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The Mandatory 2010 Highlights Thread

Northern Light

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For some reason, I feel the innate obligation to start one of these threads (2011 predictions to follow separately).

As for each of us, these choices are different and subjective, never mind being subject to whims of memory, feel free to comment on or add to the list below.

These are not in any particular order.

2010 Hightlights:

- After almost a century of discussion, Dufferin is once again a through street at Queen! (and they did a nice job too!)

- Toronto sees completion/occupancy of three office towers, Bay-Adelaide, Telus-Union and RBC, the most squarefootage added in over a decade and 1/2; to boot, vacancy rates barely drift up......more to come?

- Victoria Park Station kicks off the modernization of at least 3 TTC stations; and while not quite finished, the new Bus terminal and main entrance have made their debut. While the body of the station remains a mediocre contributor to Toronto; the new But Terminal shows great architectural flare; particularly the way it is up-lit at night.

- The Nathan Philips Square revitalization begins; while nothing was really complete in 2010, enough work has been done to ensure some real improvements do get finished in 2011

- The mighty Bloor Street overhaul is substantially complete; while still awaiting some very much needed trees and accessories west of Yonge, the area already looks much improved and takes Toronto's streetscape quality up at least one notch.

- Related to the above, Toronto goes from 1 to 3 'scramble' crossings

- Also of note, the Toronto Waterfront begins to take serious shape, as Sugar Beach, Sherbourne Commons South and a new piece of Waterfront Promenade open.

- And Regent Park takes flight, opening its 1st renewed phase, and its first supermarket in ages; while moving ahead with more new public/private housing, an aquatics centre, arts centre and new central park.

****

Not strictly Toronto Issues (but those having an effect here)

- The minimum wage rises again to $10.25 an hour, while inadequate for self-support, this is the highest real level in almost 20 years, and the highest minimum wage in North America.

- Full day Kindergarten launches at hundreds of schools

- Wind Power becomes real; exceeding 1000 Megawatts of hourly production this fall, or about 5% of Ontario's power needs.


*** Some will note I have omitted certain news events; but I wanted to offer only the highlights........:D
 
Not my favourite year in Toronto - the G20 and the election being the biggest news stories, and both negative - but I have to give props to Sugar Beach and Waterfront Toronto first and foremost. Great work there.
 
Not my favourite year in Toronto - the G20 and the election being the biggest news stories, and both negative - but I have to give props to Sugar Beach and Waterfront Toronto first and foremost. Great work there.

The G20 was negative, but only because of all the annoying protesters.

As for highlights, I'd say 2010 was the year that people finally got to know more about Wind Mobile and have started to switch in droves (e.g. I switched in May, my mom and my sister in November, and my brother in December).
 
The G20 was negative, but only because of all the annoying protesters.

Ah yes, those pesky protesters - thousands of which were stripped of their civil rights along with pedestrians and some of those who lived in the affected neighbourhoods. How dare people come together in a democracy to march and speak out on their issues. They should have stayed home, hid behind a computer and simply blogged, created a Facebook page or tweeted their grievances.
 
The G20 proceeds without a hitch and offers the world a glowing impression of a safe, prosperous, and remarkably dignified city.

Toronto voters regain their sanity in the final days of the 2010 election campaign and choose George Smitherman to be to their next Mayor; the Mayor-elect immediately promises to continue the legacy projects (TC and Waterfront) of his predecessor.

A research team at the University of Toronto teaches a strain of super-intelligent pigs to pilot a lightweight, solar powered aircraft.
 

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