Jay Fitzsimmons

@jayfitz

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Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· 17d

Are you interested in Canadian urbanism? But you're not an accountant and all the $ stuff seems mysterious? THERE IS A BOOK FOR YOU! "You'll Pay for This: How we can afford a great city for everyone, forever" by Michel Durand-Wood. @greatplainspress.bsky.social Short. Informal, fun writing style.

Cover page of the book, showing its title and infrastructure.

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Jul 19

Played the 2-player board game Watergate for the first time. One player is Nixon's office, the other is the newspaper linking him to key evidence. Really fun, and learned about the famous scandal too. Highly recommend! My son President Nixon won.

My son president Nixon celebrating over the game while I am sad.

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Jul 8

Those dang kids left even MORE messages of joy today. Kids these days.

Chalk drawings with message You Are Loved.

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Jul 8

Joyful chalk art by local kids on the footpath in Peterborough's north end. Happy summer!

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Jun 9

Well that's sad news #Ptbo. Peterborough Weekly is ending this week. It's been a great local paper, focused on stories about community. Its demise is related to Canada Post carrying flyers now, which eliminates the paper's major revenue stream. It's been nice delivering with my daughter.

Story in newspaper about the paper ending.

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· May 30

I'm happy. Friggin emotional even. Tonight was my first real bike ride in months. Fractured my tibia playing soccer a while ago, and healing was slow. As though middle age is a real thing. Now I'm biking and I've got my freedom back!! Life is beautiful right now.

Me happy with bike as if it's been a while.

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Apr 28

I did not know this. One of the most valuable wildlife-based items for trade & trafficking per gram is ... sawfish teeth for cockfighting?? The teeth are prized by cockfighting practitioners (galleros) in Latin America. conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Sawfish rostral tooth spurs offered for sale on social media pages from Peru under the name “espina de pez sierra” (in Spanish). (A) Sawfish rostral teeth; (B) holders used to attach the spurs to the roosters’ legs; (C) rostral tooth sawfish spur, front view; (D) rostral tooth sawfish spur, lateral view; and (E) highly rated “caramelo” spurs. “Caramelo” spurs are characterized by having an overall caramel-like (light brownish) color and by a darker (dark gray to blackish-colored) vein near their base and/or running longitudinally along the teeth. They are made from the central part of the rostral tooth, which is considered the hardest in terms of resistance, with the greatest potential to inflict injuries to opponents, and with less risk of breaking during fights. For these reasons, “caramelo” spurs reach higher market prices, and according to galleros, they are often attributed to female sawfish, which are thought to produce higher-quality spurs. This alt text is from the figure caption in the linked article.

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Apr 26

Fractured my right ankle a couple months ago in soccer. Now I'm easing out of the air cast. My challenge: where did I throw all my right-foot shoes??

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Apr 1

Thank you to City of Peterborough for holding this information session for people interested in pursuing city council. Happy to see so many people in attendance! (I'm not running, just curious)

Nigel speaking at podium. Slide in background about municipal powers.

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Mar 26

@breakoutcon.bsky.social I played "Oh My Pigeons" with the family after BreakoutCon. The youngest daughters love it! Her new favourite game, right up there with One Night Ultimate Werewolf and Recipe Rumble. It's nice to find games the kids like, and are simple enough for them to play with friends.

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Mar 7

Saw Avi Lewis in Peterborough tonight. Inspiring! He spoke about real problems, and real solutions. Grocery store monopolies, and how public ownership options would help. Not just in the obvious way of cheaper groceries, but also on the supply chain side. Just one example. Bella Ciao @avilewis.ca

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Mar 2

Peterborough Transit is so bad. The agency website tells people to use Google Maps for schedule info. But Google Maps has a warning that it doesn't have the most recent timetables for this area. Likely due to outdated / insufficient data sharing from Ptbo Transit to Google.

Peterborough Transit webpage telling users to rely on Google Maps for route planning.

Screenshot from Google Maps for Peterborough, displaying a warning that "We don't have the most recent timetables for this area."

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Feb 11

The article by @michelleanagnostou.bsky.social is here: link.springer.com/article/10.1... It's a survey of law enforcement personnel who deal with wildlife trafficking in Canada, S Africa, and Hong Kong. Some Canadian personnel identified DFO's fisheries observer program as prone to corruption.

Screenshot from the article. The text is as follows:
Aligning with previous research and reporting, multiple Canadian interviewees expressed concerns about corruption with regards to industry-funded monitors on fishing vessels in Canadian waters: “We know it’s a corrupt program. We know that it’s not working. If you’re a monitor on a fishing boat in the middle of the Atlantic, full of men, and they have fished more than they’re supposed to, are you going to take a strong position? You may be intimidated to just forget what you’ve seen. And some of [the monitors] probably make money on it.” Other fisheries experts expressed similar concerns: “They’re going to report what they’re told to report because otherwise their life could be in jeopardy. I’m bringing in my quota of a ton and really catch 1.2 [tons]. So, 200 [kgs] is just dropped in the water, marked with a buoy and then a speedboat comes in and takes it somewhere along the coastline.” Additionally, another interviewee stated, “there’s definitely some sense of corruption in terms of dockside monitors who monitor the amount of fish coming off boats. The harvester has a quota, and a third-party person weighs what comes off the boat to verify the catch amount. Oftentimes, they are people from a small community, so the guy measuring the fish is probably his cousin.” Overall, interviewees were skeptical about the integrity of industry-funded monitoring systems, suggesting that conflicts of interest, intimidation, and community ties undermine fisheries enforcement.

