Public-spirited anchor of CTV News

To retire January 6

As seen in an early 1980s broadcast

Ken Shaw will retire from his long-time anchor position on the CTV Toronto 6 p.m. newscast on Monday. January 6. He has been employed as a reporter and anchor with CTV and previously with CFTO-TV Limited since 1979. He became known early in his anchoring career as a committed servant of the community, involving himself daily in charitable and public-spirited endeavors. While announcing his decision during Friday evening’s six o’clock newscast, Ken Shaw thanked viewers across the City and province. “There have been so many changes over the decades and I’ve been privileged to have a front-row seat for all of them,” he said. “I’m so thankful for the trust viewers put in our team to document the stories of their lives. Although I’m leaving the day-to-day duties of the anchor desk, I’m excited to work on a number of special projects at CTV News.” CTV

Two British pilots have landed back in the UK after flying around the world in a newly restored Silver Spitfire. Steve Brooks, 58, from Burford, Oxfordshire, and Matt Jones, 45, from Exeter, Devon, took four months to circumnavigate the globe in the first trip of its kind in a Spitfire, which involved stopping off at 100 locations in 30 countries. The project, called Silver Spitfire – The Longest Flight, started and finished at Goodwood Airport the base of Boultbee Flight Academy in Sussex. It’s the first-ever school for Spitfire pilots. Facebook

Leaside car break-ins continue even in the snow as a woman reports on Leaside Community Facebook Friday. This occurred near Donlea Drive and Laird Drive. FB

Westbound QEW at Dorval Rd/Jeremy Cohn @JeremyCohnTV

A woman who was reported dead in fact remains on life support in hospital, OPP report. She was struck by a large truck while on foot after apparently leaving her car on the QEW near Dorval Rd. at Oakville. OPP were called to the scene about 10 p.m. Thursday night near Dorval Road. It’s unclear why the pedestrian was on the highway although speculation will run to possible car trouble. The truck driver remained on the scene and is cooperating with police.

What talent will be revealed Friday at Lawrence Park Community Church?/Crescendo Competitions

Andy Elder gives name to Amsterdam brew/Grill Time

Profusion of poinsettias/Bulldog

No turns out of Moore Park/Bulldog

Pancake Breakfast is Saturday

Davisville Public School in the snow/DPS

At the upper left, Friday will see many aspiring musicians trying out for the Crescendo International Competition auditions at Lawrence Park Community Church at 2180 Bayview Ave at Dawlish Ave. Crescendo is an international volunteer agency dedicated to finding and helping talented musicians. Upper right, Andy Elder, congenial owner of Grill Time meats on Laird Drive, is the inspiration for Amsterdam Brewery’s new Elder Ale. It’s on tap at Amsterdam’s Barrel House in Leaside Village during Steak Fest until December 29. The steaks are from Grill Time. Below that is a profusion of poinsettias in many colours including scarlet, pink, fuschia and white. See them at Longo’s on Laird.

Enforcing rush hour no turns in Moore Park

Centre-left we see the 53 Division gang at work Wednesday evening enforcing the evening rush-hour no right turn from Welland Ave. onto Moore Ave. Frankly, it seemed rather dangerous as cyclists, trucks, buses and (on this night) ambulances competed for limited pavement. Centre-right, a reminder about the Manor Road United Church Pancake Breakfast coming up Saturday morning. It’s always a great family event.  At the bottom, fun in the snow for Davisville Public School kids in the second year at their temporary home on Vaughan Rd. It will be 2021 before the school returns to its new Davisville/Millwood home.

A large barn at Brooks Farm, a popular family destination in Mount Albert, has burned to the ground. No one was hurt in the conflagration. It started late Wednesday afternoon and members of the Brooks family posting news and video to Facebook about the misfortune. Paul Brooks told Star reporter Miriam Lafontaine that he realized the barn was in flames while he was making supper for his two children, ages 7 and 8, around 5 p.m. “No sleep,” Brooks told Lafontaine early Thursday morning. “I’m fifth generation here, and my kids are sixth, so it’s been an emotional roller coaster losing so many valuable things to us.” The Mount Albert farm he runs with his wife, Kelly, is known for its fruit picking, maple sugar festival and market visited by locals in the area. The barn that burned down was a 150-year-old “party barn” used for storage.

Bombardier has announced it will build jetliners at a new facility to be built at Toronto International Airport. It’s a good thing and cynics will no doubt see the hand of controlling owner Airbus in the decision to get down to serious business in Canada’s commercial capital. Then, complaints about Air Canada’s inaccessibility to ordinary passengers. It’s not new. The national carrier has been hiding from ordinary customers since the onset of the Internet Age. Below that, food prices are forecast to rise. Everyone from farmers to distributors to retailers are likely to find a reason. Finally, it is 75 years since Canadian soldiers entered Ravenna on their hard-fought march up the Italian boot against the retreating German army.

Leaside Guys Night out at the Leaside Pub Thursday evening

Guys Night principals Jeff Hohner, David Skelly, Don Bates, Ed Wong, Daryn Everett last year

Calling all Leaside guys and good souls who want to make Christmas brighter for kids who may not have that much to celebrate. The annual Leaside Guys Night Out invites you to the Leaside Pub on Laird Drive Thursday evening. Take a look at the exciting time planned.

• Guys Night Out evening will deliver a toy to 4,500 children

Police in Hamilton say a boy of 16 has run amok with a knife in a home in an east-mountain neighborhood injuring a 22-month[-old infant, threatening others and then barricading himself all day inside the home. The occupants escaped and in the video above, the next-door resident and her daughter tell of the mother and child banging on their door in the middle of the night. Police are refusing to identify anyone in this unhappy occurrence.

Big shooters like Prime Minister Johnson and President Macron are seen giggling and gossiping apparently about President Trump. Many will say who cares but for what it’s worth, the Canadian prime minister supposedly mocked the US leader. Not much is clearly heard on the video but the body language is delicious. Old ladies will feel refined looking at these guys. Here are some of the comments posted to the City News site before copyright complaints caused it to be pulled down.

• Trump just called him 2 face. One white. One black.
• Not the kind of professional that I would want representing me in…. Anything.
• Liberals never learn. Trudeau loves to put his foot in his mouth and Canadians pay for it.
• Trump 2020 and Gitmo4Trudeau
• A child among men. Trudeau is a beta male.
• After the daily bile Trump spews, this is somehow a thing?? Pathetic. Move on media, nothing to see here.
• What was so wrong about this conversation again? Is it because Trudeau was mocking Trump for taking too long of a press conference? What’s wrong with that? Grow up everybody. Move on.
• Such a disgrace, Trudeau looks like a high school dude bro gossiping, and look at his face expression. He is trying so hard to impress the other leaders. I can’t facepalm hard enough.

Toronto home sales in November rose 14.2 percent from a year ago while home prices saw their strongest growth for the year. The Toronto Real Estate Board says there were 7,090 home sales in the month as sales rose in all major market segments. The board says strong population growth and declining mortgage rates helped push up sales and competition between buyers. Sales rose as listings continued to drop, with new listings down 17.9 percent year-over-year and active listings down 27.2 percent — Canadian Press