Churrasco Chicken

Fire personnel work down dark lane to reach fire on roof/Bulldog

Toronto Fire has extinguished a fire Friday night on or under the roof of Churrasco Chicken at 254 Eglinton Ave at Mt Pleasant Rd. Many units responded to the two-alarm fire. Personnel had to access the fire from a lane off Mt. Pleasant between the construction site of the new LRT station and the Roehampton Hotel. Mt. Pleasant was closed from Soudan Ave to Roehampton Ave for about three hours but has now reopened. The 34 Eglinton East bus detoured via Redpath Ave, Soudan Ave and Forman Ave.

Need a bus?/Marla Waltman from her porch

The Ontario Auditor-General says the government is using a previously little-used land-planning tool to fast-track development and circumvent normal planning processes. An audit by Bonnie Lysyk’s office released Wednesday said the government issued 44 Minister’s Zoning Orders between March 2019 and March 2021, when in the past, about one was issued per year. In 2017 and 2018, there were none. The report said that 17 of the 44 orders were issued to the same seven development groups or companies. Canadian Press at CP24

The City of London, Ontario is reeling in shock and heartbreak after an out-of-control car mounted a sidewalk and struck a group of Girl guides, killing one eight-year-old.

Raymond Gork

Ray Gork and family

Services were held Sunday at noon at the Steeles Memorial Chapel for long-time Bayview hardware merchant Ray Gork. He died Friday, November 26 at home. A very moving obituary is published on the Steeles website.

Do you know him?

A man, 36, was knocked onto the tracks and hit by a train at the Yonge-Bloor subway station last Friday during a freak pushing incident with another man. The victim is said to be recovering. It began when he apparently bumped into the man while carrying a large box. The suspect is described as 6’0″, with a slim build, and light brown hair. He was wearing a black coat, light brown hoodie with the hood up, black pants, grey running shoes, and carrying a blue backpack with a floral pattern. Call (416) 808-5100.

A startling number of Canadians now say this country should cease to be a constitutional monarchy. But, as seen in this CBC report, there is reason to worry about what the country might do as an alternative. Like, make one person both the prime minister and president. That’s been known as a recipe for monarchical rule by a politician.

Harassed Ontario MD says anti-vaxers don’t have enough to do

Dr Gretchen Roedde is quitting her Timiskaming practice after anti-vaxers launched a harassment campaign against her. Dr. Roedde concludes that such people really don’t have enough to do. Wise words.

Michigan governor calls gun killings “a uniquely American problem”

Another horrifying shooting at a US school. Three kids are dead and many injured after a boy brought his father’s gun to school. The governor of Michigan choked up at she dealt with the truth. Such mad killings are a result of the unique American constitutional right to walk around with a firearm in your pocket.

EV charging station

The Ontario government says it will install electric vehicle charging stations at most ONroute rest stops in Ontario by this summer. A release Wednesday says 17 ONroute locations will be open in time for the good weather with another three ONroute locations opening before the end of 2022. The pay-per-use charging stations will be installed by Hydro One and Ontario Power Generation’s joint network called Ivy, and won’t involve direct funding from the provincial government itself.

Can I help you?

Happy Hanukkah

Jessica Angelevski

Acknowledging support

Maybe wear pants anyway

The chilly weather has inspired some extra warmth at Loblaws these days. Have you noticed how you just have to have a quizzical look to be asked by staff “can I help you?” Nice addition to the orange floors. Then, upper right, Don Valley West MP Rob Oliphant is joined by a representative of Chabad at 2437 Bayview Ave to offer Hannukkah good wishes. Below that is Jessica Angelevski. She’s the 2021 valedictorian at the Davisville Campus of the Toronto Film School. Nice going, Jessica. Lower left is an acknowledgment of Geoff Kettel’s support of Arlena Hebert‘s bid for the Liberal nomination in Eglinton-Lawrence. Lastly, goofy fun is on offer Thursday night in an important cause.

Testing the Eglinton LRT

Metrolinx has again told local media that the Eglinton LRT may not be open in 2022. In a statement to Daily Hive, Metrolinx said it was “working diligently with our contractor to get it substantially completed by the end of 2022″, leaving open the possibility of a 2023 kickoff for ridership. Prior to this, plans for the Eglinton Crosstown had called for it to be operational at some point in 2022 — a date that had already been pushed from the originally scheduled 2020.

METROLINX TIMELAPSE VIDEO

Laird Station back to the Eglinton Maintenance and Storage Facility (EMSF)

More:
https://blog.metrolinx.com/2021/11/30/see-time-lapse-video-of-crosstown-light-rail-vehicles-moving-along-toronto-route/

Ontario MOH Kieran Moore speaks about cases of Omicron discovered in two people arriving at Montreal airport from Nigeria and then moving to their homes in Ottawa.

South African doctor says Omicron “mild” so far

Meanwhile, Dr. Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association and a member of South Africa’s vaccine advisory committee tells the CBC that so far, the symptoms of Omicron appear mild.

Lawton at Yonge

Contains unknown drug

Two men have died Sunday at a house party near Yonge St and Lawton Blvd in Deer Park after taking an apparently unknown drug. This occurred Sunday and Toronto police have issued a general warning as well as a photo of the packaged substance. The victims were 53 and 33 years of age.

Highwat 404 at 19th Avenue in York Region

A woman, 27, has been hospitalized with serious injuries Sunday after she lost control of her car. It slid into a tow truck waiting to service an earlier accident on Highway 404 at 19th Street in York Region. OPP say the road was wet with poor visibility because of the snow.