Canadian women have won the K-4 500 metre paddle to open the scoring for Canada at the Pan Am Games. Cuba won the silver medal and Argentina the bronze. Globe and Mail 

This ESPN story is cleverly written. It describes the Games impact on Toronto like the dumping of a load of children’s toys on the living room floor. Unique Experience that is the Pan Am Games

Above is a picture of the Richardson’s Junior Team from 1962 with Coach Howard Birnie at the left rear. It recalls but one episode in Birnie’s career. In a game against Christie Pits, Birnie had his pitchers in and out like a revolving door, tailoring them to the Pits batters. It was a bravura performance and Richardson won.

It is just an amazing tale. Two sets of identical twins are mixed up at birth. One twin from each set is mistakenly sent home with the other and is reared to maturity thinking that he and his brother are fraternal twins, not identical.  Before you watch this enjoyable video look at the pictures above and see if you tell the correct sets of identical twins. To keep you on track, Carlos and Wilber are identical twin bothers, as are Jorge and William.  But they grew up thinking they were brothers Carlos and Jorge and William and Wilber. Hear how they figured out who they were really.

The New York Times has written an article about how Toronto is indifferent to the Pan Am Games. It seems entirely true and comes with a series of reasons. Most people here know all this intuitively. Where are the team sports Toronto can relate to? Who are the stars? Where is the competition to drive our interest?  What do we have to look forward to by way of television events? What should compel us to spend our carefully-managed disposable income? Civic pride? That’s a hell of a long shot. Is any of this the media’s fault? Sadly, it must be said the games lack focus and compelling sports interest. The Times makes the case more directly than anyone has done that this is at least partly (or maybe a lot) a political effort to get the Olympics to Toronto. Unfortunately, for busy people who have lots things to do — work, play, work, play  (it’s a great City) — the political and media drumbeat of how excited we should be has become a bit of  a harangue. New York Times

Inset l to r: Adams, Mendicino, Oliver

David Akin at the Toronto Sun has winkled out news that Liberal Eve Adams has collected the names of more members of the  Eglinton Lawrence riding association than Marco Mendicino, the local man who has wanted the nomination for a long time and is said to be well-liked around the neighbourhood. It is of interest because  Adams, welcomed into the party by Justin Trudeau when she was effectively kicked out of the Conservatives, wants to face off against Finance Minister Joe Oliver. Adams is said to have 2,800 signatures to Mendicno’s 1,800. Can she get those names on paper into the nomination meeting on the night of July 25 (the last Sunday in July) or is it all just scribbling?  And if foxy Eve can get the nomination can she possibly beat that consummate silver fox Joe Oliver?  David Akin, Toronto Sun

It is a simple fraud as old as time. All it takes is a gullible friend and a lot of larceny. Cops say Fraham Pirbhai has worked this scam 40 times to the tune of $200,000 over a period of six months on Toronto residents. Pirbhai would give them cheques or deposit them into the victims’ account on their behalf  The victims believed that the deposited cheques were valid, and provided the man the equivalent of the funds deposited into their account  Police believe there may be other victims.