Toronto sounds like home to Metro Morning's Matt Galloway - thestar.com

Matt Galloway could not have said it better.

Toronto sounds like home to Metro Morning's Matt Galloway - thestar.com

What if Toronto Was Hosting the Olympics

I am addicted to the Olympics. Although we are 3 hours ahead, it doesn't matter. I plan my schedule around the games.

I saw history in the making  when Alexandre Bilodeau won the first gold Canada and what he did is contagious. Several others have followed suit. Way to go Canada. I only wish I could have been there. Tickets to many events are over $100 so I can't imagine that being much different if Toronto hosted. You can't really avoid the high price of tickets because you have to factor in several other things. Take the opening night celebrations for example. That one must have cost a pretty penny. Or  what about the costs required to upgrade existing facilities and the cost to build new venues for competitions.

If the Winter or summer games ever makes its way to the TDot, there are a few ways  you can get around the exorbitant price of things. I will:

1) Volunteer - There are so many opportunities to help out with the Olympic Committee. Not only will I stand a better chance of seeing a few events for free, but I will get a chance to meet the olympians too.

2) Apply to carry the torch - When the torch lit its way across the country thousands lined the streets to catch a glimpse. There were celebrities, journalists and every day people bearing torches.

3) Start saving up from now.

4) Lots of people sell their tickets off for more than half price if an event has to be rescheduled due to inclement weather which causes a conflict with the ticket holder's schedule. I'll be there to offer them the best price.

Well who knows if Toronto will ever win the bid for the Olympic Games, but we do have the Pan Am Games in 2015 in the bag. At least that is something to look forward to.

Feb. 11 and 12 at the  Don Mills Town Square shopping centre was the place to be. Smack dab in the middle of  the shopping centre's new skating rink, you'll find some great ice sculptors by Don Mills Collegiate students in the Technological Design and Green Industries course. They're paying tribute to Canadian athletes competing at the Olympics in Vancouver.

 

A beautiful ice sculptor by Don Mills Collegiate students.

  

Will standing proudly by his creation.

It is inspired by the physicality and athletic competition of the salmon run -- an interpretation of west coast, First Nations design. One of the students, Will, told me he was out carving and chiseling since about 10 AM. It was 4 PM when I dropped by and while there for only 10 minutes snapping photos, my fingers nearly froze off. A lot of the pieces had been finished as yet but his was complete.

The ice sculpting is a precursor for what is to come on Feb.20 at Yorkville's Ice Fest. event. Looks like things are just warming up in the city.

So Adam Giambrone is out of the mayoral race but who will replace him? I guess we will have to wait and see.

No Cell Phones while driving

It’s official. No cell phones while driving. It makes sense. You can’t focus on two things at the same time – the road and other cars. Well 4 actually --the 2 ton tank you’re driving, other cars, merging in and out of lanes and of course pedestrians crossing or jaywalking.

There has been a recent surge in pedestrian fatalities in the city and you really have to be aware of what is happening on the road at all times whether you are driving or walking. Driving responsibly is not only about being sober but driving while not texting or chatting on your cell. And that goes for pedestrians too.

I think there should also be a rule about people crossing the street while on their cell phones. They aren't fully aware of what is happening around them because the have the phone propped in one ear which is blocking their peripheral vision. Not to mention they are so engrossed in the conversation that they don't look around. It is tunnel vision but I think of it as tunnel hearing.

I was in the parking lot of a busy shopping mall on Sunday, had put the car in reverse and was about to drive away. Something told me to ease up on the gas. It is a good thing too because this elderly man comes strolling by into the path of my car. The thing is he wasn't even on his cell, he was just preoccupied. Now imagine if he was driving while on his phone, thinking about something that the person on the other end of that phone had said? Well needless to say, the result would have been disastrous.

Freezing in the Winter City Cold

Angel of the Apocalypse with blazing feathers


It was really cold Saturday night when I headed out to Nathan Phillips Square to check out the WinterCity Festival. Like so cold that my wool ski socks and winter boots couldn't keep the chill out of my feet. There were arial artists from the Campagnie Les Passagers that performed Cosmogonia which was inspired by the book of Genesis. The acrobats contorted and dangled like spiders from what looked like silk web sheets. I felt I was watching Cirque de Soleil. It was weird because I saw pretty much the same thing the following night while watching Pink's performance at the Grammy's. It must be a true feeling of freedom -- soaring above the cheering crowd, mouths agape as bodies defy gravity.

