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June 28, 2010 - I didn’t plan on being around for the G20.
As a Toronto resident, I thought it would be the perfect weekend to get away.
But, alas, I got sidetracked and instead ended up strolling through Saturday’s
carnage alongside hundreds of other curious onlookers with cameras.
It was an appealing scene and quite surreal. I walk the
strip of Yonge between College and the Eaton Centre regularly. There it was, my city, my familiar strip, looking
like it had been bombed. The air smelled like singed hair, which was apparently
the aftermath of tear gas. It seemed like every other storefront had been
smashed in and large chains, like Pizza Pizza, Tim Hortons and Starbucks were
definitely targeted in more than one location.
However, when I went to Fran’s Restaurant at Yonge and
College for a morning latte after finding Starbucks boarded up and closed
Sunday morning, they reported a boom in business with the other nearby cafes damaged
and shut down. I listened to a few media reports that mentioned outrageous line
ups at the hot dog vendors. For some restaurants the weekend was a big loss--but
others gained.
Was it all worth it? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Post a
comment or email me at
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