Neighbors sent pictures to Twitter Tuesday morning

Fire crews have extinguished a fire on Torrens Ave in East York Tuesday morning. It appears that candles left burning may have ignited the two-alarm fire in the Pape Avenue and O’Connor Drive area.

Peace to John Tory this morning for he has brought peace to much of the City by deciding that Toronto will not be bidding for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. The news is in the Toronto Star. An announcement will be made later today. It was not Mr. Tory’s decision alone by any means. He knew just how much resistance there was at City Council to this risky act of civic hubris. It is so wise to have put aside the silly shouts that Toronto needed to be put on the map. What rubbish.

City staff has released detailing idea for collecting tolls on the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway. Staff was assigned in June to set out toll possibilities as a revenue source after council approved the “hybrid” proposal for the east Gardiner. The report looks at a flat-fee toll $1.25 and $3.25 for a single trip with trucks paying double those amounts. It also examined a per kilometre toll like that on the 407. Staff suggested between 10 cents and 35 cents for each kilometre travelled, with trucks paying double. Staff estimate the 30-year cost of the Gardiner, including rebuilding the elevated link to the DVP, at $3.8 billion. Costs for the at-grade DVP are $200 million. The 30-year cost of the toll system is estimated at $1.7 billion, for a grand total of $5.7 billion. On balance, the report is optimistic about genrating enough cash to pay for the toll system plus the highways and possibly have money left for other purposes.  The report will go to Mayor John Tory’s executive committee, which next meets on September 21, 2015

Talks to get a negotiated settlement in the elementary teachers dispute saw what seems like ritualized mock distress on both sides today, but no apparent progress. The government yesterday handed union head Sam Hammond a proposed contract which it says is complete in every way. Just like the other unions signed, says the education minister Liz Sandals.  More like a “cookie cutter” says Hammond. That’s cute but it says nothing about the deal nor even how well he has looked at it. As usual, the people know nothing. The decades of protocol built up when big unions battle big employers must be observed, no matter how it abuses the public interest Parents looking in from the outside may well wonder who is looking after their children’s interests, and indeed, where their ownership of the school system went.

The City department with perhaps the grandest sounding name — Parks and Urban Forestry — cut down a funny looking old maple tree on Tanager Ave. midway between Glenvale Blvd and Broadway Ave. Monday (September 14, 2015). Upper left, the orange dot in spray paint on the trunk is the kiss of death for a tree. Upper right, bucket man strains to sever a large limb. The branch is tethered to a truck crane so it won’t fall on anyone. Lower left, the branch slowly descends and right, chipper in the driveway eats the big limb whole. Wow.

Members of the new Bayview Leaside BIA (South Bayview) have taken a laudable first step in announcing a cleanup day for  Saturday, October 3,  2015. There is nothing more admirable than an organization that puts a clean and tidy street at the top of the agenda — and which encourages its members to do the job personally. In a larger sense, it will be the commitment of members to do the work themselves that will make this new BIA work. Leave the cash in the till. Members of the public are also invited to join the Fall Sweep the Streets event starting at the corner of Bayview and Millwood Rd. from 9 a.m. to noon. It is, as the poster cunningly says, a BYOB affair. Make it a vintage bristle broom however not Chianti. Those wishing more information may write to bayviewleasidebia@gmail.com

Motorists may see changes to the speed limit on selected streets west of Bayview Ave as early as this week. Josh Matlow (Ward 22) says he has been told by City staff that 40 km/h signs could come down that early and be replaced the same day by 30 km/h signs. As readers may recall, Toronto and East York Community Council voted for this change earlier this year. The council controls several wards (including Ward 22) in central Toronto and the former East York. The change does not apply to Leaside area which is in the jurisdiction of North York Community Council. The change is predicated largely on the science which says that there is a much higher chance of survival for those hit by cars travelling at the lower rate of speed. Mr. Matlow says the Medical Officer of Health has made a recommendation to lower speeds.

WHAT’S A COLLECTOR?

Another issue will be what streets remain at 40 km/h It is a reasonable guess that streets like Moore Ave between Welland and Bayview (and a dividing line between Ward 22 and Ward 26) will remain at 40. Roads like Merton, Millwood, Manor, Davisville, Forman and Cleveland could be the same. Arterials and collectors are said to be exempted but the layman’s knowledge may be tested in this regard.  It is of interest that Jon Burnside (Ward 26) has said that he will support any motion at North York Council to similarly lower the speed limit in Leaside and other parts of the area. As early as this week however the changes between wards may challenge drivers as they move between streets in Leaside (40 km/h and Davisville Village (30 km/h) just by crossing Bayview.

Opinion is now nearly evenly divided on the question of whether Toronto should bid for the 2024 Olympics. Mainstreet Technologies says its poling information shows about 50 percent of people support a bid and 47 percent oppose it. This is a large correction from previous polls that showed support as high as 60 percent. The public has been pummelled with independent opinion that a bid is a bad idea.

AP