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Feb 6

Ontario's Premier is putting lives at risk, just for some wedge issue in polling.

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Feb 6

Enjoy board games? But the world is on fire? I recommend the solo board game Maquis by @sanakism.bsky.social. You are French resistance in World War 2. Your goal is to disrupt Nazi occupation and the local thugs who support it. Feels good. Just a game, of course, but it feels good.

Maquis board game laid out ready to play.

Close up of one mission card from Maquis. The Sabotage card requires a worker to infiltrate a factory to disrupt production.

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Dec 5

I just learned that Hydro One has a thing called "distribution rate protection". It caps rural residents' hydro distribution rates. So the huge increase in hydro distribution costs will be paid for, disproportionately, by urban Ontarians. This is an example of cities subsidizing rural Ontario.

Screenshot of a graph and text showing how Ontario residents with rate protection will continue to pay little for hydro distribution, whereas those without such protection (i.e., urban residents) will pay lots more.

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Oct 13

My family and I had a great time at the Halton Streetcar Museum near Guelph @streetcarmuseum.bsky.social. Lots of old streetcars to see, and ride a track through a forest. Learned lots from the volunteers. I love this car with snow sweepers. The bristles were made from special non-hollow bamboo!

Snow sweeper streetcar in the museum. Big sweeper in the front.

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Sep 26

My team didn't make the finals this year. A new champion will be crowned within thirty minutes. But until then, WE'RE STILL REIGNING CHAMPIONS BABY! 🍾🏆⚽

Me with trophy that I can't win this year.

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Sep 26

The Weathering Yard is the best magazine you've never heard of. Published by the Ontario Hawking Club for falconers. Its distribution must be small, but the quality of its photos and stories is excellent. Well done to the falconers behind this magazine! #Falconry

Cover of the latest issue of The Weathering Yard. Shows a falconer and his bird and dog in the snow.

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Aug 28

Going on a family vacation to Montreal this weekend. One thing I'm weirdly looking forward to seeing is the metro (subway) stations. They're apparently really nice. Each station had a different designer, for a different vibe. All I know is the TTC. I cannot comprehend this - I need to see it!

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Aug 27

My son and I reffed a great #Ptbo game last night - full of joy and excitement for both teams. Great coaches, great parents, great players - soccer at its best. ⚽😀 With soccer season finishing up, this might've been our last game together until next year. It's been a great season! #RefsNeedLoveToo

My son and I, wearing lime ref shirts in front of a soccer field.

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Aug 24

I'm pleasantly surprised by the quality of our newest local paper. Peterborough Weekly has articles on local community group with a refreshingly non-corporate angle. Well-researched, well-written, and professionally laid out. Thank you Alex Karn and team for providing it to #Ptbo.

Front cover of the latest issue of Peterborough Weekly.

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Jul 9

Plant hardiness zones are used by gardeners and foresters alike. The feds (NRCan) have updated zones w newer climate data (1991-2020). Most areas upgraded to warmer zones. Climate change is bad, but you can enjoy cool plants while the world burns. Map: planthardiness.gc.ca?lang=en&m=24...

Map of Ontario's plant hardiness zones, with colour legend on left.

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Jun 26

After playing a bit each night I've now finished playing Undergrove. Result: narrowly defeated by the tan AI opponent and its army of saplings! I enjoyed this game. I'm hoping to play it with some biologist friends. It's not a simple game so they'll have to be gamers too. 🍄🌲🎲

Undergrove board game spread on table after a solo game. The points tally shows my defeat.

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Jun 24

Staying in a hotel for work. FINALLY get to play Undergrove by @elizhargrave.bsky.social. A board game about mycorrhizal symbiosis with tree roots. I'm glad it includes a solo variant. I love my kids but ... it's nice to have time to myself for once. 🍄🎲

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Jun 22

You're lucky I'm not hungry right now cat.

Charlie the cat sitting obliviously in a cooking pot.

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· May 25

Love bees? 🐝 Good. Love flies too. From carrots to pawpaws flies pollinate loads of flowers. My #Ptbo pawpaw tree has happy flies today. Future me with a mouthful of pawpaw fruit thanks you flies!

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· May 15

2. Is the Union Station train shed owned by the Crown in right of Ontario? It is owned by GO Transit, which is a Crown agency. GO Transit Act sect 3: www.ontario.ca/laws/statute...

Section of Go Transit Act stating that GO Transit is a Crown agency.

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· May 15

1. Provincial property can be exempted from heritage protection under OHA. For property owned by the Crown in right of Ontario, the Lt Governor can exempt OHA heritage rules to advance provincial priorities including Transit. Ontario Heritage Act 25.2(7)(1): www.ontario.ca/laws/statute....

Jay Fitzsimmons@jayfitz· Apr 5

It's been emotional cleaning up my trees downed from the #Ptbo ice storm. The branch my kids' swing used to hang from. The serviceberry I planted ten years ago. The crabapple whose flowers used to buzz with bees. Played a thematic game to cheer up: Canopy by @weirdcitygames.bsky.social. Loved it!