GO Transit officials say the out-of-nowhere delay on the Lakeshore East line were caused when pillar near a bridge close to the area was “compromised during regular maintenance work being conducted by the City of Toronto.”
Executive reps vote solidly to delay jet decision
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Toronto’s executive committee has voted to defer any decision on the proposed Porter Airlines expansion of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. The motion to defer the item until January passed 11-2. Mayor Rob Ford and Peter Milczyn (Ward 5) voted against the deferral. Deputy mayor Norm Kelly said waiting a month would allow staff more time to get more information so that the committee and council can make the decision. The vote sets out the stark difference between what councillors are hearing from their constituents and a recent poll that said the public favours the jets. Outside executive, a fractious scrum involving Porter airlines CEO Robert DeLuce. Representatives of No Jets Toronto were present. Here is the vote break-down:
Defer 11: Gary Crawford, Vincent Crisanti, Frank Di Giorgio, Norman Kelly (Chair), Peter Leon, Giorgio Mammoliti, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Cesar Palacio, Anthony Perruzza, David Shiner, Michael Thompson
Proceed 2 : Rob Ford, Peter Milczyn
Absent 0.
Defer 11: Gary Crawford, Vincent Crisanti, Frank Di Giorgio, Norman Kelly (Chair), Peter Leon, Giorgio Mammoliti, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Cesar Palacio, Anthony Perruzza, David Shiner, Michael Thompson
Proceed 2 : Rob Ford, Peter Milczyn
Absent 0.
Andy Elder’s Grilltime has new local condiments
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| Manning and Elder |
Among the food vendors at Wednesday night’s Winter Wonders fundraiser at All-Canada Self Storage was Andy Elder, owner-operator of the Grilltime specialty meat shop. With him at his sales table was a supplier to his shop, Christine Manning. Ms. Manning is an enterprising businesswoman and cook from Scarborough. A few years ago she decided to apply her knowledge and cooking skills to creating a line of jams, condiments and pickled preserves She called her company — wait for it — Manning Canning. We like it too. While Christine offered samples (and sold jars) of her delectables, Andy served up thinly sliced tenderloin on crostinis. Manning Canning has one of the finest zucchini relishes we’ve tasted. Christine’s preserves are available at only about a dozen or so shops in Toronto so far.
GO trains east and west seriously delayed
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Delays of up to three hours are being reported on the GO Transit systems along the Lakeshore. The most serious delays appear to be between Union Station and Aldershot Station in Burlington. But trains to the east are also delayed, some by as much as an hour because of a “bridge inspection” in Scarborough. Metrolinx has offered very sketchy information on just why and how the delays have occurred. GO Transit service updates
Winter Wonders an entertaining fundraiser
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| Wine tasting, racquet cover |
The Winter Wonders event organized by Bessborough Public School Home and School Wednesday night was a lively and entertaining experience. Dozens of independent retailers and small entrepreneurs purchased sales tables down the hallways of the All-Canada Self-Storage facility on Laird Drive. Early indications showed a good turnout. Inset, a medley of pictures show the eclectic variety of goods. We hope the Winter Wonders is a success and comes back next year. Here are the vendors who took part: Eliza Perry Jewellery, Snapdragon, The Prepped Shoppe, Wild Poppy, Dotty Dress, John Lorimer Agency,, My Boyz3, Carol Walker Jewellery, Valentine Rouge, Ladybugs, Susan’s House of Cards, YWCA International Boutique, Andy and Elle, My Little Craft Crate, Serano Meats, LumaeSweets, David’s Spices, Jamberry Nails, Arbonne, Barebottom Shoes, The Lash Bar, Grill Time, Alex Farm Cheese, Little Miss Henna, Creature Comforts, Original Organic Artwork, Intution Ladies and Menswear, lia sophia, Holmes 4 Homes, Little Miss Henna, Twig, Usborne Books and Sentaler Coats
Savour the goodies at Winter Wonders today
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Many readers have noted elsewhere in the South Bayview Bulldog that the Bessborough Public School Winter Wonders event goes today at the All-Canada Self Storage facility on Laird Drive. It’s opposite the arena. Andy Elder, owner of Grilltime on Laird and Leaside’s senior statesman of catering, points out that he will be there carving thin slices of beef tenderloin onto crostini as samples. Andy says that to make things even more interesting he has invited a local manufacturer, Christine Manning of Manning Canning, to join his table. Together, they will be using her savoury jams and other goodies to take the crostini up a notch. In addition to showcasing products, Andy will have handouts of his take out/catering menu and Christmas turkey/ham program. Christine will be selling her jams and other products directly as well. Should be fun as well as informative. Hours are 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. today.
