Toronto City Life » Pictures

Archive for the ‘ Pictures ’ Category

Sour Grapes

Posted on December 9th, 2010 – 2 Comments

Mayor not being taken seriously? Local politicians not getting the respect they deserve? City Hall not classy enough?

Filed under: Patrick Bay, Pictures, Why I'm Right

Datagate

Posted on December 7th, 2010 – 2 Comments

It’s the WikiLeaks of Toronto!

Well, almost. Kinda. Not really. But still neat.

The Open Data (http://www.toronto.ca/open/), project recently announced that it was putting raw data sets online so you can check the veracity of City Hall’s statistics for yourself.

From my very quick and cursory looksee, it’s chockfull of the daily drudgery of running the city, so I don’t see it being turned into a movie anytime soon. But who knows what interesting factoids some dedicated analysis might turn up.

I should mention that this data appears to be a direct database dump, meaning it doesn’t come with any nice viewing / searching interface – it’s just raw data. There’s a brief explanation of all the possible formats here: http://www.toronto.ca/open/glossary.htm

Some of it is XML-formatted which means you can open it with anything that edits basic text (Microsoft Word, OpenOffice Writer, Windows Notepad, Mac TextEdit, etc.), as well as most modern web browsers (just drag the XML file into an open browser window). Also, you should be able to import XML data into spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice Calc which should make it easier to read.

However, despite looking complex, XML data (especially the Open Data ones), is actually pretty simple to understand in its raw state.

The Open Data site also offers alternate data sets like JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), and CSV (Comma-Separated Values) – it’s the same information that should be in the XML files, just in a denser and less human-friendly format.

I haven’t had much success with ESRI Shapefiles, a common informational map format found on the Open Data (and other sites), but I’m sure you can dig up something to view them if you’re determined.

Besides this, the site offers web services which are essentially the same data that’s available for download, but for web applications through a special URL like “http://map.toronto.ca/servlet/com.esri.wms.Esrimap?ServiceName=CityGeoSpatial”. Kinda fun for web developers, for building things like blog widgets, but not terribly useful if you’re just browsing.

Currently available for Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, and Vancouver.

Filed under: Dispatches, Patrick Bay, Pictures

Wisdom of the flock

Posted on December 6th, 2010 – Comments Off

Funny how you forget the little things year after year.

Like the gusts that tear at your exposed flesh at every opportunity, completely oblivious to what the weather report said. And how at -1° Celsius (30° Fahrenheit), you’re allowed to say that the air is literally freezing.

But there you have it, eh? Winter.

Filed under: B Sides, Patrick Bay, Pictures

18…

Posted on November 30th, 2010 – Comments Off

Froz’n Motion / Cameron MacMaster has added a photo to the pool:

Looking up between the Royal Bank Plaza South Tower and the Canada Trust Tower during the Great Fog Storm of November 2010.

Become a fan of the cool Froz’n Motion Facebook page at FACEBOOK or visit www.froznmotion.com

Filed under: Contributed, Pictures

Bay Street 404…

Posted on November 29th, 2010 – Comments Off

Froz’n Motion / Cameron MacMaster has added a photo to the pool:

Looking up outside Toronto’s Old City Hall during the Great Fog Storm of November 2010.

Become a fan of the cool Froz’n Motion Facebook page at FACEBOOK or visit www.froznmotion.com

Filed under: Contributed, Pictures

Parade of delinquency and terror, the sequel

Posted on November 24th, 2010 – Comments Off

I tried to warn my sis. I referred her to last year’s experience. I told her this was no place for impressionable young kids. Did she listen? Did she do the responsible thing and not accept my invitation to the Santa Claus Parade? Am I wallowing in rhetoric just to fill up a few sentences?