Busy day? Here are five stories popular with Globe readers to help you catch up.
Ontario reveals details of massive Toronto-region rail expansion plan
The Ontario government announced details on a $13.5-billion expansion of the Toronto-region GO rail.
It’s a huge investment that leaves little money for other transit projects around the region, Oliver Moore reports. (The province has about $16-billion in total earmarked for transit investment across the Toronto region and Hamilton).
How soon will these GO changes happen, and what they will mean for riders?
In brief:
- It will take until 2022 or 2023 to electrify the GO corridors
- At the end of five years there will be nearly 700 more trains running each week
- That translates into a roughly 40 per cent increase in the number of trains on weekdays
- Service on the weekend will jump by more than 140 per cent.
Going to more frequent service with electric trains across much of the network was a campaign promise of the Liberals last year and will be funded in part by the sale of a stake in Hydro One.
Alberta election polls painting a bleak picture for Prentice’s Tories
With 18 days to go until Albertans vote, the numbers aren’t looking good for Jim Prentice or his Progressive Conservative party.
This week Prentice promised a Conservative government would not negotiate public-sector raises and would cut the number of agencies, boards and commissions to eliminate duplicated services.
It’s a move that appears to be aimed at persuading enough Albertans to vote Tory, Allan Maki and Justin Giovannetti report.
But a poll released on Wednesday by Mainstreet Technologies found the Wildrose Party and the NDP arm-locked in the lead, each with 24 per cent of the voters, while the PCs came in third at 18 per cent.
And a survey done by Forum Research indicates Prentice’s approval rating has sunk to 22 per cent. Four months ago, it was at 50 per cent.
Ontario’s new beer strategy has already gone skunky
Ontario is bringing beer to grocery stores.
But the system isn’t really changing, The Globe and Mail editorial board argues. Nor is the Liberal government’s attitude to the industry.
Until now, The Beer Store has been a private monopoly, owned by three major non-Canadian brewers.
Under the province’s new strategy, politicians will be, more than ever, deciding who gets to sell which beer, where, when, how and at what price. Competition will still be largely forbidden.
So if you think the solution is for the monopoly to be ended and free market competition to replace it, you are out of luck.
But if you prefer politicians get even more deeply into the business of beer central planning, then the province has a plan you’ll love.
The good news: If you are unhappy about anything, please write to the new Beer Ombudsman. He’s there to listen.
Rick Hansen’s daughter draws rush of online support after sharing story of son’s stillbirth
Emma VandenBrink lost her unborn son just one day before her scheduled due date. The pain is still fresh for the daughter of Canadian paralympian and philanthropist Rick Hansen, but she’s glad she decided to share her story publicly in a blog post, James Goldie reports.
In the piece, VandenBrink describes not being able to feel her baby kicking or find his heartbeat, and rushing to the hospital where doctors told her and her husband their baby had died. The cause of death was a knot in his umbilical cord.
VanderBrink said she put the story of her son’s stillbirth online to help with her own healing process and to support families who have been in similar situations.
“We wanted people to know him and for his impact to continue beyond his short time with us. This is a very important topic to discuss and one that has affected many people.”
Canada has nine to 10 stillbirths for every 1,000 children born.
Bike hand signals are confusing - here’s a better, simpler solution
Indicating a right turn with your left arm? Where’s the logic in that!
A lot of drivers are mystified by bike signals, which are based on configuring your left arm three different ways to indicate turns and stops. And they should be, Peter Cheney writes.
There have been numerous suggested solutions to the bike-signal problem: You can buy battery-powered signals that bolt to your bike, for one. Some young inventors have even proposed systems that run off a smartphone.
Cheney’s proposal: use the arm on the side you’re turning toward, and point to where you’re going.
Follow Kat Sieniuc on Twitter: @katsieniuc