Denis, Rinaldo and Dube among women honorees
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News release — edited –– Bell Canada is congratulating four of its leaders recognized by the Women’s Executive Network with the Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 Award: Mary Ann Turcke, Bell’s Executive Vice President of Field Operations, inducted into the WXN Hall of Fame this year; Marilyn Denis (left) and Sandie Rinaldo (centre) recognized in the Arts & Communications category; and Michelle Dubé (right) awarded in the Future Leaders category. Release“He’s alive!” The gripping rescue of a ship’s cook
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This is video taken by rescuers of the very moment they found Harrison Okene trapped in a pocket of air in a capsized tugboat. This compelling record emerged on Tuesday showing the unlikely rescue of the ship’s cook. Harrison had survived for almost three days trapped in the air bubble. The divers from the DCN global diving company had been searching the tugboat for bodies, but in the video they can be heard shouting that a man is “alive” in the ship. Mr Okene was the only member of the 12 person crew who survived the sinking. The divers can be seen helping Mr Okene put on scuba diving equipment to swim out of the sunken ship. Once back on dry land, the cook was kept in a decompression chamber for 60 hours before he was reunited with his family.
Duffy “resting in recovery” after heart surgery
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Sen. Mike Duffy is recovering in an Ottawa hospital from open-heart surgery, the second such operation he’s had to clear up blocked arteries. Dr. Marc Ruel, chief of the cardiac unit at the University of Ottawa’s Heart Institute, conducted the procedure, which began at 6 a.m. Tuesday. Ruel treated the former broadcaster in 2006 for a similar heart problem. Duffy also suffered a minor heart attack in 1992. Andree Dumulon, a spokeswoman for the institute, relayed a message from Duffy’s wife Heather, saying, “the surgery went well and … he is now resting in recovery.”
Not possible to have too many twin babies
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Our neurotic society has thrown up another pseudo problem. Too many twin babies. Horrors! Associated Press
“Play It Never Entered My Mind Maestro”
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Premier Wynne and Deputy Mayor Kelly emerged from their meeting today to face the usual barrage of not very illuminating questions. “Is this the beginning of a new era between the City and Queen’s Park, Premier?” Sure. Perhaps it never crossed the mind of either leader in their tete a tete that Mr. Kelly’s recently revealed game of footsy with Porter Airlines president Robert DeLuce (top) is an emerging issue in the City. It certainly never occurred to the media. Our question for the member for Don Valley West (that would be Premier Kath) is whether she and the deputy mayor discussed putting jets into the Island Airport. If the premier cares about Toronto, and no doubt she does, the part she cares most about is called Don Valley West. In Leaside (and all of South Bayview) her constituents are dead set against more jets flying over these previously quiet neighborhoods. The Premier knows this truth like she knows her PIN number. We are thinking her constituents would not mind at all if she told Mr. Kelly, who is acting a little too cute by half, to take the advice of staff and leave this matter to the 2014 election, where the people will decide. Now, the poll released Tuesday which is said to show “nearly half” of residents want jets was done by Forum Research. For itself? Well, never mind. The Toronto Star has this story and there is no indication in it if the poll bothered to ask about noise — super quiet jet noise or ordinary jet noise. There aren’t many silent jet planes, you may have noticed.
OLG tracks down winner who forgot everything
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An amazing story of a Hamilton woman who bought a winning $50 million ticket in November 2012 and then more or less just forgot about it. She didn’t check to see if she had won and in all that time never gave the outstanding jackpot much thought. Then, after a meticulous investigation, the OLG “detectives” came knocking on her door. Kathryn Jones, a 55-year-old engineer from the Hammer was formally announced today as the winner of the $50-million Lotto Max jackpot that remained unclaimed for almost a year. Jones, who purchased the ticket at a Shoppers Drug Mart in nearby Cambridge, where she works, said she lost her ticket and had no idea she had even won until OLG officials launched an investigation into the unclaimed prize. “As you can imagine this has been a very weird and wonderful journey,” Jones said during a press conference to announce her as the winner. “I feel almost as though I have been struck by lightning twice,” she added. OLG President and CEO Rod Phillips said the organization received more than 430 inquiries regarding the winning ticket since it was sold last November. He said the OLG undertook a comprehensive investigation to verify that Jones was the rightful winner of the multi-million dollar jackpot. Among the elements of the probe, CCTV video from the drug store showing Ms. Jones buying her ticket at the same moment her credit card records said she did. The actual ticket was lost, so these forensic findings were crucial to confirming Ms. Jones as the winner. There is a large unreported and unexplained aspect to this story. It would be relatively easy to do the verification work once Ms. Jones was identified. But how did OLG identify her?. It seems a long shot that she was known to personnel at the drugstore, even when they saw her on camera. More likely, it seems, is that Ms Jones paid by credit card and it was possible to obtain a name and address from the card issuer.