New Greater Toronto Home Builder Association president Desi Auciello said this week that, "Initiatives such as intensification targets and land freezes may, or may not, achieve the province's goal of curbing urban sprawl and protecting the environment." "But they will drive up costs, reduce affordability, restrict economic growth and limit the choices available to new homebuyers," he speculated.

Auciello's remarks illustrate that the Canadian building community is far from embracing environmentally sound building and design practices. If Torontonians want to preserve our remaining natural environment and stay competitive with other cities around the world in the development of green technologies, we must do everything within our power to help industry leaders like Mr. Auciello learn that there are environmentally sound, financially appealing ways to build.

Robert Deluce and the Toronto Port Authority are back with another proposal to bring commercial air service to Toronto Island Airport. For more than twenty five years this issue has remained unresolved. It is time for the city to decide once and for all what kind of waterfront it wants.

Following up on yesterday's posting, these satellite images of the Lower Don show how unnatural the final few hundred metres of the river are.

The Don River - subject of much discussion about natural regeneration along its lengthy valley system - takes a very unnatural right hand turn underneath the Gardiner Expressway on its way through the Keating Channel towards the Toronto Harbour. This turn is designed to force whatever silt the river is carrying to settle before it reaches the ever shrinking harbour. Each year the lower Don and Keating Channel have to be dredged to keep the harbour from silting in. For years various groups have pushed for a reengineering of this awkward condition. There are many more desirable options. Some are environmentally and even economically attractive. Yet, with every passing year many of us realize we may never see the Lower Don return to its natural condition.