Christopher Peloso has been found dead. Mr. Peloso was the husband of George Smitherman. Police said this morning they have found the body but had no other comment.  An announcement was made on Twitter by Mr. Smitherman. He said “We will celebrate his life and we will find comfort somehow in knowing that he has found peace from the depression that has wreaked havoc on his mind.” The Toronto Star story said that Peloso’s relatives in his hometown, Sudbury, had no comment Sunday evening. When he went missing in September, his mother, Mary Ann, said, “The first thing I thought was he needed a break, he needed to get away for a bit . . . But as things went on longer and longer, we got concerned something had happened.” She also described Peloso as a “perfectionist,” “very patient” and “very loving. He has been a wonderful father with the kids.” His father Reno said Peloso and Smitherman’s marriage was a happy one, “with its high and low points, just like a typical marriage.” Star  The pictures shown of Mr. Peloso were provided by Mr. Smitherman and transmitted by Twitter. They show Mr. Peloso’s daughter by a previous marriage and two children adopted by he and Mr, Smitherman.   

They call it crowd-funding, a 21st-century phenomenon by which people gather money on the Internet for reasons good, goofy and just God-awful. Here’s one of the latter. As published tonight (Sunday, December 29, 12013) in the National Post Holly and Jon Granken of London, ON, want the world to finance their move to Scotland. Don’t ask why. They’re raising money this way just because they can. Of course the reaction to this shameless panhandling has been quite sharp. And no one is being forced to give money. Only a chump would do it. But what an interesting example of how crass begging has risen up and into “the cloud” from the dirty sidewalk outside subway stations. National Post 

Police say a 50-pound chunk of ice fell off a building in the vicinity of Yonge St and Granby Street north of Gerrard Street today. It apparently fell harmlessly but cops also say they have had a report of one person who received a serious head injury from falling ice. A 50 pound block of ice might measure a foot square and would certainly prove fatal if it struck a person on the head. Cristina Tengalia of CP24 said the closure of Yonge Street between Gerrard and College/Carlton is the result of ice falling from a crane atop a building on Yonge. As temperatures warmed up overnight, chunks of ice began to fall about 5.30 a.m. Some sheetss were said to be three-feet in length. Police say the street is now closed until at least 4 a.m. Sunday morning when conditions will be re-assessed. Meantime Toronto Hydro CEO Anthony Haines reports that the falling ice complicated the work of repair crews during the day. Despite this, the lineman are making progress. At latest report Saturday evening the number of those without power was down to about 16,000 or five percent of metred customers. Falling ice was less perilous but annoying in the treed neighborhoods of South Bayview where ice began rattling down onto roofs overnight. Some locations had a fairly steady drumming all night.  

Eleven people were shaken up in the crash of several cars and a highway bus on the 401 eastbound near Brockville. It appears that a car lost control in snowy conditions and knocked down a utility pole. The bus, belonging to Switftrans Service Ltd. of Toronto, was caught in the following pile up and overturned. Passengers were taken to an emergency centre in Brockville. There were 49 people on the bus at the time of the crash. Twitter

The Queen’s annual address this year has featured some interesting behind the scenes video and this historic picture of four generations of the royal family. The Queen spoke with apparent satisfaction about how the birth of a baby allows people to think about the future with renewed “happiness and hope”. The traditional message to the nation featured behind-the-scenes footage taken at Clarence House of the royal family posing for the christening pictures under the direction of celebrity portrait photographer Jason Bell. The Christmas address is written by the Queen and usually has a strong religious framework, reflects current issues and draws on her own experiences over the past year. The speech is one of the rare occasions when she does not turn to the Government for advice but is able to voice her own views. The Queen’s traditional message was produced this year by the BBC and recorded in Buckingham Palace’s blue drawing room.

Premier Wynne is talking about a plan to somehow provide free food to those who have had spoilage in their refrigerators because of the ice storm. It is a bit vague but Ms. Wynne spoke of  “people who are vulnerable” saying her government has “reached out to food suppliers to try to come up with a way of compensating people and getting some extra food — or food vouchers, something to folks, so that’s what we’re working out over the next couple of days.”  The CBC said the province is expected to announce in the next 24 to 48 hours how the food distribution system will be organized for those facing a lack of food due to spoilage. There will be quite a good response it would seem to the idea of free food. There is no word if the free food will be advanced on the honour system. That is, anyone asking will be given food without a question. Nor is it clear if food banks will figure in this scheme.