Sidewalk dining sticks around Toronto

While strip clubs stay distanced

John Tory @JohnTory

Council approved a plan that will make the #CafeTO program permanent while continuing to deliver needed business support to restaurants including waiving permit fees in 2022. I'm so glad that this program is returning that has helped more than 1,200 restaurants and main streets.

Pandemic-style outdoor eating will be a permanent fixture in Toronto due to city council approving permanence for the CaféTO program. But the vote came on the same day as a throwback announcement from the province: Ontario has paused the next step of reopening, to keep current capacity limits in some hedonistic settings.

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The need to talk about Kevin

Kevin Vuong 😷🇨🇦⚓ @KevinVuongTO

The job of govt should be to help create the environment for businesses to thrive. I can’t speak to why the issue has taken this long to be resolved, but our team is working on it so that @UnboxedMarketCA can focus on their business and vision of minimizing single-use packaging. https://t.co/u4oKi88qIu

Unboxed Market @UnboxedMarketCA

We want to be very clear on our interaction with @KevinVuongTO today. We have been working to resolve a private business issue involving the government for well over two years now, and have previously been advised that the best process for assistance is to approach our 1/

While independent MP Kevin Vuong affirmed his desire to help a zero-waste store in his Toronto riding navigate a federal issue, his posting photos of a visit to Unboxed Market sparked a backlash. Vuong is doing what voters elected him to do, albeit after being dropped by the Liberals for not disclosing a sexual assault charge that was withdrawn.

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Maxime Bernier’s defamation lawsuit over being painted as racist, misogynist and antisemitic was dismissed in court. Warren Kinsella declared victory over the People’s Party leader—even if some of the comments in question came while he was reportedly under contract to Conservatives.

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Lest we forget dead Edwards

Christmas music playlists are ready to go on Rogers radio stations—even if their flagship morning show on CHFI Toronto hasn’t been replaced. But the company has a bigger deal to complete by swallowing Shaw, a deal which the organization OpenMedia thinks should be blocked by Ottawa because:

Martha Rogers @MarthaLRogers

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Kamala Harris finally got to show off the extent to which she learned French. “In government, we campaign with ‘The Plan’,” said the US VP in an accent mocked for appearing to mimic her hosts at a COVID-19 lab in Paris. Her years in Montreal didn’t seem to help her grasp the language, but at least Air Canada’s CEO can surely relate.

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Finally, from Chad to Travis

Avril Lavigne continued working with Chad Kroeger following the Chavril divorce. But now that she’s signed to Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker’s DTA Records label, she too is ready to reap the rewards of being a pop punk pioneer. The first production of her new era is called “Bite Me,” because hits move faster than they did 20 years ago: