Toronto has become the first city in the world to endorse the Vienna Declaration, which advocates harm reduction over the law enforcement-driven war on drugs. City council voted 33-7 to sign on to the declaration, which was unveiled last month at the International AIDS Conference in Vienna. It calls for a more comprehensive approach to curb unsafe drug use that leads to illness such as HIV and AIDS. Councillor Kyle Rae, who proposed the motion after attending the conference, said other cities are likely to take notice because Toronto is seen as a leader in this area. [continues 318 words]
Proposal Would Order Owners To Restore Damaged Dwellings Or Else Face Municipal Bill For The Work The City of Toronto has come up with a plan to restore homes badly damaged from being used as marijuana grow operations. "As it stands right now, you've got some of these buildings boarded up in communities," said Councillor Mike Del Grande. "It's a blight. It's an eyesore." Starting next year, the city wants to order restoration work on some 130 homes damaged by toxic mould from high humidity levels found in grow-ops. If the owner refuses, the city can carry out the work and add the cost to the property tax bill. [continues 363 words]
Dance Rally At Nathan Phillips Square Could Attract 10,000 Toronto city councillors who say they don't understand rave culture are about to get a demonstration. On Aug. 1, during city council's next scheduled meeting, up to 10,000 rave-goers will rally to the rhythms of 11 deejays in Nathan Phillips Square. The watchwords for the Dance Rally are: No drugs, thugs or attitude. The rally calls on ravers to show city councillors their parties aren't menacing and don't deserve to be demonized. [continues 438 words]
City Councillor Vows To Stop New Year's Bash At CNE Grounds City-owned Exhibition Place should not be the venue for a New Year's Eve all-night rave party expected to attract up to 4,000 young revellers to the Automotive Building, says Councillor Tom Jakobek. "A rave is a drug haven," Jakobek said yesterday. "It has to be stopped. We should not be condoning it, we should not be sending paid (police) officers, the city should not be renting property." [continues 359 words]
Mayor's First Day On Police Board A Real Eye-opener On his first day as a memberof the police services board, Mayor Mel Lastman attacked senior levels of government for shortchanging Toronto on cash used for undercover drug busts. Lastman said he learned in his first board meeting that taxpayers' money used to buy drugs that is seized upon arrest goes to court as evidence but isn't returned. Instead, it ends up in federal and provincial coffers, he said. [continues 373 words]
TTC commissioners have said no to mandatory drug testing of applicants for bus driver and other safety sensitive jobs. ``I don't know what they were smoking when they made that decision,'' said Councillor Rob Davis, a commissioner who had argued that public safety demanded testing. ``What percentage of the population wouldn't want the person driving their subway or streetcar to have been tested for drugs prior to getting the job?'' he told reporters after the 4-2 vote yesterday. [continues 401 words]
Candidates For Safety-Sensitive Jobs Will Be Targeted The Toronto Transit Commission will require prospective employees to submit to drug tests, a move the TTC's political masters describe as overkill. ``I've never been big on drug testing,'' said TTC chair Howard Moscoe, councillor for the North York Spadina ward. ``I don't recall any instances of our drivers being impaired by drugs, so as far as I'm concerned, it's overkill.'' He said he was unaware of the new policy and intends to raise it for discussion at the next commission meeting, June 17. [continues 486 words]