After the performance, there was a beautiful metal fire sculpture that was spitting out flames intermittently. The dragon's breath warmed up a bit but not enough. I didn't stay to see the Olympic torch inside the Warming Station nor did I stick around for the Flaming Lotus Girls: Angel of the Apocaplyse Performance. After an hour I decided it was worth a repeat visit. Let's hope it is warmer next week.

Jian at Ryerson

Broadcaster/writer/producer/musician Jian Ghomeshi was at Ryerson University a few nights ago. I managed to be there early but not early enough to grab dinner so I had to settle for a bag of chips. It was an all ages crowd from 18 to 70. Surprisingly Jian is rocking it with the teens and the septuagenarians as well.

He gave a lot of advice for the young budding journalists on how to improve their skills. I was taking notes feverishly, like I always do, but a digital recorder would have come in real handy for some of the better quotes. I wish I could remember the shorthand I had learned in high school.

All in all, there were eager students asking clever questions. The best question of the night went to the young lady who was more or less asking Jian how to complete her class assignment. The assignment was finding a way to get the interviewee to provide anecdotes during the interview. Generally that is a really hard one. What’s harder still is trying to get someone to describe a place that is half way across the country that you have never seen before and have no way of ever seeing. An instructor I had for a magazine writing course said you should ask the person being interviewed to describe the situation, the room the colors, the smell and the sounds for scene writing purposes. They will conjure up an image so vivid that it will bring the story to life.

Some tips offered:

1)Have conversations as opposed to reading off from your list of questions.

2)Do lots of research before hand.

3)Observe the body language of those you are interviewing.

4)Make the interviewee feel as comfortable as possible.

Take The Car (TTC)

The TTC (Toronto Transit Commission which also stands for Take the Car) has many people peeved because no matter what they do there is a problem.

They have hiked fare prices once again.

When it was announced last month that prices were going up, people panicked. Everyone was guilty of buying tokens by the pound. The transit commission caught on and started limiting the amount of token purchases to 5 and then 2 and then none. Tickets were available but like milk, there was an expiry date. You were forced to use the tickets before January.

Just to be fair, TTC has decided that you can use the tickets, add an extra 25 cents or get a full refund until March 31.

There used to be perks associated with having a Metropass. You could park free at designated subway parking lots. But TTC said it was losing money and took that privilege away. You now have to pay $6 even if you own the pass. Toronto didn't like that and now the once full lot is empty. So TTC is really losing money anyway.

I've noticed that there are frequent subway delays too.

So when TTC chair Adam Giambrone makes his bid to become Toronto's new mayor this fall do you think there will be any hard feelings? Will people support or blame him as they wait for the bus on their way to the polling station? Maybe. Maybe not. They will most likely just think twice about taking the bus and opt for the car.

Stairway to Health

The Stairway to Health event was held last Friday at Ryerson University. It was organized by Health Promotion team members, to raise awareness about increasing daily exercise in our lives. This program encouraged both students and staff to take the stairs instead of the elevator.

People walking the halls glanced momentarily at gleeful students looking for recruits. I figured it would be a good a way to walk off my lunch calories so I signed up. I was enthusiastic until the stair climbing recruit motioned to the staircase and wished me luck.

A flight of 12 angry steps loomed before me in a stark white stairwell. There were signs of encouragement along the way including health statistics and “Half-way” there banners. It didn’t really help. I made it to the top winded and a little wobbly, but in one piece. Complimentary juice, fruit and cookies revived me and as encouragement I received a pedometer to chart future my stair-climbing progress.

Toronto should have an official “climb the stairs” day. Boycott the elevator at work.

Can you imagine climbing 30 floors of the First Canadian Place? Not.

There is the option of participating in the Annual Canada Life CN Tower Stair Climb for WWF challenge that raises money for the World Wildlife fund. Hundreds of people climbing 1,776, can get a little crammed if you need a moment to stop and catch your breath. One girl I know, who did the climb a few years ago, trained for 5 months.

Check out this story about Peter Doucet.

If you aren't up for the CN Tower climb, there is always the infamous stairs at Glendon College. The campus is beautiful but those stairs are an albatross. The crooked, winding stairs leading from the main campus to the athletics centre is a workout in itself.