Per Ardua Ad Astra — Through Adversity to the Stars

Captain Jennifer Casey

Route of memorial flight around Halifax

Family, colleagues, friends and citizens of Halifax paid a sombre tribute to Captain Jennifer Casey Wednesday. She was a hometown girl who had made many people proud. Halifax artist Peter Robichaud created the painting at the left as a gift to the Casey family. It’s titled Ad Astra (to the stars) recalling the RCAF motto Per Ardua Ad Astra (Through Adversity to the Stars). Statement on behalf of Captain Jennifer Casey’s Family

Road closures were established on Soudan Ave between Yonge St. and Holly St. Wednesday afternoon because of what was called a “struck gas line.” Traffic was advised to avoid the area.

Masked heroes of emergency food drive are left to right lyas Mullah Bhai from the Thorncliffe Mosque, Aamir Sukhera from TNO, Darryn Everett and Mike Zivot from Leaside Dads

The Neighourhood Organization (TNO) has collaborated with residents and friends of Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park to raise as much as $12,300 (to date) for emergency food for area families unemployed because of COVID-19. The principal source is a community GoFundMe page started by the Leaside Toy Drive (also known as Guys Night Out). CBC

• Team Toy Drive Supporting Thorncliffe Food Drive

The City will again close roads this coming weekend as an opportunity for outdoor activity. Among the closures will be parts of the Bayview Ave. Extension. A related excerpt from the news release is below.

The following three major road closures are planned this weekend from Saturday, May 23 at 6 a.m. until Sunday, May 24 at 11 p.m.:

• Lake Shore Boulevard West (eastbound lanes only) from Windermere Avenue to Stadium Road. The eastbound Gardiner Expressway off ramp to Lake Shore Boulevard West (exit #146) will also be closed
• Lake Shore Boulevard East (eastbound lanes only) from Coxwell Avenue to just south of Woodbine Avenue (Kew Beach Avenue)
• Bayview Avenue from Mill Street to Rosedale Valley Road, and River Street from Gerrard Street East to Bayview Avenue.

The City will actively manage traffic during these closures through signal timing adjustments on adjacent routes, as well as roadway signage to alert drivers. Motorists who normally travel these roads on weekends should plan alternate routes. Those expecting to use the major road closures to cycle, run or walk should access them by bike or as a pedestrian, since nearby parking is limited and site parking is not provided

The Ministry of Health reported 390 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, a slight decline over the 427 cases reported Tuesday. The past ten days has seen overnight results of the virus spread continue in the 400 range. The promise of a downward break similar to that seen May 9 (294 cases) has faded. Authorities can only guess at when and if such a break is likely to come. And as noted here Tuesday, there remains no explanation for the dramatic fall in the number of tests being done daily. The current Ministry report shows slightly less than 7,400 tests compared to a high of more than 19,000 in recent weeks.

Sun writer Joe Warmington has taken a walk along The Bulldog’s namesake street as shops reopen. It’s hardly been nicer than on this sunny Wednesday. Why not take a look.

Albino raccoon

What appears to be an albino raccoon has been sighted by Joshua Patrick who is reported to live in Leaside.

Unusual critter seen locally

Pen pals meet up online from home. They are students at Rolph Road Elementary School and Grenoble Public School/CBC

The pen pal project is the idea of two Grade Three teachers in Leaside and Flemingdon Park. They are Anthony Cushman at Rolph Road Elementary School in Leaside and Angie Massos at Grenoble Public School at 9 Grenoble Drive in Flemingdon Park. CBC

The City of Toronto has opened its more than 70 dog off-leash areas Tuesday in response to provincial relaxation of emergency measure to deal with COVID-19.  Dog owners are expected to practise physical distancing. Signs will remind dog owners of this. The required space between people is two metres or six feet.

Nasty tangle at Queen St. E. and Carlaw Ave.

Michelle Lindo has posted some graphic photos of an SUV jammed up against the wall of the Shoppers Drug Mart at 970 Queen St. E at Carlaw Ave. Tuesday morning. The driver took out a seating bench that fortunately was empty at the time. Police are investigating. FB

Smashed bench outside Shoppers Drug Mart

The Ministry of Health said Tuesday new COVID-19 cases in the province spiked to 427 overnight. Remarkably, Tuesday’s statement shows that testing fell to a recent low with only 5,813 cases done. In recent days, the province has seen close to 20,000 tests done per day and has suggested that Ontario’s emergency posture can ensure that number each day. It’s unknown why testing is dropping. Ministry

The US biotech firm Moderna, Inc. of Cambridge, Massachusetts, has issued preliminary information stating that its work-in-progress COVID-19 vaccine is showing exciting effectiveness. More detail below in a later report from CNBC.

Iceberg season is at its peak as seen by this remarkable photo taken at Ferryland, Newfoundland New

Travel to see the annual parade of icebergs down the east coast of Newfoundland is restricted this year because of COVID-19. But this photo posted by Ben Officer CD@benofficer gives us a view of one breathtaking berg as it passes a home at Ferryland, Newfoundland in 2017. It’s said that most of the icebergs seen off Newfoundland and Labrador come from the glaciers of western Greenland, while the rest come from glaciers in Canada’s Arctic. Their sheer size is stunning and of course 90 percent of it is below the water. Woe betide careless sailors like the captain of the Titanic.