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Maryam Siddiqi

@siddiqs.bsky.social
339 followers 223 following 124 posts

Editor/writer/editorial consultant. Focus: social impact of travel + lifestyle trends + health + other cool stuff. Currently completing MASc, researching regenerative tourism in Canadian cities.

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Maryam Siddiqi @siddiqs.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
V exciting. May this be the first of many
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Maryam Siddiqi @siddiqs.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
They got money for wars, but can’t cool the poor
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Jenny Lee Shee @jennyleeshee.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Reposted with ALT TEXT.
Boze

Some of you have forgotten that only three years ago you were perfectly capable of writing a text, writing an email, telling a bedtime story to a child, and it should worry you that powerful companies have convinced us we can't do things we've been doing since the dawn of time.
Big Tech is offering you a Faustian bargain. It promises to remove all the friction from life, to keep you from having to think or study, and the result is your brain will become pudding, you'll become incapable of creativity or communication. They want to make you a non-person.
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Damien Moule @damienmoule.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
I need to put a giant flashing warning on this to everyone. The property owners encroached on city owned land in bellwoods as part of a renovation and when asked to remedy it they installed the pollinator garden over winter and are now circulating this petition to justify their encroachment.
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Maryam Siddiqi @siddiqs.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
Oof. We should compare notes. It’s dismal
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Rodney 🚧🚇 @chanface.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
CHURCH STREET PEDESTRIANIZATION MOTION IS GOING TO COUNCIL! We need people to come speak at TEYCC (Toronto East York Community Council) on April 30 to support it, and for people to start contacting/emailing their councillors! We also have a petition coming out on Wednesday!
Elevating the Host City Experience:
Transforming Church Street into a World-Class, People-First Promenade for 2026 Spectators
Why Church Street?
Proven Capacity for Pedestrian Events: Functions as a globally recognized, high-volume pedestrian corridor
(e.g. Pride Festival and Halloween on Church)
Minimal Transit Disruption: The absence of dedicated public transit routes on Church Street ensures reduced
impact on the city's overall transportation network.
High Concentration of Hospitality and Retail: Boasts a dense, varied cluster of hospitality and retail venues,
serving as a significant economic and social destination for both local residents and tourists.
Integrated Residential and Civic Context: Situated within a high-density residential area that hosts essential
civic infrastructure, including a community centre and a public school.
Objective
Pedestrianize Church St from
Dundondald St (N) to Alexander St (S)
Goals
Improve accessibility of public space
Promote walkability and active transportation
Improve traffic safety on local streets
Support local businesses and business district/promote
economic vibrancy

