Explosion shatters a house in East York. CITYNEWS/Sean Toussaint

Tenants of what appears to be a rooming house in Woodbine Ave south of Lumsden Ave have spoken of their harrowing night after an apparent furnace explosion rocked the house. As many as eight people have had to find emergency housing. Authorities say some residents went to the hospital on their own accord and are recovering from the shock of the experience. Hear the account of two tenants in the tweet below

A statement has been posted explaining the reasons why tree sales by the 69th Toronto Scouts have been cancelled this year at Trace Manes Park. FB

Weather Network

A news release late Thursday warns residents that the City will close Lake Shore Blvd E. between Jarvis St. and Parliament St. as well as part of Sherbourne St. at Lake Shore Blvd for a film shoot over the weekend. The closure will take place from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. during which part of the action will be stunt driving sequences. Transit riders can expect impacts to the following routes during this closure: 6 Bay, 65 Parliament, 72 Pape, 75 Sherbourne and 121 Fort-York Esplanade.

MoveTO will see green lights extended for late buses

Who can know whether a Toronto program to be called MoveTO will make your life amazing or miserable? Among the marvels planned are traffic lights that know a bus is late and extend the green. Release

City News has reported that an angry Adam Skelly, owner of Adamson BBQ, called a locksmith Thursday after learning that municipal officials had replaced the locks on his Etobicoke restaurant to prevent it from opening. It hardly seems likely that a locksmith will attempt to defy police but the strange drama continues to play out at the address on Queen Elizabeth Blvd.

Adam Skelly, the owner of Adamson BBQ, is facing summonses for failing to have a business license and fines and possible prison terms for opening against the law. The Municipal Licensing and Standards agency served two summonses for failing to have a business license. A conviction carries a maximum penalty of $50,000 for a corporation and $25,000 for an individual or officer/director. The City of Toronto also said Wednesday night that it has also taken action on five breaches of the Reopening Ontario Act and the Health Protection and Promotion Act by Toronto Public Health.

Prison term of not more than a year in Reopening Act

Under the Reopening Ontario Act, following a conviction, the Court may impose penalties in the form of a fine of not more than $100,000 and a term of imprisonment of not more than one year. An individual who is an officer or director of a corporation is subject to a fine of not more than $500,000 and for a term of imprisonment of not more than one year. A corporation is subject to a fine of not more than $10,000,000. News release

Locks changed early Thursday

The locks were changed overnight and police are on scene to prevent an Etobicoke barbecue restaurant that has openly defied COVID-19 restrictions from opening its dining room for a third straight day, a Toronto city official said Thursday. CBC

The Ontario government alleges that four of its employees, members of the same family, defrauded it of at least $11 million in C-19 relief money. The unproven civil claim accuses them of illegally issuing and banking cheques under the Support for Families Program. The program aimed to defray the cost of children learning at home. The husband and wife and two sons are all computer specialists.

Family opened 400 bank accounts

The suit alleges the family opened 400 bank accounts and deposited around 10,000 cheques made out to fictitious applicants. One of them, Sanjay Madan, was a senior bureaucrat who helped develop the application for applying and approving the benefit. A lawyer for the family says he can’t comment because the matter is before the courts. Canadian Press

Adamson BBQ owner Adam Skelly orders City News reporter Adrian Ghobrial off the property

Adam Skelly, the owner of Adamson BBQ, has loudly ordered City News off the property of his restaurant at 7 Queen Elizabeth Blvd in Etobicoke Wednesday. The scene outside the restaurant has the quality of a somewhat whacky carnival as seen in the video posted by City. Mr. Skelly’s opposition to the government’s C-19 lockdown order has seen him try to open again the day after he was closed by bylaw officers. The City reporter,  Adrian Ghobrial, had said that some of those wandering the site were anti-mask and anti-vaccine protesters. Moments before being thrown off the property, Ghobrial said he had witnessed “white nationalists” welcomed there.

The periodic Alert Ready national warning in English and French has rolled across the country with informative and frightening effect on hapless citizens everywhere. But it seems reasonable that a day may come when such an alert is helpful and we must all hope it doesn’t appear in the form of an asteroid the size of Oakville.

Megan Markle has written an article for the New York Times telling of a miscarriage this summer. Then, Scotland becomes the first country to make sanitary products free. Below that, Canadian spy wonks probe the money movements of an Iranian citizen living here. Finally, the gripping rescue of a woman from her sunken vehicle after she fell asleep and drove it into the Mahoning River in Alliance, Ohio.

Interest is high this Wednesday in a long, long exchange between members about Conspiracy Pizza in the wake of Tuesday’s closure of Adamson BBQ for violation of lockdown rules. The owners of Conspiracy, which shares space with Adamson on Wicksteed Ave., have been at pains to distance themselves from the rebellious position taken by Adamson on this matter. FB