The Bulldog

Saunders (PC) vs Bowman (Lib) battle in Don Valley West

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

Putin claim Ukraine has chemical arms hints he’ll use them

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?

Time of the year for ice rescue training seen here at Acton

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.

CP Rail train employees back to work Tues after arbitration

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.

Smile! Monday sees the end of most masking across Ontario

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.

Ukraine summary with focus on Xi and Biden two-hour talk

White House backroom boys must have had a snicker or two when President Xi of China told Joe Biden that sanctions against China would only hurt people. No doubt the bombs and rockets now raining down on Ukraine are doing the same. The two men talked for two hours Friday. They are said to have agreed that peace in that democratic country would be a good thing. In the meantime, civilian men in Odessa are learning how to shoot at Russians.

Summerhill Market to make new site after US ransom-hack

Summerhill Market intends to carry on with a new online presentation after the firm was ransom-hacked by jerks in Chicago of all places. Typical of self-satisfied Internet criminals, the hackers presented their demand in a cutesy yet derisive way. “Oh dear,” they chirp. “We have your Instagram account and we will give it back for $600”. In fact, the grocer paid the $600 but was then told to pay another $400. It refused and will simply abandon the hacked site replacing it with a new one.

Woman pedestrian, 78, hurt in collision on Thorncliffe Park

A woman pedestrian aged 78 has been struck by a vehicle and badly injured on the western stretch of Thorncliffe Park Drive east of Overlea Blvd Wednesday evening at about 7.30. The circumstances as outlined are unclear. The driver, 22, remained at the scene. Police are asking residents, businesses and drivers, who may have security or dash-camera footage of the area or incident, to contact investigators.