6351 Steeles Ave East at Tapscott

Amazon says it will hire people to fill more than 600 jobs at its planned Scarborough fulfillment centre. According to a news release Monday, the one million sq. ft. facility will be Amazon’s twelfth fulfillment centre in Canada, and seventh in Ontario joining others in Brampton, Mississauga, Milton, Caledon, and Ottawa. It will be built at 6351 Steeles Avenue E at Tapscott Rd. Amazon currently employs more than 4,000 full-time associates in Ontario, and an additional 1,000 employees at its two Toronto tech hub locations, states the release.

Woman watches police work from balcony of her home/Catherine McDonald Global News

Bin with possible or suspected human remains is covered with sheltering tarpaulin /Catherine McDonald Global News

Police are carefully examining the contents of a garbage bin at a condo at 105 Harrison Gardens Blvd northeast of Highway 401 and Yonge St. Monday where the superintendent found what appears to be a human leg. Catherine McDonald of Global News is reporting that the chutes from each floor have now been taped shut and police have placed a tarpaulin tent over the bin as they continue to inspect it. CP24 says that it spoke to a woman named Mona Low, who was in the area when the discovery was made. She said she saw three men sitting near the dumpsters this morning. “One of them looked like he had been crying. And he was being consoled by a person,” she said.

Bin in question with what appears to be knee showing above the rim/City News capture

The coroner is now on scene. Officers are inspecting a number of dumpsters including the black on in particular which appears to be where the possible human remains were found behind 105 Harrison Garden Blvd. People are shocked. This area rarely sees any @TorontoPolice activity pic.twitter.com/qP2baC6cX1

— Catherine McDonald (@cmcdonaldglobal) September 23, 2019

A long thread related to the dying planet and how mere humans can confront (or not) that profound question leads off the Leaside Community Facebook account this sunny Monday. Meanwhile in New York, child environmental activist Greta Thunberg has unleashed a fairly bitter attack on her elders about the climate at the UN.

This CBC story recounts the Interac transfer theft of “almost $64,000 from 56 people with accounts at TD, CIBC, Royal Bank, Scotiabank, Tangerine, Simplii, HSBC, Assiniboine Credit Union and Kawartha Credit Union.”  The cash may be stolen, it seems, by anyone with an Interac account who has obtained access to the recipient’s mail by gaining the password. The thief must then crack the security question asked of the recipient. Sometimes this will be colossally easy.

Does Interac identity matter?

A question like “Your name in five letters” for a victim named Peter makes it simple. Readers may be shocked to learn that the Interac identity of the recipient apparently doesn’t matter. The story suggests that the cash transfer will go to anyone with an account at any of dozens of institutions regardless of the many ways in which your bank identifies you. Nonetheless, it seems likely that insider knowledge might be required to make such a theft. And the thief has to get to the mail before the proper owner.

Wobbly finances for decades/Thomas Cook

Planes being impounded as they land/Thomas Cook

Suspended operations/Airline Geeks

Thomas Cook, the world’s oldest travel agent, has finally collapsed after failing to secure rescue funding. It means travel bookings for its more than 600,000 global vacationers were cancelled early Monday. The UK government said the return of the firm’s 150,000 British customers now abroad would be the largest repatriation in its peacetime history. The process is set to begin later Monday.

Don’t just book it, Thomas Cook it

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said Thomas Cook, a firm that is 178 years old, has ceased trading, its four airlines will be grounded and its 21,000 employees in 16 countries, including 9,000 in the UK, will lose their jobs. The company has wobbled on the edge of insolvency for years but was always able to carry on with its happy advice: “Don’t just book it, Thomas Cook it.”

The Leaside Property Owners’ Association‘s federal election candidates debate for those running in Don Valley West is set for Monday evening (September 23). Doors open at the Leaside Memorial Gardens at 7 p.m.  Five candidates are confirmed.

• Amanda Kistindey, Green
• Laurel MacDowell, NDP
• Rob Oliphant, Liberal
• Ian Prittie, People’s Party
• Yvonne Robertson, Conservative

Loblaws on Redway

The new Starbuck’s coffee bar will open Monday at Loblaws on Redway Rd. It’s located at the east end of the store beside the produce department and opposite the pharmacy. This location appears to be another of Starbuck’s franchise locations similar to that at Longo’s just up Laird Dr. in the Leaside Village centre. Unlike Starbuck’s street locations, the employees are hired not by Starbuck’s but rather the store in question. The cash goes to the franchisee, in this case, Loblaws. But the coffee, espresso and creamy concoctions are indistinguishable from those at any other Starbuck’s.

Broadview Bakery and Deli at 728 Queen St. E, had been in business for 30 years

There’s much grief among residents and a good deal of anger over the closure of Broadview Bakery and Deli, a long-time favorite at 728 Queen St. East. The Leslieville Facebook page has a long thread of comment. The reason for the closure is a reported doubling of the rent. No amounts are stated but all of historic lower Broadview Ave. and Queen is undergoing what some might call gentrification. The resurrection of the Broadview Hotel at the corner in 2017 will have pushed up both values and rents.

• Broadview Hotel nears completion as a boutique hostelry
• Strip club no more, classy Broadview Hotel opens Thursday

Michael Pirovolakis, 18 months/Evan Matsui CBC

This CBC report chronicles the moving story of Terry and Georgia Pirovolakis as they battle against time and a rare genetic disorder called SPG50 to save their son Michael, 18 months. The hereditary spastic paraplegia will eventually rob Michael of all functions in his arms, legs and brain. Since Michael was diagnosed in April, lawns across East York and Leaside have seen a mushrooming of signs asking for help. The family is trying to raise $3 million, the staggering price of specialized gene therapy to cure Michael. A Go Fund Me campaign has already raised $684,000.

There was no winning ticket for the $9 million jackpot in Saturday night’s Lotto 649 draw. However, the guaranteed $1 million prize went to a ticket holder in Ontario. The jackpot for the next Lotto 649 draw on Sept 25 will be approximately $11 million.