A six-year-old girl is in hospital with serious burns after her clothes caught fire in Toronto’s east end on Saturday. It happened around noon in a highrise apartment on Teesdale Place, near Danforth and Pharmacy Aves. Toronto Fire said the child had burns to the lower body. It wasn’t clear how the fire started. Paramedics took the girl to hospital in serious condition. Her injuries are not life-threatening, police said — CityNews

There was no winning ticket for the $60 million jackpot in Friday night’s Lotto Max draw. There were also 46 Maxmillions prizes of $1 million each up for grabs, and 19 of them were won by ticket holders across the country. The jackpot for the next Lotto Max draw on Dec. 21 will remain at approximately $60 million, but the number of Maxmillions prizes offered will increase to 50.

CTV says Saturday that Toronto Police Superintendent Ron Taverner has asked for and been granted a delay in his appointment as OPP Commissioner so that the Ontario integrity commissioner can review the decision. The NDP asked that the integrity Commissioner examine the role, if any, of Premier Ford in the hiring. Taverner sent email to Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones asking for a delay. “While the government has full confidence in Mr. Taverner, we will respect his request for a delay in his appointment, until such time as the Integrity Commissioner has conducted a review of the selection process,” Jones wrote in a statement.

Santa at Bayview and Millwood /Bulldog photo

Is that Aunt Nell?

GlamBar, 1538 Bayview

Blow-Dri-Bar, 1693B Bayview

Pooch Parade December 22/BIA

The Bayview Leaside BIA Christmas Celebration Saturday was fun. At upper left is a happy family meeting Santa at Millwood Rd and Bayview Ave. More great pictures at the BIA Instagram account. The good times continue next Saturday too and include a Pooch Parade (photo bottom right) outside Big-Stretch Yoga at Bayview and Belsize Dr. Upper right, hey, is that Aunt Nell and her pals dressed up as majorettes on Leaside Fire Prevention Day in 1955? Write if you know. Other pictures can be found at the Sidewalk Old Streets page. Below that are two new “bars” on Bayview but don’t try to order a drink at either. GlamBar is at 1538 Bayview and Blo-Dri-Bar is at 1693B up at Hillsdale Ave. Welcome folks. And that friends, is your South Bayview summary.

2017 madness in Yorkville/Facebook

The annual Santa Speedo Run in aid of the Hospital for Sick Children will take place in Yorkville starting at 1.30 Saturday. Properly dressed runners should be at Hemingway’s restaurant at 142 Cumberland St. by then.

The Supreme Court Friday stuck down parts of the Criminal Code which require a “surcharge” or fee against petty thieves and criminals as recompense to society for the burden of dealing with them. The decision was seven to two. The majority decision was written by Justice Sandra J Martin and the minority dissent by Justice Suzanne Cote. Justice Malcolm Rowe agreed with her. The surcharge has been in effect since the 1980s and its end comes about because Justice Martin and her six colleagues have redefined the meaning of cruel and unusual punishment. Judges Cote and Rowe say the surcharge is the cost of committing crime. They find it a long way from anything like cruel and unusual punishment as it has been known in Canada.

MIKE DUFFY DENIED RIGHT TO SUE SENATE

An Ontario Superior Court judge has dismissed Mike Duffy’s multi-millon-dollar lawsuit against the Senate of Canada, arguing the Red Chamber and its members are protected by parliamentary privilege, making them immune from this sort of judicial scrutiny. The decision is a blow to Duffy — who still represents P.E.I. in the Senate — as he has sought some financial compensation for his bruising, years-long battle to clear his name following accusations of improper spending. “Allowing a court to revisit the Senate’s decisions at issue here would interfere with the Senate’s ability to function as an independent legislative body, equal to other branches of government,” Justice Sally Gomery wrote in her decision published Friday — CBC

MARKETS DOWN, DOWN ON J AND J TALCUM ADMISSION

Stocks tell dramatically again Friday in the US (Down  off 500) and in Canada (TSX off 155) on fears of weakness as the trade dispute between the US and China staggers forward. Johnson and Johnson took a body slam as it admitted that it knew its talcum powder contained asbestos at some point.  .

This is Bessborough Dr traffic when Bayview is closed

The usual but worse

The traffic congestion aptly described as the five-year-once-in-a-lifetime-nightmare that is the LRT construction seemed to out-do itself Friday afternoon. For reasons generally known but specifically unclear, there was almost no movement north on Bayview Ave from Millwood Rd. heading toward 4 p.m. One motorist timed his trip from Millwood to Parkhurst at 25 minutes. Side roads on both the west and east sides of Bayview were backed up and in many cases locked at the corners by drivers determined to hold their position in the line. Banff, Roehampton, Broadway, Bessborough, Glenvale and the others were full of stopped vehicles.

Kate, Louis, Charlotte, George and William

Prince Louis makes an appearance to much fan flutter on William and Kate’s 2018 Christmas card. Not too many of these printed best wishes will be landing in South Bayview but never mind. All the children look very sweet. Other cards released Friday are here.

A large coyote which lives in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery near Bayview Ave. has been recorded by a Leaside jogger and video posted at Leaside Community. There is a long thread of comment touching on raccoons, dogs and coyote beauty. It is believed there may be as many as 3,000 coyote in Toronto. They seem generally indifferent or fearful of people but have been known to kill small dogs.

In Mt. Pleasant Cemetery/Claire Venramin Facebook

Wheel club

Wheel boot

South Bayview neighborhoods have seen a nearly 100 percent increase in car thefts in 2018 over the previous year as crooks employ electronic over-rides on door locks. These include fob cloning or relay theft on vehicles with what is known as on board diagnostic (OBD) overwriting. The statistic was released Thursday at a police news conference which can be seen here. In policing terms, these crimes occur in 53 and 13 Divisions. Urgent advice on stopping such theft include some obvious and some more sophisticated precautions. Recommendations include shutting off the motor, parking in well-lit areas and/or a garage, and not leaving keys in the vehicle. Also:

– Steering Wheel Club
– Wheel Boot/Chock
– OBD (On Board Diagnostic) Port Lock
– Aftermarket Ignition Kill Switch
– Intelligent radio-frequency identification (RFID) car immobilizer
– Aftermarket Alarm System
– Place keys in Faraday bag
– Park In Your Garage