Family Day follies continue at YRT/VIVA

Last year I pointed out how poor the transit service was during Ontario's first family day holiday. Well this year, YRT/VIVA refused to change their schedules to recognize that despite it being a provincial holiday that there are still a few poor schmucks who must work (according to the Toronto Star, in 2009 thirty percent of us still must head to work).

Here's an example, let's say one lives in Aurora and works at Yonge & Sheppard in the federal government building (i.e. the Passport office). The worker is a cival servent for the federal government, thus, must work on Family Day as the provincial holiday act doesn't apply. Therefore, the worker must report to work at 8 A.M. which is the hour they normally start work in the morning.

The YRT/VIVA schedule provides no options to get from Yonge & Wellington Streets to Finch Subway station:

1. VIVA Blue: Leaves Yonge & Wellington at 8:05 A.M. and arrives at Finch Station at 8:55 A.M. Great, the federal cival servant is already late before they even board the bus, presuming the bus is even on time!

2. YRT Route 98 & YRT Route 99: Route 98 leaves Yonge & Wellington at 7:22 A.M. and arrives at Bernard Terminal at 7:40 A.M. Route 99 then leaves Bernard Terminal at 8:00 A.M. and drops you off at Finch at 8:29 A.M. Well at least YRT gets the civil servant part way there before work started. However the civil servant is still late for work!

3. GO Transit: The only option to get there via transit is walk for 10 minutes to the Aurora GO Station to take the bus from the Aurora GO Station to Union Station in downtown Toronto and then ride the TTC subway back up to Yonge & Sheppard. The complete round trip is an approximatly one hour and thirty minutes which also includes a scenic view of the Don River and downtown Toronto via the bus trip down the Don Valley Parkway. All of this for the great fare of over $10.00 on way.

4. Bum a ride: Have someone, who probably has the day off anyway, drive you to the Yonge & Sheppard. This involves having them get up before 7:00 A.M. to make the forty five minute drive from Aurora to Yonge and Sheppard. Luckily enough for our federal civil servant this is the option chosen. A dinner out may be coming with the person driving.

After all of this it should be noted that for increased service improvements in 2009, York Region Transit raised fares for it's services by 9.2 percent as well as continues to charge an additional $45.00 per month to residents in Aurora and Newmarket over those in the south end of the region despite there being less service north of Bloomington Road. As an example, those in Richmond Hill along Yonge Street from Bernard Terminal have service on YRT Route 99 starting at 5:30 A.M.

Why can't YRT at least provide a combined Route 98/99 local service from Newmarket GO Terminal down to Finch Subway (via Bernard Terminal loop if need be) so that those still having to work on Family day could at least have some sort of transit service? YRT already has this type of combined local service on Yonge Street most weeknights and Saturday nights. This improvement would also recognize that those in Aurora and Newmarket also are paying for increased transit service. However, as of right now that is not the case and YRT continues to jack up fares (the 2009 fare increase is at the third fare increase in the three past years) while refusing to provide also increase service that people will use in Aurora and Newmarket.

Rick Mercer Report: The Book: Report

He has also flown with the Snowbirds, skinny-dipped with Bob Rae, urged Margaret Atwood to share her tips on how to tend goal in hockey and – most famously and memorably – persuaded Pierre Berton to share his technique on how to roll a joint. - Vit Wagner, Book Reviewer for the Toronto Star

Rick Mercer has been on CBC Television sharing his comedic political rants on both This Hour has 22 Minutes and the Rick Mercer Report for at least over a decade. In late 2007 Mercer published a book of the rants classified into different themes like "Bullies", "In Bed with Stephen Harper," and "Choosing the Nerd." The book is hillarious while also recounting some of Canada's recent political history.

One hillarious situation that Mercer finds himself in the book includes his dinner with Steven. No not Steven Harper, but Steven Fletcher the Quadraplegic MP Charleswood - St. James - Assiniboia (Manitoba). Funny things that ensue with Mr. Fletcher include running around Parliament Hill in high speeds on Steven's electric wheel chair. Further, the recounting of Mr. Fletcher being forced to sit on an airplane at 1:00 A.M. on the tarmac in Ottawa as no one from the airline could remember where his wheelchair was. Eventually Fletcher found himself in the airport chapel sleeping on air mattress while the search for the chair continued. This turned for the worse as the muslim prayer time came and went. Steven took part with a big grin on his face. Mercer has a way of bringing all these stories together into a funny recount of life as a unique MP.

The only thing one could argue about in this book is the price at $29.95. Readers may flock away because of the price. Why? Because most of the rants are available either: by watching reruns of Mercer's television shows on CBC and the Comedy Channel or pulling up the rants on YouTube. Sure even visiting Mercer's own website would probably give you some look at Mercer humour. So, some would say, why would you go out to Chapters and spend thirty big ones when you could head to the beer store spend almost that amount on a two-four and settle back for some Rick Mercering on the cheap using all the above? But then you would miss out on Rick Mercer's take, on page 192 of the book, on why he was appalled on by Scott Reid's comment on the Conservative child care plan in December 2005. Weirdly this clip wasn't yet available on the Internet as of this writing.

Overall, I found the book to be quite good in it's wit and humour. He makes fun of politicians in his rants then the next day could be hanging out with them. Doubting this? Just ask Bob Rae! It's his bare bottom on the last page of the book yet Rae gets lampooned a couple of times in the book. Somehow Rick Mercer does this all in the name of comedy, but now recorded in book form.

Did you ever wonder about your Alma Mater?

Sometimes you look back at your Alma mater and ask yourself "how in the heck did I chose this place?" This usually is preceded with the question "how in the heck did this place become so screwed up?"

