The South Bayview Bulldog

The Toronto Star points out the unknowns shrouding the death of 14 year old Amaria (Momo) Diljohn at the corner of Finch Ave E. and Neilsen Road. A critical issue seems to be that no one saw much. Someone phoned in a report that “a woman” had been hit at the corner but it is not known who. It was only much later that the victim was identified as a young teen.  Toronto Star 

South Korea has declared that it intends to put the Uber taxi phenomenon out of business. Kim Kyung-ho, the head of South Korean capital’s traffic division, has filed a lawsuit which says Uber is flouting the law regarding standardized rates, unlicensed drivers and is generally not operating within the city of Seoul’s bylaws. The City of Toronto licensing committee has launched action against Uber to require it to conform to bylaws related to the taxi industry. Business Standard  Uber file.

Pope Francis is plainly not out to make friends at the Vatican. Reuters reports he has launched a Christmas tongue-lashing of bishops and cardinals in the Italian-dominated Curia, telling them they are “sick with power and greed”. Francis is the first non-European Pope in 1,300 years. The criticism came face to face apparently in a meeting that normally is limited to seasonal pleasantries. Reuters 

Voting was completed on Friday, December 19, 2014, for winners of the annual Window Wanderland event held by the Mount Pleasant Village BIA. The ballots are now being tabulated and the results will be announced Tuesday, December 23,  2014. We’re looking forward to the news.

Mayor Tory has spoken  about “other ways” to find money if federal and provincial governments are unwilling or unable to advance the kind of cash needed to sustain big cities needing repairs to such things as public housing. Is this a hint at his desire to somehow privatize or sell off to tenants some public housing? The imagination runs as Mr. Tory talks about an alignment or at least a meeting of minds among big city mayors in the New Year. Globe and Mail.

Marina Strauss, the retailing reporter for the Globe and Mail, has an interesting if long article on the techniques employed by Loblaws and others to shave their costs with suppliers. The information will be of interest to informed shoppers in South Bayview who buy their groceries in perhaps the most competitive area of Canada.  Marina Strauss, Globe and Mail 

Is a Christmas peace at hand for Kathleen Wynne and Stephen Harper? A lot of people had hoped that maybe John Tory, Toronto’s new mayor, would somehow act as an intermediary to help smooth things out. The premier seemed to use some injudicious language however  in a year-end interview with the Canadian Press. She said she hoped the prime minister wasn’t engaged in a vendetta against Ontario. It was the type of “gosh do you really suppose” type of politicking which the premier is good at. Anyone, regardless of political affiliation, will understand why no prime minister can pursue a vendetta against Ontario. Maybe the PM has a vendetta or something like it against the premier, but that’s a different thing. In fact, Ms Wynne and the PM are such different kinds of people it is not surprising they don’t hit it off. Regrettable, but not surprising. The last time the two met was December 5. 2013,. “I really believe that as leaders and as politicians with a lot of responsibility we have to be able to, all of us, rise above the personal,” Wynne said in a year-end interview with The Canadian Press. “I don’t think this should be about a personal interaction. It should be about the offices of prime minister and premier of Ontario having a good working relationship because that’s in the best interest of the people of the province and quite frankly it’s in the best interest of the people of the country.” Jason MacDonald, a Harper aide, said there will be a meeting but did not say when. The biggest rock in the way of better relations is the planned Ontario pension plan. The premier thinks people need to save more and Harper say tax breaks are a better way because they don’t take away income.  Harper has recently said the Ontario government should focus less on “confrontation” and more on getting its fiscal house in order. Ontario has a $12.5-billion deficit, while Ottawa is banking on a $1.6-billion surplus for 2015-16. Fitch Ratings on Friday downgraded Ontario’s long-term debt rating to AA-, saying “difficult actions” will be necessary for the province to meet its target of balance. 

The family of Gordie Howe has reported what seems to be astonishing improvements for the hockey legend as the result of stem cell injections offered by a research firm. The injections given to Howe by Stememdica Cell Technologies has brought the stricken Howe back to his feet and has him conversing normally with his family. It is an amazing result, wholly unexpected, after the 86-year-old former NHL hero was laid low by a serious stroke. He was thought to be near death. It is apparently yet another example of the breath-taking pace of medical advancement.   TSN