The City of Toronto is inviting residents to learn more and provide feedback on the proposed changes to Overlea Boulevard. One change being considered is to replace the southbound-left vehicle turn from Don Mills Road onto Gateway Boulevard. The benefits of this change include better safety, transit, and overall traffic flow than the other option being considered which keeps the southbound-left turn for vehicles. Some motorists would need to use another route to get to their destination.

In March 2022 the City of Toronto held public consultations for the initial design concepts for Overlea Boulevard. Thanks to public feedback, they now have a recommended plan for Overlea Boulevard which:
– Improves safety for everyone
– Maintains roadways for driving, transit, deliveries, and emergency services
– Enhances the public realm for local residents and visitor

Review the recommended design concept on May 25, by visiting the project website.

Virtual Public Meeting
Date: May 25, 2022,
Time: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Please register here in advance. To call in during the event, please dial 416-915-6530 and enter the access code 2469 697 0099.

In-Person Drop-in Event
Date: May 26, 2022,
Time: Drop-in anytime from 3:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: R.V. Burgess Park** – 46 Thorncliffe Park Drive

**In the event of heavy rain, the drop-in will be moved to Jenner Jean-Marie Community Centre – 48 Thorncliffe Park Drive

Please download a copy of the Public Meeting Notice for more details.

A loyal reader has sent us a photo of the sign on the door of the now closed, South China Restaurant at 513 Mt. Pleasant Road. They have closed after 65 years in business.

Over on Eglinton Avenue West, Torontonians are lining up for their final taste from Randy’s Patties after 40 years in business. Drake offered to buy the place, but we’re not sure if Instagram is a legit way to purchase businesses. Time will tell.

Randy's Patties is absolutely packed today as the takeout spot announced they are closing after 40 years in Toronto – 📹 @brianabrieiro #Toronto #RandysPatties #BusinessClosure pic.twitter.com/L0BgufCU9l

— blogTO (@blogTO) February 24, 2022

Mayor Tory has tweeted photos of the Ukrainian flag being raised at Toronto’s City Hall in support of Ukraine, its people, and our city’s Ukrainian-Canadian community. News & commentary about the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Twitter

Today, I raised the Ukrainian flag at City Hall in support of Ukraine, its people, and our city’s Ukrainian-Canadian community.

Toronto stands in solidarity with Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/Lwn0Ncjri9

— John Tory (@JohnTory) February 24, 2022

The Ontario Provincial Police say a serious crash occurred between two transport trucks on the eastbound express lanes of Highway 401 before Leslie Street on Thursday morning.

Update: All lanes reopened #Hwy401 EB express at Leslie

— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) February 24, 2022

A winter weather travel advisory has been issued for the GTA. Snowfall accumulations of 5 to 10 cm and blowing snow are anticipated to start Thursday overnight and continue into Friday morning.

“A developing low pressure centre will bring a swath of snow to the region Thursday overnight into Friday morning. Motorists should expect hazardous winter driving conditions and adjust travel plans accordingly. Poor weather conditions may contribute to transportation delays. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow. Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to ONstorm@ec.gc.ca or tweet reports using #ONStorm.”

Eglinton Ave E at Bayview Avenue – Jan 17 2022

At noon on Monday, it is reported that northbound Bayview at Parkhurst is completely blocked due to the weather conditions. Toronto Police have closed the DVP and Gardiner to give them a chance to clear some of the snow. Stay home if you can.

Update: At approximately 12:40pm, TPS tweeted that the eastbound Gardiner is fully open and westbound Gardiner is now open from Jarvis. DVP remains closed.

Bayview merchants have planned a must-attend shopping event for the weekend of November 27 and 28. From noon until 4 p.m. both days this street occasion will offer free warm beverages from select retailers, a free reusable shopping bag, a take-home gift wrapping package, and a free photo booth all while being serenaded on the street by carolers and Santa handing out candy canes. C-19 safety protocols will apply.

The Bulldog is ready to shop.

Thousands of homes across central Midtown were blacked out Friday afternoo0n from about 1 until 2.30 p.m. The outage as shown on the Hydro blackout map ranged from Yonge St to Bayview Ave and from about Davisville Ave to the Rosedale Valley Rd. Micheal Packham was one of many area residents tweeting with Hydro. He said he had heard a loud bang from a utility pole nearby as his lights went out.

Facebook is suffering its worst outage since 2008. Services for all three Facebook-owned social networks went down just before noon ET. At time of writing this post, they have been down for more than 3 hours…and counting. CBC, CNBC

Users flocked to Twitter, as often happens, to learn more about the outage and get their social media fix.

UPDATE: Facebook appears to be back up after approximately 6 hours of outage. (6pm ET)

Frances Haugen revealed her identity as the Facebook whistleblower

CBS’ 60 Minutes aired an interview yesterday with whistleblower, Frances Haugen, who claimed that Facebook’s own research shows that it amplifies hate, misinformation and political unrest, and the company hides what it knows. More: Facebook Whistleblower Frances Haugen: The 60 Minutes Interview

UPDATE: Facebook , Insta, WhatsApp Outage

• 4 hours, ongoing
• NYT: unlikely a hack; FB employees unable to enter building in a.m
• Servers likely behind problem: CTO
• Facebook stocks 📉
• Zuckerberg lost $7 billion: Bloomberg
• Global loss > $160 million/hr: @netblocks

— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) October 4, 2021