The government will extend grants of as much as $300 million to restaurants and small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. These businesses have had receipts shredded by the unprecedented closures brought about by C-19. The money can be used to help offset fixed costs such as hydro bills and property taxes. The announcement was made by a rather-tired-looking Premier Ford. He and all ministers along with civil servants and health workers are working long days. Other announcements are seen in the clips below. He asks consumers and suppliers to think of “mom and pop” businesses to sustain the economy.

Eternal Canada Geese looking fatter than ever/Bulldog

The eternal Canada Goose continues to find a home in and around Leaside. This flock was feeding Tuesday outside the Loblaws on Redway Rd. They seemed fat and sassy. Some may remember the geese haven in front of the old steam engine repair building (now Longo’s) on Laird Dr in 2010. Developer solicits tenants on Laird where geese play in mud

Johnson & Johnson has halted clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine after a participant fell ill, the second time that a front-runner developer has paused testing in the race to create a viable immunization against the virus. The participant’s illness is being evaluated, the New Brunswick, New Jersey-based company said late Monday, adding that it would share information after further investigation. British drugmaker AstraZeneca last month temporarily stopped tests of its own vaccine candidate after a trial participant fell ill. That study has resumed in a number of countries but remains halted in the US. BNN

Ontario is reporting 649 cases of #COVID19 as over 44,100 tests were completed. Locally, there are 157 new cases in Peel, 140 in Toronto, 87 in York Region and 54 in Ottawa. There are 705 more resolved cases.

— Christine Elliott (@celliottability) October 11, 2020

Many people living to the north of Leslieville along the Crosstown LRT may well sympathize with residents there about the punishing cost of transit progress. As seen in Leaside, and all across the City, rapid transit construction brings chaos and high-rise development that crushes a neighbourhood way of life

Raccoon suspects of having distemper at Soudan and Cleveland Sunday morning

A post at Leaside Community Facebook Sunday morning tells of the rapid response of Toronto Animal Control to reports of a raccoon apparently suffering a distemper attack. It says City personnel arrived within 45 minutes to capture the animal as it wandered around the corner of Soudan Ave and Cleveland St. Good work.

Does this pose (um) make me look big back there? Colin Mcconnell

Leslieville photographer Colin Mcconnell has posted a Thanksgiving installment of his Dogs in the Hood series. We do indeed see ourselves in canine friends. FB

A lottery player in Quebec has won Friday night’s $70 million Lotto Max jackpot. The location of the winner has yet to be revealed. The draw also offered 19 Maxmillions prizes of $1 million each. Five of them were won by lottery players in Quebec, Ontario, the Prairies and British Columbia, with one of the prizes being shared by two ticket holders. The jackpot for the next Lotto Max draw on Oct. 13 will be approximately $24 million.

Trace Manes splash pad has a bench and puddle gutter for splashing feet. Why not?

This big canopy at the Leaside pad is still a mystery so far

Some new climbing bars at Trace Manes

Large new pad at Moorevale Park has big green rainmakers

Children will play under these elegant oak trees at Moorevale Park

Those still young enough to jump into a splash pad will have a lot of fun next summer as modern new facilities are completed at Trace Manes Park in Leaside and Moorevale Park in Moore Park. Workmen say the Moorevale renovations will also feature a new permanent tennis table made of concrete.

McnLaughlin Rd. on the 407 overpass/

Two people are dead following a head-on crash on McLaughlin Rd. on the Hwy. 407 overpass in Mississauga about 7 a.m. Thursday. Two other people are in the hospital. There are few details so far. City News

Yes, we may occasionally fear that COVID-19 is hiding in our coffee cup but simple precautions are rational. Honest. Then, the government will apparently make permanent the takeaway and home delivery of alcohol. Below that, residents of Mississauga are complaining about rats and who wouldn’t? Finally, 70 years later, the jumbo jet era is over.