Thousands of people had to go old school and open windows, rather than rely on air conditioning on Thursday evening.

A large chunk of the city was plunged into darkness when power was knocked out from Carleton to the waterfron and from Yonge to the Don Valley Parkway.

More than 6 thousand people were reportedly affected.

Toronto Hydro have suggested that 'best case scenario' would see power restored around 1 o'clock on Friday morning.

The Mayor of Toronto has come up with a wish list for what he'd like to see when it comes to property taxes for the next few years.

The Globe and Mail reports Ford sent a letter to city manager Joe Pennachetti indicating he'd like to see a property tax hike of 1.75% or less in 2013 and then a property tax freeze in 2014. That's also an election year.

He'd like to see another 0% increase in 2015.  

In the letter, Ford makes no mention of reducing or scrapping the land transfer tax.

The budget letter also calls for the building new arenas and pools, community centres, freezing solid waste rates and ending the annual water rate hikes of 9 per cent.

Newstalk 1010's John Tory has shot down a TV news report that he is recommending up to 3,000 condo units to be built at Ontario Place.

Tory is chairing a panel charged with revitalizing Ontario Place and says nothing has been set in stone.

"The report hasn't been finished, so I guess it's pretty difficult for us to have recommended anything before the report has been finished. Because the report has not been finished it hasn't been submitted to anybody. Any recommendations we are going to make are not yet completed."

Tory says the panel's number one priority is "retaining and improving public access to the waterfront" by ensuring the waterfront location is a place that people want to live, work, and play.

The Newstalk 1010 show host and former Ontario PC leader says that while there have been talks about the possibility of housing at the site, no number ...

A Toronto police officer suffered non-life threatening injuries after attempting to stop a break-in at an apartment building in the Yonge and Sheppard area.

The off-duty officer was inside an apartment building at 4978 Yonge Street around 11:30 a.m. Thursday when he confronted two male suspects and was assaulted. One of the suspects was armed with a handgun. The officer suffered injuries to his arm.

The two suspects are described as black men in their 20's, one with a heavy build wearing a bright lime green hoodie, while the other is said to have a thinner build.

Police are searching the area for the two and believe that not long after the incident both suspects were a long way away from the area.

The hunt for an armed man in her neighbourhood was a shock for Sipora, who lives in a building across the street from where the incident took ...

If melting outside isn't your thing, basking in the glory of central Air Condition might be for you. That's music to the ears of AC installers and retailers across the city because the higher the temperature goes, the more cash is in their pockets.

Owner of the AC and Furnace Depot on Dufferin Jimmy Kay says older systems may not be up to the task of working hard 24/7, so many people are calling with problems.

He adds people are willing to pay more if someone from his shop can get there quickly.

Kay says business has been good because of the heat waves Toronto experienced both last year and this year.

A-Z Comfort Air owner Andrew Kruszewski says his phone has been ringing off the hook as well and is only getting a breather now.

While he says he appreciates the break, he laughs he hopes he can get ...

It may not be Steve Nash, but it appears the Toronto Raptors have a new point guard.

Multiple sources reported Thursday that the Raptors have acquired Kyle Lowry in a trade with the Houston Rockets. The Houston Chronicle reported that the Rockets will get a package built around a future first-round draft pick in return.

The reported move comes a day after Nash's agent said the Canadian star would be joining the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a sign-and-trade deal with Phoenix. The Raptors had reportedly offered Nash a three-year deal worth US$36 million.

A recent posting on Lowry's Twitter account indicated the guard is leaving the Rockets.

``I just want to thank the city of Houston and the fans for showing me love like I was one of y'all own, and I'll always keep that in my heart,'' he tweeted.

Lowry averaged 14.3 points and 6.6 assists per ...

The mayor says he's the hardest working person down at city hall.

That's all Rob Ford would say in response to Councillor Adam Vaughan's comments on Newstalk 1010 yesterday, accusing the mayor of not doing enough.

Ford was in the Jane and Finch area today, touring a Toronto Community Housing building. He says it's hot inside and would put AC in every unit if he could.

Ford says cupboard doors are off and bathrooms are in disrepair. He says he will be touring as many TCHC buildings as he can this summer to make sure he understands what kind of situation both tenants and the city is dealing with.

There doesn't seem to be too many tears coming from the catholic teachers after they reached a deal with the province today.

Ontario's English Catholic Teacher's Association (OECTA) reveals negotiations took over 24 hrs and wrapped up at 8:30 Thursday morning.

