Ford brothers vs. Adam Vaughan

Mayor Rob Ford and Councillor Doug Ford had a heated exchange with Councillor Adam Vaughan at city council’s final meeting of the year on Thursday.

Discussing a zoning amendment near Queen Street West, 680 News reports Vaughan was upset by the mayor’s sudden changes to the agenda regarding development applications in the city. Rob Ford was yelling at Vaughan over funding, while Doug Ford took a stab at Janet Davis.

“The mayor was looking to score a few points and take a few shots at me, so he chose one of the development applications on where to to do it,” said Vaughan.  

“I think we’re all tired of the mayor’s behaviour, poor choice of words and belligerent behaviour.  It’s a disturbing pattern, it’s the pattern that has plunged this city into the ambiguity it now finds itself in. I think all of Toronto is as weary of this behaviour as I am.”

The verbal confrontation was so intense that council speaker John Parker had to call a five minute recess so members of council could take time to cool off.

This busy meeting was the last council session until Jan. 2013.   

DRL moves forward, more Toronto transit

More transit! More subways! The Toronto downtown relief subway line (DRL) was among nine commuter-friendly prioritized projects announced by Metrolinx on Thursday.

The Toronto Star reports the second wave of the Metrolinx Big Move regional transport plan also includes a Yonge subway extension to Richmond Hill, more two-way GO service and trains to Hamilton and Bowmanville, but the DRL tops the list.

Thursday’s announcement did not make any mention of funding, but bumped up the DRL’s expected date of completion to the next 10 to 15 years, from 15 to 25 years. The eight other improvements in the second wave are expected to be completed within 20-years of when construction starts.

Bruce McCuaig,  President and Chief Executive Officer of Metrolinx, expects the total cost of these transit improvements to be around $34-billion.

Liz Lemon weds!

Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) jump-jumped to the altar with long-time boyfriend Criss Chros (James Marsden) on Thursday night’s episode of 30 Rock.

But, this is hardly wiggidy-wiggidy-wiggidy whack. The pair have been dating, and living together, for nearly a year in TV time. Liz and Criss were engaged, and later wed within the same 22-minute episode.

The nuptials stayed true to the characters. Lemon wore the only white dress she has in her closet, her Princess Leia costume, and sported the signature hair to match. Mentor and boss Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) officiated, reading an excerpt from Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead, just because. The pair exchanged a ring and a gold grill purchased at a police auction, while Tony Bennett provided the entertainment.

So sweet!

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Joanna Adams writes about news and entertainment for Toronto Standard. Follow her on Twitter at‏ @nowstarringTO.