Picking up crumbs on Jarvis

Regarding For the love of Jarvis (NOW, May 21-27).

The Jarvis bike lane plan is a nice little crumb tossed to cyclists, while the ever-studied Bloor bikeway is still nowhere.

But politicos surely know how to entertain! They’ve been celebrating Bike Weeks and Months with all kinds of frills for years, but with no substance of cycling infrastructure. 

Jarvis is the proverbial icing on the non-existent cake that placates the naive and subservient cyclists who are all agog at collaborating so cooperatively with the same government officials engaged in spin and evasion and marketing the “idea” of cycling.

Lela Gary
Toronto

Wrong way on bike lanes

With the shocking statistics on accidents involving cyclists, why is no one proposing laws be changed so people using bicycle lanes travel in the opposite direction to vehicular traffic? 

Few cyclists use rear-view mirrors any more. Most people who live in rural areas already know it is safer to walk and ride bikes facing oncoming traffic.

You’d have to be alarmingly negligent or awfully stupid to have a head-on collision!

Doris Power
Toronto

Bright Future in the Annex

A letter last week suggested that somehow my office was to blame for the patio at Future Bakery not being open (NOW, May 21-27). 

As of last week, the new owner had not even submitted a complete application to the city until 3:50 pm Friday. Staff stayed late to support the applicant, and the licence was issued the same day.

I am also attaching a letter that the owner of Future circulated to local residents (see full text at nowtoronto.com) taking full responsibility for the misunderstandings regarding the patio.

I hope everyone enjoys the return of this Annex landmark.

Councillor Adam Vaughan
Trinity-Spadina
Toronto

Cover a real beauty

Thank you for your Summer Guide cover (NOW, May 21-27)! I believe I speak for all curvy, voluptuous women out there. Thank you for allowing me to see the beauty in myself reflected in the media for a change.

Stacey T.
Toronto

Don Jail tour no soft sell

Regarding Bridgepoint health’s tours of the old Don Jail (NOW Daily Online, May 28).

To clarify, proceeds from events held at the old Don Jail will go to the Bridgepoint Health Foundation to support research into complex chronic disease, program development and the building of a new state-of-the-art hospital for Ontarians that supports wellness.

Paula McColgan
Strategy, Research and Public Affairs
Bridgepoint Health 
Toronto

Steer queer

In response to NOW’s news item claiming that B’nai Brith Canada’s League for Human Rights has not actively supported adding sexual orientation to hate crimes protections (NOW, May 28-June 3).

B’nai Brith has long advocated against hate crimes against all minorities, including queers, and hosted a Community Alliance Against Hate Crimes Forum last year featuring LGBT and police representatives and from across the religious and ethnocultural spectrum. 

Thanks for noting that Jews are among the top statistical victims of hate crimes in Toronto, but I’d encourage you to review B’nai Brith’s 2008 Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents in Canada, which shows these are often couched in vilifying propaganda against Israel and Jews (like the Queers Against Israeli Apartheid and failed boycott programs of the loony left.)

Joanne Cohen
Toronto

Cannabis a cure-all

Your Legalize It issue was informative and made its points well (NOW, May 14-21). But I believe marijuana is an even bigger issue than your article conveyed. 

Haven’t you heard the news? Marijuana cures cancer! Check out Run From The Cure. It tells a remarkable story of how one man cured himself of skin cancer by making essential oil of hemp. 

David Suzuki’s The Nature Of Things reported the remarkable healing properties of hemp in Reefer Madness 2. A Harvard study from 2007 shows that “THC cuts tumour growth in common lung cancer in half and significantly reduces the ability of the cancer to spread.” 

Hemp was recently found in a 15,000-year-old shaman’s burial site in China. This sacred plant can save our planet! 

Lucya Almeida and Marcus Hundevad
Toronto

Jobs splash and dash

Alice Klein’s job splash (now, May 14-20) really resonated with me. I’m gonna shake off the print from this one-horse town and start my own culture magazine – one with tons of commercial advertising, lots of pandering and porno.

I’m gonna model it after the Village Voice or the San Francisco Guardian and employ the unemployable for critics. Already done, you say? Wish me luck.

Richard Kadziewicz
Toronto