A ticket holder in Atlantic Canada won Saturday night’s $18.2 million Lotto 649 jackpot. And the draw’s guaranteed $1 million prize went to a lottery player in Quebec. The jackpot for the next Lotto 649 draw on Sept. 16 will be approximately $5 million.

Ontario reported 232 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, marking the second time the province’s daily count has exceeded 200 this week. Sixty-seven percent of Saturday’s cases are in people under the age of 40, a percentage that is similar to that of Friday, according to Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott. CBC

The good news first as we learn that Brampton’s Roberta Battaglia is headed to the finals of America’s Got Talent. Go Roberta. Then, a fearful killing after a brief argument in the parking lot of the Walmart near the St. Clair Ave. stockyards. Crazy. Below that, orange skies over Oregon and northern California as out-of-control fires ravage the countryside. Lastly, Dame Diana Rigg has died in London. Her remarkable career stretched from the Avengers to Game of Thrones.

The owners of a Range Rover Sport SUV have posted about the theft of their vehicle three nights ago. They say it took the thieves 23 seconds at about 11.30 p.m. to start the SUV even though the key fob was inside the house is a supposedly theft-proof bag. The victims live near Bayview Ave. and Airdrie Rd. It seems expensive cars are disappearing off area streets almost nightly despite the best efforts of the police. One member posts this interesting thought:

Check around the neighborhood. Several blocks in all directions. They steal and drop to see if GPS is in vehicle. After a few days they come back and get it if it has not been found

After months in the political spotlight and pointed questions about its role in a summer student grants contract, WE Charity is winding down its operations in Canada. The move comes as the charity — like many other non-profits in this country — faces a cash crunch as donations dip due to the pandemic.

Ill-equipped to deal with political scandal

WE also acknowledges that it found itself in the middle of a political scandal over the student grants contract that it was “ill-equipped” to fight. In a media statement, the charity said the fallout from its failed effort to administer a $912-million contribution agreement on behalf of the federal government has made fundraising difficult and the “financial math for the charity’s future is clear.” CBC

The Amazon goliath has announced several new tech and fulfillment projects and thousands of new jobs, many destined for Toronto and the Golden Horseshoe Area. But there is both skepticism and rancor about the sheer size of Amazon and its impact on independent business.

Fewer tests seem to have resulted in fewer new cases of C-19 in the Wednesday report for the period ended at midnight. There were 149 cases found in 17,600 tests (not a lot). As a result, there’s little to learn about the direction of the provincial second-wave from these results. It’s similar to shadow boxing.

Bogoch notes AstraZeneca trial pause

Dr. Isaac Bogoch, Toronto epidemiologist, notes that the AstraZeneca (Oxford) vaccine trial is now on hold as they investigate a case of transverse myelitis, a spinal condition that may or may not be associated with the vaccine.

Planned PXO-style crosswalk

Moore Ave at Beltline Trail

The office of Mike Layton (Ward 11) says the City will install a form of crosswalk for pedestrians on Moore Ave east of Welland Ave where the Beltline Trail crosses. Work is likely in the Spring of 2021. Many local drivers are already in the habit of stopping for pedestrians and cyclists (dismounted). The traffic on Moore is frequently very heavy as is summer recreational walking along the trail. The installation is described as a new “PXO” type crossing which may or may not have flashing lights.

Mount Pleasant Village BIA flower poles

A call has gone out from the Mount Pleasant Village BIA for 38 artists to each paint one of its 38 decorative poles. The BIA calls the project temporary public art with an expected life-span of one to two years. A clear protective coating will be applied by the BIA in order to help preserve the work. As reported here in July the work will be made possible by a public grant of $33,500. Links to the project description and the call to artists can be found at the BIA Facebook account.

White House Historical Association 2003 Christmas Ornament 8 cm. diameter. $15

This year the organizers of the venerable Awesome Sale are operating the sale through Facebook. They have created an independent page for the purpose. All people have to do to make a purchase is be the first to comment on an item post.

The Ministry of Health reports a two-day total of 375 new cases of C-19 for the period ending at midnight. That’s 190 Sunday and 185 Monday. Of the 375, 108 originated in Toronto and 99 in Peel Region. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is now 159, up from 116 at this point last week and 85 at one point in August. Meanwhile,

“Importance of not screwing this up”

Toronto epidemiologist Isaac Bogoch has tweeted (below) on the agreement among the CEOs of AstraZeneca, BioNTech, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Moderna, Novavax, Pfizer, and Sanofi. They have pledged a historic commitment to uphold the integrity of the scientific process as they work towards potential regulatory filings and approvals of the first COVID-19 vaccines. Dr. Bogoch observes that the companies are major competitors, but “they recognize the importance of not screwing this up”.