Daniel Dale will proceed with his libel suit against Rob Ford despite the mayor offering an apology of sorts yesterday. Ford said he was sorry for how the media had interpreted his "taking pictures of little kids" comment and said he never "personally" saw Dale over his garden fence. "His statement today didn't come close. I'm proceeding with a defamation lawsuit," Dale wrote on Twitter.
Several city councillors believe Dale is justified in pursuing legal action against the mayor. Councillor Peter Milczyn said the "horrible innuendo" was "one of the worst things anybody could be accused of." Councillor James Pasternak said Dale "has clearly been unfairly maligned." Ford critic Adam Vaughan said Dale "deserves a much more serious apology."
Ford was clearly in an apologetic mood yesterday. The mayor also said he was "super, super, super, super sorry" for calling his fellow councillors corrupt during a fraught ending to Monday's session.
TTC CEO Andy Byford says an "archaic" communication system played a role in Monday morning's chaotic commute. Central control uses a text-based system that is only capable of contacting 10 vehicles at a time; messages have to be acknowledged before more can be sent, he said. The system led to delays communicating with bus and streetcar drivers.
The Maple Leafs' agonizing defeat to the Boston Bruins during last season's Stanley Cup playoffs has made Sports Illustrated stars out of several beleaguered fans. The magazine shot pictures of Windsor social worker Mark Micelli and his friends, who filmed themselves reacting to the loss on a GOPro camera and uploaded it to YouTube last Spring. More than 500,000 people watched the joy slip from their faces, one goal at a time.
Batten down the hatches - there's more snow in the forecast. Environment Canada says the GTA could get hit with a mix of rain and snow Thursday night into Friday morning that will continue through the weekend. Forecasters say 20 cms of snow could fall by late Sunday.
Finally, look away if this weekend's video of Rob Ford dancing in a church was just too awkward. Yep, the mayor (with the rest of city council) was at it again yesterday, jamming along to jazz group Jay Douglas And The All Stars. The group was were in council to perform Bob Marley's One Love and an original called Christmas Carol Blues. Horrifying.
IN BRIEF:
- Police carding: Toronto board seeks a legal opinion on Charter-friendly street checks [Toronto Star]
- Road salt alternatives include cheese brine, beet juice [CBC News]
- Maple Leafs fall prey to surging Panthers [CBC News]
Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.
Image: Ben Roffelsen/blogTO Flickr pool.