Latest news with #ShawnMicallef
Toronto Star
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- Toronto Star
How I learned to love walking in Toronto
By Contributing Columnist Shawn Micallef is a Toronto-based writer and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Follow him on Bluesky: @ Walking Toronto Walking Toronto — part of our T oronto the Better project — is a series about discovering the city, one step at a time. Through deep-dive features, curated walking routes, and community strolls, Star writers explore what our streets say about life in Toronto. We'll uncover hidden stories, local gems, and the challenges and joys of moving through the city. I learned how to walk in Toronto. Opinion articles are based on the author's interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. More details
Toronto Star
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Toronto Star
6 tips for walking in Toronto
By Contributing Columnist Shawn Micallef is a Toronto-based writer and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Follow him on Bluesky: @ Walking Toronto Walking Toronto — part of our T oronto the Better project — is a series about discovering the city, one step at a time. Through deep-dive features, curated walking routes, and community strolls, Star writers explore what our streets say about life in Toronto. We'll uncover hidden stories, local gems, and the challenges and joys of moving through the city. Gear Opinion articles are based on the author's interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. More details
Toronto Star
2 days ago
- Toronto Star
Walk this way
Toronto is best experienced by walking. The street life of our neighbourhoods, our hidden ravines, the small notes of history that have survived our constant urban renewal … what we love most about our city is best seen up close and at a leisurely pace. It's no wonder, then, that Toronto is home to dozens of groups, volunteers and professionals dedicated to the art of urban walking, from historians and nature lovers to architects, athletes and more. We asked a select group of these walking experts — Heritage Toronto, ROMWalks, the Toronto Field Naturalists, the City of Toronto, and 'Stroll' author Shawn Micallef, to share their favourite Toronto walks. Here's our guide to some of the best walks in Toronto, as selected by the experts.
Toronto Star
28-06-2025
- Toronto Star
How Doug Ford and Metrolinx dimmed Toronto's once-bright transit future
By Contributing Columnist Shawn Micallef is a Toronto-based writer and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Follow him on Bluesky: @ When it comes to getting around town, we're stalled. Grim and dismal times as all forms of transportation are mired. Traffic is bad and getting worse. Public transit is decades behind and often stuck in that traffic. Cycling is under attack. Not long ago it felt very different. The future was bright with smart, transformational plans big and small that had political momentum behind them. Then they started to get watered down, undermined or cancelled. Opinion articles are based on the author's interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. More details
Toronto Star
22-05-2025
- Business
- Toronto Star
‘Protect Bathurst' campaign uses AI-generated videos to fight proposed bus lanes
As business owners push back against dedicated bus lanes on Bathurst Street, some are turning to artificial allies. With the proposed expansion of the city's RapidTO bus lane program — trading 138 paid parking spots on Bathurst for faster commutes — some business owners have rallied under a 'Protect Bathurst' campaign, aiming to warn the community of the priority lanes' impact on local businesses. However, the campaign has used AI-generated videos on its Instagram page to warn that reduced parking will block car-bound shoppers and people with mobility issues. Two of the campaign's videos mimic a grassroots approach — people strolling outside, warning how bus lanes could hurt local businesses. But, the same footage has appeared in ads for other causes, with only the script swapped. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'Now, don't get me wrong, priority lanes are crucial during rush hour,' one video says. 'But what about the rest of the time? Why not give access back to the community when it's not rush hour? It's time for a solution that works for everyone — commuters, residents and businesses alike.' Gta The battle for a bus lane: Why rapid transit on this Toronto main street is sparking backlash Local businesses say a proposed dedicated bus lane would threaten their livelihoods, while city councillors and many transit riders want to see Gta The battle for a bus lane: Why rapid transit on this Toronto main street is sparking backlash Local businesses say a proposed dedicated bus lane would threaten their livelihoods, while city councillors and many transit riders want to see The new dedicated bus routes are part of a proposed expansion of the city's RapidTO bus lane program onto Dufferin Street (from Dufferin Gate to Eglinton Avenue West) and on Bathurst Street (for buses and streetcars, from Lake Shore Boulevard to Eglinton Avenue West). Approved by the TTC board, the proposed lanes could be changed depending on input from public consultations. Three public consultations (two in-person and one virtual) for the Bathurst street bus lanes were held earlier this month. Before the routes are installed, the proposal will need the approval of city council. Star contributing columnist Shawn Micallef posted about the videos on BlueSky Tuesday night. In a thread, he pointed out that one of the campaign's two videos has been used by several companies, with the same person promoting different products from stocks to personal trainers to solar panels. A reverse image search conducted by the Star found 45 identical matches of one of the videos across social media — some in different languages. A separate image search conducted by the Star show a second video from the campaign appeared in at least three other company ads. The TTC and city's plans for proposed priority bus lanes on Bathurst Street. TTC and City of Toronto Public domain registration records show the 'Protect Bathurst' website was registered by a food marketing consultant for Summerhill Market, an independent grocery store with six locations in Toronto — including one on Bathurst Street. The campaign's website lists no spokesperson or contact information, and its layout closely resembles 'Protect Dufferin' — another group of 'concerned residents' opposing the same bus lane expansion on Dufferin Street. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Brad McMullen, president of Summerhill Market, told the Star he helped launch the 'Protect Bathurst' initiative after learning about the proposed bus lanes three weeks ago, when an employee mentioned the dedicated lanes after hearing from a customer. He said his business isn't associated with the campaign's Instagram page, and the AI-generated videos have 'nothing to do with Summerhill Market.' The Star reached out to the Instagram page about its initiative, but received no response. Concerned about the bus lanes' impact, McMullen spoke with other local business owners, and together they started the 'Protect Bathurst' campaign. Contributors Opinion Shawn Micallef: How this transit plan could finally make 'Sufferin' Dufferin' a thing of the past There are 'RapidTO' plans to create transit priority lanes on Dufferin as well as Bathurst streets. Contributors Opinion Shawn Micallef: How this transit plan could finally make 'Sufferin' Dufferin' a thing of the past There are 'RapidTO' plans to create transit priority lanes on Dufferin as well as Bathurst streets. 'In its current form, I think (the proposed bus lanes) will highly limit access for deliveries and customers,' McMullen said. 'Some alternatives have been suggested, but they unfortunately (don't) work for our use.' Half of a large parking lot at their Bathurst location, McMullen said, belongs to Summerhill Market. The bus lanes will clog the lot's driveway as delivery drivers try to pick up orders for customers, McMullen added. Toronto has the eighth-worst traffic in North America, according to a 2024 TomTom report — and buses are stuck in it. TTC data shows average bus speeds have dropped from 20 km/h in 2013 to 17.2 km/h in 2024. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW On Bathurst Street, it's even slower at just 13 km/h, making transit trips up to 75 per cent longer than for drivers for the more than 35,000 riders on the Bathurst bus or streetcar on an average weekday. McMullen said last week all 500 of his employees use the TTC to commute to work, and he's exploring legal options to see if he can slow down the approval process for the bus lanes. The online petition for 'Protect Bathurst' had more than 1,500 signatures on Wednesday afternoon, and a public survey will remain open until May 26. 'I'm still grappling with the impact,' McMullen said, 'and how to navigate the impact of the proposal.' With files from Andy Takagi
