So what is the Bombardier #C-Series anyway?

It’s a nice looking jet and it’s great to see that a #Canadian company may possibly compete with the likes of #Airbus and #Boeing. Seating between 100 – 149 seats and leaving a smaller environmental footprint I dare to say that maybe “less is more”. With the rumors of Porter Airlines purchasing these jets it will be interesting to see what happens in the long-term. Will they expand Billy Bishop Airport? Will these planes fly out of Montreal? Maybe, with the new Airport link, they will fly out of Pearson? What about Hamilton, Oshawa Airport or Buttonville? We will have to wait and see what actually happens today at the announcement. Hopefully the Bombardier C-Series will shake up the industry. Maybe we are just a bit nostalgic over the prominent days of the Avro Arrow and Canada being on top once again.

By: @iammannyj

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The Bombardier CSeries is a family of narrow-body, twin-engine, medium-range jet airliners that are being developed by Canadian manufacturer Bombardier Aerospace. Models are the 110-seat CS100, and the 130-seat CS300. These were initially named C110 and C130, respectively. In November 2012, Bombardier announced that the CS100 would take its maiden flight in June 2013 and enter service in 2014. 

To learn more about the CSeries go to http://cseries.com/info/en/

Related articles

• Porter Airlines set to announce Bombardier CSeries order: report (business.financialpost.com)
• Porter Airlines reported to be on verge of ordering first jets from Bombardier (globalnews.ca)
• Porter Airlines reportedly to buy $2B Bombardier jets (cbc.ca)

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Markham is building for the future

A 2005 Van Hool newA330 stops at Warden Vivastation, in Markham, Ontario. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So Markham wants to build a 20000 seat arena and entertainment complex that will rival the Air Canada Centre. In a way it makes perfect sense. There has been a lot of talk around bringing an NHL team to Markham, however I believe Toronto residents and possibly the media have it backwards. I used to live in Markham and based on the makeup, demographics and changes in Toronto, I think it will do quite fine with or without a team. Markham is building a new downtown and the facility is part of the plan. With a large ethnic mix of Asian and South-Asian residents; along with the diversity of York Region and north Toronto, other uses are possible. It’s perfectly situated near the Unionville GO station and is well served by VIVA. I remember when prices for brownstone styled homes were listed at $400000. At the time I thought it was high, but now it seems like a bargain. Will it work, who really knows. The world does not only revolve around downtown Toronto. I believe that Markham politicians have recognized that the times are changing and they are betting that they will be on the right side of the future.

Related articles

• City of Markham votes in favour of plans for new arena (tsn.ca)
• Markham council approves massive arena (thestar.com)
• Markham council approves arena financing plan (cbc.ca)
• Markham Town Council votes 11-2 in favor of finacial framework for 20,000-seat GTA Centre (thehockeynews.com)

A great source for transit information – The LRT Information Blog

my photo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With transit in Toronto taking a back seat to casino expansion and red-light districts it’s nice to see that there is still action taking place outside of the G.T.A. In particular York Region and expansion of the Yonge line, north of Steeles and LRT expansion in Peel. With the Yonge line I am still a bit concerned about the load factors affecting affecting travel along the route. Toronto needs to seriously look into expansion of a Downtown Relief Line, as soon as possible; to ease the congestion on the Y-U-S. The Toronto LRT Information Page provides updates and commentary on both the Yonge Subway extension and the Brampton / Mississauga LRT expansion plans.

Read more

Related articles

• Subways for the Downtown Relief Line (thegtapatriot.wordpress.com)
• Toronto transit: ‘Downtown’ relief line could be the subway suburbanites crave (thestar.com)
• Despite wide support for proposed Eglinton LRT changes, Ford not budging on initial plan (theglobeandmail.com)
• Subway the clear choice at loud Scarborough transit meeting (thestar.com)
• Mississauga mayor says Ford transit plan can’t come at other cities’ expense (thestar.com)

The house that garbage built in York Region – rental mayhem 101

What comment can I offer on the lack of care for rental homes in York Region? What’s sad is home owners who buy rental properties, in fairly nice neighbourhoods, are turning them into rental ghettos. It’s said to see how individuals can come into a area and treat it with no care. Now there are some basic considerations to home ownership, but one that seems to allude G.T.A residents is the basic decency to keep their neighbourhood clean. Why do you put out garbage and leave it on the curb for a week; knowing it won’t be picked up until next week? Now I know what you are thinking. Maybe they are on vacation right? Wrong! I have seen this time and time again. Homes that are rented out and garbage left on the street; including glass, paint cans, and other items. Unfortunately with an interest rate hovering at the lowest in many years this problem can only get worse; with investors trying to make a quick buck. What’s interesting is this type of issue rarely happens in an area like Leaside, Unionville, Whitby, Oakville, Woodbridge or other portions of the city. Why? Maybe it’s because residents care and want to ensure that their investment remains intact. There is little tolerance for individuals who buy a home and don’t maintain it. It’s sad because I am not sure if this problem will ever be fixed. We take the taxes, but forget the neighbourhood. In some areas people don’t care and I am not even sure why. Maybe they just like it that way?

Related articles

• Challenges await new GTA immigrants (cbc.ca)
• Housing Starts Slide In Latest “Housing Recovery” Disappointment; Permits Rise On Expectations Of Rental Surge (zerohedge.com)

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Strike! Lots of confusion in York Region (YRT and VIVA)

There seems to be a lot of confusion over what is running and what is not in York Region. Details from the YRT/VIVA site are listed below, however there is much confusion over exactly which routes are not in operation. Some TTC routes, that go into Markham are still in operation.

Southeast Division (Miller Transit)

• 51 YRT routes in the Towns of Markham, Richmond Hill and Whitchurch-Stouffville, with some routes in the City of Vaughan

North Division (First Canada)

• 29 YRT routes in the Towns of Newmarket and Aurora with some routes in the Towns of Richmond Hill, East Gwillimbury and Georgina

Viva Division (York BRT Services)

• Five Viva routes operating in the Towns of Markham, Richmond Hill, Aurora, Newmarket and the City of Vaughan

For more details click here or here. For details on the services unaffected by the strike, please review the information below.

• Traveling on other YRT routes – The strike does not affect service along more than 30 YRT routes in the Southwest Divisionthat Veolia Southwest provides. These routes mostly serve the City of Vaughan, but also parts of the Towns of Aurora, Markham, Newmarket and Richmond Hill and the Township of King. You can find out whether buses operate along your route here.
• Traveling on north / south TTC buses in York Region.
• Traveling on GO Transit buses and trains and Brampton Transit Züm buses. (Brampton Transit may add extra service on the 501 Züm Queen route to help passengers that usually use the Viva orange service between Martin Grove Road and York University’s Keele Campus.)

Note: Seems it maybe best to catch a Go Bus, Go Train or at least try the 99 bus.

Election Day

Well its election day in Canada! I’d offer some predictions, however I imagine that the election will be overshadowed by Osama Bin Laden today. In light of that there will be a dynamic shift today. Question is what will really happen. This is hard to predict. Canadians are angry. The Conservatives were arrogant, in demanding a majority. They should have reached out early to soft-C Conservatives in the Liberal party. However, it is too late. They waited until Jack Layton, whom both the Liberals and Conservatives ignored, sprung to life in the polls. However, all may not be lost for the Conservatives. It all depends on vote splitting in Ontario and other provinces. There is a chance they may sneak through.

It will be an interesting night, however I predict that the NDP will gain a large amount of seats. The Bloc will tank and the Conservatives may end up with a majority. However, there is a slight chance that Canadians are so angry that the NDP could win, but I doubt it. It will definately be an interesting night in Canada.

What is the plan for Transit City now? GTA has worst commutes in 19-city survey

Commuters in the Greater Toronto Area suffer through longer round trips than their counterparts in 18 other major centres, including notoriously congested Los Angeles, according to a new report commissioned by the Toronto Board of Trade.

The board’s second annual “scorecard on prosperity” concluded the average GTA commute lasts a punishing 80 minutes for drivers and public-transit riders alike, putting the region an “embarrassing” last place behind not only L.A., but also the gridlocked metropolises of New York, London and Montreal.

“The report shows [commute times in the GTA] are getting worse,” said Carol Wilding, the president of the board of trade. “So there’s another clearly strong proof point and evidence that says they’re getting worse; we’ve underinvested. We’ve got to get on with it.”

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Transit City Cancelled?

Toronto’s commute times are the longest

The bigger story: Canadian Election is the lowest in history at only 59 percent

CLOSE TO 10 MILLION CANADIANS DID NOT BOTHER TO VOTE!!!

OTTAWA — Early figures indicate Canadians avoided the ballot box more than ever before on election day.

Just 58 per cent of eligible voters visited the polls — from a high of 69 per cent in Prince Edward Island to 48 per cent in Newfoundland, according to preliminary numbers.

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Voter turnout is heavy in Durham and York region, the middle class is voting for Harper and splitting the vote to Layton. Dion’s leadership maybe in question?

Update (7:56pm):Just came back from voting and turnout is heavy. I had to wait in line for a long time as it went outside of the High School and into the parking lot. Durham residents are voting, are you?

Update (10:14pm): It will be a Conservative win for Harper. The question is how large of a win? In Durham region there are some tight races in Oshawa. There is no way to declare a winner at the moment. Tonight is definitely a strange night. The Conservatives are doing well across the board. However, the Liberals are actually looking strong in Quebec, which is a definite blow to Jack Layton and the NDP. It will be interesting to see the numbers from B.C as they come in. However, no matter how you  put it, at the moment this is the Conservatives night. Albeit, still a minority at the moment they are picking up seats in Ontario. Dion has helped in Quebec, however strangely they are hurting in Ontario, which is there base. An interesting note is Ontario’s north has gone NDP. I am not sure if this is a pattern for Jack Layton to go on, however it’s an interesting note for the future. The NDP vote is definitely up in percentage, however he must be disappointing with the seat total. Also, the Conservatives are doing well in Thornhill with Peter Kent. Better thank Peter Shurman for that pick up! Dion will definitely have to explain the Carbon Tax to his caucus. Canadians were either in fear (a general lack of understanding) of the Carbon Tax. Or is this a message from Ontario on his leadership?

