Photo: "DSC_0179" by scout13ca, member of the theGentries Flickr pool.

What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):

In cash-strapped times, we see changes to how things work - even in our public school system. The Toronto District School Board is entertaining a donation deal with retail electronics chain Future Shop. The concept: the company donates computer equipment in exchange for in-school branding [G&M]. Is commercializing our public educational facilities truly necessary, or are we all too willing to make short-sighted, grey-area compromises?

It's always good to hear positive news involving our (much loved and much hated) transit system. A TTC employee is being credited with having a keen eye after spotting a fleeing suspect in a beer bottle stabbing incident [Sun]. Kudos for caring, unnamed employee. Now tell all your jaded veteran co-workers to join the caring bandwagon before any more long-term love affairs end in high drama [EYE].

Next week, the lawn pesticide ban that Toronto has already mostly gotten used to will go province-wide [CTV]. I imagine that Ontario companies that do lawn weed spraying are going to have to alter their ways, and that dandelion-lovers are dancing in joy. Ontarians surely do love weed(s).

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Mississauga city councillors are furious that the city isn't being tough enough in collecting outstanding due payments from businesses [NP], while they are certainly timely in imposing interest charges on the average Jane/Joe's late property taxes. Sounds like a business opportunity for someone to swoop in on - they need to automate their system of monitoring and billing past due invoices.

At the end of the month, Librairie Champlain, Toronto's only remaining French language bookstore, will be closing up shop [Star]. Clearly this is a concern for those interested in language and cultural heritage preservation, but problems with the small bookstore model in general are well known.

Rogers is cutting the prices on Buffalo Bills in Toronto tickets [CBC]. It's a smart move, but I'm willing to wager that it won't be enough to bolster sales to their desired target - they're still way over-priced, and people are still watching this recession destroy their jobs, finances, and live sports-watching capabilities.