Nomination day dawns over South Bayview today (Friday September 12, 2014) with what looks like safe races for the sitting councillors in Wards 22 and 25. Both Josh Matlow (22) and Jaye Robinson (25) have what appear to be unassailable positions. Mr. Matlow is known for an energetic stewardship of his ward in which few issues do not deserve his personal attention. In Ward 16, there is what appears to be a wide-open race in which 15 candidates will try to take the district now held by Karen Stintz. In Ward 26, two-time incumbent John Parker will try to hold off a second challenge from Jon Burnside, the candidate who came within 400 votes of winning in 2010.  Parker is also challenged by David Sparrow. In 2010, the vote was split three ways between Mr. Parker, Mr Burnside and a third candidate, Mohamed Dhanani, who is not running this time. In Ward 27 , Kristyn Wong-Tam will face a field of ten candidates as she attempts to nail down a second term. In 2010, she squeaked through with merely 28 percent of the vote in a field of 15 candidates. For many people who live in parts of Rosedale, Moore Park and Summerhill, Ms Wong-Tam’s tenure represents the embodiment of a cultural canyon dividing the ward. Many ratepayers question her judgement as seen in efforts to rezone a lot on Molson Street against fierce local resistance. The councillor also spearheads Open Streets, a project seen by some as illusory. In 2010, Ken Chan, a former policeman came within 450 votes in the large field. Both Ms Wong-Tam and Mr. Chan were declared LGBT candidates.

Doctors at  Mount Sinai Hospital have conducted a biopsy on the tumour in Mayor’s Ford’s abdomen. But it will take about a week for them to analyse the results and make a firm diagnosis. Colorectal expert Dr. Zane Cohen told the media Thursday evening that there was very little he could tell them.  “Today we did a CT scan and biopsy of the mass in the abdomen,” he said. “We also did a CT scan of the chest and an ultrasound examination.”   Mr. Ford will undergo an MRI on Friday and a team of medical experts will meet to “decide the next steps.” “He is resting comfortably,” Dr. Cohen said. “He has some pain. We are giving him some pain medication for that. He is surrounded by family members and that’s about it. Not much more than what you heard last night. We are still in a holding pattern.”

Mayor Ford was transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital from Humber River Hospital about 1 p.m. today (Thursday, September 11, 2014). Following the mayor’s reported illness, it seemed certain he would be transferred to a downtown hospital.  Mont Sinai is a world-renowned centre for the practice of internal medicine. As reported earlier, doctors say they have found a “not small” tumour in mayor’s lower left abdomen. The challenge of diagnosis awaits the very best medical minds. With word of a news conference this evening, it appears that doctors may know by now whether the tumour is malignant. Meanwhile, tomorrow is nomination day for the general election. Candidates must act by 2 p.m. Friday, September 12, 2014 if they wish to withdraw or enter a name. If the mayor’s name is not withdrawn, he will appear on the ballot.  Quite apart from whether he is well enough to return to the campaign, His presence on the ballot will attract votes. There has been a notable idea or two from the media about the mayor’s illness. One columnist said the campaign should be temporarily suspended.  Most people seem to have rejected this idea.  The most elemental exercise of democracy — an election — is seldom altered by the illness of political leaders, however sad such things may be.  Robyn Doolittle of the Toronto Star seemed to think that the mayor’s illness made it “difficult” for other candidates to pursue their campaigns. This also seems a little curious. The other candidates owe Mr. Ford their best wishes, not a blackout on the issues. 

The 14th Annual Bayview Art Tour and Sale is scheduled for the weekend of October 4 and 5, 2014. This ambitious annual event sees local artists exhibiting at a variety of venues through the South Bayview neighborhoods. The locations are marked by yellow balloons. The Bayview Art Tour (known as BAT) runs between noon and 5 p.m. each day. Website 

The latest polling in Scotland suggests that 53 per cent of the more than four million residents are opposed to separating from the United Kingdom. If so, it will be a blessing for that country as a multitude of divisive issues awaits a so-called independent Scotland. The Mail Online says that a record 4,285,323 Scots have registered to vote, a number pushing towards 97 percent of electors. There is worry about everything from who owns the energy, to the future of the pound, revenue transfers to Scotland from London and Scottish access to the EU if the Yes side wins. Recent days have seen polls which suggested sentiment in the tiny land had turned in favour of independence. Scotland is a nation which sometimes seems to have peopled the world during the expansion of English settlement in North America and elsewhere. Fears have grown that it might languish like Slovakia did after the abrupt dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993. The vote is a week today on September 18, 2014.  Mailonline. 

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation says it will  spend $50 million US to support the emergency response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, marking the group’s largest donation to a humanitarian effort. “It became clear to us over the last seven to 10 days that the pace and scope of the epidemic was increasing significantly,” Chris Elias, president of global development for the world’s largest charitable foundation, told The Associated Press.