Colleen
@cbailey6.bsky.social
Scientist, cyclist, knitter. But only 2 out of 3 at any one time. 🔰
📌 Toronto
📌 Toronto
Reposted by Colleen
Great article on single stair buildings and my Toronto sixplex.
With multiplexes now as-of-right, single stair solutions offer huge potential for simple, high quality, livable, replicable buildings within neighbourhoods.
I hope many others will be encouraged to pursue this potential.
With multiplexes now as-of-right, single stair solutions offer huge potential for simple, high quality, livable, replicable buildings within neighbourhoods.
I hope many others will be encouraged to pursue this potential.
January 17, 2026 at 1:18 PM
Great article on single stair buildings and my Toronto sixplex.
With multiplexes now as-of-right, single stair solutions offer huge potential for simple, high quality, livable, replicable buildings within neighbourhoods.
I hope many others will be encouraged to pursue this potential.
With multiplexes now as-of-right, single stair solutions offer huge potential for simple, high quality, livable, replicable buildings within neighbourhoods.
I hope many others will be encouraged to pursue this potential.
Reposted by Colleen
I realise I'm just a freak, but living in a multicultural city is the best thing of all time, it's just the best possible human experience and i can not understand why anyone on earth would be like "weve got to destroy this"
January 17, 2026 at 4:28 AM
I realise I'm just a freak, but living in a multicultural city is the best thing of all time, it's just the best possible human experience and i can not understand why anyone on earth would be like "weve got to destroy this"
Reposted by Colleen
The Beltline is so damn beautiful.
January 17, 2026 at 1:21 AM
The Beltline is so damn beautiful.
$10 million withheld from Toronto's Housing Accelerator Funds. Congratulations to all of the councillors who confidently assured their colleagues that this wouldn't happen when they refused to allow sixplexes in their wards. www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/media-newsro...
January 16, 2026 at 8:58 PM
$10 million withheld from Toronto's Housing Accelerator Funds. Congratulations to all of the councillors who confidently assured their colleagues that this wouldn't happen when they refused to allow sixplexes in their wards. www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/media-newsro...
Reposted by Colleen
I think this still largely holds up: Ontario's problem isn't Chinese EV imports (which will be modest even with today's deal) it's a floundering domestic auto sector and no prospect for sufficient demand for the batteries we want to build. www.tvo.org/article/anal...
TVO Today | Current Affairs Journalism, Documentaries and Podcasts
www.tvo.org
January 16, 2026 at 2:58 PM
I think this still largely holds up: Ontario's problem isn't Chinese EV imports (which will be modest even with today's deal) it's a floundering domestic auto sector and no prospect for sufficient demand for the batteries we want to build. www.tvo.org/article/anal...
Reposted by Colleen
Canadian canola meal, lobsters, crabs and peas will no longer be subject to Chinese tariffs from March to at least the end of the year, while Canada will accept 49,000 Chinese EVs at 6.1% tariff.
Carney reaches tariff-quota deal with China on EVs, canola | CBC News
Prime Minister Mark Carney says he has reached a deal with China to allow tens of thousands of Chinese electric vehicles into the country in exchange for lower canola duties.
www.cbc.ca
January 16, 2026 at 10:51 AM
Canadian canola meal, lobsters, crabs and peas will no longer be subject to Chinese tariffs from March to at least the end of the year, while Canada will accept 49,000 Chinese EVs at 6.1% tariff.
I don't know what's going on but Happy Canadian Senate Verification Day to everyone who celebrates, I guess.
January 16, 2026 at 2:16 AM
I don't know what's going on but Happy Canadian Senate Verification Day to everyone who celebrates, I guess.
One frustrating thing about governments now saying "Housing isn't our fault. Developers just aren't building!" is that, years ago, I met with multiple politicians who assured me that it was fine to add requirements and costs, saying "Do you really think developers are just going to stop building?"
Good piece for people to think through. If you want housing prices to stay where they are now or (gasp) decrease further, we need to reduce construction costs and so you have to pick the pathways to push on. Your menu of options is here.
New piece! Governments have a choice: either lower construction costs today, or have homeprices spike tomorrow. As much as governments might like to, they can't ignore "Q".
Read here: www.missingmiddleini...
Read here: www.missingmiddleini...
