

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By Tom Stoukas

School’s out at Goodwin College, permanently.

The provincial government shut down the private career college one month after the school’s owner was charged with two counts of bribing government inspectors.

The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities issued a cease operations order on July 2 concluding a year-long investigation. Ministry inspectors concluded the school was offering unauthorized programs and operating an unregistered campus in Mississauga, both violations of the Private Career Colleges Act.

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HORSING AROUND: David Anderson, right, directs one of his Clay and Paper theatre actors in his current production, Horsefeathers, a story focusing on residents living by the Dufferin Racetrack.

By Tom Stoukas

Forest Hill resident David Anderson’s theatre career started 40 years ago in a Vancouver park.

The year was 1969. The Vietnam War was raging and political dissent, especially among young people, was in the air, recalled Anderson, who was a philosophy student at UBC during those tumultuous times.

One day a friend urged him to see a play he was directing at a nearby park. Anderson hesitated but finally agreed.

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By Tom Stoukas

An unusual series of events in the exclusive enclave of Wychwood Park has ended in tragedy.

According to Det. Liz Benoit the body recovered from the Toronto harbour by police on July 31 is believed to be that of Albert Fulton, 70. He was reported missing two weeks ago by his wife, Emily.

Police do not suspect foul play and confirmed the cause of death was drowning.

Fulton, a retired teacher and neighbourhood watch captain was recently charged in connection with a spate of tire slashings related to a dispute over on-street parking in Wychwood Park residents say.

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FIGHT IN THE FOREST: Hermia, top, played by Holly Lewis battles with her rival Helena, played by Maev Beaty. The two had great on stage chemistry that left the audience howling with laughter.

By Tom Stoukas

I’ll admit upfront. I’ve never seen a live production of Shakespeare before.

Offering an opinion for a Midsummer Night’s Dream in High Park directed by two-time Dora Award winner Ahdri Zhina Mandiela, is daunting to say the least, but here I go.

It’s not on the playbill, but the theatre itself is one of the stars of the show. There are many modern entertainment venues in Toronto including colossal movie theatres and concert halls, but the simple, stone-laden theatre in High Park offers a truly unique viewing experience.

The approach to the theatre starts by travelling down a winding trail off High Park’s main pedestrian road leading to the open-air stage nestled among the trees.

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By Tom Stoukas

BROWSING: Nadeem Ahmad Azad, right, newcomer and developer of York Region's new web portal for immigrants, demonstrates the site to Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Michael Chan.

Nadeem Ahmad Azad arrived in Vaughan from Pakistan last July determined to provide a better future for his children.

He wanted to utilize his skills in business administration and computer science to do that.

So Azad got involved with several agencies that help immigrants adjust, including the Welcome Centre.

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By Tom Stoukas

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: MPP Greg Sorbara, centre, is flanked by employees and Premier Dalton McGuinty, right, at the new 6N plant in Woodbridge Monday. The premier was on hand to announce an $8-million investment in the company. (Philip Alves/Vaughan Today)

A small ray of sunlight shone on Vaughan’s struggling manufacturing sector this week.

Solar panel silicon refiner 6N Silicon recently announced a $50-million expansion into Woodbridge, creating 84 new jobs.

The Ontario government played a role in the expansion with an $8-million investment under its Next Generation of Jobs Fund, a government strategy to assist in developing green technologies and jobs.

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