Colleen
@cbailey6.bsky.social
Scientist, cyclist, knitter. But only 2 out of 3 at any one time. 🔰
📌 Toronto
📌 Toronto
The Star has a feature on "26 Ways to Make Toronto Better" and the first one appears to be "Dump on condos and condo residents, who you admit you never took the time to get to know." Some midtown Toronto traditions will never die, apparently. www.thestar.com/interactives...
December 24, 2025 at 8:50 PM
The Star has a feature on "26 Ways to Make Toronto Better" and the first one appears to be "Dump on condos and condo residents, who you admit you never took the time to get to know." Some midtown Toronto traditions will never die, apparently. www.thestar.com/interactives...
"One thing that is particularly frustrating about Portage & Main is that the city could have arrived at this result years ago, for almost no cost... Instead it took agonized political debate and extensive, ultimately incorrect, theorizing about the impact.
This is not a problem unique to Winnipeg."
This is not a problem unique to Winnipeg."
Globe editorial: Cities need to overcome the fear of the first step in change
Critics will always claim the sky is about to fall. Those predictions too often get in the way of reforms
www.theglobeandmail.com
December 24, 2025 at 2:01 PM
"One thing that is particularly frustrating about Portage & Main is that the city could have arrived at this result years ago, for almost no cost... Instead it took agonized political debate and extensive, ultimately incorrect, theorizing about the impact.
This is not a problem unique to Winnipeg."
This is not a problem unique to Winnipeg."
Reposted by Colleen
A gentle reminder that the protagonist and hero in Its A Wonderful Life, George Bailey, is a real estate developer.
The villain, Mr. Potter, is a NIMBY slumlord who doesn’t want any new developments because they threaten his monopoly.
Weird, I bet that never happens IRL…
The villain, Mr. Potter, is a NIMBY slumlord who doesn’t want any new developments because they threaten his monopoly.
Weird, I bet that never happens IRL…
December 24, 2025 at 1:38 PM
A gentle reminder that the protagonist and hero in Its A Wonderful Life, George Bailey, is a real estate developer.
The villain, Mr. Potter, is a NIMBY slumlord who doesn’t want any new developments because they threaten his monopoly.
Weird, I bet that never happens IRL…
The villain, Mr. Potter, is a NIMBY slumlord who doesn’t want any new developments because they threaten his monopoly.
Weird, I bet that never happens IRL…
Reposted by Colleen
MNTO member Hana Suckstorff has penned a reflective piece over a small apartment proposal that lost at CoA and is now being appealed at TLAB.
On the nature of "neighbourhood character", and what is lost when we apply it only to built-form.
hsuckstorff.substack.com/p/saving-the...
On the nature of "neighbourhood character", and what is lost when we apply it only to built-form.
hsuckstorff.substack.com/p/saving-the...
December 24, 2025 at 3:46 AM
MNTO member Hana Suckstorff has penned a reflective piece over a small apartment proposal that lost at CoA and is now being appealed at TLAB.
On the nature of "neighbourhood character", and what is lost when we apply it only to built-form.
hsuckstorff.substack.com/p/saving-the...
On the nature of "neighbourhood character", and what is lost when we apply it only to built-form.
hsuckstorff.substack.com/p/saving-the...
Reposted by Colleen
Only another nation could make Global News sound like it was doing anything interesting, let alone controversial
Canada is treacherous - The Atlantic
"Global TV may have been merely careless in letting the segment out, but since they are Canadian, I would not rule out treachery, and an effort to make Americans and their media look silly, no matter their political views." www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
"Global TV may have been merely careless in letting the segment out, but since they are Canadian, I would not rule out treachery, and an effort to make Americans and their media look silly, no matter their political views." www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
What Bari Weiss Got Right
And what she got wrong
www.theatlantic.com
December 24, 2025 at 1:34 AM
Only another nation could make Global News sound like it was doing anything interesting, let alone controversial
Reposted by Colleen
The full spiked 60 Minutes CECOT package, clean & subtitled. 1/5
December 23, 2025 at 1:28 AM
The full spiked 60 Minutes CECOT package, clean & subtitled. 1/5
Reposted by Colleen
Year 1 data on congestion pricing in Manhattan…
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
December 23, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Year 1 data on congestion pricing in Manhattan…
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
Reposted by Colleen
Bazaar understands the relationship between outdated angular plane requirements and the housing crisis.
December 23, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Bazaar understands the relationship between outdated angular plane requirements and the housing crisis.
Reposted by Colleen
my quick look at the province’s new rental vacancy numbers and yes, I did have to wear my novelty cbc christmas sweater, IT’S CALLED GRAVITAS
December 19, 2025 at 2:55 AM
my quick look at the province’s new rental vacancy numbers and yes, I did have to wear my novelty cbc christmas sweater, IT’S CALLED GRAVITAS
Toronto's Official Plan strikes again!
December 21, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Toronto's Official Plan strikes again!