I've already had these two questions asked of myself a couple of years ago when I ran across a guy who was being witheld his convocation privilages at York University due to several unpaid parking tickets. Thus the blog entry of "York's best graduate" was born.

I thought the University of Ottawa was safe (insert laugh track here) from something similar to the above. But I was wrong...

On Monday January 12th I was walking through the University of Ottawa campus on my way, with my skates, to the Rideau Canal. I looked over and saw the above sign post. I did a double take and couldn't believe my eyes.

At the University of Ottawa they teach students to think critically and logically for themselves. But apparently things have changed

Now the University believes that people pulling out of the parking lot accross from the Lamoureaux building (home of the Faculty of Education...aka...the home of those whose future is in the teaching profession no less) cannot think that a "One Way" sign pointing left means, "Hey I cannot turn right." No sir that would be called thinking critically and/or logically. Apparently the University believes students, not to mention future teachers, are no longer to think for themselves and not make that ever tempting right hand turn.

What is ironic is that these same drivers that don't understand the one way concept and require that "No Right hand turn" sign, the University deems smart enough to want their money. Why else would they require those entering and exiting that parking lot to pay for their spot using a complicated pay and display MACHINE!

How in the heck did the University of Ottawa's logic become so screwed up?

Vacation in Ottawa: Days 4 & 5

Thursday and Friday were my last days on vacation in Ottawa.

Thursday I spent time visiting the National Gallery of Canada and a quick tour of Major's Hill Park.

Friday I attempted to visit "the Marvelous Mustard Shop" at 109 Sparks Street at both 10:15 A.M. and 11:45 A.M. but the store never opened. In fact the store doesn't have hours of operation even posted on their front window or door. All there was one worker in the store at the main counter working away while the front door was locked. I rattled the door pretty hard and yet he didn't look up. How can you be closed for business in the middle of the day and still seem to still be in operation?

Between 10:15 and 11:45 A.M. I visited the National Currency Museum at the Bank of Canada. Admission was free for this.

All in all, my vacation to Ottawa was quite restful yet fun. I got to visit with old friends from University as well as rediscover the museums in Ottawa's downtown area. However, I wanted to visit the Aviation Museum in Rockliffe, but the OC Transpo bus drivers are on strike resulting in no bus service in Ottawa.

There isn't any pictures from my adventures on Friday as my camera was packed ready to go home. So here are some pictures from my adventures on Thursday:

The National Peacekeeping Monument 

The Statue of Lieutenant-Colonel John By in Major's Hill Park
John By commanded the forces that dug the Rideau Canal which this statue overlooks.

The National Gallery of Canada

The Ramp from the Main Entrance of the National Gallery 
Keep watching the Ottawa section of my Scrapbook on my website for more photos of Ottawa.

Vacation in Ottawa: Day 3

On Wednesday I headed to Parliament Hill in the morning and the Museum of Civilization in the afternoon.

On Parliament Hill I participated in a tour of the Centre Block. I was hoping to get a chance to take pictures of both the House of Commons and Senate. Last year I was unable to do this as there was a Mock Parliament being held by Queen's University in both. This year they were using the House of Commons only thus the Senate was open. A note to future visitors, please do not visit the Parliament Hill the week of January 10th as Queen's University has in 2007 and 2009 held the Mock Parliament which closes down either both the Senate and the House of Commons or just one of them.

Now on with a few pictures of this day...


The archway at the entrance to the Library of Parliament


the Hall of Honour


The Portrait of Queen Victoria


The portrait of King Edward


A look at the Senate


The former U.S. Postal Service uniform of John Ratzenberger who starred as Cliff Claven in Cheers

Keep watching the Ottawa section of my Scrapbook on my website for more photos of Ottawa.

Vacation in Ottawa: Day 2

On Tuesday I walked along Wellington Street to the Canadian War Museum. I hadn't yet visited the new Canadian War Museum located on Lebreton Flats.

On the way I took several pictures of different buildings in between. So here we go on another photo adventure in Ottawa!


The Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill.


The Centre Block overlooking the Centennial Flame


The Bank of Canada


The Supreme Court of Canada.

The Canadian War Museum

Samual Honey's War Medals from the First World War. Note the Victoria Cross on the far left.
Keep watching the Ottawa section of my Scrapbook on my website for more photos of Ottawa.

Vacation in Ottawa: Day 1

It's been two years since I visited Ottawa. I always love visiting this city to catch up with what has changed since my last visit and to reminisce about the old days of strolling around the nation's capital as a know it all university student.

It seemed like perfect timing to visit Ottawa. No Winterlude (I've done it too many times) and some of my friends are into town so I can drop by for a quick visit. The only downfall is the OCTranspo bus strike is on and the city's transit system is non-existant.

Today I really did two things. One was skate on the Rideau Canal and the second was walk around Parliament Hill with my digital camera taking pictures of all the historical statues and whatever else I found interesting. So here is a photo and video montage of my day.

I started with slapping on my skates and heading down the Rideau Canal from the University of Ottawa entrance to the Lansdowne Park entrance and back again. Of course on the way back a Beavertail was in order.


Following that I had lunch at Burger King at the Rideau Centre (I know FINE DINING!).

I then set out to Parliament Hill to take pictures of the statues and if I found an interesting angle to take a picture from I did it! I even timed an interesting video of the Peace Tower striking 3 O'Clock. Hopefully I will be able to go into the Centre Block this week in order to take more pictures inside including, hopefully, the House of Commons and the Senates grand architecture.


The Centre Block peaking through the Queen's Gates.


The Centre Block illuminated by the afternoon sun.
The Peace Tower Carrillon striking 3 O'Clock.
Watch for more photos of Ottawa in the Ottawa Section of my scrapbook on my website.