January 15, 2026 at 5:12 PM
One frustrating thing about governments now saying "Housing isn't our fault. Developers just aren't building!" is that, years ago, I met with multiple politicians who assured me that it was fine to add requirements and costs, saying "Do you really think developers are just going to stop building?"
Snowed in? Why not use time for a city survey?
Still two days left for people to contribute their thoughts and ideas on the future of the Marlee-Glencairn area. www.toronto.ca/city-governm...
January 15, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Snowed in? Why not use time for a city survey?
Reposted by Colleen
Thank you, @jeremyfaust.bsky.social, for this public service; we have all wanted to see the protocol of this deeply unethical trial being funded by RFK Jr in Guinea-Bissau, I’m grateful you obtained it and have published it
insidemedicine.substack.com/p/scoop-the-...
insidemedicine.substack.com/p/scoop-the-...
Scoop: The leaked protocol of the CDC-funded Hepatitis B vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau. “This is another Tuskegee.”
The protocol reveals that the trial will withhold the Hepatitis B birth dose from thousands—without placebos, without universal maternal screening, and with endpoints critics call indefensible.
insidemedicine.substack.com
January 15, 2026 at 12:28 PM
Thank you, @jeremyfaust.bsky.social, for this public service; we have all wanted to see the protocol of this deeply unethical trial being funded by RFK Jr in Guinea-Bissau, I’m grateful you obtained it and have published it
insidemedicine.substack.com/p/scoop-the-...
insidemedicine.substack.com/p/scoop-the-...
Reposted by Colleen
Thanks to @theglobeandmail.com for featuring Edmonton and my data!
The magic of density is amazing in just how many homes can be built with few properties.
#yeg #yegcc
www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/edit...
The magic of density is amazing in just how many homes can be built with few properties.
#yeg #yegcc
www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/edit...
January 14, 2026 at 4:07 PM
Thanks to @theglobeandmail.com for featuring Edmonton and my data!
The magic of density is amazing in just how many homes can be built with few properties.
#yeg #yegcc
www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/edit...
The magic of density is amazing in just how many homes can be built with few properties.
#yeg #yegcc
www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/edit...
How do I nominate someone for the Order of Canada? Hero stuff.
Introducing CanViz, my little side project over the break to make StatCan tables more accessible.
CanViz - Canadian Data Visualization Tool
Interactive data visualization tool for exploring and analyzing Statistics Canada data tables. Browse thousands of Canadian statistics, create custom plots, and download data in multiple formats.
canviz.mountainmath.ca
January 14, 2026 at 3:53 PM
How do I nominate someone for the Order of Canada? Hero stuff.
The Canadian Taxpayer Federation getting upset about a $2000 plaque that wasn't taxpayer-funded rather than the austerity that led to a dead raccoon lying on the sidewalk for days without pickup is so indicative of their whole deal.
The city thought Conrad the raccoon deserved a memorial plaque. Now Toronto’s best-known trash panda has become a different kind of symbol
A plaque commemorating one of Toronto’s most famous trash pandas has been singled out as an example of government waste, more than 10 years after its death.
www.thestar.com
January 14, 2026 at 1:05 PM
The Canadian Taxpayer Federation getting upset about a $2000 plaque that wasn't taxpayer-funded rather than the austerity that led to a dead raccoon lying on the sidewalk for days without pickup is so indicative of their whole deal.
Reposted by Colleen
Watching this council meeting like it's Jeopardy! (Yelling answers at the TV)
January 13, 2026 at 5:41 PM
Watching this council meeting like it's Jeopardy! (Yelling answers at the TV)
Don't mess with success!
January 13, 2026 at 12:20 PM
Don't mess with success!
It's odd that the basis for Toronto's budget isn't what actually happened last year but what staff predicted would happen. We already know that, 2 years ago, predictions were off by billions. I don't expect perfect agreement in unpredictable times but surely we should use the best info as a start.
Note that City of Toronto compares 2026 budget to 2025 budget, not 2025 actual. Actuals can vary from budgets, so this is the wrong comparison.
The question is why. My guess: either the City's systems don't support getting the information, or they don't want to reveal the variances in 2025; both?
The question is why. My guess: either the City's systems don't support getting the information, or they don't want to reveal the variances in 2025; both?
Stephen Conforti, the Treasurer & CFO is now presenting.
Budget summaries
Budget summaries
January 12, 2026 at 12:58 PM
It's odd that the basis for Toronto's budget isn't what actually happened last year but what staff predicted would happen. We already know that, 2 years ago, predictions were off by billions. I don't expect perfect agreement in unpredictable times but surely we should use the best info as a start.
