The Bulldog

Little produce seen at Metro, Food Basics as strike goes on

Fresh produce is in short supply at Metro and Food Basics stores across the City as 900 workers at the firm’s distribution centre continue a strike. But negotiation Thursday between the company and unions has resulted in a tentative agreement which will be voted on Friday.



Bizarre traffic death as woman lies down on Lansdowne Ave

A woman has died in a bizarre traffic accident on Lansdowne Ave near Lappin Ave early Tuesday after she walked into the middle of the street and apparently intentionally, lay down on the road. There is no indication of who witnessed this part of the incident but shortly after the driver of a TTC maintenance truck mistook the woman for a garbage bag. As he approached, the woman tried but failed to roll out of the way of the vehicle. The investigation is ongoing. Police are looking for any witnesses who were in the area at the time of the incident, particularly those with dashcam video. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-1900, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or at www.222tips.com.

Spring is slow but early birds, shy croci prove it’s very near

Spring 2022 seems to be painfully slow but it’s clearly on its way. If your bedroom window is too close to the trees the bird songs will be bouncing off your walls before sun-up. Above are a couple of pictures of some budding at the Beaches by Ian Ward. We have shy croci and some healthy-looking bush buds in the sand. And this year people will be able to wander High Park to see the cherry blossoms without restrictions. Global News

Fun at Leaside curling and a super Wildcats winning deke

Here are a couple of memorable moments locally. First a busy evening at the Leaside Curling Club during their recent Learn to Curl event. Curling is for fun that’s why the club is always glad to see anyone who wants to learn that “whacky sport with all the yelling”. Then we have a superlative deke to the left and a winning shot from the right for this U18 Wildcats squad. This beauty was scored at the end of a 9-round shoot-out against Clearview. The losers have nothing to be ashamed of.



Beach pals frolic, mosaic coffee table and cell tower central

It’s still pretty chilly but a bunch of young pals was out on Woodbine Beach Saturday for some spirited fun. They were discovered and recorded by Clara Tucker and posted to a private page. Then at upper right we see a remarkable mosaic coffee table at Origin Coffee, 687 Mt Pleasant Rd. Kind of fun. At centre left, the old mid-rise apartment at 1220 Bayview Ave (enter off Moore Ave) is holding its title as cell tower central. This scene is from Thursday when traffic was backed up to Mt. Pleasant all day while the 5G skywalkers did their thing. At centre right we see the sad note left by the City at Mona Piper Playground telling parents that much-loved toys have been removed because they were broken. Finally, at the bottom, we see how construction along the north side of Wicksteed Ave is changing the size of Lake Leaside. Look at that retaining wall. Your guess is as good as ours as to what Wicksteed will look like in a year.

Winning $70 million Lotto Max ticket sold in the Prairies

After going unclaimed for weeks, the whopping $70 million jackpot in Friday’s Lotto Max draw has been won by a lottery player in the Prairies. The exact location of where the ticket to riches was sold has yet to be revealed. The draw also included 40 Maxmillions of $1 million each, and 12 of them were claimed, with that prize money being shared amongst 18 winning ticket holders across the country. By Prairies, Lotto Max means Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Owners gird against garden homes and cheap name-calling

The Federation of North Toronto Residents Associations, including the Leaside Residents Association, is urging homeowners to demand that the City’s recent approval of so-called Garden Suites be withdrawn and rewritten. Many other residents groups also oppose the legislation. Council voted with only five dissenters on February 2 to permit the building of houses in backyards. No appeal is permitted. Many see it as a sea-change in the composition of single-family neighbourhoods and are girding for the onslaught of cheap name-calling that is hurled at anyone who dares to object to what’s happening next door. Research suggests that the backyard home legislation is appealing to people who buy homes for investments. It raises memories of what was known as neighourhood busting in 1970s Toronto. It’s not recorded whether former Mayor David Crombie, who tackled the problem, was denounced as a NIMBY. Homeowners are invited to send mail to their Councillor.