Summary
This proposal advocates
for the pedestrianization
of Church Street, the
cultural and commercial
heart of the Village, to
create a world-class,
people-first promenade,
essential for safely
managing the high
pedestrian volumes and
enhancing the Host City
Experience for 2026 FIFA
World Cup spectators.
The plan requires FIFA
approval for road closure
and utilizes a "Soft Close"
traffic strategy during
program dates to promote
walkability and economic
vibrancy, drawing on
successful models that
significantly boost local
sales. This transformation
is a necessary step to
establish a safer, more
resilient, and sustainable
destination for the
community and visitors
during the 2026 FIFA
World Cup.Project Timeline
Lessons Learned from Other Cities
Guadalajara’s Via Recreativa
Managed by the Municipal Council
of Sports
Strong social development agenda
embedded in the program with
recreational programs such as
street soccer.
LA’s CicLAvia
More than 50% of participants would be
inactive if not for CicLAvia
Local businesses along the routes see
sales increase by as much as 57%
Provide free recreational opportunities for kids (street
soccer, basketball, etc.)
Have street activation (additional chairs and tables and
street art) that attracts residents
Provide resources and educational opportunities (e.g.
workshops) for residents
Be a destination for families and friends to gather during
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Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 17/02/2026
Good time to re-up: the Tumbler Ridge newspaper is literally one person who is doing his best to update his community while grieving along with them. One-time donations can be etransferred to publisher@tumblerridgelines.com or ongoing via www.patreon.com/posts/thanks...
patreon.com
Thanks, everyone | Tumbler RidgeLines
Get more from Tumbler RidgeLines on Patreon
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Maryam Siddiqi @siddiqs.bsky.social · 29/12/2025
I was on a resort snorkeling day trip in the Maldives and the voice of the woman behind me was familiar but I couldn’t place it. I eventually clued in. It was Kate Winslet. Both in snorkel masks, we shared a small smile before she went in the water.
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G | Builds Stuff, Goes Places 🦀 @whereisgraeme.bsky.social · 28/12/2025
It’s a shame that despite being the single largest line item in the City of Toronto budget the Toronto Police Headquarters can’t afford to clear their snow within the by-law mandated time limit
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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
immigrants score the lowest on tests, but they also take all our jobs, while at the same time taking all the welfare and buying all the homes
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Tai Huynh @taimhuynh.bsky.social · 29/11/2025
I can’t think of a more existential threat to journalism right now than AI-generated content masking as original reporting. Once the well is poisoned we’re all toast. @thelocal.to is taking a stance with our new AI policy. thelocal.to/ai-policy/
thelocal.to
The Local's AI Policy | The Local
When you read The Local, know that our stories are written and edited by real people.
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Ghost Gurney @ghostgurney.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
‘Ontario recorded the highest number of wait-list deaths: 10,634, including more than 9,100 diagnostic-scan deaths where patients died before reaching the point of receiving or being scheduled for surgery’ www.cp24.com/news/canada/...
cp24.com
Tens of thousands of Canadians died waiting for medical care in the past year: report
A new report is raising alarm over growing wait-list deaths in Canada.
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Leigh Walton @leighwalton.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
Every office has an executive tier whose emails are like: saw on news , , can we replce complianc dept with web 3 and a worker tier whose emails are like: Dear Jim, First of all, I *love* this idea! Unfortunately, I spoke with Legal and identified a few issues with this approach. For starters…
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Shawn Micallef @shawnmicallef.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
That’ll be a few stops on an eglinton crosstown considering how inflated & delayed our public projects are.
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ℳatt @matttomic.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
If the Rogers Centre had a parking lot that covered the same surface area as the Dodgers' parking lot, it would stretch from Queen Street on one end to the Lake Ontario waterfront on the other
Map of the Dodgers Stadium parking lot on the left and the same size and shape overlaid over downtown Toronto on the right, showing it covering a wide swath of downtown
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ℳatt @matttomic.bsky.social · 25/10/2025
I know a lot of people talk about "Ken Griffey's swing", "John Olerud's swing" but for my money there is nothing more beautiful than Alejandro Kirk: - 5'7 and built like a Welsh corgi - basically drops halfway into a splits on each swing - each swing is a Street Fighter "Shooooryuken" uppercut
Alejandro Kirk takes a hack for the fences. He looks beautiful
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Maryam Siddiqi @siddiqs.bsky.social · 25/10/2025
We used to only have our song. Take me out to the ballgame is a relatively new addition
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Damien Moule @damienmoule.bsky.social · 11/09/2025
Good video with I think a lot of applicability to say, Ward 9 - Davenport in Toronto. But I had to fight incredible amounts of jealousy watching the mayor of the borough just straight forwardly expressing support for bike lanes and road redesigns and a desire to keep going proactively.
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Lloyd Alter @lloydalter.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
Toronto could use more of this. There are plenty of back lanes where it could work.
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How-Sen Chong @how-sen.com · 01/09/2025
Because the average car only has about 1.5 people in it, the number of people in each lane of this photo can fit in a single TTC streetcar.
Photo of traffic on the Gardiner Expressway.
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Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · 30/08/2025
Palestinians have had to cope with the sound of Israeli drones overhead for years before Israel’s current war on Gaza.
bit.ly
A music teacher uses Gaza’s relentless soundtrack of war to resist Israel
Palestinians have had to cope with the sound of Israeli drones overhead for years before Israel’s current war on Gaza.
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Maryam Siddiqi @siddiqs.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
I’m not defending Air Canada by any means, but unpaid crew labour is industry standard. Only Delta pays crew for pre departure time, and only an hour at that. AC’s union could set an industry-wide precedent with this negotiation.
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 05/08/2025
1. Ask City to install traffic light 2. Hear traffic engineer explain why it “isn’t warranted” (not enough people using it) 3. Someone (or someone ELSE) is killed there 4. Traffic light finally installed What @dylanreid.bsky.social calls the “Pedestrian Blood Sacrifice” in @spacing.bsky.social.
spacing.ca
REID: The pedestrian blood sacrifice - Spacing Toronto
In the early 2000s, I moved into a new condo building in the Garment District south-west of Queen and Spadina. The area had been mostly an employment area for decades, but thanks to the innovative “Ki...
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Lanrick Bennett @lanrickbennett.bsky.social · 05/08/2025
The fight for #BikeTO is more than just bike lanes. "Here in Toronto, we’re riding on a fragile assumption: that the people fixing our bikes and a growing fleet of complex e-bikes will always be around, available, and properly trained. That assumption does not hold up to scrutiny."
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Maryam Siddiqi @siddiqs.bsky.social · 05/08/2025
MSN once famously published an AI-generated list of the top 10 places for tourists to visit in Ottawa and included a food bank on the list.
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Gravel Influencer @gravelinfluencer.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
Something not limited to Sean Duffy is how people will get into their cars and think nothing of the risk they face of death or injury, which is several orders of magnitude greater than your risk of being hurt on public transit. Driving a car is the most dangerous thing most people do each day.
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How-Sen Chong @how-sen.com · 14/07/2025
Today, Toronto is experiencing both a heat warning *and* an air quality warning because forest fires. If your home has no indoor cooling, what are you supposed to do? Green buildings and eliminating fossil fuels is no longer a nice-to-have. We need action or this will get worse. #topoli #onpoli
Screenshot from phone weather app that says:

2 Severe Weather Alerts

Heat Warning

Air Quality Warning
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James McLeod @jamespmcleod.ca · 11/07/2025
Drivers really feel like they have a God given right to break the speed limit. www.insauga.com/petition-cal...
insauga.com
Petition calls for ‘immediate removal’ of all speed enforcement cameras in Brampton | inBrampton
Hundreds of people have thrown their signatures behind a petition calling for “the immediate removal” of all speed enforcement cameras in Brampton while the city is set to add more by the end of the s...
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What Next 🤔 @thinking321.bsky.social · 11/07/2025
Watching @toronto.ca Council it’s not hard to see why municipal government is the most important. Council makes the decisions that affect your everyday life from garbage collection, road maintenance, schools, public safety and so much more. Next election please vote. #CityofTO #tocouncil
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Shawn Micallef @shawnmicallef.bsky.social · 07/07/2025
Ford knows better to focus on 3 bike lanes in Toronto
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Joey Politano🏳️‍🌈 @josephpolitano.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
It's insane how much more popular NYC's congestion pricing got when it was implemented and people started actually seeing it work
a graph of NYC approval of congestion pricing rising from 27% to 50%
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Reece Martin @rmtransit.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
Toronto needs better transit leaders who envision a city with world class transit, and think a lot about how to deliver that.
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Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · 26/06/2025
Activists in Italy float a life-size mannequin of Jeff Bezos lying on a giant Amazon box through Venice’s Grand Canal, in protest of the billionaire’s upcoming wedding.
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Jenny Lee Shee @jennyleeshee.bsky.social · 28/06/2025
On the last day of school, instead of thanking teachers and staff for a successful year, Paul Calandra announced he’s taking control of four school boards. Just thought I’d mention it in case you were ever in doubt about how Conservatives view public education and the important work educators do.
media.tenor.com
a man in a suit and tie is standing in front of a green door and looking at the camera .
Alt: David Schwimmer as Ross Geller on Friens bumps his fists together which is secret code for Fuck Off or Fuck You.
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How-Sen Chong @how-sen.com · 27/06/2025
This is the fact missing from 96% of the news articles I read about the controversy over automated speed cameras: Automated speed cameras save lives.
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Maryam Siddiqi @siddiqs.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
Right? Like the moment he’s worked towards his entire life finally arrived. That’s definitely a f-bomb moment
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Shawn Micallef @shawnmicallef.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
Inbox. A Toronto city councillor, following Vaughan’s bravery, is moving to pause speed cameras. Cars are a total sickness on society. A murderous blight that cannot be contained because people vote via their lifestyle not brain or heart. They would vote against road redesign too.
City Councillor Anthony Perruzza moves motion to press pause on speed cameras

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Office of City Councillor Anthony Perruzza
C-41 100 Queen St. W
M5G 1P5

June 24, 2025

City Councillor Anthony Perruzza moves motion to press pause on speed cameras

TORONTO - Humber River-Black Creek City Councillor Anthony Perruzza is moving a motion at Toronto City Council’s June meeting to suspend the City’s Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) program for further review by city staff.

“These cameras are becoming speed traps that have no meaningful impact on slowing down communities.” said Perruzza. “Often, drivers are unaware that this camera exists here, and responsible drivers are ticketed despite traveling at speeds close to the posted limits. I’m hearing from many residents that they feel unfairly penalized.”