Many things are bad right now. But this is very good.
The lesser known Chianti-fa.
January 12, 2026 at 2:52 AM
Many things are bad right now. But this is very good.
Wait, like, Christopher Katsarov from @thelocal.to? Toronto's sidewalks were perfect training for capturing this moment.
January 11, 2026 at 11:47 PM
Wait, like, Christopher Katsarov from @thelocal.to? Toronto's sidewalks were perfect training for capturing this moment.
Every map of Toronto is the same map of Toronto: an ongoing series.
(To be clear, this is not a criticism of the research, which literally notes that there is a correlation with socioeconomic status.) www.thestar.com/news/gta/pla...
(To be clear, this is not a criticism of the research, which literally notes that there is a correlation with socioeconomic status.) www.thestar.com/news/gta/pla...
January 11, 2026 at 2:23 PM
Every map of Toronto is the same map of Toronto: an ongoing series.
(To be clear, this is not a criticism of the research, which literally notes that there is a correlation with socioeconomic status.) www.thestar.com/news/gta/pla...
(To be clear, this is not a criticism of the research, which literally notes that there is a correlation with socioeconomic status.) www.thestar.com/news/gta/pla...
Reposted by Colleen
Do you live in a city that doesn’t get covered that much by urbanist YouTube?
Or at least a city that *I* haven’t covered that much?
I’m trying to create a crowd-sourced footage archive to let urbanist YouTube cover more places!
Interested in: skylines, buses, trains, bikes, housing, etc.
Or at least a city that *I* haven’t covered that much?
I’m trying to create a crowd-sourced footage archive to let urbanist YouTube cover more places!
Interested in: skylines, buses, trains, bikes, housing, etc.
I need your help to make these videos
YouTube video by Oh The Urbanity!
www.youtube.com
January 9, 2026 at 6:19 PM
Do you live in a city that doesn’t get covered that much by urbanist YouTube?
Or at least a city that *I* haven’t covered that much?
I’m trying to create a crowd-sourced footage archive to let urbanist YouTube cover more places!
Interested in: skylines, buses, trains, bikes, housing, etc.
Or at least a city that *I* haven’t covered that much?
I’m trying to create a crowd-sourced footage archive to let urbanist YouTube cover more places!
Interested in: skylines, buses, trains, bikes, housing, etc.
Reposted by Colleen
If I were writing propaganda to convince people that Canada sucks and needs to be annexed, I would simply not include examples of the US administration lying their faces off and Canadian skepticism proving entirely correct.
January 9, 2026 at 5:39 PM
If I were writing propaganda to convince people that Canada sucks and needs to be annexed, I would simply not include examples of the US administration lying their faces off and Canadian skepticism proving entirely correct.
Reposted by Colleen
Worth looking back at some previous years of debt servicing ratio projections to give you a sense of whether this is reliable or not (it's not).
January 9, 2026 at 12:08 AM
Worth looking back at some previous years of debt servicing ratio projections to give you a sense of whether this is reliable or not (it's not).
This makes zero sense.
1. Vaughan does have a subway.
2. Existing subway benefits existing residents. How much should be "growth-enabling" infrastructure funded?
3. City cancelled Liberty Village SmartTrack station in one of the densest, fastest growing areas of Toronto.
1. Vaughan does have a subway.
2. Existing subway benefits existing residents. How much should be "growth-enabling" infrastructure funded?
3. City cancelled Liberty Village SmartTrack station in one of the densest, fastest growing areas of Toronto.
Asked why other munis like Vaughan have been able to reduce dev charges more than T.O, the CFO says ~42% of Toronto DC rev goes to TTC — other cities don't have subways, etc. Also T.O. opted to use recent fed/prov funding to fund housing programs, instead of just using them to replace DC rev.
January 8, 2026 at 7:54 PM
This makes zero sense.
1. Vaughan does have a subway.
2. Existing subway benefits existing residents. How much should be "growth-enabling" infrastructure funded?
3. City cancelled Liberty Village SmartTrack station in one of the densest, fastest growing areas of Toronto.
1. Vaughan does have a subway.
2. Existing subway benefits existing residents. How much should be "growth-enabling" infrastructure funded?
3. City cancelled Liberty Village SmartTrack station in one of the densest, fastest growing areas of Toronto.