A huge release of documents — some 300 pages – by a provincial court reveal an elaborate police investigation apparently inspired by stories about a video which was said to show Mayor Ford smoking crack cocaine. Many documents and pictures reveal police stake out observations of meetings between Mr. Ford and Alexander Lisi in service stations in which packages or bags were exchanged between the two. In some instances, the two friends did not acknowledge each other even though they were in the same station. Police recorded more than 100 occasions when the two men met. Mr. Ford left his Etobicoke home this morning in a fury, and it may fairly be said, behaved in a frightening and distracted fashion. He screamed at reporters to get off the property. He then drove away in his Cadillac Escalade, a vehicle which is frequently seen and mentioned in police surveillance material released this morning. At City Hall, Shelley Carroll (Ward 33) has called for the mayor’s resignation. Ms Carroll says the mayor “clearly suffers from some form of drug abuse”. The unfolding story is on television Thursday morning. Police Chief Blair had scheduled a news conference for about 11.30 a.m. The continuing revelations on TV describe no criminality but consist of enormous detail of interaction between the mayor and Mr. Lisi. The meetings and phone calls between the two and calls made by Mr. Lisi to a person trying to sell the alleged video of Mr. Ford, are evidence of furtive activity which would raise the curiosity of any reasonable citizen. In one instance, the mayor is said to have stayed in a service station washroom for an hour. The Premier, Kathleen Wynne, was questioned about these events and said she had no comment. It was a police matter, she said.
Something for all as “Senate 3” soap rolls on
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There is pretty much something for everyone in the “Senate 3” soap opera. It was on again today. Newspaper writers are prepared to predict the immediate destruction of Stephen Harper, or forecast it will all go away. Chantal Hebert thinks Nigel Wright has it within his power to destroy Harper. Not only that, she thinks that daily assertions by the PM about Wright may prove to be a provocation that only a saint could withstand. If he yields to his hurt feelings, suggests Hebert, Wright would cause the conservative leader’s immediate demise. That could happen but Wright might have to lie to do it. Hebert doesn’t know what happened and neither does anyone apparently, except Wright and Harper. It also assumes Wright’s capacity for hurt feelings is far greater than one would expect in a tough businessman who has made millions in the market. William Watson in the National Post observes that if regular medicare coverage isn’t good enough for Mike Duffy, it isn’t good enough for anybody. Watson reminds us again what a fat gang of entitled hacks is the Senate Chamber of Sober Second Thought your dog’s tail. This sounds like something John A. Macdonald dreamed up at a Belleville public house when he wasn’t so sober. Pictures clockwise from top, Harper, Wright, Hebert, Duffy, Macdonald,Watson.
Baby’s emotional response to mother’s singing
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Most people react strongly to their mother’s voice – whether being talked to lovingly or being punished, all children become sniffling little babies when their mothers are around. But if your mother sings to you, are you moved to tears? In a YouTube video that’s gone viral, one baby is, and the emotion in the little girl’s eyes would make the coldest person weep. The video, posted by YouTube user Alain Leroux on Oct. 18, shows a 10-month-old baby become moved by her mother singing to her. The video currently has more than 3 million views. The mother is singing Rod Stewart’s My Heart Can’t Tell You No. The young child’s eyes well up with tears from the second her mother starts singing, and those tears quickly become streams flowing down the sweet baby’s smiling face. The baby girl doesn’t seem to be in pain or upset, just generally moved by her mother singing an emotional song. Why can music turn us into sniveling babies, dictating all emotive feeling in our bodies? According to the Scientific American, a study completed in 2009 showed that music “powerfully influenced the emotional ratings” of subjects who were given music clips to listen to and then given photographed facial expressions to view and rate, based on the sad or happy music they listened to. The baby might also be experiencing appoggiatura, defined by Merriam-Webster as “an embellishing note or tone preceding an essential melodic note or tone and usually written as a note of smaller size” that could invoke overwhelming feeling of emotions when used in music and singing. In February 2012, National Public Radio in the U.S. produced a two-part story on appoggiatura when it was used in reference to the song Someone Like You by Adele, after the news organization suffered backlash from many for improper use of the term. More often than not, crying while hearing music is connected to the classical genre, but in modern times, emotionally listening to music is as universal as music itself. Although nothing concrete has been discovered on why music is so emotive and powerful for many, the baby’s reaction to the power of her mother’s voice shows that music is as priceless as it is touching and sweet. RNN
Alex and Bev adopt South Bayview, become part of family
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Alex Simmons
When lifelong retailers Alex and Bev Simmons were looking around for a neighborhood that reminded of them of old Toronto, they realized that South Bayview had a lot of what they were looking for. The genial couple decided to apply for adoption here and, from all appearances, they seem to be well on their way to becoming part of the family. Their business, Dolly Jewellers, at 1699 Bayview Ave. was started by Bev’s dad, Ned Austin, back in 1946. His full-service neighborhood jewellery and giftware store was a landmark on Weston Road for decades. For the past 20 plus years, Alex and Bev have carried on the family tradition. Now in the bright and wide storefront on Bayview opposite Hillsdale Ave. the couple provide a warm welcome and an array of services that can only originate with a husband and wife team as steeped in their craft as these two are.
