The arrest Saturday of Andrew Cardiazo Esguerra, 28, at a residence near Oakwood Ave and Vaughan Rd also resulted in the recovery of much loot stolen over the summer from apartment and condo lockers. Now police at 14 Division are inviting those who may have lost such items to call the Major Crime Unit there to identify their property. The number is (416) 808-1400. The items recovered include sports memorabilia, coins, stamp collections, comic book collections, posters, video games, tools, jewelry, boxed model cars and various other collectibles. The loot may have a value of as much as $200,000.

Contract talks between the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the provincial government continue Sunday at the Sheraton Centre Hotel at 123 Queen West. The threat of a province-wide strike by Ontario education workers looms for Monday morning.

There was no winning ticket for the $21.8 million jackpot in Saturday night’s Lotto 6/49 draw. However, the guaranteed $1 million prize went to a ticket holder in Quebec. Another ticket sold in Quebec and one in Saskatoon matched five of the six winning numbers plus the bonus to claim $150,552 each. The jackpot for the next Lotto 6/49 draw on Oct. 9 will be approximately $25 million.

Debra Kuchme introduces young friend to animated pony Butterscotch outside Pagnello’s Antiques/Bulldog

Here are Pumpkin and Nina (in red) with friends on sunny Saturday/Bulldog

Pumpkin and Apple — yeah/Bulldog

Penne Pomodoro tasting at Tutto Pronto/Bulldog

Suggestions for face painting outside Bonnie Byford Real Estate/Bulldog

Beautiful baskets at MacFab/Bulldog

Delightful Betty Loo Photo Booth/Bulldog

Strongbow Cider tasting at McSorley’s/Bulldog

It was a lovely day Saturday for the Bayview Leaside BIA Apple Fest event and there was lots of entertaining activity for shoppers. Also Saturday, thousands turned out for the Leaside Block Party (below) sponsored by the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital

Tennis court was converted to a basketball court for Holland Bloor patients/Bulldog

Andy Elder and daughter Sarah cooked hundreds of burgers to assist the charity event/Bulldog

Nuit Blanche launches another stay-up-late large-form art show in seven neighborhoods across Toronto starting Saturday at 7 p.m. It’s the 14th annual Nuit Blanche.

The $65 million jackpot up for grabs in Friday’s Lotto Max draw was won by a ticket selection sold in The Prairies. In addition, 1 Maxmillions (one-million-dollar prize) was won thanks to a selection sold in Ontario. The jackpot at the next Lotto Max draw to be held on Tuesday, October 8, will be worth approximately $17 million.

Montreal family wins $37 million jackpot

The September 30 Lotto Max jackpot worth $37,499,701 was won by four members of a three-generation family. Johanne Leblond, Guy Leblond, Patrick Lamothe and Yanick Lamothe-Leblond from Montréal took home the prize.

Montreal parents have applied to begin a class-action suit against the makers of Fornite, the video game that has swallowed a generation. We shall see. Then, the Toronto Symphony will play the music of Star Wars this weekend. Lots of fun. Below that, recordings of Robert De Niro in an angry tirade to his one-time assistant. She’s suing him for harassment. You talking to me? Finally, Prince Harry is suing several British tabloids for breaking into his voice mail when he was younger. Sounds like a dish of revenge served cold.

Update – @TPS55Div. Road closure – southbound still closed on O'Connor Drive from Northline Road to Sunrise Avenue. Northbound is open. Avoid the area. #GO1913243 ^CdK

— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) October 4, 2019

Coming to a street near you/Toronto Star

Mayor Tory and Councillor Pasternak (Ward 6) have unveiled Council’s elaborate Queen Street Towing Pilot. It begins Monday and will see vehicles towed off of Queen St. all the way from the Beaches to Roncesvalles for six to eight weeks during afternoon rush hour. Here is the release:

The pilot location is Queen Street between Fallingbrook Road (to the east) and Roncesvalles Avenue (to the west). Tow trucks will relocate vehicles that are illegally parked along Queen Street to designated side streets (Cameron Street, Ryerson Avenue, Michael Sweet Avenue and Stephanie Street) or move them to other no parking/open locations.

Police pounds are located outside of the downtown area, requiring up to 90 minutes for a tow truck to move one illegally parked vehicle and then return for others. It’s expected that this pilot will result in shorter tow truck response times and contribute to fewer delays along Queen Street.

Drivers of vehicles that are relocated/towed from Queen Street during the pilot period will receive a parking violation notice but the towing fee will be waived.

In 2018, almost 11,000 parking/stopping violations were issued and approximately 2,400 vehicles were towed during the rush hour period on Queen Street. Police identified the afternoon rush period on Queen Street as particularly challenging due to cars parking and stopping illegally. Each day, approximately 45 tickets are written and 10 vehicles are towed on Queen Street.

If successful, City staff and police would explore opportunities to run this program during morning and afternoon rush hour periods on other routes. Feedback and data gathered from the pilot may also inform future congestion strategies, including updates to the City of Toronto’s Congestion Management Plan.

Peter Wittek

Skilled mountaineer

Mount Trisul

Authorities in India continue to search for University of Toronto assistant professor Peter Wittek, 37, apparently swallowed up by an avalanche while in his tent during an expedition to Mount Trisul in the Himalayas. Friends say Mr. Wittek was lost in the avalanche around 7 p.m. Sunday. Wittek, a Hungarian national, has been an assistant professor at the U of T since 2018. He is considered one of the world’s leading experts in quantum-enhanced machine learning and artificial intelligence. CBC

The vicious practice of ransom attacks against corporate computers has hit Michael Garran Hospital on Coxwell Ave. where they’re now working in the ER without computers. It’s despicable. In Scotland, the legislature has abolished any and all excuses for using corporal discipline (smacking) on children. It’s still allowed in many places including Canada but with conditions. Below that, two people have died in a car-truck collision in Port Perry and parents are weighing the looming new burden that will hit home if CUPE workers strike Monday.