OECTA president Kevin O'Dwyer says these were the hardest negotiations he had to go to in his 20 years at the bargaining table.
He underlines the unpaid professional development day provision ensures that students classroom learning won't be threatened.

As for professional development (P.D.) days, O'Dwyer says the three which will not be paid won't be mandatory to attend but the other three will be.

The union underlines it did not make all the concessions in this tentative deal, with O'Dwyer maintaining now teachers will be able to rely on on their professional judgement on how to deal with teaching students in need. He also says they are looking ...

Peel Police have arrested a man, who is accused of sexually assaulting two boys during the 1980's.

The two boys came forward to Peel Police claiming their coach - 67-year-old Paul Rodgers - sexually assaulted them.

Rodgers coached Bantam League for 12 years in Mississauaga with the Applewood Minor Hockey Association and Mississauga Minor Hockey Association.

He spent most of his time at the Dixie Arena and Cawthra Park Arena.

Rodgers is facing 2 counts of gross indecency and 2 counts of indecent assault on a male.

Police believe there may be more victims out there.  Anyone with information is being asked to call Peel Police at 905-453-3311 ext. 3460.

The province has reached a tentative deal with it's catholic teachers.

Education Minister Laurel Broten reveals the details include a salary freeze for two years, 10 sick days instead of 20 and eliminating banking sick days. The banking of sick days is a $1.7 billion liability for the province.

Broten says there will also be a pay cut in year two by giving teachers three unpaid professional development (P.D.) days.

There are six P.D. days each year and they are fully paid. While students are off on these days, schools offer workshops for teachers.

The province has yet to teach tentative deals with any other teacher's unions.

Broten calls this a roadmap for local school boards, which will negotiate on their own.

Toronto police are investigating the city's latest murder in Etobicoke on Thursday morning.  

Police were called shortly after 4 a.m., to Meadowbank Rd. in the Burnamthorpe Rd. and the East Mall area for the sounds of gunshots.

When they arrived at the scene they found a man in his 20's without any vital signs.

EMS say the man was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later.

Police are trying to figure out who the victim is but add that he isn't a resident of the street he was found on.

Witnesses say they saw a dark colored car speeding off from the scene shortly after. Police believe that car may have brought the victim to the scene because he was found not wearing shoes.

No suspect description has been released.

This is the city's 26th murder of the year.

You may have to wait a little longer this summer if you want to visit Toronto islands.

New federal marine safety standards will only permit ferries to cross the harbour with only half the number of passengers, which is sure to test the patience of passengers waiting on the docks.

The oldest boats on the city's ferry fleet, the William Inglis, Sam McBride and the Thomas Rennie have to comply with current safety regulations as per Transport Canada's requests. The city has applied for an exemption to the regulations and is hoping to return to the previous capacity limits.

So far, Transport Canada has not made a decision on it, but it is reviewing the city's application.

The city had also planned to spend $5-million in 2009 to retrofit the three ferries with new engines and bulkheads.

If you've ever purchased a house or a condo, you know how financially stressful it can be, but what if you learned you overbid by $90-thousand and yours was the only offer?

That happened to the clients of a Toronto real estate agent who's calling for more transparency in the entire process, specifically, in bidding wars.

Josie Stern tells the Star, that it should be mandatory for listing agents to provide potential buyers with a roster of all brokers and agents making offers on the same property and that should be done before any offers are presented. In this specific case, she believes there were three bidders interested in the midtown property.

When her clients' bid had been accepted about 10 minutes later, Josie Stern realized that something wasn't right. She eventually convinced the listing agent and the sellers to accept a bid of $45-thousand over asking for the near ...

Toronto city councillors have already voted to ban plastic bags as of January 1, 2013 and it looks like Mississauga may follow suit.

Mayor Hazel McCallion says she has been questioned about whether Mississauga would adopt the same policy and she has decided to to ask the environmental committee to study the idea. A recommendation from the committee should come back some time in the fall.

McCallion also suggested that this should include public consultation telling the Globe, "I think that's important, in order to, you know, do our homework."

The Mississauga Mayor criticized the decision by Toronto councillors saying that it was made too quickly.

On Monday, police uncovered a meth lab in a Scarborough highrise. Now, they have found two more drug labs in two other condos in that very same building on Borough drive.

Search warrants were executed on the two units Wednesday morning and toxic materials were removed, but police haven't said what type of drugs were being manufactured.

The three labs appear to be connected and so far, no arrests have been made.

The highrise is in the Ellesmere and McCowan area.