Working hard to know local residents
“We offer full repair services including gold and silver jewellery, clocks and watches” says Alex. And the shop stocks a full line of jewellery, beautifully refurbished estate and vintage items as well as watches, clocks, giftware and collectibles for all ages. The couple are working hard to get to know local residents. “We would like to meet many more of our new neighbours and their friends,” says Alex “but we appreciate that it may take a while.” In the meantime Alex and Bev are greatly encouraged by the many people who have come in. Dolly Jewellers has a monthly draw which may be entered in-store or online at www.dollyjewellers.com. It’s worth a visit to Dolly’s just to meet Bev and Alex and their resident pooches Jessie and Lola.
Pumpkin carving contest deadline is today
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Hey, it’s not too late to enter the Annual Leaside and Davisville Pumpkin Carving Contest. Mind you, the deadline is 5 p.m.October 30, 2013, so you have to get carving. First thing to do is email Charlene Kalia your address and put Carving Contest in the subject line. Next step, get busy making a creative and fun pumpkin. Then put your pumpkin outside your house by 5 p.m. Wednesday night. Charlene will take pictures of all entries and the judges will decide who carved the most creative pumpkin. Contest winners and photos will be posted at Charlene’s site linked here. The prizes are pretty good. 1st Prize is $250.00 RBC Visa Card, 2nd Prize a $100.00 Scholar’s Choice Gift Certificate and 3rd Prize is a $50.00 Cineplex Gift Certificate. Good luck.
Toronto Centre candidates debate November 21
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There will be a candidates debate for those running in the Toronto-Centre byelelction. It will be held in the Cody Room of St. Paul’s Anglican Church at 223 Bloor Street E on Thursday, November 21, 2013. It will be a two hour debate — 7 to 9 p.m. The deadline for candidates is Monday November 4, 2013. Candidates so far are:
Dorian Baxter – Progressive Canadian
Party Leslie Bory – Independent
John Deverell – Green Party of Canada
Chrystia Freeland – Liberal Party
Travis McCrae – Pirate Party
Linda McQuaig – New Democratic Party
Geoffrey Pollock – Conservative Party
Bahman Yazdanfar – Independent
American Girl doll to be sold at Indigo in 2014
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The upscale and expensive American Girl doll will be sold starting next spring at Indigo stores in Toronto and Vancouver. The company’s president Heather Reisman said today that so-called “store-in-store” boutiques of up to 5,000 square feet will be installed in Yorkdale Shopping Centre, and at the Robson Street location in Vancouver. Up to now, the American Girl product has been available only online in Canada. Hamilton Spectator Halloween Heatwave predicted for week’s end
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Call it a Halloween Heatwave as a huge weather system gathers up Southern Ontario and large parts of the U.S. and Canada in unseasonably warm weather. The Weather Channel predicts that the witchy day itself will see a 17 degree warming. But it’s going to be rainy on Thursday
End of the road for steel making in Hamilton
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United States Steel Corp said on Tuesday it will permanently shut down iron and steelmaking operations at its Hamilton, Ontario, mill at the end of this year. The integrated mill was idled in 2010, but the steelmaker had not ruled out restarting production if the market improved.
The Slaights make $50 million gift to hospitals
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The Slaight family has once again made a large donation to the city’s hospital system. This time, five hospitals will share a $50-million charitable gift from the Slaight Family Foundation. They are the University Health Network, St. Michael’s Hospital, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Mount Sinai Hospital. The Slaight family patriarch Allen Slaight built a radio empire which was sold to Astral Media Inc. Astral was recently sold to Bell Media.
So upset about Banksy but don’t care who he is
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It appears that the graffiti artist Banksy, who somehow continues to maintain his anonymity in the presence of intimate business with the media, has upset many people by saying in an unpublished op-ed piece that the World Trade Centre is bland. It is so bland, said this elusive spray-paint virtuoso of bomb-throwing misfits, that it looks like something they would build in Canada. Yawn. The New York Times is said to have refused to publish this article. That’s their business. What astonishes is that once again the media finds it is just fine to play dumb about Banksy’s identity.
Sears Canada bails out, Nordstrom, Saks stand by
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Sears Canada will abandon its flagship store at the Toronto Eaton Centre and also close four other stores in a so-called leaseback deal with landlord Cadillac Fairview. Analysts gulped back the shock and said this seemed to be the first part of a plan to move Nordstrom stores into these spaces. There is no confirmation of that although, as is known, the southwest U.S. retailer has already said that it is coming to Canada. Sears will exercise an option to sell back the leases for the spaces. They are Eaton Centre, Sherway Gardens and Masonville mall in London. As well, Sears’ outlets in Markville Shopping Centre in Markham and Richmond Centre in Richmond, B.C. will shut in 2015. Both Nordstrom and Saks Inc. are looking around the suitable locations. Cadillac Fairview Corp. is said to be anxious to get more rent for the Eaton Centre location.At present, Sears leases permit it to pay as little as about $1 per square foot in rent. Look here for BNN story with video of analysis by anchors and others this morning.