Reposted by Colleen
This was explicitly stated in Toronto’s ban of apartments in neighbourhoods.
The justification used terms like “loose women” and “irresponsible mothers” and “mixed race relations” “destabilizing the family neighbourhood”
“Stable Neighbourhoods” is still in our OP today… :(
The justification used terms like “loose women” and “irresponsible mothers” and “mixed race relations” “destabilizing the family neighbourhood”
“Stable Neighbourhoods” is still in our OP today… :(
December 20, 2025 at 4:12 PM
This was explicitly stated in Toronto’s ban of apartments in neighbourhoods.
The justification used terms like “loose women” and “irresponsible mothers” and “mixed race relations” “destabilizing the family neighbourhood”
“Stable Neighbourhoods” is still in our OP today… :(
The justification used terms like “loose women” and “irresponsible mothers” and “mixed race relations” “destabilizing the family neighbourhood”
“Stable Neighbourhoods” is still in our OP today… :(
Reposted by Colleen
Yeah, as I've been saying, we overcompensated because the media ran with the stupid 'GDP per capita' and 'immigrants hurt housing' framing. This is long-run damage to the economy by short-term thinking, feeding xenophobia, and helping to further destroy Canada's world class universities.
Canada’s population sees largest decline on record
Canada’s population sees largest decline on record
Statistics Canada attributes the drop to a fewer non-permanent residents. It's the largest decline since records began in 1946.
www.thestar.com
December 18, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Yeah, as I've been saying, we overcompensated because the media ran with the stupid 'GDP per capita' and 'immigrants hurt housing' framing. This is long-run damage to the economy by short-term thinking, feeding xenophobia, and helping to further destroy Canada's world class universities.
Reposted by Colleen
THREAD.
My parents' cat Bridget vanished. As the weeks dragged on they became ever more worried, so to distract himself my dad began to paint Bridget's adventures, imagining her travelling through time and popping up at some of art & music's most important moments.
I've collected his work here...
My parents' cat Bridget vanished. As the weeks dragged on they became ever more worried, so to distract himself my dad began to paint Bridget's adventures, imagining her travelling through time and popping up at some of art & music's most important moments.
I've collected his work here...
December 20, 2025 at 9:21 AM
THREAD.
My parents' cat Bridget vanished. As the weeks dragged on they became ever more worried, so to distract himself my dad began to paint Bridget's adventures, imagining her travelling through time and popping up at some of art & music's most important moments.
I've collected his work here...
My parents' cat Bridget vanished. As the weeks dragged on they became ever more worried, so to distract himself my dad began to paint Bridget's adventures, imagining her travelling through time and popping up at some of art & music's most important moments.
I've collected his work here...
It's one thing to have been wrong about Trump (how many politicians do what they say?), but it's another how sneering some people were about those who turned out to be right. And how many of the sneerers are still prominent media figures who have doubled down on the sneering rather than reflecting.
those who predicted authoritarianism were both dismissed, & deeply misunderstood, by the media
my latest for @newrepublic.com
newrepublic.com/article/2042...
my latest for @newrepublic.com
newrepublic.com/article/2042...
The Americans Who Saw All This Coming—but Were Ignored and Maligned
Call them the Cassandras: the people—mostly not white and male—who smelled the fascism all over Trump from jump street. Why were they “alarmists,” and how did “anti-alarmism” become cool?
newrepublic.com
December 20, 2025 at 2:16 AM
It's one thing to have been wrong about Trump (how many politicians do what they say?), but it's another how sneering some people were about those who turned out to be right. And how many of the sneerers are still prominent media figures who have doubled down on the sneering rather than reflecting.
1. Absolutely amazing indent size for each new paragraph.
2. Still learning that choices have consequences all this time later.
2. Still learning that choices have consequences all this time later.
From the Metro Toronto Planning Board's 1959 draft Official Plan (voted down by Metro Council). You could not say something this obvious in Toronto's Official Plan anymore.
December 19, 2025 at 8:57 PM
1. Absolutely amazing indent size for each new paragraph.
2. Still learning that choices have consequences all this time later.
2. Still learning that choices have consequences all this time later.
Reposted by Colleen
The difference between real estate and, say, business investments though is that home equity gains are often unearned (ie homes that had no improvements and appreciated wildly) and are inflated because of public investments. In that sense, it's just redistributing some of this back where it belongs.
Councillor Vince Crisanti says the increase to the land transfer tax on homes for more than $3 million is a "forced redistribution of wealth" and "insulting" to people who can afford homes in that range. "The wealthy already contribute to the economy in so many ways," he says.
December 17, 2025 at 4:51 PM
The difference between real estate and, say, business investments though is that home equity gains are often unearned (ie homes that had no improvements and appreciated wildly) and are inflated because of public investments. In that sense, it's just redistributing some of this back where it belongs.
Very excited to see how this passionate defense of property rights from Holyday holds up in this afternoon's Avenues debate, when we are talking about the government preventing 23 apartments instead of 23 parking spots. Surely we will see an equally robust defense there!
