Roger de Toit, a well known Rosedale architect, has died of his injuries in a cycling accident May 19, 2015. Mr. de Toit’s bicycle was in a collision with a light SUV at Roxborough St. E. and Wrentham Place. He died at Sunnybrook Hospital. The collision occurred as he rode north on Wrentham. He collided with an eastbound vehicle driven by a 43-year-old woman. PC Clint Stibbe of TPS traffic says the investigation into the accident is ongoing. Mr. de Toit was a distinguished member of his profession and a founder of the firm DTAH. The victim was friendly with fellow cyclists in Rosedale. One report says that a memorial ghost bike ride is being organized. Police say the investigation is ongoing and asked anyone with information to contact traffic services at 416-808-1900 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

In a stunning announcement made at a hastily called news conference Tuesday (June 2, 2015) in Zurich, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said he will resign after FIFA elects a new leader at an “extraordinary congress” that will be called by the organization’s executive committee. It appears that cannot happen until September. But the situation is fluid. The defiant Blatter reversed himself as his second-in command Jerome Valcke was named by U.S. investigators as the authority for  a $10 million wire transfer that ended up vanishing into the murky coffers of corrupt officials in New York and Trinidad. Valcke is  FIFA’s secretary general and works hand-in-glove with Blatter. It seems the splattering mud of corruption has landed on Blatter himself.  A spokeswoman for FIFA said the $10 million in bank transactions were authorized by the then-FIFA Finance Committee chairman. The Finance Committee chairman was Julio Grondona, who died last year.

Marguerite Klyne, marks 80th birthday at O’Connor Bowl last year

O’Connor Bowl at 1401 O’Connor Drive will close this week after some 64 years in business. The end has been haunting O’Connor Bowl since the death in 2010 of  owner John Martin. Stafford Homes purchased the property in 2011 and a seven-storey mixed-use commercial and residential development was approved for the site at O’Connor Drive near Bermondsey Road in 2013. The bowing alley has been run on a year-to-year basis since the purchase. It is a life’s work ended for manager Mike Gorman, who has been at the alley for 27 years.  He was told Monday  that the last day would be Friday, June 5, 2015  The East York Mirror  quotes Ward 31 Councillor Janet Davis as saying:  “O’Connor Bowl served people of all ages across the province who came to bowl. It will be sadly missed,”  Stafford Developments, a division of Goldman Group, applied for a rebuilding application to construct the mixed commercial and residential structure and were approved for a site plan. Councillor Davis told  the Mirror that Stafford Developments has sold the property but company officials were unavailable to comment with regards to the new ownership of the property. Mirror story also records stories of elderly league members like Myrk Seyler, 90, head of the Tuesday Ladies League.  East York Mirror 

 

The minimum fine for distracted driving has doubled under changes to the Ontario Traffic Act. Fines go from between $60 and $500 to between $300 and $1,000. Add a further penalty of three demerit points on conviction. Distracted driving has long since passed drinking as the single most serious cause of traffic deaths. Third reading was given today (Tuesday, June 2, 2015) to these and other changes.

WATCH YOUR DOOR

The government has chosen to create a new offense known as dooring. This is an occurrence which will be entirely accidental (unlike distracted driving) but which will prevent cars doors from hitting cyclists who are beside the vehicle. This offense, and the time-honoured hippie offense of driving while doped up on marijuana or other drugs will bring a $1,000 fine on conviction.

COUNTER FLOW BICYCLES?

The revised HTA also allows cities to build more types of bike lanes and it imposes new fines on cyclists who refuse to light up their rides. The new legislation will give cities permission to build counter flow (or contraflow) bikes lane. Let’s hope these lanes, which would run counter to one-way vehicular traffic, don’t kill too many bike riders. The consensus seems to be traffic has to be very slow to allow these lanes to work. The offense of towing a skate boarder behind a car is now illegal. It is an offense which seems too dangerous to be true The HTA already forbids the towing of everything from toboggans to skaters.

 

See later post 

Bloomberg News 

BBC recounts heartening new immuno-therapy treatment which teaches body’s own defense system how to fight cancer. Fergus Walsh.

Area families are asked to note that the Bennington Rolph Road Soccer Association is still accepting registrations for September 2015. This is a great post-summer activity entirely run by volunteer parents. Fall may seem a long way off but time is required to prepare for early Autumn fun. Lead time is needed get adequate uniforms, rent sufficient field space and lots of other loose ends. The league for kids 5 to 13 and has been running in the neighbourhood for many years. It is a great place for those whose kids who want to play soccer but are not in town in the summer, or for those who play summer soccer and want to keep their soccer going. Bennington Rolph runs for six weeks in the fall, starting the first week of school. A tournament is held for all but the youngest age group at the end of the regular season. The league is run completely by volunteers and is not-for-profit. The deadline for registrations is June 19th. Visit the league’s website for more information and to register