The motion directs city staff to review the program’s implementation, looking at alternative measures to slow down communities such as increasing signage, pavement markings and issuing warning notices before ticketing.

“The issuing of tickets should be immediately paused while City staff review the ASE program and report to Council in September with a plan to ensure that the program meets its goal of improving safety, without unfairly targeting conscientious drivers.”
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John Michael McGrath @jm-mcgrath.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
city councillors when nobody but septuagenarian homevoters show up: this is the finest tradition of local democracy at work city councillors when literally anyone else shows up: well that's not REAL public consultation
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Elaine Anselmi @elaineanselmi.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
This investigation into how Ontario has allowed pollution to persist in Sarnia's Chemical Valley has been a long time coming. Huge kudos to @emmamci.bsky.social on this reporting. It's such an important story. thenarwhal.ca/sarnia-ontar...
thenarwhal.ca
Ontario's shape-shifting pollution rules for Chemical Valley in Sarnia | The Narwhal
Aamjiwnaang First Nation declared another evacuation order last week because of benzene, but the problem of Sarnia’s toxic air pollution has been years in the making
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Oliver Moore @oliver-moore.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
The returning candidate who resigned under a cloud cannot win on name recognition and money. There may be a lesson here for Toronto
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Lanrick Bennett @lanrickbennett.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
The most visited attractions in Ontario 1993 Blue Jays 4,057,947 2019 Canada's Wonderland 3,950,000 20+ Great Wolf Lodge locations across North America have 10M visitors annually. "On Thursday, the province revealed it expects 6M visitors annually at the site," www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
Province expects revamped Ontario Place to draw 6M annual visitors. Experts aren't so optimistic | CBC News
The province says it expects the revitalized Ontario Place to attract more annual visitors than the CN Tower and Empire State Building combined, an optimistic estimation that some experts are question...
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Jonathan Leggo @jjleggo.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
I know this is about NY, but ffs will someone in Canada (and Alberta) please pay attention? We’re tired of “left” parties constantly adopting watered down conservative policies
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Felicia Davin @feliciadavin.com · 25/06/2025
raise your hand if you're not in NYC but you're following the mayoral election out of a desperate need to believe that good things are possible
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Bloomberg Opinion @opinion.bloomberg.com · 24/06/2025
As hot as this summer is, it’s one of the coolest we’ll ever experience again, says @markgongloff.bsky.social ☀️🎥 Read the column: bloom.bg/4k3bKxF
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lorrainelamchops.bsky.social @lorrainelamchops.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
spoke to the Star. “Summer is not a surprise. We know that summer is coming…The fact that the city…going to look into options for a few months down the road,’ is completely unacceptable, in my opinion. Because, what’s happening in the meantime?” www.thestar.com/news/gta/may...
thestar.com
Mayor admits ‘serious gaps’ in relief strategy amid heat wave
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow acknowledged “serious gaps” in the city’s heat relief strategy and apologized for untimely pool closures, saying “we must do better.”
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How-Sen Chong @how-sen.com · 23/06/2025
One of the reasons we need to remove more concrete and plant more trees is because all this exposed concrete absorbs an incredible amount of heat, even compared to concrete that’s shaded. #onpoli #topoli
Thermometer reading of concrete exposed to direct sunlight on a hot day, reading over 40°CThermometer reading of concrete in shade on a hot day, reading at 28°C
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How-Sen Chong @how-sen.com · 23/06/2025
Will the super-wealthy stop fighting real solutions to climate change if their summer homes go up in flames?
thestar.com
They say Muskoka won’t burn. But climate has changed the calculus
Computer models have failed to predict a series of “impossible” blazes — which means more places once thought of as safe need to start confronting the risk.
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Shawn Micallef @shawnmicallef.bsky.social · 21/06/2025
Toronto Blue Jays CEO Mark Shapiro wrote a letter asking mayor & council to scrap ActiveTO.
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molly taft @mollytaft.com · 20/06/2025
how much energy does your ChatGPT search really use? i wrote about the trials and tribulations of putting a number on AI emissions, & how some of the most powerful companies in the world could clear it up for us — but they're staying silent. feat a peek at new research from @sashamtl.bsky.social !
wired.com
How Much Energy Does AI Use? The People Who Know Aren’t Saying
A growing body of research attempts to put a number on energy use and AI—even as the companies behind the most popular models keep their carbon emissions a secret.
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