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Tory and Keesmaat disagree about the Gardiner Expressway. Here’s a close look at their claims

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The first major policy promise that puts the two top mayoral candidates distinctly on either side of an issue is a road the city has travelled before.

It’s also a debate John Tory and Jennifer Keesmaat have had before.

Under Mayor John Tory’s preferred option, which council approved, the easternmost stretch of the Gardiner would be rebuilt and moved north of its current location.
Under Mayor John Tory’s preferred option, which council approved, the easternmost stretch of the Gardiner would be rebuilt and moved north of its current location.  (City of Toronto)

Keesmaat, as she did as chief planner, says the eastern section of the Gardiner Expressway should be torn down and replaced with a ground-level, six-lane boulevard. Tory insists, as council approved in 2016, it should be rebuilt.

The Star looked at the old debate and claims both old and new about the different options to replace the crumbling infrastructure:

How did we get here?

The city-straddling highway’s final eastern stretch, from the Don Valley Parkway to Leslie St., opened in 1966. By the 1990s, repair bills were mounting, especially for elevated portions. That final section (planned to connect to a never-built Scarborough expressway) was demolished in 2001 without the traffic chaos some predicted. Talk about whether to pull down or even bury sections flared into full debate in 2013 when the Star revealed the crumbling 2.4-km stretch east of Jarvis St. was a “significant hazard to public safety” needing hundreds of millions of dollars in repairs.

In 2015 in a very close vote, council opted to rebuild the eastern section as what has been dubbed a “hybrid” that maintains an elevated connection to the Don Valley Parkway. In 2016, council voted for a design option that would push the curve further north in order to unlock some developable, city-owned land.

Read more:

Mayoral candidate Jennifer Keesmaat takes on John Tory over the Gardiner

Opinion | Edward Keenan: Why Jennifer Keesmaat’s Gardiner teardown pitch is key to her campaign

Opinion is divided. City staff say building a wide multi-lane boulevard would increase commute times into downtown in rush hour by between two and three minutes more than the elevated hybrid in 2031, depending on the route. In 2015 staff proposed an “optimized” remove option they said could reduce that extra travel time to just 52 seconds. The city’s study assumed a full-build out of developable areas and also future transit improvements including a relief line subway.

A University of Toronto study commissioned by a pro-hybrid group estimated much longer delays for motorists but was based on two possible “remove” options that were not consistent with the boulevard design in front of council.

Paul Bedford, a prominent former Toronto chief planner, noted the eastern Gardiner carries only 3 per cent of drivers accessing downtown. It is “totally feasible” for a “grand boulevard” to handle the roughly 5,000 vehicles per hour now travelling the eastern elevated stretch during rush hour, he says. Bedford also noted the removal of elevated expressways in cities including New York have not sparked traffic chaos.

Eric Miller, director of the U of T Transportation Research Institute whose colleague led the study for the pro-hybrid group, disagrees. “Retaining the Gardiner East is absolutely essential to the city’s transportation network. The grand boulevard would be a disaster. It would be choked with traffic and definitely not be an attractive urban design ‘feature,’” said Miller who supports the hybrid option. Studies ignored the potential impact of removal on commercial traffic, he added. “Downtown cannot function without excellent truck/van access to provide the massive amount of goods and services it needs.”

I thought removing the Gardiner would cause a 10-minute delay?

The widely quoted figure comes from the U of T study for a “pedestrian-oriented” boulevard that was never before council. A 10-minute delay is presented as the worst-case scenario while driving the Gardiner from Park Lawn Rd. onto the boulevard to its eastern end in peak traffic.

The average increase in network travel time, the study said, was actually two minutes.

The 10-minute figure was given no prominence in the report but was seized upon by some opponents of removing the Gardiner, including Tory. In a 2015 speech shortly before the council vote he cited the lengthy delay as evidence that east Gardiner removal would “dramatically affect the quality of life for the people in this city.”

Doesn’t Keesmaat actually support the hybrid option?

Responding to Keesmaat’s election promise recently, Tory’s campaign highlighted a tweet Keesmaat sent in March 2016 where she wrote: “New gardiner hybrid improves waterfront access, redevelopment. Congrats my @CityPlanTO team for excellent work.”

“That day she couldn’t take enough credit for the work of herself and her staff,” Tory told reporters about the approval of the revised hybrid plan.

Keesmaat’s tweet came after city staff in her planning division had worked with other staff to improve the Gardiner hybrid option that council had already directed them to build instead of the boulevard option.

“Jennifer has been very consistent in her position that tearing down the Gardiner is in the best interests of the city,” her campaign spokesperson said. “Once debate was done and council voted Jennifer frequently tweeted support for the work of her team. She was obligated to work with the will of the previous council.”

Was the vote decisive?

