A Toronto policeman has shot himself in the hand and leg accidentally while on duty, the TPS reports. The specifics of the accident are not provided by the police. The officer is said to be recovering in hospital. It happened while cops were in the area of Fairview Mall near Don Mills Rd and Sheppard Ave at about 2:45 p.m. Thursday.

Will seek third term

Mayor John Tory has issued a statement Friday saying he intends to run for a third four-year term at the municipal general election in October this year. “I am running for mayor for another term because I believe Toronto needs an experienced leader who will continue to work hard with both the federal and provincial governments to ensure Toronto stays on track and continue to work on making Toronto a more livable and more affordable place to live, to work and build a future,” Mr. Tory said.

Kam Babulal, winner of 2022 Agnes Macphail Award/City of Toronto

Cindy Wilkes shoots 6 a.m. moon

Aileen and Laurie Greeland in Leaside backyard in 1941/Sandi Hunter

Under 11A Wildcat tough guys/Twitter

Zach Edey at Starbucks

Zach helps Boilermakers to 81-71 win over Texas

At the upper left is the most deserving winner of the 2022 Agnes Macphail Award. She is Kam Babulal, a caring woman who has volunteered in countless worthy causes across East York for many years. Hey Kam, thank you. Below that, Leslivillian Cindy Wilkes has snapped a pretty 6 a.m. moon near her home. Then, at the right, Aileen Greenland poses with her artillery officer husband Laurie in their Leaside backyard in 1941. They knew what was coming and faced it with courage. Lower right are two pictures that show Leaside High alumnus Zach Edey outside Starbucks and then helping the Purdue Boilermakers beat Texas Longhorns in the NCAA Tournament. Zach stands 7 feet, 4 inches and is described by one of his teachers as the nicest young man you could meet. Lastly, at lower left, the shining faces of those Leaside Wildcats U11A tough guys described by their coaches as absolutely relentless competitors. We love that kind of grit.

Stormhunter Mark Robinson is based in Toronto

The tick-tick-tick at the window tells of light sleet as our weather morphs from sunny to silly. Thursday is forecast to see 10º C and Sunday it might be below zero.

Mark Saunders

Stephanie Bowman

Former Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders will run as the Progressive Conservative candidate against Liberal newcomer Stephanie Bowman in Don Valley West in the Spring general election. The riding was held against all comers by former Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne. In 2009 she defeated John Tory, then PC leader, when she was still just Education Minister.  Wynne will not seek reelection in June. Ms. Bowman is a long-time financial services executive, management consultant, and board member. Saunders was a career member of the Toronto Police and served as chief from 2015 to 2020. Irwin Elman will represent the NDP. CTV

It’s three weeks since Russia invaded Ukraine and with Putin’s army more or less stalled there’s concern that he might resort to chemical weapons. It hardly seems thinkable but ominously he is accusing others of getting ready to do it. It’s how he justifies his aggression to the Russian people. Tuesday the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Moscow and Ukraine to negotiate an end to the war

How NATO has grown since the fall of USSR

Some say NATO threatens Russia but most of those countries that have sought NATO membership since 1990 did so because they had just been freed from being run by the Kremlin. They don’t want that to happen again.

NDP will “support” the Liberals til 2025

NDP support for a minority Liberal government hardly seems like stop-press news but it’s today’s news. And there will be a reason why the NDP says it will support the Trudeau government. Any guesses about as-yet-unannounced policy?

Halton Hills Fire Service training for rescue calls/Graham Paine GPmedia_24

It’s odds-on that misguided ice fishermen and snowmobilers will court trouble on thin ice at this time of year. Graham Paine caught the Halton Hills Fire Service training for such a possibility on Fairy Lake in Acton.

ICE RESCUE TRAINING: @HaltonHillsFD crews honing their ice/cold water rescue skills — utilizing drysuits and RDC while training out on Fairy Lake #Acton. Remember NO ice is safe, especially this time of year! @ChiefRehill pic.twitter.com/ndmmf5xjdX

— Graham Paine (@GPmedia_24) March 21, 2022

It’s regrettable to see the bitterness in some of the sharp exchanges at the Davisville Parents page about whether kids should be back in the class with or without masks. There are 142 comments so far reflecting pretty much all points of view. FB

Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. and the union representing 3,000 conductors, engineers and train and yard workers say they have agreed to final and binding arbitration to end a work stoppage. Workers will return to the job at noon local time Tuesday. In a statement issued early Tuesday morning, Teamsters Canada Rail Conference spokesperson Dave Fulton said while arbitration was not the preferred method, TCRC was able to negotiate terms and conditions that were in the best interest of its members, with wages and pensions still stumbling blocks.

It’s Day Two of the Teamsters Union national strike against CP Rail. Negotiations have been underway since September. Engineers at CP Rail earn a tidy average annual salary of nearly $120,000.

Students at some high schools say they will walk out of school Monday over the decision to lift the mandatory mask rule. Of course, it’s always fun to walk out of school.

Love those smiles

The government has released specifics of where masks will still be required Monday even after the burdensome Covid requirement heads officially into history. The most widespread continuation will be on the TCC and in taxis and Uber. As well, most health care settings, long-term care and retirement homes, shelters and jails will still require masks. Otherwise, many people will look forward to shopping without a mask. An interesting business angle as masks are discarded is the mask manufacturing business. During the pandemic, it blossomed into both a gigantic mass-production industry as well as countless boutique firms.