BIG NEWS: Oh my! Garth Turner has been defeated! Harper must be happy….

Update: Voter turnout may have been heavy in Durham, however across the Country it seems NO ONE CARES. Voter turnout was the lowest in Canadian history at only 59%.

New Voter Identification rules at the Polls

When you vote, you MUST prove your identity and address. You have three options:

Option 1

Provide one original piece of identification issued by a government or government agency containing your photo, name and address.

Examples

• Driver’s Licence
• Health Card
  • This applies only to Ontario
  • Note: Not all electors in Ontario will have cards with photo, name and address
• Provincial/Territorial Identification Card (non-drivers) for the provinces/territories of
  • Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Prince Edward Island
  • Nova Scotia
  • New Brunswick
  • Alberta
  • British Columbia
  • Northwest Territories

Note: The above pieces of identification are examples only.

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Option 2

Provide two original pieces of identification authorized by the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada. Both pieces must contain your name, and one must also contain your address. Here is the list:

Identity Cards

• Health Card
• Social Insurance Number Card
• Birth Certificate
• Driver’s Licence
• Canadian Passport
• Certificate of Indian Status
• Certificate of Canadian Citizenship or Citizenship Card
• Credit/Debit Card with elector name
• Canadian Forces Identity Card
• Veterans Affairs Canada Health Card
• Employee Card issued by employer
• Old Age Security Identification Card
• Public Transportation Card
• Student ID Card
• Library Card
• Liquor Identification Card
• Canadian Blood Services/Héma-Québec Card
• Hospital Card
• Fishing Licence
• Wildlife Identification Card
• Hunting Licence
• Firearm Acquisition Card/Firearm Possession Card
• Outdoors Card and Licences
• Provincial/Territorial Identification Card
• Local Community Service Centre Card (CLSC)

Original documents (containing name and address)

• Credit Card Statement
• Bank Statement
• Utility Bill (residential telephone, cable TV, public utilities commission, hydro, gas or water)
• Attestation of Residence issued by the responsible authority of an Indian band or reserve
• Local Property Tax Assessment
• School, College or University Report Card or Transcript
• Residential Lease, Residential Mortgage Statement or Agreement
• Canada Child Tax Benefit Statement
• Income Tax Assessment Notice
• Insurance Policy
• Government Cheque or Government Cheque Stub with elector name
• Statement of Employment Insurance Benefits Paid (T4E)
• Canada Pension Plan Statement of Contributions/Quebec Pension Plan Statement of Participation
• Statement of Old Age Security (T4A) or Statement of Canada Pension Plan Benefits (T4AP)
• Statement of Benefits from provincial workplace safety or insurance board
• Statement of Direct Deposit for provincial works or provincial disability support program
• Vehicle Ownership
• Vehicle Insurance
• Attestation of Residence issued by the responsible authorities (shelters, soup kitchens, student/senior residences, long-term care facilities)
• Letter from public curator

Note: A document bearing an address may be used as proof of the elector’s address if this address was written by the issuer of the document and is the same as or consistent with the address on the list of electors. No document other than those included on this list may be accepted to establish the name and address of an elector.

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Option 3

You can be vouched for by an elector whose name appears on the list of electors in the same polling division and who has an acceptable piece or pieces of identification. Both will be required to make a sworn statement. An elector cannot vouch for more than one person, and the person who has been vouched for cannot vouch for another elector.

http://www.elections.ca/content.asp?section=ele&dir=40ge&document=index&lang=e&textonly=false

Layton appeals to Quebec voters

RICHARD BRENNAN
OTTAWA BUREAU
GATINEAU—NDP Leader Jack Layton today urged Quebec voters to turn their backs on the separatist Bloc Quebecois.

“There’s a new choice for Quebec in this election – a choice of hope and optimism,” he said, adding the province would benefit in many ways from a national party, as opposed to one that has no MPs outside Quebec.

Layton pointed out many things that Quebecers hold dearly, such as the environment, that require strong actions across provincial boundaries that can only be offered by a national party.

The NDP is hoping to make a breakthrough in the riding of Gatineau with Francoise Boivin, a former Liberal MP in the Paul Martin/s Liberal government. The riding is now held by the PQ’s Richard Nadeau.

Throughout the election, Layton has been appealing to voters of all political stripes to side with the NDP, promising a New Democratic government would kill the Conservatives’ $50 billion corporate tax cut and use that money to improve child care, hire nurses and doctors, and bring in pharmacare, among other things.

Earlier in the day in Toronto, the NDP campaign turned to veteran New Democrat war horse Ed Broadbent to shore up support.

“It is good news for the NDP in every part of the country,” he told the adoring crowd, adding that the party is challenging in 20 ridings where the NDP have never been a contenders.

“We will bring in new seat after seat and we will have the largest caucus in the history (of the party),” Broadbent, who had a record 43 seats in 1988, told about 400 supporters.

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