Exclusive: Courthouse mystery solved!

Slabs on side of new building are part of government’s radical new policy on crime Harry Shannon People passing by the new Toronto Courthouse in downtown Toronto have been puzzled by the slabs extending from the east side of the building (shown in the photo). ProbablyMaybe can now reveal their purpose. They are an integral part of …

Who is most at risk for COVID-19?

Harry Shannon Data just released show that “Black people and other people of colour make up 83 per cent of reported COVID-19 cases while only making up half of Toronto's population.” Quick now – how many times more likely are these racialized people to get COVID-19 than the rest of the Toronto population, i.e., white people? 1 ½ ti…

Paying for public transit – my latest letter in the Toronto Star

Harry Shannon Background: This was published today, 12 February, with the heading 'The ultra-rich should pay their fair share.' It follows stories about fare evasion on the Toronto Transit system (TTC), and a piece by the columnist Matt Elliott. (The italics in the final sentence got lost in the editorial process - they weren't in the printe…

The value of public transit

Harry Shannon Some years ago, even before traffic was as bad as it is today, I had to get into Toronto from the Hamilton area.  There was a problem on the GO (commuter) train line, so I drove.  But so did many of the people who normally took the train.Stuck in traffic, I did some simple mental arithmetic.  At the time, there were three …