"There was some scoffing about somebody who might have a $20 million house and 23 parking spots and marble and so on. You know what, though? They earned it! What's wrong with that?" wonders Holyday.
He doesn't think the "government should come and take it away and give it someone else."
He doesn't think the "government should come and take it away and give it someone else."
December 17, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Very excited to see how this passionate defense of property rights from Holyday holds up in this afternoon's Avenues debate, when we are talking about the government preventing 23 apartments instead of 23 parking spots. Surely we will see an equally robust defense there!
"The potential to have things seized will send a message that you can't ride on the sidewalk," Burnside said.
December 17, 2025 at 1:25 PM
"The potential to have things seized will send a message that you can't ride on the sidewalk," Burnside said.
It costs:
- 32x this for the yearly mechanical leaf collection we used to do in select Etobicoke and Scarborough neighbourhoods
- 320x this for yearly snow windrow clearing (mainly in suburbs)
- 6x this for one Heritage Conservation Study of Yonge-Yorkville (according to ABCRA)
Buy the damn water.
- 32x this for the yearly mechanical leaf collection we used to do in select Etobicoke and Scarborough neighbourhoods
- 320x this for yearly snow windrow clearing (mainly in suburbs)
- 6x this for one Heritage Conservation Study of Yonge-Yorkville (according to ABCRA)
Buy the damn water.
Councillor Stephen Holyday has a motion to eliminate a $50,000-a-year program to give bottled water to homeless people.
December 17, 2025 at 2:36 AM
It costs:
- 32x this for the yearly mechanical leaf collection we used to do in select Etobicoke and Scarborough neighbourhoods
- 320x this for yearly snow windrow clearing (mainly in suburbs)
- 6x this for one Heritage Conservation Study of Yonge-Yorkville (according to ABCRA)
Buy the damn water.
- 32x this for the yearly mechanical leaf collection we used to do in select Etobicoke and Scarborough neighbourhoods
- 320x this for yearly snow windrow clearing (mainly in suburbs)
- 6x this for one Heritage Conservation Study of Yonge-Yorkville (according to ABCRA)
Buy the damn water.
Reposted by Colleen
Sometimes the memes write themselves
December 16, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Sometimes the memes write themselves
Have you ever played Sorry? Two people get to the same space and one of them has to start again even though they were there first! Is that what this is? I didn't even think those people are sorry!
Holyday wants to know what it would mean if signal priority gave LRTs priority over left-turning vehicles. "Have you ever played Uno?" Holyday asks. "You ever get a miss-your-turn card? Is that what this is?"
Staff say left-turning cars would still get a turn, after the transit has cleared.
Staff say left-turning cars would still get a turn, after the transit has cleared.
December 16, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Have you ever played Sorry? Two people get to the same space and one of them has to start again even though they were there first! Is that what this is? I didn't even think those people are sorry!
Trying to imagine the reaction if it came out that Toronto Council had delayed the LRT opening for six months to try to get better vibes from riders who would still presumably be on a very slow trip.
Pasternak asks if a spring or summer launch would have been better. He wonders if some of the negativity around the Finch West LRT opening is because people have been "grumpy standing on a platform in -30 degree weather." Josh Colle says launch date was not the "exclusive domain" of the TTC.
December 16, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Trying to imagine the reaction if it came out that Toronto Council had delayed the LRT opening for six months to try to get better vibes from riders who would still presumably be on a very slow trip.
I been saying.
Why should other countries sign deals with the United States when this president is breaking **his own deals** after less than 6 months?
www.reuters.com/world/europe...
www.reuters.com/world/europe...
US suspends technology deal with Britain, FT reports
The United States has suspended a technology deal it struck with Britain earlier this year, which was intended to boost ties in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and civil nuclear energy, the...
www.reuters.com
December 16, 2025 at 4:14 AM
I been saying.
Reposted by Colleen
Q: how can we make the street below safer for people outside of cars?
toronto transportation services: 💡 force the LRT to operate 20 km/h slower than the adjacent traffic! vision zero! 🥰
toronto transportation services: 💡 force the LRT to operate 20 km/h slower than the adjacent traffic! vision zero! 🥰
December 15, 2025 at 2:39 AM
Q: how can we make the street below safer for people outside of cars?
toronto transportation services: 💡 force the LRT to operate 20 km/h slower than the adjacent traffic! vision zero! 🥰
toronto transportation services: 💡 force the LRT to operate 20 km/h slower than the adjacent traffic! vision zero! 🥰
At this point, putting anything about "United" or "One" in your party name is asking for trouble*.
*offer void in Quebec, Ensemble Montreal
*offer void in Quebec, Ensemble Montreal
December 14, 2025 at 6:29 PM
At this point, putting anything about "United" or "One" in your party name is asking for trouble*.
*offer void in Quebec, Ensemble Montreal
*offer void in Quebec, Ensemble Montreal