Council voted in June 2015, after vigorous public debate, to repair and keep aloft a slightly reconfigured east Gardiner by a margin of 24-21. If just two councillors who voted in the majority had switched sides and joined the solidly pro-boulevard downtown councillors, the east Gardiner would have fallen.

The vote was so close, Tory has said, that he supported staff continuing to look at options. In January 2016, the city and Waterfront Toronto staff proposed hybrid configurations and recommended one that sharpens the turn to the DVP, removes the Logan Ave. on- and off-ramps, and adds two ramps in the Keating precinct. A few months later council voted 35-6 in favour of that option with a price tag of more than $1 billion, double the estimate then for the boulevard option.

Which option will be better for the city in the long term?

The city and Waterfront Toronto hired consultants in 2014 to study alternative options for the Gardiner East. The consultants overwhelmingly concluded that removing the eastern section was the preferred option with urban design, environment and economic advantages that offset the additional travel times for a “small proportion” of total commuters.

City staff, based on those findings, recommended the remove option be approved by council. But the public works committee at the time delayed any decision until 2015.

An independent economic analysis prepared for council in 2015 found that the remove option had significantly lower operations and maintenance costs and that it unlocked 12 additional acres of developable land worth $100 million in revenues for the city as well as the added potential for job creation.

Is it too late to reverse course? What will it cost to switch to the boulevard option?

Council could still change its mind, at a cost that is unlikely to outweigh the overall savings achieved with the boulevard option. Keesmaat has claimed those savings are as much as $500 million.

The city has already signed one construction contract worth $313 million to build the hybrid option. The city said they could not provide a copy of the contract. Asked about potential penalties, a spokesperson said they could not provide a specific amount because any changes would need to be negotiated.

The city also spent approximately $8.5 million on studying the hybrid option and obtaining provincial approval.

Additional study would be required for approval of the remove option, lasting two to three years, the city said, and cost more than $2 million. The process would not need to be completely restarted, the city said, as some work completed for the hybrid option would still apply. There would also be additional, unstated costs for engineering design work for the remove option, the city said.

The 100-year life-cycle costs for the remove option were estimated to cost $461 million in 2013 dollars. Compared to the current hybrid plan, estimated at $1.053 billion, there is a cost difference of $592 million. Additional study costs would be expected to reduce those savings by a fraction. Though the cost difference does not account for study costs that have already been made and considered wasted or potential contract penalties, it also does not account for possible additional revenues in increased land values if those lands were unlocked.

David Rider is the Star’s City Hall bureau chief and a reporter covering Toronto politics. Follow him on Twitter: @dmrider

Jennifer Pagliaro is a Toronto-based reporter covering city politics. Follow her on Twitter: @jpags

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Anglais

Nostalgia and much more with Starburst XXXtreme

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Get a taste of adventure with Starburst XXXtreme based on the legendary NetEnt Game. The nostalgic themes are sure to capture fans of the classic version as they get treated to higher intensity, better visuals, and features. The most significant element of the game is its volatility. Patience will not be an essential virtue considering the insane gameplay, and there is a lot of win potential involved. It retains the original makeup of the previous game while adding a healthy dose of adrenaline. 

Starburst Visuals and Symbols

The game is definitely more conspicuous than before. The setting happens over a 5-reel, 3-row game grid with nine fixed win lines, which function if a succession from the left to the right reel is present. Only those players that that attain the highest win per bet line are paid. From a visual standpoint, the Starburst XXXtreme slots illustrates lightning effects behind the reels, which is not surprising as it is inherited from the original version. Available themes include Classic, Jewels, and Space. The game is also available in both desktop and mobile versions, which is advantageous for players considering the global pandemic. According to Techguide, American gamers are increasingly having more engaging gaming experiences to socialize to fill the gap of in-person interaction. Starburst XXXtreme allows them to fill the social void at a time when there is so much time to be had indoors. 

Starburst XXXTreme Features

Players get to alternate on three features which are Starburst Wilds, XXXtreme Spins, and Random Wilds. The first appears on reels 2,3, or 4. When these land, they expand to cover all positions while also calculating the wins. They are also locked for a respin. If a new one hits, it also becomes locked while awarding another respin. Starburst XXXtreme offers a choice between two scenarios for a higher stake. In one scenario with a ten times stake, the Starburst Wild is set on random on reels 2,3, or 4, and a multiplier starts the respin. The second scenario, which has a 95 times stake, starts with two guaranteed starburst wilds on reels 2,3, or 4. it also plays out using respin game sequence and features. The game also increases the potential with the Random Wilds feature to add Starburst Wilds to a vacant reel at the end of a spin. Every Starburst Wild gives a random multiplier with potential wins of x2, x3, x5, x10, x25, x50, x100, or even x150.

