Thursday's Clear and Warm—But Watch the 401

Morning. It's 16°C and mainly clear out there—proper September weather, the kind that makes you want to stay outside. UV's sitting at 7, which is high, so if you're spending the day in the sun, cover up. You've got until 7:37 tonight, so there's real daylight to work with.

Commute's going to need some patience today. There's a collision backed up the southbound 400 ramp at the 401 East, left shoulder and lane blocked. On the 401 itself, highway maintenance has both collector ramps at the 404/DVP and Allen Road completely shut down—that's going to push people around, so if that's your route, leave early or find another way east. There's also a westbound collision at Dufferin taking up a right lane. Memory Lane has some work going on too if you're heading that way. Give yourself extra time and maybe check what the Rocket's telling you before you roll.

On the local front, there's real movement happening. The province just ruled it can remove 19 kilometres of Toronto's protected bike lanes, which is the kind of thing people have opinions about. Mayor Chow launched her re-election campaign this week with a message about hope over fear. And there was a conviction yesterday—Khoa Tran found guilty of second-degree murder in that Liberty Village case from a couple years back. TFC's also riding high, extending their unbeaten run to seven games with a late winner over Nashville, if you needed the W.

If you're thinking lunch or dinner, there's some interesting stuff brewing in the underground food scene—creators are moving homemade meals through Facebook Marketplace now, building something real outside the usual channels. If you want to try something different, Schmaltz at Night (Anthony Rose's spot) is doing lobster rolls and queso wieners in place of the usual bagel menu. And if you're hitting Riverside, the Broadview Hotel's food director just flagged three spots worth the detour.

TIFF's in full swing, so if your evening's flexible, there's plenty to catch. Screenings are running all day and into the night—Ken Russell's *The Devils* at the Lightbox if you want something moody, or the Gary Oldman event at Bassett if you're looking for something with a bit more buzz. Music's also happening across the city if that's more your speed.

Stay warm if you're out early, and don't let the commute grind you down.

Talk later.