Leafs coach Mike Babcock joined the Minor Atom “AA” Leaside Flames for a practice to mark their winning $8,000 donation to the Movember charity. Babcock brought the whole coaching staff with him. Hockey heaven. More at GTHL site.
Some 200 passengers were safely taken off a GO train Monday after the engine caught fire. This in the City’s Distillery District. Emergency crews were called to the area of Lake Shore Blvd and Cherry St. at around 10:20 a.m.
Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun (left) is a Saudi woman who says she is fleeing an abusive family. She has gained temporary asylum from the Thai government as she battles to reach Australia. For reasons unknown, it is her destination of choice for a new life. Let’s hope she makes it. At centre, a Canadian model, Kelleth Cuthbert, is now known around the world as The Fiji Water Girl. Anyone watching the Golden Globes Sunday night will have seen Kelleth photo bombing endless stars. It is hilarious. CTV says she was working for a Canadian man who owns Fiji Water. At right, Krystal Whipple, 21, who is on the lam after running down a manicurist who tried to stop her from leaving without paying for a $35 nail job. This occurred in Las Vegas. So sad.
After a strong year for Greater Toronto Area (GTA) real estate in 2017, 2018 saw declines across the board for home sales, listings, and average selling price. A new report from the Toronto Real Estate Board reveals pronounced declines in these categories, which is being partially attributed to increased borrowing costs as well as the new mortgage stress test. A total of 77,426 residential transactions were recorded in 2018, representing a drop of 16.1% when weighed against the 92,263 sales reported in 2017. Similarly, new listings entered into the MLS system dropped by 12.7%, with 155,823 recorded during 2018. Selling prices also took a hit, though not as much as transactions and listings, falling 4.3% year-over-year to $787,300 — Urban Toronto
Toronto Island resident Ron Sampson has lived in the home 8 Omaha Ave. all his life but a legal snag threatens to see him evicted. Title to the home is in the name of his late brother. But the land is owned by the Toronto Islands Residential Community Trust Corp. When the trust was formed 30 years ago the rules of residency permitted a home to be bequeathed to a son or daughter, but not a brother. Go figure. The Star updates the story by saying the trust seemed to backing down on a threat to evict Sampson Monday. Will the 61-year-old marine mechanic get a reprieve to remain in the home where he was born? There is more to come in this fascinating tale.
The Toronto Observer, publication of the Centennial College journalism program will cease printing a paper edition and revert solely to online distribution. The Observer was established in 1977 long before the journalism program moved to the Carlaw Ave campus of Centennial College at Carlaw and Mortimer Ave. The publication is seen here.
The East York Agnes Macphail Recognition Committee is now accepting nominations for the 26th Annual Agnes Macphail Award. Agnes Campbell Macphail was the first woman elected to the House of Commons (1921) and the first seated in the Ontario Legislature (1943). During her years in office, Agnes Macphail focussed on issues of equality rights and social justice. Nominees must be a resident of the former Borough of East York and an outstanding volunteer leader in community life in areas including, but not limited to: women’s rights, fairness to seniors, criminal justice and penal reform, international peace and disarmament and to adequate housing, health care and education. Nomination forms are available in public buildings in East York. The deadline for nominations is midnight, Thursday, February 7, 2019 to Councillor Paula Fletcher, councillor_fletcher@toronto.ca , 416 392 4060.
A dealer in Bulgaria has posted Facebook details and photos of what are said to be 11 E34 5 Series BMWs, thought to date from 1994. They are said to show zero km. The Facebook account (in Bulgarian) is now filling up with questions from hapless English-speaking BMW lovers who want to buy the vehicles. It appears they will be auctioned although when and where is still vague. The British publication Motoring Research says the cars consist of “ten saloons and one solitary touring estate (and) the collection is made up of a mixture of 520i and 525i models. Black and Calypso Red appear to have been the colours of choice.” It says the vehicles are equipped with 148hp 2.0-litre straight-six engines for the 520i models and a more powerful 189hp 2.5-litre straight-six motors for the 525i cars. It remains unclear just how the cars were left to gather dust. Some reports say a leasing business failed but somehow the cars were not sold off.
No winning ticket was sold for the $5 million jackpot in Saturday night’s Lotto 649 draw. The guaranteed $1 million prize was claimed by a ticket holder in British Columbia. The jackpot for the next Lotto 649 draw on Jan. 9 will be approximately $7 million.
Five teen girls, all 15, are dead after a fire started during an “escape room” birthday party event in Koszalin, Poland. The fire prevented a worker from opening the room. Escape rooms are described as “interactive games” in which kids search for clues to get themselves out of their locked-in dilemma. There are many in Toronto. It seems the rooms typically have no inside mechanism for emergency exit. The phenomenon will seem to come out of nowhere for some parents, particularly the morbid variant of the game which is obsessed with fear rather than skill. A recently-released movie in theatres now challenges the heroine to “try doing one thing that scares you.” Sure.
Shooting on Dane Avenue near Dufferin St & Lawrence Av in North York. Multiple shots fired on residential street, victim showed up at Humber River Hospital. Injuries are non-life threatening. #Toronto pic.twitter.com/6mflLDiw7g
— Jeremy Cohn (@JeremyCohnTV) January 5, 2019
