Ford Canada will recall as many as 60,000 older Windstar minivans in Canada as part of a safety notice related to a previous recall for a rear-axle repair that possibly did not take. The latest recall covers around 342,000 vans built at Oakville from 1998 through 2003 and sold in both Canada and the United States.
A spooky intruder who apparently undressed down to his underwear was discovered in a home in the Oriole Parkway and Lonsdale Rd. area yesterday. He was found by the lady of the house as she returned home about 2 p.m. The individual was dressed only in boxer shorts and a shirt. He is seen in security video within the same time frame (inset) fully dressed. He fled presumably taking his clothes with him when the woman came in. Police say things were tampered with The family dog had been let out of its crate and had its collar removed. Pictures of adults had been turned face down while pictures of children were left standing. Cigarette butts and a body impression on a bed were discovered in the children’s bedrooms. Police released a photo of a suspect Wednesday afternoon. The man is described as black, in his mid-30s, approximately five-foot-three, skinny, with short black hair. He was last seen wearing a red hooded sweater with white on the left sleeve, dark parks, and was carrying a blue Puma bag. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-5300 or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS (8477).CP24
A familiar regular on South Bayview has died. Raymond Ratchford, a happy and friendly presence on his motorized scooter passed suddenly at the age of 57. Mr. Ratchford was known for his role as a backup singer to the late Rita MacNeil and his friendship with the maritimes singer. He was found in his Davisville home September 27, 2015. Ray Ratchford’s Facebook page with pictures
Russia launched air strikes against targets in Syria on Wednesday in the Kremlin’s biggest intervention in the Middle East in decades. It has told the U.S. air force to steer clear. Russia says that it is bombing ISIS but it seems to also be bombing Syrian opponents to Bashir al Assad. It is a galling time for the Americans and for the world. But many will say this bitter outcome is absolutely made in America and in the West. The Russians have done what the democratic governments have not been able to do.
RUSSIA CHOOSES BETWEEN TWO EVILS
It has made a choice between what it sees as the lesser of two evils. It prefers Assad to ISIS. No European power nor any western government has been able to stomach that decision. It is the failure of policy that misread entirely the limited capacity of the middle east and much of North Africa to function in an orderly, much less civilized way, without a distasteful strong man at the top. It began with feckless babble about an Arab Spring and ends with Russia, of all countries, trying to restore order.
He’s happy
The University of Toronto student newspaper The Varsity says that the Drake concert for Ryerson University’s Orientation Week cost $515,0000. Quoting the Ryerson student paper it says that $300,000 of this came from local businesses (!) and $215,000 from the Ryerson Student Union budget of which $100,000 was a straight gimme from the adminstration. Remember when the costliest element of orientation was the old tomatoes that students threw at each other? Varsity
Ultrasound imaging has shown that one of the giant pandas on loan from China to the Toronto Zoo is pregnant with two possible cubs. The zoo says Er Shun has been shown to have two fetuses in tests done this week. They say Er Shun underwent two non-surgical insemination procedures on May 14, 2015 and sperm was used from the other male panda Da Mao, plus sperm from two other giant pandas based in China.
The Ontario government and the elementary teachers will resume talking. The minister, Liz Sandals, invited the teachers back to the table Monday afternoon. The government’s invitation came about four hours after the union filed a complaint of unfair labour practices. Their president, Sam Hammond, says the government is insisting that elementary teachers agree to the same type of deal as high school teachers. As usual, the public knows little of what is really happening. It may well be that many teachers themselves have scant knowledge of why they are still without a settlement. In recent days, some union leaders have been complaining about a lack of respect. No doubt parents feel disrespected too.
They call them “semi-actuated type 2 pedestrian signals” and there’s one at the corner of Bayview Ave and Manor Rd. These SA2 signals require a pedestrian to push the button — that little yellow box known as the beg button — in order for the WALK sign to light up when the traffic signal turns green. If the button is not pressed, pedestrians are left looking at a green light for cars and a DON’T WALK signal for them. Why? One has to guess that the SA2 is intended to make traffic turns faster onto southbound Bayview if there are no pedestrians waiting. But on any day at Bayview and Manor/Fleming there are lots of pedestrians heading back and forth from Hollywood Gelato to Bayview Jug Milk. Many of them don’t get it. Lorna Krawchuk notes that the effect is the same down at McRae/Merton and Bayview where there is another SA2.
PEDESTRIANS THINK THE SIGNAL IS BROKEN
As the pedestrian website Walk Toronto says, pedestrians will think the system is broken and try to cross anyway. Walk Toronto calls these signals, of which there are hundreds in Toronto, frustrating and dangerous. Engineers are no doubt a boon to society but they have a way of assuming everybody else knows what they know. It’s called “I knew. How come you didn’t?” At another intersection in town, guerrilla sign makers have plastered the SA2 with a sign that explains how it is used. All of this is about how hospitable South Bayview might be for the many people who come to shop here.
15 SECONDS OF GREEN TO CROSS BAYVIEW
In recent months on a Saturday, The South Bayview Bulldog measured the allotted green-signal cross time from east to west at Manor Rd It is a skimpy 15 seconds. That’s really short if you’re trying to figure out why the walk sign didn’t come on. Walk Toronto says that a recent post by Spacing Toronto asked readers to identify intersections in the city where they thought SA2 signals should be replaced by signals where the walk sign always comes on with a green light. It says there were many responses reflecting the frustration pedestrians feel about this type of signal. Walk Toronto decided to send this crowdsourced list (cross-referenced with the city’s traffic signal inventory to make sure they are all SA2 signals) to City of Toronto Transportation Services with a request to review them and change them to the more pedestrian-friendly type of signal.
Joe Oliver, Marco Mendicino, Joe Volpe and the flags of Israel and Canada
There is not a lot of reliable conventional wisdom about how the battle of Eglinton-Lawrence will end on election day (October 19, 2015). An article by Tom Blackwell in the National Post assays this topic today but the writer has no definitive information. Finance Minister Oliver is matched against Liberal Marco Mendicino. It touches on the two or three most important known elements. Mr. Mendicino is an articulate candidate in a riding that for many years was the safe home of old-time Liberal Joe Volpe. Can the Liberals take it back? Blackwell also notes that 30 percent of the population is Jewish (as is Oliver) and that many Jews have decided they prefer the Conservatives to their long-time former political preference. All of this leaves one educated but still unable to predict the outcome. The article is in the Post but you may not be able to read it because of the pay wall. It is here however on Twitter but you have to join — Joe Oliver’s Battle
