Police say several cars were destroyed by fire in the parking lot of Woodbine Racetrack early Friday and the cause appears to be arson. As many.as six cars were on fire when the fire service arrived.
Toronto fire inspectors will be conducting a safety blitz at so-called escape rooms in the wake of the death of five teen girls in an escape in Poland. Reports Friday say as well that there was a fire Christmas Day at an escape room near Yonge and Gould Sts. That fire did not result in any injuries but caused thousands of dollars in damages, according to TFS. These incidents have revealed that escape rooms are not required to be licenced and more importantly are not required to undergo any annual inspections under the fire code. A fire service deputy said the rooms exist if a regulatory grey zone. Five girls, 15, die in locked “Escape Room” fire in Poland
Faces, faces. The lady at left is part of a new mural in Westchester, New York which is giving locals the chills. She is so creepy. At centre, that would be Mackenzie Bezos, quarter-century wife of Amazon CEO Jeff. Because she has been with him for so long, Mac will get more than a quarter of everything when they divorce. There was no pre-nup when the two of them were young lovers. Wow. Finally, at right, that’s Charlotte Bouchard of the Bouchard sisters. Today she was in court to face a man who has harassed her via her Twitter account.
The Ontario Lottery Corporation says that nine co-workers from a Guelph auto parts manufacturer have quit their jobs after winning a $60-million Lotto Max jackpot. The workers range in age from 21 to 57 years and only been buying tickets together for a few months at Guelph’s Linemar Corporation. “We’re a very close line –- closer than any of the other lines,” group leader Ala Hirmiz said in an OLG press release. “We always talk and joke and celebrate each other’s birthdays. And now we get to celebrate this unbelievable win together!” “We only play if it’s $50[M] plus – we want the big one, we don’t want the small one,” Hirmiz laughed. “I almost didn’t hand over my $5 when it was time to buy our ticket,” group member, Mercedes Granadino said. “But I had this sixth sense, like some spirit sitting on my shoulder telling me to play!” The winners are Ala Hirmiz of Kitchener, Fernando Meneses of Guelph, Bassam Abdi of Kitchener, Ella Nicole Cabrera of Guelph, Mercedes Granadino of Guelph, Mussie Kelete of Guelph, Sampath Pathiraja Mudiyansel of Guelph, Steven Rush of Guelph and Tariku Birru of Guelph Release
A Calgary nurse Donna Maxwell is embarked on what might well be life-long task of identifying with photos and stories the many hundreds of Canada’s World War II dead in Western Europe. This work, coined A Face to Every Name project, caused her to write recently to Leaside resident Richard Byford. She asked if Mr. Byford was acquainted with the late Agnes Byford, who is shown in records as the sister of Private James McDonnell of the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment. Pvt. McDonnell died in Holland a mere three weeks before Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945. Mr. Byford, of the Bonnie Byford Real Estate firm, is not to his knowledge related to Agnes Byford, he said. It appears that she was born Agnes McDonnell. In any case, the extraordinary efforts of Ms. Maxwell are worth reporting. She reminds us of the debt of gratitude owed to Canadian war dead. These men continue to be honoured by citizens of Holland and Belgium where the First Canadian Army fought and ultimately liberated these lands. Every Christmas the Canadian War Cemetery at Holton, Netherlands, is full of children placing candles before well-tended graves. The Dutch continue to care for Canadian cemeteries and sustain their long friendship with Canada.
The Annual General Meeting of the Leaside Business Park Association will be held Wednesday, January 16 at the Tremco offices at 50 Beth Nealson Rd. Doors will open at 7.15 a.m. with the meeting beginning at 7.30. Councillor Jaye Robinson will speak. Thomas McGinty of the City of Toronto Economic Council will also be present. The agenda may be seen among posters at the South Bayview Bulldog Bulletin Board.
It’s all over but the insurance claims at Eglinton East at Swift Drive near Bermondsey Rd. Thursday afternoon. The minor injuries to three seem remarkable given the mess.
Farm Boy, the boutique grocery store with the cute name, is set to open its first downtown store at Leslie St and Lake Shore Blvd. East. The news is causing a fair stir on Leslieville Facebook. Opening day is January 31. Farm Boy got its start in Ottawa and has opened stores across southern Ontario with one in Etobicoke. But it has not ventured downtown before now. It also has newly-infused cash from owner Empire Company of Stellarton, Nova Scotia. Empire Company picked up Farm Boy for $800 million in September. Empire notably is the parent firm of Sobey’s. This corrects other information posted earlier.
CHEESE DISPENSING BILLBOARD?
It takes a bit of work to wrap one’s mind around a cheese-dispensing billboard, but that’s what Taco Bell is promoting for its store at 482 Queen West on January 19. Is a cheese dispensing billboard like a utility pole that dispenses yogurt?
The mayor of Roddickton, Newfoundland, has called on the federal government to deal with an invasion of harp seals that has seen the creatures blocking roads and wandering streets. Sheila Fitzgerald said there is a reasonable concern that the apparently disoriented seals might become aggressive if approached by humans. A CBC story this week suggested the invasion “was almost” reminiscent of Hitchcock’s movie The Birds. Yet the sight of seals crawling down the streets of the Great Northern Peninsula town is most unusual and has left some locals concerned. One expressed concern that the seals would not find their way back to the ocean, fearing they would head further inland and die. He was also concerned that people might unwittingly get too close to the animals which he worried might make the seals turn aggressive.
It is bitterly cold and will stay that way through the weekend. Toronto has issued an alert to residents to take measures to stay warm and to look out for those who may be vulnerable. Weather Network.
ICE THROUGH THE ROOF IN MISSISSAUGA
Leaside Ladies Night Out, the new charitable evening set for its first occasion January 24, has sold out all 175 places available and has a wait list as well. Ann Brown, one of the organizers, says the community has been very generous with donations for the silent auction. Brown says it is fun to hear committee members referring the “next year”. The event takes place at the Leaside Pub. There will a full evening with a DJ (KoolTempo) and many other activities to raise funds for the initiative, Sew for Success. This endeavor will support women in the Thorncliffe neighbourhood to set up their own home-based sewing/tailoring businesses. It will be a three-pronged approach to provide education on how to run a business, sponsor women to develop better sewing skills and provide supplies needed to run their businesses independently. The organizers also hope to encourage a liaison between Leaside and Thorncliffe women in order to ensure their success.
The danger to air travel has been writ large in the sky since the first commercial drones burst onto the world 15 years ago. Now the federal government has finally adopted stricter regulations to govern the use of drones in Canadian airspace, prohibiting them from flying near airports and emergency scenes, and ensuring those operating them aren’t drunk or high on drugs.
