Author: Fraser Birt

Toronto Transit Experiment

- Fraser Birt 4 Comments

The Toronto Transit Commission is starting an interesting experiment on it’s St. Clair street car line: the Time Based Transfer. Transfers on the line are now valid for up to two hours after you disembark the vehicle, and will allow you to board any other TTC route, including the one you just departed. See a trendy cafe from the window? Need to do some shopping? Now you can do it all on one ride.

This seems like a good way to encourage people to use Transit for their non-commuter needs. If successful, the word is that these transfers will be expanded to the entire network.

A Nuclear Step in the Right Direction

- Fraser Birt

India and Pakistan are taking steps to reduce the threat of nuclear war in their region. The two atomic rivals have recently begun steps to thaw their chilly relationship, which has seen them rattle their nuclear sabers more than once. But, atomic weapons and dense populations don’t mix. (Well, nuclear weapons don’t really mix will with anything.)

India and Pakistan will now warn each other before they test their weapons. As well, a new nuclear hotline will allow the two governments to contact each other in an effort to disarm tense situations. Hey, it’s a step in the right direction.

New UK law for art looted by Nazis.

- Fraser Birt

A proposed new law in the United Kingdom seeks to make it easier for art looted by the Nazis before and during World War II to be returned to its rightful owners or their decedents. In the run up to World War II, invading German forces would loot the collections of Jewish art collectors. In the aftermath, more than a few of these pieces found their way into museums, either because of an inability of their rightful owners to track them down, or because their rightful owners had been killed in the Holocaust.

Spurred by the example Jewish-Czech Arthur Feldman, whose collections was sold for pittance to a UK gallery after the Holocaust, Culture Minister David Lammy is trying to speed through the changes, which would make it a simpler process for families to file claims.

Posted in Art

Canadian Political Transparency

- Fraser Birt 1 Comment

Transparency in democratic politics is not only a good thing, it is necessary to the process. In Canada, there are strict rules in place for the recording and reporting of donations during an election campaign. We like to know just much a corporation or rich citizen has donated, and to what party. However, what most people don’t pay attention to, or even know, is that the myriad of smaller donations given to local candidates are also strictly regulated, and scrupulously recorded. Individuals and local businesses give surprising amounts of money to their preferred local candidate. And now, thanks to Elections Canada, you can easily find out the details.

Searchable by candidate, contributor, party or location, see who supports what in your riding. There are also options for searching contributions to party leadership races and even candidate nomination contests. Things are good when you can see.

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