Ford and his brother city councillor Doug Ford rolled out an old fashioned scale in front of the mayor’s office at 9:30am for a new year weight loss challenge.

The mayor once referred to himself as 300 pounds of fun, and his brother isn’t far off that size.

The mayer hopes to shed 50 pounds by June 18th. That means he’s got about 22 weeks – or five months – to accomplish this ambitious task.

“Anyone can lose weight by going on any short term quick fix diet,” says nutrition Leslie Beck speaking to Newstalk 1010. “That’s a mistake when people go some sort of crash diet, fad diet, unbalanced diet.”

Beck thinks the Mayor should make sure to get in three meals a day with one or two snacks.

“His plan needs to have him eating at regular intervals through the day,” says Beck. “(Snacks) will keep his blood glucose levels stable, keep his energy up and prevent him from getting too hungry at the end of the day.”

“Skipping meals is an absolute no-no on any weight loss diet…It sets you up for failure later. You’re going to be overly hungry,” says Beck.

Rob Ford's Weight Loss Challenge To Shed 50lbs

The school on Monday sent a letter to parents stating that the “general school population is at very low risk of exposure” and that only those in close contact with the infected person will need to be tested at a clinic the week of April 18-22.

Tuberculosis is a disease that usually attacks the lungs; symptoms include coughing, sneezing, chills, fatigue, fever and night sweats. It is not transmitted through casual contact. Information sessions on tuberculosis will be held at the school on April 14 at 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm.

Single Case of Tuberculosis Confirmed At Toronto Elementary School

Doreen Boulos hired Anthony Sayers Custom Building and Designer company to complete a project that another contractor had started. Boulos claims after the first week, she was disappointed with the job and called the owner, Sayers, to check out the work that had been completed. Boulos says she told Sayers she would pay for the work that had been done, but did not want his company to finish the job.

Boulos claims Sayers repeatedly tried to contact her, and the conversations became more aggressive each time. Sayers claims he has not been paid for all the work completed on the job, but was unable to prove it with receipts. Sayers was released on bail and is scheduled to appear in court on March 28. HGTV spokesperson says the incident has nothing to do with the show itself, but they are looking into the matter.

Co-Host of HGTV Show Arrested for Harassment in Toronto

Ford offers no apology for his rant, stating “Absolutely not, no apology at all.” He added “They should apologize to people of Toronto for disrupting democratic process.” The “get a job” mentality appears to be shared by brother, Rob Ford, who made a similar comment to an OCAP protester in 2005.

The meeting was stopped when the sound of the protestors’ drums drew near. Committee chair, Mike Del Grande, felt that the meeting was unproductive due to the disruption of the protest. “We’ve had four budget meetings for people to make their position known. This group had every opportunity, like every other group, like every other citizen, to state their case. This type of disruptive activity really doesn’t advance anyone’s cause,” he stated.

The city of Toronto is up against $643-million budget pressures for next year, if revenue is generated. Ford proposes that the city sell some real estate property, worth an estimate $17 billion dollars, in addition to going after unionized jobs.

The anti-poverty groups have vowed to continue to protest the proposed cuts.

Doug Ford Denied Telling Protestor to Get a Job

Several newspapers in and around the area have been particularly critical of Ford’s transportation plan.

Some folks simply think that Ford’s budget cuts particularly when it comes to infrastructure projects are simply too steep for Toronto’s economy as they attempt to compete in the twenty first century.

Sarah Thomson, one of Ford’s rivals in the race is so afraid of splitting the anti-Rob Ford vote that she is considering getting out of the race.

Some analysts have speculated that this move may actually help Ford if Thomson actually endorses a lesser known candidate.

Rob Ford: Next Toronto Mayor?

The TTC trip planner allows a user to input where they are and where they want to go. The user will then be given a list of instructions which offers the quickest and most convenient way to get to their destination. The trip planner also allows the user to select which modes of transportation they prefer, and which modes they hope to avoid.

The TTC widely recommended their customers to try out the new planner and give constructive criticism or suggestions. So far, the reviews of the new trip planner have been mixed. A Toronto resident mentioned through his twitter account that the new trip planner has a few bugs and seems adamant about taking people out of their way. He also mentioned that the trip planner at times fails to mention which stop the customer should get off the bus or subway.

Other TTC users have stated that the trip planner used a predictable and efficient way of getting from point A to point B. Theses users have stated that the system could be quite helpful for someone who is unfamiliar with the Toronto public transportation system.

TTC Trip Planner, How Long Will Your Trip Take?

Responding to a call by a concerned citizen, the Toronto police came across a man apparently wielding a gun in a parking lot near the movie theater. Movie goers said they had heard a police officer shout something to the gunman, and a little while later heard shots ring out. As of now there are no details of what triggered the violence, or what the gunman did to set off the violent action taken by the police.

“The officers arrived to investigate and the interaction resulted in the individual being struck at least once by a shot,” said Jasbir Brar, spokeswoman for the SIU.

Unverified reports state the the gunman was shot four times near a brown van and later died at Sunnybrook Hospital.

Investigators are in the process of trying to locate the gunman’s relation.

As of now the name of the victim has not been revealed. Reportedly, there will be a lengthy investigation.

Montreal Man Fatally Shot Outside Scarborough Movie Theater

And the Blue Jays have a tentative agreement that would send star pitcher Roy Halladay to the Phillies.

Philadelphia is also discussing a trade that would see Cliff Lee head to Seattle.

“The Phillies have been to the world series the last two years, they are definitely a contender and Halladay is a perfect fit to take them to another world series,” Newstalk1010′s Morning sportscaster, Mike Toth said.

“He is a six time All-Star, he has won 148 games for the franchise, he won 17 games last year and he is a former Cy Young Award winner.”

“At a time when it’s tough for the Jays to draw an audience to Rogers Centre, and Halladay was one of the people who could draw a crowd, so from a business stand point the Jays are going to take a hit,” Toth added.

Philadelphia could give up pitchers J.A. Happ, Joe Blanton and outfielder Dominic Brown as part of a deal.

Toronto Blue Jays Trade Roy Halladay

If you are one of those mall shoppers that gets lost, there is a new iPhone app just for you. The next time you visit the Toronto Easton Centre, you will be happy to know, there is an app to guide you. It may sound silly to some, but the Easton Centre is huge. The mall has 250 retailers and restaurants and covers more than two city blocks. At just over 1.2 million square feet, the mall can be a little intimidating to some.

The app is just in time for holiday shopping. The Easton Centre is the first shopping mall in Canada to get this app. Several malls in the United States already use this app, and it has received very positive reviews. Users can search for the quickest path by entering in the store they want to get to.

The app can help a shopper locate bathrooms, cash machines, and elevators. The app can help shoppers find what they are looking for by category as well. It is perfect for those who do not care to spend hours roaming the mall trying to find a particular item or store. Store hours and in store sales will also be available for most of the shops.

Cadillac Fairview, who owns more than 25 malls in Canada, will roll out apps for their other malls if this newest adventure is successful.

Eaton Center Map App for iPhone