Doughnut Be Square

I’m learning Toronto’s underground PATH system. Slowly. It’s a warren of paths streaming with hurrying workers in heels and ankle-length pants. Bordered by shops of food, kitschy paper goods, coffee, electronics, cupcakes, banks, juices, clothing stores, chocolates, fashion empires, artisanal baking, liquor store, doughnuts — say what?

I stopped, backed up out of the way of the hordes hurrying under Hudson’s Bay Centre, and stared. Square doughnuts. Huh. My CNIB orientation mobility trainer checked out the holes. Square, too. Cool! There wasn’t much choice left, for the workers in the office buildings above had come through like locusts, but these ones looked good. A new flavour, the young cashier said. I bought one. We continued south looking for a seat. At last, I could sink my teeth into the soft dough, my tongue licking up the oozing jam of apple with notes of cinnamon. The sugar enough on top to give the right crunch. Needed more cinnamon on top, I commented, as I licked my fingers.

Now I was ready to conquer the PATH. Well, some of it. When the City of Toronto refuses to clear the sidewalks in the original city, even though all five former boroughs’ sidewalks are cleared, the only safe place to exercise and shop is underground. The Mayor responded to an uprising last year that this year sidewalks would be cleared.

He lied.

He didn’t even abide by the consultant recommendation of a 250km pilot. Instead he slashed it to 150. A few months ago, city staff admitted to me that accessibility is a low priority and not built in to every department’s decisionmaking. Not even, apparently, the very obvious necessity of having safe sidewalks. Not even though there’s a law — the AODA — that mandates accessibility.

So this year, I’m learning the PATH so that I won’t lose my conditioning and gain weight. I wonder how much the staff and Toronto Council’s cheap thinking cost the health care system in falls, concussions, and lost fitness . . .