Toronto

Got to my local voting station at 4:30 and was out at 5:00. Most of that was waiting in line with about a dozen people in front of me. I don't think they were expecting this many people, or maybe I just happened to be there at a busy point. The vote itself was quick with just a single ballot for the MPs.

Advanced voting is still open until 9:00 PM today, with the main election day on April 28. Check https://www.elections.ca/ for your info.

Signs and information are the front door of the TTC. When thousands of international tourists visit for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, we want them to be taking public transit.

Easy-to-use TTC information and signs will not only benefit visitors to the city, but encourage all Toronto residents to take transit again in the future.

You shouldn’t get lost while taking the TTC! Ask Toronto City Council to invest in upgrading signs and information across the TTC, including up-to-date schedule information on trip planning apps and the TTC website.

The TTC is creating a new "wayfinding" strategy, but it lacks funding. Wayfinding means the signage, information, and audio announcements that guide you through the transit system.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/27838901

Indore in Madhya Pradesh, India, was once dotted with fetid waste dumps but after a huge campaign is now virtually spotless

This is what happens usually in India: a politician wakes up and launches a cleanliness “drive” with fanfare. They ostentatiously start sweeping a street and speak solemnly about civic duty while the media take photos. The next day it’s over and things go back to how they were before.

But not in Indore in Madhya Pradesh. From 2017, when it won the prize for being the cleanest city in the country, it kept winning for eight straight years, until last year.

Before 2017, Indore had been ranked 25th of 471 towns and cities in the government’s cleanliness rankings.

In many cities, families will keep their home scrupulously clean, but a few feet from their front door rubbish is left lying around.

“That other area is seen as someone else’s responsibility and no one sees any contradiction in walking past a stinking pile of rubbish to their clean home,” said Arjun Sehgal, a local chemistry tutor.

Residents have taken up cleanliness as their own personal responsibility, according to Prabhnit Sawhney, a petrol pump owner. “I’ve seen people stopping someone who littered. I’ve seen drivers stop their car when they see rubbish on the street to remove it. It’s become a kind of mission that inspires everyone,” he said.

A newly released audit of the Toronto Transit Corporation’s (TTC) operations found growing discontent among the transit agency’s non-unionized staff, including worsening concerns about safety and a turnover rate of up to 62 per cent in some departments in recent years.

In 2023 and 2024 exit surveys the TTC conducted with departing employees, over half of respondents said their decision to leave was influenced, mostly or in part, by an “unhealthy organizational culture,” “lack of trust in the executive/senior leadership,” and “growth and career advancement.”

A smaller percentage of employees responded that “psychological safety” (35 per cent), “discrimination towards them during their employment” (29 per cent), and “physical safety” (14 per cent) were contributing factors in their choice to leave.

A half century since the CN tower began its (now over) reign as the tallest freestanding structure on Earth!

https://youtu.be/hd3wvxk23Hw

Edit: fixed the link I hope

I truly hope the perpetrator(s) is caught and arrested

Tonight's Toronto Critical Mass, "organized by the community, for the community", will see hundreds of cyclists take the streets in protest against this attempt to rip out our bike lanes. Meet-up is at Bloor St. and Spadina Ave. at 6:00 pm.

Cycle Toronto https://www.cycleto.ca/

Visit the Facebook group for more:

https://www.cycleto.ca/r?u=o6hy3ltLwo-dflPNfvaWKiW6yyaPhPtz2eTJUsob5PoiI7K4sdqtuCdpPZCea1fPjXCWz3iIUKR5qedlB5XtNQ&e=afd8d3f0606f8534b04fd6f600d0758f&n=2

Basel Adra has been documenting the expulsion and decimation of his community in the small mountain village of Masafer Yatta in the southern West Bank since childhood. Adra’s early memories as a child are plagued with images of Israeli soldiers raiding his home, witnessing his father Nasser, a Palestinian activist, being arrested, and the ongoing Israeli military occupation and settler aggression. By picking up his camera, Adra continually speaks truth to power as he tirelessly documents his reality: impending forced removals, bulldozers destroying homes, and the violence that inevitably follows. The film takes place prior to October 7, 2023, when attention to the region was in shorter supply.
During Adra’s fight to preserve his mountain village community, he forms an unexpected friendship and alliance with Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, who joins his resistance efforts. It is clear this bond is not one grounded in equity, with Adra living under occupation and Abraham’s freedom of movement. Yet the relationship that develops between the two — showing deep care, humanity, and above all how solidarity can break down barriers, even during occupation — is at the heart of this piece.
Made under extreme duress and unimaginable production hardships, this film comes from a Palestinian-Israeli activist collective formed of Adra, Abraham, Rachel Szor, and Hamdan Ballal. For its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival, No Other Land earned the top documentary jury and audience prizes in the prestigious Panorama section. This film would stand out in any year, but now it feels even more urgent.

Imagine Cinemas' Carlton location is a small theatre that usually screens movies that are offbeat, indie, classics, anime, and documentaries, in addition to the latest releases. The company is local to Ontario and family-owned. They have $5 deals on movies regularly, especially when they're showing classics.

I'm a regular there and at their Market Square location too. This week I watched "Lucy: The Stolen Lives of Elephants", an excellent documentary about the plight of elephants in zoos, and a hope for their future in sanctuaries. The Canadian filmmakers are hosting Q&A's at all the 6:50PM showings this week (another thing that Carlton often does).

To be clear, I'm not affiliated with them. I'm just a movie lover :)

https://imaginecinemas.com/cinema/carlton/

📍 Location: Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto 📅 Date: Saturday, March 22, 2025 ⏰ Time: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHMGxEMvUKY/

About the Event: After an incredible turnout in Ottawa, Elbows Up, Canada! is coming to Toronto. This grassroots movement is about standing together as Canadians—proud, strong, and unwavering. We are gathering to celebrate unity, resilience, and the values that make Canada special.

Join us at Nathan Phillips Square for an afternoon of inspiring speakers, live music, and community engagement. This is a peaceful, non-partisan, and family-friendly event—a space where people from all backgrounds can come together and make their voices heard.

What to Expect:
✅ Live Music – Featuring performances by The Get Alongs (house band), and more to be determined!
✅ Inspiring Speakers – Including Shaun Majumder, Arlene Dickinson, and other Canadian leaders.
✅ Community Connection – Engage in conversations, meet your neighbours, and be part of a growing movement.
✅ A Positive & Uplifting Atmosphere – We’re about unity, not division.

Why This Matters:
In a time of uncertainty, it’s more important than ever to come together. Elbows Up, Canada! is about protecting what we value as Canadians—our democracy, our communities, and our shared future.

Come be part of something bigger. Let’s stand together. Let’s raise our elbows and stand strong for Canada. 🇨🇦.