The new feature is sure to be a big hit with the gaming market as online gambling has shown significant growth during the lockdown. AdAge indicates the current casino customer base is an estimated one in five Americans, so Starburst XXXtreme’s additional features will achieve considerable popularity. 

What We Think About The Game

The gambling market has continued to diversify post-pandemic, so it is one of the most opportune times to release an online casino-based game. Thankfully Starburst XXXtreme features eye-catching visuals, including the jewels and space themes. These attract audience participation and make the gameplay inviting. The game also has a nostalgic edge. The previous NetEnt iteration featured similar visuals and gameplay, so the audience has some familiarity with it. The producers have revamped this version by tweaking the features to improve the volatility and engagement. 

That is characterized by the potential win cap of 200,000 times the bet. Starburst XXXtreme does not just give betting alternatives for players that want to go big. The increase of multipliers also provides a great experience. If the respins in the previous version were great, knowing that multipliers can go hundreds of times overtakes the game to a new level. 

Players should get excited about this offering. All of the features can be triggered within a single spin. Whether one plays the standard game or takes the XXXtreme spin route, it is possible to activate all of the features. Of course, the potential 200,000 times potential is a huge carrot. However, the bet size is probably going to be restricted and vary depending on the casino. It is also worth pointing out that a malfunction during the gameplay will void all of the payouts and progress. Overall, the game itself has been designed to provide a capped win of 200,000 times the original bet. 

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Anglais

‘We’re back’: Montreal festival promoters happy to return but looking to next year

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In downtown Montreal, it’s festival season.

In the city’s entertainment district, a musical act was conducting a sound check on stage Friday evening — the second day of the French-language version of the renowned Just For Laughs comedy festival. Tickets for many of the festival’s free outdoor shows — limited by COVID-19 regulations — were sold out.

Two blocks away, more than 100 people were watching an acoustic performance by the Isaac Neto Trio — part of the last weekend of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, a celebration of music from the African continent and the African diaspora.

With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to limit capacity, festival organizers say they’re glad to be back but looking forward to next year when they hope border restrictions and capacity limits won’t affect their plans.

Charles Décarie, Just For Laughs’ CEO and president, said this is a “transition year.”

“Even though we have major constraints from the public health group in Montreal, we’ve managed to design a festival that can navigate through those constraints,” Décarie said.

The French-language Juste pour rire festival began on July 15 and is followed by the English-language festival until July 31.

When planning began in February and March, Décarie said, organizers came up with a variety of scenarios for different crowd sizes, ranging from no spectators to 50 per cent of usual capacity.

“You’ve got to build scenarios,” he said. “You do have to plan a little bit more than usual because you have to have alternatives.”

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Anglais

MELS new major movie studio to be built in Montreal

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MONTREAL — MELS Studios will build a new film studio in Montreal, filling some of the gap in supply to meet the demand of Hollywood productions.

MELS president Martin Carrier said on Friday that MELS 4 studio construction will begin « as soon as possible », either in the fall or winter of next year. The studio could host productions as early as spring 2023.

The total investment for the project is $76 million, with the Quebec government contributing a $25 million loan. The project will create 110 jobs, according to the company.

The TVA Group subsidiary’s project will enable it to stand out « even more » internationally, according to Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau. In the past, MELS Studios has hosted several major productions, including chapters of the X-Men franchise. The next Transformers movie is shooting this summer in Montreal.

Péladeau insisted that local cultural productions would also benefit from the new facility, adding that the studio ensures foreign revenues and to showcase talent and maintain an industry of Quebec producers.

STUDIO SHORTAGE

The film industry is cramped in Montreal.

According to a report published last May by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec (BCTQ), there is a shortage of nearly 400,000 square feet of studio space.

With the addition of MELS 4, which will be 160,000 square feet, the company is filling part of the gap.

Carrier admitted that he has had to turn down contracts because of the lack of space, representing missed opportunities of « tens of millions of dollars, not only for MELS, but also for the Quebec economy. »

« Montreal’s expertise is in high demand, » said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who was present at the announcement.

She said she received great testimonials from « Netflix, Disney, HBO and company » during an economic mission to Los Angeles in 2019.

« What stands out is that they love Montreal because of its expertise, knowledge and beauty. We need more space, like MELS 4, » she said.

There is still not enough capacity in Quebec, acknowledged Minister of Finance, the Economy and Innovation Eric Girard.

« It is certain that the government is concerned about fairness and balance, so if other requests come in, we will study them with the same seriousness as we have studied this one, » he said.

Grandé Studios is the second-largest player in the industry. Last May, the company said it had expansion plans that should begin in 2022. Investissement Québec and Bell are minority shareholders in the company.

For its part, MELS will have 400,000 square feet of production space once MELS 4 is completed. The company employs 450 people in Quebec and offers a range of services including studio and equipment rentals, image and sound postproduction, visual effects and a virtual production platform.

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